History of Raiford Florida
Raiford is a small town in the northern part of Union County,
settled about 1895 by Hunter Warren Raiford.

 

History of Raiford Florida
(Was provided by Mrs. Marjorie McGill Driggers.)

 Raiford is a small town in the northern part of Union County, settled about 1895 by Hunter Warren Raiford, who was in the naval stores business. When the railroad was built about 1900 by the A.C.L., the community was named Raiford and a post office was established. Logging, turpentine, and saw milling were the main economy for the beginning days of Raiford. The town continued to grow and at one time, there were three drug stores, a barber shop, newspaper (Raiford Weekly Tribune), three doctors, a millinery shop, Bank, and many other businesses. There was a large school and several churches.

In August of 1971 Raiford was incorporated for the second time and many city improvements were made. A new City Hall and Fire Station were constructed, and the community looked forward to growth in the coming years.

 The Union Correction Institution and Florida State Prison are located only a few miles from Raiford. This affords gainful employment to the people of the surrounding areas.

 

Hostage Situation at Union C.I.
   Three UCI Inmates Escape, One Kills Officer, Civilian
   Five Inmates Escape from FSP , Four Immediately Recaptured

  1913 Florida's State Prison Farm, the state's oldest and largest correctional institution, is erected on an 18,000-acre tract purchased for $5 an acre. The first buildings house infirm inmates who could not be leased to private businesses. It is named Raiford State Penitentiary but also referred to as the "State Prison Farm," "Raiford Prison" and "Florida State Prison."

  1928 Inmate population December 31, 1928:2,748 A main housing unit, later nicknamed   "The Rock," is added to the State Prison Farm at Raiford. Officers worked 12-hour days for $720 a year, plus room and board.
 
  Over the years this facility will be expanded to include many units and eventually split into two of the five prisons currently at Raiford (in 1972). These are: Union C.I. --the original Raiford State Penitentiary (whose main housing unit is later nicknamed "The Rock" because it was "built solid as a rock") and Florida State Prison --the "east unit" that opens in 1961.
The Gainesville Sun

NFL,
July 23. 2004
On the money
Gerard Warren helps area team
By ANDREW ABRAMSON

MICHAEL C. WEIMAR/The Gainesville Sun
Former Gator defensive tackle and current Cleveland Brown Gerard Warren, left, stopped by Percy Beard Track on Thursday afternoon to present a check to Undisputed Truth Track Club coach Michael Whitehead.
Gerard Warren is a big guy.

The former University of Florida football standout stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 325 pounds.

But nothing satisfies the Cleveland Brown defensive tackle more then lending a hand to the little ones.

In this case it was a group of Gainesville area youth track standouts looking for assistance to get to nationals in Des Moines, Iowa.

Warren was in Gainesville on Thursday, donating several thousand dollars to the Undisputed Truth track team for the second straight year.

The guys were looking for some backing to go to nationals and I said I wouldn't let finances be a factor in them not going," Warren said. That could mess up a kids dreams and aspirations.

Undisputed Truth is made up of 70 kids of all ages, many younger than 10 years old.

About 20 of them will be heading to Des Moines, something that Undisputed Truth coach Michael Whitehead thought would be an impossibility.

Last year he didn't believe Warren would really help his team.

He had heard it before. A former Gators athlete would back his team, but never had it come true.

Whiteheads prayers were answered last year and when Warren returned this year, Whitehead just about flipped out.

"I couldn't believe he was going to support us again, Whitehead said. "That's without calling him, harassing him or any of that stuff. I'm thrilled.

But Warren wasn't in Gainesville merely to help out the kids.

The Union County (Raiford) native spends his off seasons in the area, enjoying what he describes as a peaceful atmosphere. It's a far cry from the hustle of Cleveland during a NFL season.

He still finds time to follow the Gators and he had his own assessment on the team heading into the 2004 season.

I expect it to be a pretty exciting year, Warren said. It was a young team last year that was asked to defend the orange and blue. They did it to the best of their ability but they're a more mature team now with a few new additions. I look for them to do well.

As for his own team, the lineup has changed with Jeff Garcia taking over for Tim Couch at quarterback.

Warren, who was drafted No. 3 overall in 2001, has yet to live up to expectations.

However, this season there will be a number of differences including the one Warren wears on his chest. Gone is the No. 94 he has worn in his three years in Cleveland, replaced by the familiar No. 61 he wore at UF. For Warren, it is time to become one of the elite defensive players in the NFL.

I'm looking forward to going back to camp," he said. I've got some things on my mind that I think I want to go and take out on the field. I did a lot of learning this off season. I sat back and listened more than in other off seasons. I feel  like it's going to help me as player, mature as man and a person off the field.>
Gerard Warren Web Site

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