|
The Bellamy Road
After Florida became a U. S. Territory, the First and Second Legislative Council was held in Pensacola and St. Augustine, respectively, as these were the two centers of population. It was determined that an overland route was needed to connect the two areas. Authorized by the Eighteenth Congress, $20,000 was appropriated for the survey and opening of a public road from Pensacola to St. Augustine. The Congressional Act read: Be it enacted that the President of the United States is hereby authorized to cause to be opened, in the Territory of Florida, a public road from Pensacola to St. Augustine, commencing at Deer Point, on the Bay of Pensacola, and pursuing the old Indian Trail to the Cow Ford on the Choctawatchy River; thence direct to the Natural Bridge on the Econfinan River; thence to the Ochese Bluff on the Apalachicola River; thence in the most direct practicable to the site of Fort St. Louis; thence as nearly as practicable, on the old Spanish road to St. Augustine crossing the St. Johns River at Picolata; which road shall be plainly and distinctly marked and shall be the width of twenty-five feet. Captain Daniel E. Burch of the U.S. Army was appointed to supervise the surveying and construction of this new Federal Highway in the Florida Territory. To survey the route, Burch with a detachment marched from Pensacola beginning Oct. 22, 1823 and reached St. Augustine Nov. 25, 1823, a distance of 445 miles. Governor William F. Du Val recommended John Bellamy as the best equipped to build the eastern part of the road. Bellamy’s contract was to construct the road from the Ochlockonee River to the St. Johns River. He began construction on December 21, 1824. The road, Florida’s first Federal Highway, was completed in 1826. The route through our area came across the Natural Bridge over the Santa
Fe River in Columbia County, a bit SW of O’Leno State Park. It came through
Newnansville (near current day Alachua), Fairbanks, to Melrose, then through
Clay County to the St. Johns near Bayard, across to Picolata and on to St.
Augustine. When Melrose was plotted in 1877, Bellamy Avenue became the major
East – West thoroughfare. Today, it is known as State Road 26.
In the mid-1960s, the Department of Transportation upgraded the highway,
installing sidewalks, curbing and gutters. In the process, many old trees
were removed. To improve the appearance of the Bellamy Road through Melrose
, the Melrose Business and Community Association received a DOT grant and
planted additional trees and shrubbery with assistance from Alachua and Putnam Counties.
This article contributed by Mr. Tom Lucas, a Melrose area resident. Back |
