Tallahassee, Florida's state capital, has been described as the "Other Florida" due to its unique topography and climate. Located in central Leon County, the area was home to the Apalachee Indian culture during prehistoric times, and the city gets its name from an Apalachee word meaning "Old Field" or "Abandoned Village."

The first Europeans to come in contact with the area were those of expeditions of Panfilio de Narvaez 1528 and Hernando de Soto in 1539. Although Spanish missionaries worked among the Apalachee in the early seventeenth century, they did not establish a permanent mission here until mid century.

San Luis de Apalachee, as the mission was known, lasted for over fifty years but was destroyed by the British and their Creek Indian allies in the early eighteenth century. In 1823, two years after Florida became a U.S. territory, Tallahassee, conveniently located midway between the major cities of St. Augustine and Pensacola, was designated as its first capital. When Florida became a state in 1845, the old State Capitol building opened its doors. During the Civil War, Tallahassee earned the distinction of being the only southern capital east of the Mississippi River not captured by Union Forces.

In the half century that followed the war, the city remained primarily a government and college town. Florida State University, originally established as a seminary in 1851, served as a military academy during the Civil War and as a state college for women until the mid-twentieth century. Florida A&M was founded as an all-Black college in 1887.

During the Civil Rights movement, Florida A&M played a crucial role in the fight for equality for the state's African-American population. In 1956, two students' refusal to give up their seats to white passengers, led to a year-long bus boycott and the desegregation of local public transportation.

Although government remains the primary economic engine that drive's Tallahassee's economy, the burgeoning growth of Florida State and Florida A&M has made the city a center of technological innovation. Still, Tallahassee retains the charm of an old Florida town. Proudly serving as the state capital for over 185 years, the city beckons the modern traveler. From Mission San Luis to the Museum of Florida History to the State Capitol, the "other Florida" offers an array of cultural, historic, and natural attractions that engage the mind and enliven the spirit.

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