More than 180 years ago, Florida gained its first governor.
On June 25, 1845, Florida inaugurated William Dunn Moseley as the state’s first governor following its admission to the United States. Moseley was born in North Carolina in 1795 and had a legal career in his home state before coming to work in the sunshine state.
Florida became the nation’s 27th state in March of 1845. Moseley ran and won the state’s first ever race for governor against Richard Keith Call, a prominent and well know figure across Florida.
One of the state’s most notable commodities, citrus, may have been grown thanks to his encouragement. He also encouraged Floridians to grow tobacco, avocados, and cotton. He favored state funded public schools and was a large supporter of states’ rights.
Once he completed his term as governor, he lived a quiet life as a citrus farmer in Palatka before his death in January 1863. Next time you bite into a delicious Florida orange, maybe think back to Florida’s first governor, the citrus farmer.
Congressman Daniel Webster represents The Villages in the U.S. House of Representatives.