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Record Group Number: 900000
Series/Collection Number: M97- 8
Creator:
Title, Dates: Judicial organization information, 1845-1935.
Amount: 1.00 folder
Medium Included:
Organization/Arrangement: Alphabetical by appendix heading.
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Biographical/Historical:     The federal government created the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1935 as part of a massive work-relief program -- known as the New Deal -- to combat the Great Depression. Employing over 8.5 million out of work people before its dissolution in 1943, the WPA participated in hundreds of national, state, and local projects that included published works, art projects, theatre, conservation and construction projects, and education. In 1939, the WPA changed its name to Works Projects Administration.

    Florida's earliest circuit courts existed prior to statehood in 1845. From 1845 to 1861, the courts were named for the regions they represented: Eastern, Middle, Western, Southern, and Suwanee. As Florida's population grew, the legislature established more circuit courts throughout the state. In 1935, the Florida Legislature realigned the courts and began calling them by their numbered judicial circuits (First, Second, Third, etc.).
Summary:     The information contained in this collection is probably the result of the efforts of the Works Projects Administration's historical records survey that took place from 1935 to 1941. The collection contains several appendixes that provide information concerning the administrative division of the state into circuit courts.

    The appendixes are lettered A-D with those following A keyed to it. They provide information on each circuit's establishment date and Legislative Act (A), The counties that made up the circuits (A & B), and the courts that existed in each county that were not common to all counties (D). Appendix C is an alphabetical index to Appendix A. The collection also includes a listing of 32 counties, 1846-1860, where the sheriff was designated as a tax assessor and collector and when that officer was appointed to, or relieved of, those duties by legislative acts.
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Electronic Records Access:
Subject Access Fields: Circuit courts Florida
Court administration Florida
Added Entries United States. Work Projects Administration.