Nearly 200 years ago, settlers arrived in Alachua County to grow cotton and other crops. By the middle of the nineteenth century, enough people resided in the area today known as Gainesville that they decided to create a town to be the center of business and government for the county.

In 1906, the focus changed with the arrival of the University of Florida. Although it then barely exceeded a hundred students, it has grown to be one of the nation’s largest universities and has gained national prominence as a leading research institution.

Historic Photos of Gainesville showcases nearly 200 black-and-white images to chronicle the growth of the city from a place where pigs, cows, and chickens ran free, to a modern city where cutting-edge research is routine.