Plantations of Leon County, Florida

The forced-labor farms of Leon County were numerous and vast. Leon County, Florida, was a hub of cotton production. From the 1820s through 1850s Leon County's fertile red clay soils and long growing season attracted cotton planters from Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, North and South Carolina, among other states as well as countries abroad.

Enslaved workers in Leon County

For some time before the early stages of the Civil War Leon County was the fifth-largest producer of cotton in Georgia and Florida. Another source states that Leon County led the state in cotton production. Because of this, in 1840, there were only 654 adult white males, but 3980 people "engaged in agriculture". In 1860, 73% of the population of Leon County consisted of enslaved black persons; as was true elsewhere in the South, the value of those enslaved persons far exceeded the value of all the land in the county. Leon County had more enslaved people than any other county in Florida, and it was, therefore, the wealthiest county in Florida. It was also the center of Florida's slave trade.

Forced-labor farms in 1860

Note: Value = plantation value in United States dollars. TA = total area. IA = improved area. UA = unimproved area. Corn = in bushels. Cotton = bales of cotton

Enslaver	Value	TA	IA	UA	Enslaved people	Corn	Cotton	Notes
William Alderman	$5000		500 acres		36	3000	75
Silas D. Allen	$2000		250 acres		22	1000	180
Jesse Averett, Sr.	N/A				60	2500	80
William Bailey	$42,670				75	4000	352
Bannerman	$14,475				67	4000	120
Barrow Hill	$10,000				71	3200	204
S. A. Belton	$12,000	N/A			N/A	500	N/A
Bellevue Plantation	$10,000				24	N/A	N/A
Betton Hill	$00,000	0000	0000	00	0000	000	000
Blakely	$9000		500 acres	400	N/A	3000	40
William D. Bloxham	$7000				52	2500	100
J. R. Bradford	$1300	N/A			N/A	1500	75
Burgesstown	$22,000				274	1300	825
William H. Branch	$13,375			500 acres	57	3000	120
William A. Carr	$31,000	2000 acres	1000 acres		77	5000	260
Casa de Laga	$15,000				70	3000	200
Josesph Chaires	$50,000				130	5000	200
Chemonie	$18,400		1000 acres		64	5000	200
J. B. Christie	$12,000				37	1500	80
Charles Cole	$7680	N/A			30	1500	85
Henry Copeland	$10,000	N/A			55	3000	81
John A. Craig	$20,000				44	3500	150
William P. Craig	$13,000				38	1000	62
Alex Cromartie	$12,600				53	4000	90
John Cromartie	$5760		500 acres		52	1500	37
J. Q. Cromartie	$13,000				40	3000	50

Enslaver	Value	TA	IA	UA	Enslaved people	Corn	Cotton	Notes
Edgewood	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
El Destino	$17,000
Evergreen Hills	$53,600				135	6000	350
Francis Eppes	$24,000				70	3000	70
A. A. Fisher	N/A				46	3000	105
R. N. Fisher	$11,800		500 acres		45	3000	100
Dr. George Galphin	$12,500		500 acres		50	1300	75
C. B. Gamble	$10,000	N/A			N/A	2500	60
William Germany	$20,000		1000 acres		40	1500	47
Goodwood	$33,640				58	2500	150
William A. Harvin	$11,500	N/A			36	3000	91
Alex B. Hawkins	$38,700	2000 acres			51	1800	93
Richard Hayward	$62,680	N/A			51	2000	150
Griffin W. Holland	$30,000				95	7000	225
Horseshoe Plantation	See
House Place	$16,600				47	3000	216
Edward Houstoun	$25,000	N/A			78	3500	180
Ingleside	$25,000		1500 acres		116	7000	181
James A. Kirksey	$33,000				180	6000	454
La Grange	$55,200			1000 acres	232	N/A	N/A
T. B. Lamar	$1500			750 acres	41	2000	100
Thomas J. Laversage	$8000				48	2000	70
Live Oak	$4000				68	2000	73
Ellen C. Long	$13,000	N/A		500 acres	52	1800	120
Daniel B. Meginniss	$40,000				70	3000	150
John Miller	$35,000				80	5000	180

Labor Camp	Value	TA	IA	UA	Enslaved People	Corn	Cotton	Notes
Miccosukee	$35,000				80	5000	180
John C. Montford	$800		500 acres		35	2000	41
Mossview	$20,000				80	2000	80
William S. Murray	$8000				33	2500	45
Oaklawn	$26,720				20	5000	300
Orchard Pond	$31,000				118	4500	167
M. D. Papy	$9000		500 acres		43	3000	54
William Perkins	$15,300				42	2500	93
Julian S. Pettes	$3000	N/A			N/A	3000	75
Pine Hill	$28,000		1500 acres		130	4000	225
Ponder	$48,000	5000 acres			99	8500	206
L. S. Raines	$10,000	1000 acres	500 acres		43	1500	75
Thomas Randall	$40,000	N/A			38	2500	75
W. F. Robertson	$12,000				30	2000	100
J. A. J. Roney	$27,000	N/A			77	6000	198
G. W. Scott	$4000				N/A	N/A	N/A
R. G. Shepard	$24,000				90	1000	225
Solomon Sills	$5000			N/A	26	97	1800
Smithwick	$10,000			250 acres	N/A	80	1500
Southwood	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Daniel Switzer	$6000				N/A	N/A	N/A
Tuscawilla	$36,000	3000 acres	1500 acres	1500 acres	172	3000	200
Verdura	$20,000	2500 acres	1000 acres	1500 acres	63	2500	160
Walnut Hill	$12,000				65	2500	80
Water Oak	$18,400				65	2500	130
Waverly	$00,000	0000	000	000	000	000	000
J. E. Whitaker	N/A				94	2000	157
Robert W. Williams	$8000	N/A				2000	100
T. B. Winn	$13,920	N/A				3000	81
Woodlawn	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Note: Value = Plantation Value. IA = Improved Acres. UA = Unimproved Acres. Enslaved People = Number of persons enslaved. Machinery = Worth of machinery. Livestock = Worth of livestock.

Enslaver	Value	IA	UA	Enslaved People	Machinery	Livestock	Notes
E. P. Johnson	$1410			N/A	$10	$260
William Johnson	$1410			N/A	$10	$260
E. S. McCollum	$1000			N/A	$125	$880
Jackson Moody	$500			N/A	$20	$300
S. W. Sweatman	$1440			N/A	$100	$550