Barber-Mizell Feud
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Barber Park at Lake George

Barber-Mizell Feud, also, Barber Park at Lake George. . , Barber / Mizell Feud , Moses Barber moved his family from Georgia to northern Florida in 1833 and settled near the present Macclenny. They developed one of the largest cattle empires in the state but, during the Civil War (1861-1865), their cattle was seized and their plantation was destroyed. , Wanting to rebuild their cattle herds after the war, the Barbers relocated to Central Florida where they competed for the same open and wild cattle as the Mizells. Each family accused the other of cattle rustling, but the Mizells had an advantage. The new Reconstruction government appointed John Mizell to be an Orange County judge and his brother David to be the sheriff. , High taxes placed on cattle by the new government angered local ranchers, including Moses Barber. He escalated the feud by refusing to pay and forcing Sheriff Mizell to seize his cattle for payment. The feud exploded into violence when the sheriff was killed attempting to collect on a bill of sale for cattle a neighboring rancher said Barber would not pay. , When Judge Mizell heard of his brother's death, he and the newly-appointed sheriff gathered a posse and went after Moses Barber. Believing that a ranch hand of the Barbers may have actually been the triggerman, the posse located him and riddled him with bullets. Many of the Barbers fled to northern Florida where Moses was captured but never tried. In all, there were at least eight Barbers killed during the three-month Barber/Mizell feud. , Barber Park at Lake Goerge , This beautiful park is on land where large herds of cattle once roamed. It was named after Carl E Barber, an Orange County commissioner for District 5 during the 1920s. His ranching family has lived here since 1833 and had owned this property until the county purchased 66-acres in 1990 to create a residential park in Conway. , The master plan for the park was designed with the input of area residents as part of the public participation process of the Citizens Steering Committee created by the Parks Department. The land can be used only for recreational purposes. , When the park opened in 1997, it featured three soccer fields, a playground, and a basketball court. With the continued participation of Friends of Barber Park, the park has added a covered roller hockey court, children's basketball court, dog park, walking trails and picnic areas.