Lafayette County Florida

Written By:Laverne Tornow

Lafayette County was created December 23, 1856 from part of Madison County, and included at the time what is now both Lafayette and Dixie Counties. The county seat is at Mayo, which is currently the only incorporated town in the county. Lafayette County was named in honor of Marquis de Lafayette, the French citizen who rendered assistance to the colonies during the American Revolutionary War. The county courts first met at the home of Ariel Jones near Fayetteville. The county seat was moved to Mayo from New Troy in 1893.

Lafayette County is home to thousands of acres of southern pine forests and swamps and is still rather sparsely populated. It is nestled between Madison, Taylor, Dixie, Suwannee and Gilchrist Counties. In 1921 the lower part of the county was carved off and created into Dixie County.

The historic Suwannee River forms the entire eastern boundary of Lafayette, between Suwannee and Gilchrist counties. The Steinhatchee river runs through it on its way to the Gulf of Mexico in neighboring Taylor County. It is also home to many ponds, lakes, creeks, streams, hammocks and Mallory Swamp. Cook's Hammock is a mecca for the outdoor sportsman with its bountiful game and wildlife.

The early settlers of Lafayette County were a hardy people, who depended upon its bountiful fishing, game, farmland, and timber to feed and house their families. Some of those pioneering families descendants still reside in Lafayette county today!

My name is David Gochenour and I'm the County Coordinator of Lafayette County. While I don't live in the county, you can message me at nestatecoordinator@gmail.com and I will try to direct you to the proper place.

State Coordinator: Denise Wells Email:ncusgenweb@gmail.com
Assistant State Coordinator:Jeff Kemp Email:msgwsc@gmail.com