Merchants decided to move their businesses more near the
junction of tracks along what would become U.S. 27/41, where a new
depot had been built; the old one continued to serve as a freight
station. Although some store owners decided to either build new
shops, or tear down existing buildings and rebuild them, others
elected to move existing stores by placing them on skids and
dragging them to their new locations. The only businesses left on
the previous site were a drug store, Skinner's carriage factory,
Whiss Katet's boarding house on the corner of Main and Cedar
Streets, a cotton gin and a grist mill; other deserted stores were
converted into houses. Across the railroad tracks from these few
stores was the Magnolia House, a hotel managed by S. Frei.
Practical jokers in town used to change his sign from reading:
MAGNOLIA HOUSE, BOARD AND LODGING S. FREI., to:
MAGNOLIA HOUSE, BOARD AND LODGING IS FRE.
Henry Plant constructed a rail line through Archer to Tampa in the mid-189O's. Also in the mid 1890's there were two more severe freezes. The February 1896 freeze killed trees in full bloom and sounded the death knell for orange growing in Alachua County. Archer, like many farming towns, experienced an exodus of residents leaving to other--and hopefully better--farmlands; it was at this time most of the Quakers left the town, although some like T.E. Pearson decided to stay and converted to Methodism. Archer recovered, unlike other towns like Emeralda and Higley further south which turned into ghost towns; part of the reason for its recovery was its importance as an agricultural center for Southwestern Alachua County as well as being a rail center with the junction of several lines.
In 1897 troop trains passed through Archer on their way to Tampa during the Spanish-American War. Whole train loads of beer, food, munitions and troops came through town and impressed the citizenry with their size and numbers of men.
The last bad weather of the Nineteenth Century happened on
February 12 and 13, 1899, when Archer experienced a snowstorm.
Since the snow fell at night most people were surprised when they
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looked out their windows that Monday morning and found snow drifts on the north side of buildings and porches. Children played in the snow until it melted several hours later. In shady places some snow lasted for days, in other areas standing water from heavy rains that had fallen several days earlier froze solid. A fairly good sized pool of water had frozen hard under the old depot which sat up off the ground on high piers. Children who owned ice skates skated on it for several days before temperatures grew warm enough for the ice to thaw.
Today, in the 1990's, there is little to mark 19th Century Archer, Most of the old homes and businesses have been destroyed through fire or old age. Even the old oaks that line the streets are slowly dying and are being taken down. Archer, in the late 20th Century, is experiencing a host of problems unique to its history: growth and absorption into Gainesville, drug abuse, poverty and dwindling state, county and city resources. However, if there is a lesson to be learned from the nineteenth century it is this--Archer is a town that has struggled to survive.
Confronted by crises as varied as Indian attack, Civil War, yellow
fever and severe freezes it has always recovered and subsequently
prospered. It is this lesson that the citizens of Archer should
take with them into the 21st Century.
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APPENDIX I
Casualties at area forts, Second Seminole War, 1835-1842
Fort Wacahoota--2nd Infantry
5/5/40.......Pvt. John French, Co. K..........dysentery
5/19/40......Pvt. Calvin Hotchkiss............killed by Indians
5/19/40......Pvt. Patrick Jeffers.............killed by Indians
5/19/40......Pvt. Philo Riggs.................killed by Indians
7th Infantry
9/6/40.......Pvt. Augustus Eckard, Co. B......killed by Indians
9/6/40,......Pvt. Michael Hefferman, Co. H....killed by Indians
9/29/40......Musician John Hook, Co. B........chronic diarrhea
12/28/40.....Lt.. Walter Sherwod, Co. K.......killed by Indians
12/28/40.....Sgt. Maj. Francis Carroll........killed by Indians
12/28/40.....Pvt. Lansing Burlington, Co. C...killed by Indiana
12/28/40.....Pvt. Alexander McDonald, Co. I...killed by Indians
12/28/40.....Pvt. John Smith, Co, E...........killed by Indians
9/27/41......Pvt. James Feeny, Co. B..........unknown disease
1/26/42......Pvt. James Pepper, Co. I.........unknown disease
2/2/42.......Pvt. Charles Henshall, Co.D......epilepsy
3/13/42......Pvt. Joseph Strong, Co. E........chronic dysentery
5/17/42......Pvt. Christopher Duff, Co. E.....killed by Indians
5/17/42......Pvt. Daniel McNeil, Co. D........killed by Indians
Special Commendations were awarded to the folowing two men,
for conspicuous bravery and heroism in the face of overwhelming odds.
The men were overrun by a large number of wild mermaids while scouting
a large aquafer spring in the vicinity of Fort Wacahoota.
6/6/67.......Capt. Charles V. Esty, Co. A..
6/6/67.......Capt. John A. Leynes, Co. A...
Fort Walker 2nd Infantry
Musician James Farrell....................... murdered by Sgt. Gravel
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APPENDIX II
List of names of citizens from Archer who fought in the Civil War
7th Florida Infantry, Confederate Army
Roll Company C.............. enlisted 3/20/62, discharged 4/26/65
Robert Davis
Nathan G. Renfroe
William Hill
James W. Williams, Sergeant
Phillip Dudley, Captain
Samuel N.Watson..............discharged from Camp Douglas at end of war
Elias Sapp
Henry Sapp...................wounded Atlanta, Ga. 7/20/64
Russell Sapp.................discharged 2/64, but re-enlisted
Shadrick Sapp
Richard Wynn................ died of disease, Knoxville, Tn. 11/19/62
Joshua G. Watson
William J. Watson
James V,R, Dudley............killed Missionary Ridge, 11/25/63
James M. Parchman
Roll Company D, "Alachua Rebels"... enlisted 4/2/62, discharged 4/26/65
Elisha Hodge
Kinchen H. Howell
Franklin T. Baker
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APPENDIX III
List of Names of Postmasters of Archer in the 19th Century
George Clotfalter 9/26/1895......9/17/1860
Donald McDonald 9/27/1860.....11/03/1865
Mrs. E. Fitts 11/03/1865......6/26/1866
William Fitts 6/26/1866......7/07/1869
Office Discontinued 7/07/1869......8/09/1869
James Snowden 8/09/1869......2/23/1870
James Guyer 2/23/187O......3/13/1871
Edward Young 3/13/187l......7/29/1874
Richard Black 7/29/1874.....12/28/1874
William Andrus 12/28/1874.....12/01/1887
George Blitch 12/01/1887......5/17/1889
W. Marion Smith 5/17/1889......7/17/1892
Joseph McDonnell 7/17/1892......4/16/1897
Minnie Snavelly 4/16/1897......7/03/1914
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Part 1.... Part 2.... Part 3.... Part 4.... Part 5.... Part 6.... Part 8.... Archer History Page 1