Pete Gerrell

In Search of the Diamond Brooch: a Southern Family's Account of 1820s Pioneer Florida Through the Civil War to Modern Day Pete Gerrell

In Search of the Diamond Brooch is a southern historical saga starting with the migration of the pioneer families to the North Florida area. This is the story of a family that settled in North Florida in the early 1800's in Wakulla and Leon Counties. They established homes on the St. Marks River near Tallahassee hacking a life out of the wilderness. This all occurred during the time when Magnolia was thriving. The family was and is dependent on The St Marks River and the forest that surrounds it. The historical journey continued through the Civil War to modern day. Through the fall of Magnolia and the Civil War, this family continued to flourish. The text includes the family's personal account Of the Battle of Natural Bridge during the War Between The States. The reader will find a delightful combination of documented history mixed with historical personal stories, photos, and folklore. Photographs of artifacts from the battle are included. After the Civil War, the text moves to the early 1900's. It includes stories & a description of the area in the 1930's & 40's after the depression as written by Pete Gerrell. Pete grew up in the area and vividly recounts daily life from learning to operate a turn plow to cattle ranching and farming in North Florida. The co-author describes how the No Fence Law in Florida affected the area and his family's livelihood. The reader can learn how the people operated a turn plow, built a potato bank, or cleared an acre of land without modern farm machinery This book is a unique work that gives the reader a glimpse into the life of North Florida's people while bringing the history they lived through to life.