Gillette Community

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, May 25, 2012

1. Gillette Community Marker

Inscription. This area, known originally as Frog Creek, received its first American settlers before the Civil War. Many of them came from Alabama, northern Florida, and Georgia. Among the Georgians was Daniel Gillett, who brought his family to Frog Creek in the late 1840s. Like many other area pioneers, Gillett raised cattle and citrus. He and his descendants were so closely identified with the Frog Creek settlement that it became known as Gillette and a post office bearing that name existed here from 1895-1910.

Benevolence, a Baptist church, formed the stable institutional backbone of the community. Formally organized in 1868, Benevolence loaned its facilities to other religious and secular groups in the area, emphasizing frontier cooperation rather than competition, and provided inspiration and leadership to nearby Baptist and other congregations. Gillette First Baptist Church is the present-day successor to Benevolence.

Gillette has been known through the years as an agricultural community, producing winter vegetables, cattle, and citrus.

Erected 1980 by Gillette Go-Getters 4-H Club in cooperation with Department of State. (Marker Number F-290.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1868.

Location.

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Marker is missing. It was located near 27° 36.077′ N, 82° 31.694′ W. Marker was near Palmetto, Florida, in Manatee County. It was at the intersection of Moccasin Wallow Road and Ellenton-Gillette Road, on the left when traveling west on Moccasin Wallow Road. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 3301 Moccasin Wallow Road, Palmetto FL 34221, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker was on Florida’s Gulf Coast

and on Tampa Bay.

It was also in the American South

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it found itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies: Rubonia Women's Club (approx. 2.2 miles away); Veterans of Rubonia (approx. 2.2 miles away); Franklin C. Armstrong (approx. 3.6 miles away); Terra Ceia School/Village Improvement Association Hall (approx. 3.8 miles away); Atzeroth Home Site (approx. 4 miles away); Guerrero Home Site (approx. 4.6 miles away); Madira Bickel Mound State Archaeological Site (approx. 4.7 miles away); Gamble Sugar Cane Mill (approx. 4.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Palmetto.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, March 7, 2019

2. Gillette Community Marker

Gillette Community Marker (missing) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Dave W, February 25, 2023

3. Gillette Community Marker (missing)

Pole can be seen with the marker missing.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 28, 2013, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,678 times since then and 59 times this year. Last updated on March 1, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. Photos: 1. submitted on July 28, 2013, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. 2. submitted on March 10, 2019, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. 3. submitted on March 1, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.