The first ball drops were for ship captains, not Times Square

Whether at home on the couch or among the crowds in Times Square, watching the New Year’s Eve ball drop symbolizes a fresh start. But as the ball descends to mark another year gone by, it also harkens back to an era when knowing the Read More …

Watch Night 2020

December 31, 1862 the people of the United States waited through the night to see if President Abraham Lincoln would issue the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the states of rebellion.  Lincoln had first shared a draft of his  Emancipation Proclamation with his Cabinet early Read More …

 Lewis Thornton Powell and the conspiracy to kill President Abraham Lincoln

 Lewis Thornton Powell was hanged for his role in the conspiracy to kill President Abraham Lincoln on this date in 1865. Powell was not a native Floridian, but he had lived in Live Oak since 1859 with his family, joining the 2nd Florida Infantry in Read More …

Watch Night 2019

December 31, 1862 the people of the United States waited through the night to see if President Abraham Lincoln would issue the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the states of rebellion.  Lincoln had first shared a draft of his  Emancipation Proclamation with his Cabinet early Read More …