Mosquito County (also labeled on maps as Musquito County) is the

historic History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

name of an early

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

that once comprised most of the eastern part of

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. Its land included all of present-day Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Marion,

Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

Osceola Osceola (1804 – January 30, 1838, Vsse Yvholv in Muscogee language, Creek, also spelled Asi-yahola), named Billy Powell at birth, was an influential leader of the Seminole people in Florida. His mother was Muscogee, and his great-grandfa ...

, Orange,

Lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

, Polk and Palm Beach counties. Mosquito County was disbanded in 1844.

History

The whole east coast of

central Florida Central Florida is a Regions of the United States#Florida, region of the U.S. state of Florida. Different sources give different definitions for the region, but as its name implies it is usually said to comprise the central part of the state, in ...

was known as "Los Musquitos" starting from the 1500s until 1844. After

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

received authority to take possession of the Florida territory ceded by Spain in 1821, he divided the whole territory into two counties, along the

Suwannee River The Suwannee River (also spelled Suwanee River or Swanee River) is a river that runs through south Georgia southward into Florida in the Southern United States. It is a wild blackwater river, about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrog ...

. All of the area west formed Escambia, and all of it east formed St. Johns County. This was largely consistent with the previously existing British colonies of

West Florida West Florida () was a region on the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico that underwent several boundary and sovereignty changes during its history. Great Britain established West and East Florida in 1763 out of land acquired from France and S ...

and

East Florida East Florida () was a colony of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain from 1763 to 1783 and a province of the Spanish Empire from 1783 to 1821. The British gained control over Spanish Florida in 1763 as part of the Treaty of Paris (1763), Tre ...

. Mosquito County was split off from St. Johns on December 29, 1824, and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

was designated at John Bunch's house just west of the present location of Tomoka State Park. At roughly long by wide, it was the largest county in the new territory. In 1830, the census listed 15 heads of households, and a total of 733 persons, mostly slaves.Stone, Elaine Murray, ''Brevard County From Cape of the Canes to Space Coast'' In January 1835, the county seat was moved New Smyrna on Bunch's forced-labor farm. However, the Second Seminole War had largely depopulated Mosquito County of white settlers by the end of that year.Shofner, Jerrell H., ''History of Brevard County Volume 1'' In 1838, there was so little activity in the county that the St. Johns County Clerk was designated to keep the records of the county. However, by 1840, although the census listed no white inhabitants other than the military personnel based at Fort Pierce and New Smyrna, the county had its own officials. In 1841, legislation was introduced and passed to rename the county " Leigh Read County". However the

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

did not sign the bill within the legal time, so the renaming did not take place. In 1842, the Armed Occupation Act was passed, providing a quarter section () to any head of family who settled on property south of Ocala/ Ormond. In 1843, the county seat had moved again to

Enterprise Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to: Business and economics Brands and enterprises * Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company * Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company * Enterpris ...

. In 1844, the expansive area of Mosquito County was cut in half with the southern half being named St. Lucie County, and the northern half being renamed Orange County. St. Lucie County was renamed Brevard County in 1855.

History

See also

References

Further reading