Thomas Jefferson died in 1826 one year before the county was formed. Some say the county and town were named to honor his contributions to the founding of the United States. But I found one historical account stating that several of his descendants resided in Jefferson County for many years.

When I first moved to Tallahassee eighteen years ago, Monticello was simply a name on a sign off I-10. But a few years ago, I rediscovered an old friend who lived in Thomasville, Georgia, fifty miles from my home. Monticello sits right smack dab in the middle of both our homes. For the past three years, we’ve been meeting in Monticello for lunch several times a year. We’ve not tired of the restaurants—which are plentiful—nor of the unique shops selling antiques, plants, Tupelo honey, and a multitude of other unique items.

It’s a gem of a small town. Even though the population hovers around 2,500, the traffic around the courthouse circle shows a vibrant population of residents and visitors on any given day of the week.

Thick forests and rich soil drew the first settlers to the area. Cotton, corn, pecans, and watermelon dominated the economy for decades. During the Gilded Age years, 1865-1902, the wealth of the country changed dramatically as did the lives of its people. Immense fortunes brought folks to Florida’s warm climate, and places such as Monticello and Thomasville thrived.

In 1909, across the way from the Perkins Block, the courthouse was constructed. The Latin phrase Suum Cuique is inscribed above its entrance doors. It means “To each his own,” but locals sometimes say it means, “Sue ‘em quick.” The structure dominates the town’s center.

As happened with far too many small towns across the United States, several things conspired to end the boom in the first part of the twentieth century. A series of diseases killed much of the agricultural livelihood, which began the decline. The spiral toward the depression began. A fire destroyed the town’s largest hotel in 1917. And the death toll rang on Monticello in 1927 when it was decided to reroute the railroad through Lloyd, a small farming community west of Monticello. By then, the depression gripped the community, and the theater eventually closed its doors as did the other businesses housed there. It remained in disrepair until 1970, when private donations, fundraising efforts, and state grants sponsored a restoration project. Today, the theater provides year-round entertainment, and its courtyard is the site of many events, including weddings. It also draws people from Tallahassee and Thomasville, my friend and I included, to its downtown area with six or seven restaurants scattered within walking distance of one another.

Thank goodness for the resilience of the people of this country who honor the past and charm visitors with its ingenuity.