Great Show Prospect

Built along the Pensacola & Georgia Railroad in or prior to 1861, Live Oak was named for a tree under which railroad workers rested and ate lunch. When a railroad depot was built nearby, the small community that sprung up around it was called “Live Oak Station” (first mentioned in records in 1861). The tree was located where the now-present Pepe's Mexican Grocery on U.S. 90 is located. During the Civil War, the Pensacola & Georgia Railroad served as a vital route for parts of North Florida, and earthworks were built where it crossed the Suwannee River west of Live Oak to deter Union attacks; these earthworks still exist as part of the Suwannee River State Park, one of Florida's first State parks.