Nearly 200 years ago, settlers arrived in Alachua County to grow cotton
and other crops. By the middle of the nineteenth century, enough people
resided in the area today known as Gainesville that they decided to
create a town to be the center of business and government for the
county.
In 1906, the focus changed with the arrival of the University of
Florida. Although it then barely exceeded a hundred students, it has
grown to be one of the nation's largest universities and has gained
national prominence as a leading research institution.
Historic Photos of Gainesville showcases nearly 200 black-and-white
images to chronicle the growth of the city from a place where pigs,
cows, and chickens ran free, to a modern city where cutting-edge
research is routine.