Reminiscing - Webbville Revisited

February 21, 2008
Dick Hinson

My late cousins, Jeff and Cecil Rhyne, were two of the earliest researchers of Jackson County history. During the 1930s, they made several field trips to search for the exact location of "Webbville" within the square mile of Section 16, Township 5 North, Range West. In later years, Jeff told me that they never discovered satisfactory evidence to pinpoint the location of the several stores and structures which formed the center of the pioneer settlement. We all know that Webbville’s petition to Congress contained a critical roadblock. The 16th Sections in each township was reserved for the use and benefit of public schools. While a partial exception was hastily approved by the Webbville supporters, the delay in final congressional approval proved to be fatal. Congress adjourned before acting. By the time that Webbville was approved in 1828, Marianna had seized both this initiative and key defectors from Webbville. However, the territorial council was careful to avoid offending Congress. They directed the courts to begin meeting in the town of Marianna but to avoid using the term "county seat"! That’s the way it remains today.

Over 25 years ago, I noticed that the Florida road maps showed only two national features in Jackson County: Florida Caverns State Park and Webbville Spring! I had two older friends who were also interested in finding the spring: Slade West and Pebble Stone. Slade was the son (not grandson) of Dr. Theophilus West, a surgeon in the Confederate Army. Pebble was from a pioneer family and related to Lackland Stone, a storeowner, postmaster, and founder of Webbville. Lackland was also a key defector to Marianna, where he had purchased some property. To round out the search party, my wife, Ann, and three-year-old granddaughter, Melissa, were included in the crew.

Section 16 is not difficult to find from SR 73 North. A stand of oak trees marks the junction of the old Union dirt road winding north in the direction of Waddell’s Mill. According to Dr. Shofner’s research, the pioneer village of Webbville was situated in or close to this junction. Named in honor of James Webb, a residing attorney, the business district included four stores along with medical and law offices.

Where were the private dwellings located? We hoped that Webbville Spring might provide some evidence. From the dirt road junction, looking east across some 150 acres of empty cultivated land, we could see a head of tall wetlands trees extending into the edge of the field. Have you ever drawn drinking water from a dug well? If so, you will probably agree that the taste leaves a lot to be desired when compared with fresh water from a natural flowing spring! Before the days of electrical power and deep drilled wells, these shallow wells were dug by hand. Lined with wooden flanks, they reached only into the standing ground water level. You cowered and ranked up one bucket at a time . . .

In contrast, a spring was a treasure for any community, and a special luxury for a dwelling adjoining a spring.

Making our way across the field, we pushed our path through a wall of brush. Webbville Spring was displayed before us, about fifty feet in diameter. More than a century of farmland silt had drained into the spring floor, reducing the depth to some five feet. However, the clarity of the blue water clearly showed that the flow still continued under the silt. We estimated that the depth to the bottom was at least eight to ten feet when Webbville was established. Using metal detectors and shovels, we found arrow points, hinges, hand-forged nails, and many plow-broken pieces of dinnerware. There apparently had once been a number of dwellings in the currently cultivated field.

Adjacent to the spring, fine sections of painted English china were discovered. These were later identified as being from British manufacture dating from about 1800 A.D. We guessed that the first Webbville founders built their homes adjacent to the spring. Webbville had been rediscovered!

This seems to be the end of this story, always, there is the unexpected, and biggest surprise yet to come. As we walked further around the area toward the adjoining field, a burly young man appeared out of nowhere. "Well," he shouted at me, "I’ve finally caught the battery thieves!" I stood and stared at him, waiting for more information on his problem. His batteries, he said, were being stolen from his tractor which he sometimes left in the field overnight. When he finally stopped complaining, I told him that we had permission from this spring owner to be there and that we had no interest in his battery. I couldn’t help thinking that if I ever caught a battery theft gang which included two elderly men, a grandmother and a little girl, I would be more inclined to make a donation than an arrest. The confrontation ended with the frustrated stranger stomping away.

During the drive home, we all agreed that the man’s protest went far beyond all reasonable bounds. Something didn’t add up, but that ended our discussion. Within days afterward, the mystery was solved. The newspaper article reported that spotter planes had detected a "pot" growing operation in the area . . .

A trip back into history had collided with modern times and a mix of different problems. On balance, the day was full and memorable. We will leave one puzzle unanswered: "How did such an ancient and isolated place find its way into current highway maps?"