Newberry

History

Newberry developed as a mining town after phosphate was discovered in the western part of Alachua County in the 1880s. In 1893, the Savannah, Florida, and Western Railway was extended southward from High Springs to Newberry, leading to its development as a railroad town and trading center. A post office established in March 1894 was named Newton, but changed to Newberry in August of that year. In this period, racial violence against blacks rose in Alachua County, where lynchings took place to enforce white supremacy. A total of 21 people, 19 of them black, were lynched in the county between 1891 and 1926. By 1896, there were fourteen mines operating nearby. Newberry had hotels, boarding houses, and saloons to accommodate the area's transient and sometimes unruly population. The demand for phosphate ended abruptly in 1914, when war was declared against Germany, the principal customer for Newberry's phosphate. This caused a loss of jobs in the area, and social tensions rose. The community turned from phosphate production to agriculture and new commodity crops. It was particularly successful in producing watermelons. The Watermelon Festival, first held in 1946, a year after the end of World War II, continues to be celebrated as an annual event. Race relations have improved in the town since the late 20th century. Residents elected Freddie Warmack as its first black mayor in 1984; he gained 60% of the white vote. In 1987, Newberry's Historic District was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On August 19, 1916, what are called the Newberry Six lynchings took place, when three black men, including a minister, and two black women were killed by a white mob in a mass hanging; another man was shot. They had allegedly helped the escape of another…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (1.93%) is water.

Race & ethnicity