Horseshoe Plantation

Horseshoe Plantation is an 11000 acre cotton-growing forced-labor farm located in northern Leon County, Florida and established around 1840 by Dr. Edward Bradford, a planter from Enfield, North Carolina.

It is currently owned and maintained by Frederic C. Hamilton.

Plantation specifics

 * Also see Pine Hill Plantation

The 1900s
In 1901, Clement A. Griscom, a businessman and shipping magnate from Philadelphia whose family gained much wealth after the American Civil War purchased 978 acre and plantation house in the horseshoe bend of Lake Iamonia for $5300 (~$ in ) from R. E. Lester, the son of Capt. William Lester of Oaklawn Plantation. From 1902 through 1903 Griscom purchased land from heirs of Burgesstown Plantation, the Whitehead family, and many other owners retaining the "Horseshoe Plantation" name. The plantation eventually was more than 10000 acre in size with over 25 mi of woodland drives. The plantation house had a 700 ft long piazza. Griscom, an owner and breeder of Jersey cattle on his Haverford, Pennsylvania farm, 'Dolobran,' brought 75 head to Horseshoe. Griscom also fancied pecans and had 75 acre set aside for their cultivation. In 1911 There were 80 tenant farmer families at Horseshoe Plantation. One-third of Horseshoe was cultivated by these tenant farmers with 1200 acre in cotton and 1500 acre in corn. The remainder of the plantation was put to use for bobwhite quail.

On October 19, 1916, and after Clement Griscom's death, the eastern part of Horseshoe was sold to New Yorker George F. Baker, Jr. for $170,000. Baker was the son of George Fisher Baker, a wealthy financier and banker who was a financial associate of J. P. Morgan.

The western part of Horseshoe was divided into two separate plantations. Clement Grisom's son, Lloyd C. Griscom, established his 4000 acre Luna Plantation, a winter residence in the east. It extended along the southern shores of Lake Iamonia westward to the Ochlockonee River. Frances C. Griscom, sister to Lloyd, established her Water Oak Plantation on the remaining 7000 acre naming it for the antebellum plantation belonging to Richard H. Bradford.