The History of McRae, Florida

As told by Gail Eilers during dedication ceremonies at McRae Elementary

McRae, Florida - known by many of its residents as "The Land God Smiles on Each Day" - has been around for a long time - as a town and community for more than 100 years. It was originally know as McRaeville and, though not yet formally a town, was home to settlers before the Civil War. We know that it was established officially in 1992 with an application to the Postmaster General for the opening of a post office. The town that grew around that post office was named McRae in honor of two doctors: Frank and G.W.A. McRae, who lived in nearby Melrose and Banana.

The early settlers of the area contributed significantly to the new town's economic growth and sense of community. Mr. J.W. Hagan was the postmaster and operator of a general merchandise store. The post office and store were housed in the structure that served as the headquarters of a lumber and turpentine business, with its own distillery, owned by Lyman Hall. This "center" of town was located near Hall Lake, just up the road.

McRae was not just a store and a post office, however. Many of the early settlers stayed on to build homes - such as the more than 100 year old house you pass at the corner of Highways 315 and 214, originally built by Mr. Hall. Riley Glisson built and ran a saw mill, cotton gin and grist mill at nearby Gold Head Branch. Mr. G.W. Hall was the county's official surveyor, and Mr. E.D. Prevatt was the school teacher. Descendants of these men - and of other early community leaders - are still part of McRae and of Clay County.

McRae's community life included the establishment, in 1886, of Gadara Baptist Church, located across the street and still active today. It also included two schools, one at Station Pond just off Bellamy Road and one located in the old house just behind this fine, new structure we're in today.

In 1901 the School Board combined these two schools into one new school located on one acre of land, donated to the county by Mr. P.E. Prevatt. This new "campus", situated on today's Gadara Cemetery Road, consisted of a one room 20 x 30 foot building, two out-houses, and a pitcher pump. The new school was opened in mid term in 1901. The School Board allocated $40 to pay the teacher, Ms. Susie Revelsk, for the balance of the school term. She was provided free room and board by the community.

This one-room school served the community of McRae from 1901 to 1926 when it was closed, and the children began to be bused to Keystone Heights for their education. From 1926 through 1995, the one-room building was owned several different families and served as a home to more than one of them. In 1995, the building was donated to the Clay County School Board by Mr. Lee Clifton. It will be moved to this site and opened to current and future students in McRae and all of Clay County as an example - along with the new McRae Elementary School - of then and now.

That old school house and this fantastic new one will exemplify - on one spot - how much things have changed in and around McRaeville over the last 100 years. They will also represent, by the way, some of the very good reasons that God has, indeed, always smiled on this land. For I can assure that some very important things have not changed in McRae Florida: the importance of a quality education for all of our children, genuine pride in accomplishments, encouragement for those who want to contribute to the greater good, and dedication to giving the next generation a chance to be what they can be.

When you've spent a lifetime driving this stretch of road between Highway 21 and 214, and now you see this wonderful structure dominating it, you can't help but believe that, rich as its past is, McRae's history is just starting to be written.