Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: Under Spanish rule Pensacola was the capital of West Florida, while East Florida's capital was St. Augustine. In 1821 the U.S. took possession and in 1822 William P. Duval succeeded Andrew Jackson as territorial governor. Dr. William H. Simmons, St. Augustine, and John Lee Williams, Pensacola, were appointed to select a central location for a capital. They explored the area around St. Marks and chose the old Indian village, Tallahassee. Shortly thereafter, the land was surveyed and the town incorporated.