Thirty-five miles west of Jacksonville Florida, you will find the small town of MacClenny. While it is growing by leaps and bounds and will soon be a suburb, it is still a very laid back, old southern town.

This city is full of history. A live tour of the county's history is offered through a unique site called Heritage Park. This park is a walking, replica tour of the city's history.

About five years ago there was a parcel of land near the railroad tracks just west of downtown. There was already an old caboose there that was being kept as a kind of museum of the past. The city and the local Chamber of Commerce decided that the local history was being lost.

So a group of citizens got together and made plans to create a unique historical park. They called the future park Heritage Park. Ms. Smallwood, a pillar of the community and Ms.Rhoden, were the main people in charge of spearheading the initiation of the park.

Contractors were hired to come in and build replicas of the old buildings and business in Macclenny. Some of them are built on a much smaller scale, but one still gets the idea. The park is also the viewing place of a local attraction, the remains of the Coll Brown House.

This house dates back to the early 1900's, and is a unique block house from that era. It took about two years to finish the park. Besides the replicas, train, and the Coll Brown House, there is a small garden area with benches. Local families have helped to keep memories of their deceased loved ones alive, by paying a small fee to have the names of the family members etched in the benches.

The buildings in the park include the a soda shop, the drugstore, a school house, an old time jail, a five and dime store, and a mercantile store. Families have donated items they had, so the stores are decorated with memorabilia that is reminiscent of that period in history.

The park is now usually open after school and on weekends. They give tours to locals and school groups that are interested in the history of our unique county. The park is free, as well as parking outside of the gate. Remember to check out Heritage Park. It is a slice of history, kept alive by a small-town community.

This park commemorates the site of Florida's largest Civil War battle, which took place February 20, 1864. More than 10,000 cavalry, infantry, and artillery troops fought a five-hour battle in a pine forest near Olustee. Three U.S. Colored Troops took part in the battle, including the now famous 54th Massachusetts. The battle ended with 2,807 casualties and the retreat of Union troops to Jacksonville until the war's end just 14 months later. In 1912, when many living Civil War veterans still attended reunions, the battlefield became the state's first historic site. Olustee Battlefield has a visitor center with historical information and artifacts. A reenactment is held every February and a Civil War Expo takes place in late summer. Scenes for Civil War movies, including the 1989 movie Glory, have been filmed during the reenactments. Visitors can enjoy a meal at the picnic area or take a walk along a mile-long trail that has interpretive signs describing the events of the battle. Located two miles east of Olustee on U.S. 90.