The town of Alachua, incorporated in 1903, lies in the northwest quadrant of Alachua County. During the prehistoric period the Timucua Indians made the area their home. The Pánfilo de Narváez expedition in 1528 and that of Hernando De Soto in 1539 probably represent the first Europeans to visit the area.

Although the town of Alachua is largely a creation of Florida's railroad era in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Spanish missionaries first settled there in the seventeenth century, with bands of Creek and Seminole Indians arriving in the eighteenth century. Just a few years after Florida became an American territory in 1821, settlers established the settlement of Newnansville within two miles of present-day Alachua. Along the route of a newly-constructed road that connected St. Augustine and Pensacola, the site of old Newnansville is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The emergence of Gainesville as a center of rail transportation in 1854 siphoned off Newnansville's population and the settlement was abandoned. By 1884, the region's agricultural productivity demanded additional rail service, and the Savannah, Florida, and Western Railroad chose the site of the old Newnansville settlement for the new town of Alachua. Agriculture was a staple industry. Alachua was also involved in the timber industry, through the Duke Lumber Company, and in meat processing at the Copeland Sausage Company.

Present-day Alachua contains many Victorian-era homes and buildings from its early years, all beautifully preserved within the downtown historic district. Many of its old manors house the district's restaurants, stores, bakeries, and antique shops, while others line Main Street in a manner keeping with the theme of a bustling nineteenth-century business district. Visitors can see the second oldest Methodist church in Florida. First established as a congregation in Newnanville in 1865, the present-day structure dates to 1897. Visitors can also take in the natural beauty of San Felasco Hammock State Park which offers nature trails, picnic facilities, and family recreation. Whether you pronounce it "A-LATCH-CHU-WAY," as locals do, or "A-LATCH-CHA-WA," "The Good Life Community" is a window on the rich history and culture of northern Florida.

This podcast made possible through a grant from the Florida Humanities Council. Script written by Roger Smith. Narrated by Jonathon Heide.