Madison County

May 4–6, 2007

Schedule of Events

The Gathering
During our weekend together we will:

• Dine at the elegant and historic Wardlaw-Smith-Goza Mansion, used as a hospital after the civil war battle of Olustee in 1864, and now owned and operated by the North Florida Community College.  While there, we’ll learn about Madison’s rich history with historian Joe Akerman, Jr. Mr. Akerman, a long-time resident of Madison, teaches history at North Florida Community College and is the author of Florida Cowman: A History of Florida Cattle Raising and Jacob Summerlin: King of the Crackers.
   
• Enjoy a private tour of some of Madison’s finest antebellum homes, graciously opened to us by members of the community. We’ll learn the stories of the homes and the families that resided in them, and hear about the struggles of preserving these important vestiges of Florida’s past.
   
• Dine at the elegant and historic Wardlaw-Smith-Goza Mansion, used as a hospital after the civil war battle of Olustee in 1864, and now owned and operated by North Florida Community College.
   
• Discover the rich African-American history of Madison and its surrounding communities with Tallahassee Community College historian Andrea Oliver.
   
• Experience an authentic cattle auction at the Townsend Livestock Market, and learn the ins and outs of the business from manager Abb Townsend.
   
• Learn about a failed communal experiment spearheaded by Eleanor Roosevelt, The Cherry Lake Project, once located just north of Madison. Local historian Elmer Spear will describe this unusual 1930s venture and tour us through the remains of this one-of-a-kind Florida community.

This Gathering generously sponsored by the Madison Tourist Development Council, with additional in-kind sponsorship from North Florida Community College.