Bradford County is a rural community located in Northeast Florida. Bradford was founded as New River County in 1858 but was renamed Bradford County in 1861. The county has a population of 27,000 people and covers 294 square miles. Bradford County is home to the City of Starke, City of Lawtey, City of Hampton and the Town of Brooker with Starke being the county seat.
Our History
New River County, as it was known at the time, was created in 1858 from segments of Columbia and Alachua counties. It was renamed Bradford County in 1861 in honor of Confederate Captain Richard Bradford, who fought in the American Civil War and was killed in the Battle of Santa Rosa Island, becoming the first officer from Florida to die during the Civil War.
During the county’s early history, Lake Butler served as the county seat. However, the growth of Starke as an important city on the Fernandina to Cedar Key railroad led to an 1875 vote on the location of the county seat, with Starke winning by 46 votes. A successful legal challenge brought the county seat back to Lake Butler, and an 1885 referendum reaffirmed the move by 19 votes.
Yet another referendum was held in 1887, and saw the courthouse and county seat moved back to Starke, where it would remain. The dispute brought on the attention of the Florida Legislature, and in 1921, the western portion of Bradford County and Lake Butler were separated to form Union County.
The county was home to numerous citrus farms in its early days prior to the Great Freeze in the winter of 1894–1895. Even after the freeze, Starke and Lawtey continued to be major regional agricultural producers, with the primary exports being cotton, tobacco, and strawberries.
Significant growth would come to the county during the World War II era, with the construction of U.S. Route 301 and nearby Camp Blanding.