Hailey Heseltine
news@greenepublishing.com
The little town of Greenville sits as the halfway point between Monticello and Madison. For many of us, it's a landmark. For others, however, it's the place that they call home, or where their family roots have grown for decades. Though Greenville is a little newer than Monticello and Madison, it has just as much of a rich history in a such a small place.
Greenville was founded in 1850 in Madison County, about 16 miles east of Monticello and 14 miles west of Madison. The area was originally called Sandy Ford. Its first postmaster was Samuel Williams, who took his post in 1854.
The little town grew around what was known as “Station Five” during the Civil War, a railway station for the Pensacola and Georgia Line, which was named as such since it was the fifth stop from Tallahassee, 45 miles east of the city. Such stations were often hubs for shipping and deliveries, which was especially important for agricultural goods in our area. Thus, the town was subsequently known as Station Five for the significant asset to the community. How did Greenville get the name it has today?
As the story goes, there was a group of women in town who met frequently for sewing circle sessions. During the Civil War, the group decided to sew uniforms and other fabric supplies for Confederate Soldiers. After their first shipment of supplies, however, which was postmarked as being from “Station Five,” the group was informed by the quartermaster of the Confederate Army that they would need to provide an address with a town name to send future deliveries.
The president of the sewing group, Mrs. U.M. Roberts, grew up in Greenville, S.C. Thus the group decided to suggest her hometown's name as a potential new name for their little Florida town. It was a popular idea, and so from the 1860s onward it was known as Greenville.
Like many places in rural North Florida, the town's economy was supported by agriculture. According to the town's historical plaque, it had a reputation as “an orange producing center” until about 1895. The role of the orange was then overtaken by other crops, such as timber, cattle and tobacco. By the turn of the century, there were also plenty of businesses such as the Porter family's General Store. The town's main hub of commerce became Grand Street, which housed many such businesses, as well as churches and homes, close to the lifeblood of its community, the railway station.
The Town of Greenville was officially incorporated in 1907, and W.D. Griffin became its first mayor.
Greenville is famous for being the hometown of musician Ray Charles. Charles, who was born in Albany in 1930 and spent his childhood in Greenville, was a pioneer of the soul music genre, and became famous worldwide as the mind behind many iconic songs, such as “Georgia on my Mind,” “I Got a Woman” and “Hit the Road Jack.” He led a booming career despite disability; he had been blind since childhood and found great joy in music when he learned to play many instruments during his education at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine. Ultimately, he was among the first Black musicians to sign with a major record company while maintaining significant artistic control. He spent his life as a highly influential musician, whose impact on the industry and genre is still seen today. He is also Greenville's biggest claim to fame. Today, Charles' childhood home is a historical location that can be toured in town, and a statue of him is located the Haffye Hayes Park.
