Falling Creek Falls

Falling Creek Falls Park is a cooperative venture between the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) and the Columbia County Board of County Commissioners. The SRWMD acquired the land through the Preservation 2000 land acquisition program that protects major water resources in the Suwannee Valley Region. The park is managed by Columbia County. , Falling Creek is a tributary of the Suwannee River. It originates north of Lake City and flows for several miles through the falls area and then goes underground approximately 1/4 mile below the falls. It comes back up to the surface and flows into the Suwannee north of White Springs. , The creek is an intermittent stream that is fed primarily by rains and groundwater when the water table is high. The water level can change very quickly and the creek is frequently dry. , History of Falling Creek , Settlers moved into the Falling Creek and Winfield area in the early 1850s according to the National Register of Historic Places. The first settlers arrived in a wagon train from South Carolina and included the families of Thomas D. Dicks, the Reverend W. J. Greene, Richard Mole, and others. Thomas Dick’s son, James Winfield Dicks, founded Winfield Station on the Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad. He built a mercantile store, which also served as a post office. At the time the area was settled, Columbia County had a population of 4,646 people, of which 2,069 were slaves. , The history of Falling Creek and Winfield are closely intermingled. At the end of the Civil War, a sawmill was established by L. W. Rivers and a Mr. Reed on Falling Creek. By the 1890s, the naval stores industry brought more growth to the area. A large turpentine distillery, two more general stores, a cotton gin, and a gristmill were opened in Winfield. The building across from the kiosk is believed to have been used as a general store or commissary. It was moved to its present site from Winfield. , The Falling Creek Church, located just up the road, was originally established in 1855 and is listed on the National Historic Register. The church property was acquired by Thomas Dicks in 1855 for $.50 an acre from the Florida Internal Improvement Trust Fund. A log church was built on the site and served the community until 1885, when the present church building was constructed. The church was built out of local materials and features two front doors, one for men and one for women. It was the common custom for men and women to sit on opposite sides of the church. The church is still in use today and is open to the public every day. A one-room schoolhouse was also built on the site in 1887 and was in use until the mid 1930s. The school building is no longer standing.