The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-01-19
LIVE OAKS GROWTH.
Opportunities for Industries in the
Thriving Florida City.

To say that Live Oak is today one
of the most extensively talked about
towns in Florida is not overstating the
case. But when one takes into con-
sideration its marvellous yet substan-
tial growth for the past five years, its
present progressive spirit and the rap
id strides it is making almost daily
toward becoming a real city, the state
ment is not so difficult of belief. With
out any professional town boomer or
tin-horn advertiser Live Oak has in
five years grown from a mere village
to little city of more than 1000 peo-
pie.
There is cause for this rapid and
substantial gain. Perhaps no city in
Florida is better situated geographic
cally and otherwise to experience such
a growth. Lying, as it does, in the
very center of the state, and yet only
a few miles from the Gulf of Mexico,
it enjoys cooler breezes in summer
than southern Georgia, and its winters
rarely bring frost or ice. Surrounded
on three sides by the famous and
beautiful Suwanee river, with the most
magnificent stretches of field and for
est in every direction, and supported
by the finest farming section in mid
die Florida, it is no wonder that the
stranger and the homeseeker should
knock at its gates. No section of our
southern country produces better long
staple cotton than this immediate sec
ton of Florida, and probably no coun-
ty in the long-staple belt offers more
in return for the work done and the
money spent than does Suwanee coun-
ty in which Live Oak is situated.
Another explanation of this develop
ment lies in the fact that the men of
the city who have money also have
sufficient faith in the future growth
of the community to prompt them to
invest their money in any enterprise
looking to the general good Of the
place. During the last Il months five
citizens have put more than 100000
and within two blocks of each other
Not long ago the local printing office
was destroyed by fire and the insur-
anee was not sufficient to enable the
firm to at once build and equip an Of
flee in keeping with the needs and de-
mands of the city. When this fact
was known it only took two hours to
organize a stock company of $4,000
to meet the immediate emergency
This spirit lies back of much of Live
Oaks splendid growth 1t has now
reached that stage of development
where it begins 10 realize its impor-
lance in the sense that it can ill-afford
to do things by halves
on November % its citizens voted
a 100000 issue of bonds for public
mprovements-stree paving, sewer
age, water-works, city hall and fire
department. Following this action of
the city council the county commits
siOners have let contracts for build
ing hard roads throughout the county
to the amount of $4,000. They had
just built one of the handsOmest court
houses in the state and equipper it's
offices with all the modern fixtures.
We need a cotton factory, barrel and
box factory, and a large $4,000 hotel
Our citizens will take stock TO almost
any amount in any or all of these en-
terprises if some one meaning business
and havink money To invest will join
in with them. There is not a cotton
factory in this section of the state,
and there is no doubt as to its being
great opportunity now open in Live
Oak. Neither is there a box factory
or furniture factory or anything of
the kind this side of Jacksonville. and
yet we can offer greater advantages
than can be had even there. We are in
the very midst of the timber section,
and have the finest of railroad facili-
ties; in fact, we are so sure of this
that we will put our money into it.
If anyone is interested he may address
the. Secretary of the Board Of Trade,
Live correspondence Baltimore
Manufacturers Record.