The plantations of Leon County were numerous and vast. Leon County, in the U.S. state of Florida, was a true cotton kingdom. From the 1820s through 1850s Leon County attracted cotton planters from Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, North, South Carolina, plus other states and abroad to its fertile red clay soils and long growing season.
For some time and up until the early stages of the Civil War, Leon County was the fifth-largest producer of cotton among all counties in Georgia and Florida. (C. Paisley). Another source states that Leon County led the state in cotton production. Because of this, in 1860, 73% of the population of Leon County consisted of black slaves; as was true elsewhere in the South, the value of those slaves far exceeded the value of all the land in the county. Leon County had more slaves than any other county in Florida, and it was the wealthiest county in Florida.
Plantations in 1860
Note: Value = Plantation Value in United States dollars. TA = Total area. IA = Improved area. UA = Unimproved area. Corn = In Bushels. Cotton = Bales of Cotton
Note: Value = Plantation Value. IA = Improved Acres. UA = Unimproved Acres. Slaves = Number of slaves. Machinery = Worth of machinery. Livestock = Worth of livestock.