Blakely Plantation

Blakely Plantation was a large agricultural estate in the extreme northeastern part of Leon County, Florida. It was established by Miles Blake, who moved from North Carolina to Florida in 1826. The property was operated as a forced-labor farm during the antebellum period and formed part of the plantation economy that shaped Leon County and the wider Florida Panhandle. The estate covered approximately 900 acres, or about 360 hectares, according to historical descriptions. In 1850, the property was recorded as comprising 800 acres and as being worked by 51 enslaved people. Following Miles Blake's death, ownership passed to his wife, Susan Parish Blake. The 1850 Leon County tax roll identified Susan Blake as holding the acreage and enslaving those 51 people, documenting the plantation's reliance on slavery rather than free wage labor. Blakely was situated between other agricultural properties. Ingleside Plantation lay to its east, while the western boundary corresponded broadly with what is now County Road 59, also known as Veterans Memorial Drive. The northern boundary would approximately align with present-day Cypress Landing Road, and the southern edge would have extended toward the area now occupied by Leland Circle and Indigo Lane. These modern references describe the former estate's location rather than an extant commercial operation. Before 1860, Susan Blake's son Joel Blake established Ingleside Plantation immediately east of Blakely. The Blake family therefore held and developed multiple nearby agricultural properties. Isham, Walter, and Joel Blake, identified as Susan Blake's sons, served in Company K of the 5th Florida Infantry during the American Civil War. The 1860 agricultural census recorded both improved and unimproved land at Blakely. It listed 500 acres of improved land and 400 acres of unimproved land, along with a reported plantation value of $9,000, implements and machinery valued at $300, and farm animals valued at $2,000. Agricultural production included 3,000 bushels of corn and 40 bales of cotton. The number of enslaved people was not specified in the cited 1860 agricultural-census summary. Blakely Plantation is not documented as a modern consumer or corporate brand. Its inclusion in a brand-oriented database is best understood as a historical entity record for a named agricultural estate. The property was reportedly owned by J. A. Cromartie, a great-grandson of the Blake family, as of 1980. Available reference material does not establish that the historic plantation survives as an operating farm, public attraction, or formally managed heritage brand.

Miles Blake established Blakely Plantation after arriving in Florida from North Carolina in 1826. The estate developed within Leon County's antebellum plantation region and ultimately encompassed roughly 900 acres. Its labor system depended on enslaved people. Historical records cited for 1850 describe Susan Parish Blake, Miles Blake's widow, as the owner of 800 acres and 51 enslaved people. After Miles Blake's death, Susan Blake managed the property. Her son Joel Blake later created Ingleside Plantation on land immediately to the east, apparently before 1860. The adjacent estates reflected the concentration of Blake family agricultural holdings in the area. The 1860 agricultural census distinguished between improved and unimproved land at Blakely, recording 500 improved acres and 400 unimproved acres. It also assigned the plantation a value of $9,000, with implements and machinery valued at $300 and animals at $2,000. The plantation's reported agricultural output in 1860 consisted of 3,000 bushels of corn and 40 bales of cotton. The cited summary does not provide a count of enslaved people for that year. Three Blake family members—Isham, Walter, and Joel—served in Company K of the 5th Florida Infantry during the Civil War. The historic boundaries have since been absorbed into a changed landscape. The former western boundary followed what is now County Road 59, or Veterans Memorial Drive. Cypress Landing Road approximates the northern boundary, while the southern portion would have reached areas now associated with Leland Circle and Indigo Lane. A later account identified J. A. Cromartie, a Blake descendant, as owner in 1980. The available sources do not document the plantation's subsequent ownership, preservation status, or continued agricultural operation.

• 1980

  Descendant reported as owner

  [1]Blakely Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  J. A. Cromartie, identified as a great-grandson of the Blake family, was reported to own the property.

• 1860

  Agricultural census records production

  [1]Blakely Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  The agricultural census recorded 500 improved acres, 400 unimproved acres, 3,000 bushels of corn, and 40 bales of cotton, together with valuations for the estate, equipment, and animals.

• 1850

  Estate and forced-labor records documented

  [1]Blakely Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  Leon County tax records listed Susan Parish Blake as owning 800 acres and enslaving 51 people at Blakely Plantation.

• 1826

  Miles Blake establishes the estate

  [1]Blakely Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  Miles Blake arrived from North Carolina and founded what became Blakely Plantation in Leon County, Florida.

A historic agricultural estate associated with antebellum cotton and corn production and the forced labor of enslaved people; it is not documented as a contemporary commercial brand.

• Agricultural commodity

  Cotton

  Cotton was one of Blakely Plantation's documented cash crops. The 1860 agricultural census attributed 40 bales of cotton to the estate. Production took place within an enslaved-labor plantation system characteristic of the antebellum agricultural economy of Leon County.

• Agricultural commodity

  Corn

  Corn was recorded as a major crop at Blakely Plantation. The 1860 agricultural census reported production of 3,000 bushels. The available material does not specify how much was consumed locally, used to feed livestock, or sold.

• Agricultural production

  Livestock

  The plantation maintained farm animals, which the 1860 census valued at $2,000. The cited sources do not identify the species, quantities, or particular livestock products.

1. 1Blakely Plantationen.wikipedia.org