Clay County

During the Civil War, Clay County, along with other parts of Florida, served as a resting place for convalescing Union soldiers, many of whom wrote home about the area's tropical winters and natural wonders. They returned after the war and became some of Florida's first tourists. Soon, small boarding houses along the banks of the St. Johns River invited Northern residents to enjoy the balmy winter climate, while Green Cove Springs enticed thousands to its warm sulfur spring. At Magnolia, once a