While working with various maps (both historical and current) one thing that jumps out at me is the importance of terrain. Earliest settlers always went for the most hospitable terrain. Fort Fanning, Wannee and Rock Bluff are 3 examples of places that were high enough to escape flooding, had easy access to the river, and a source of fresh water (the nearby springs). They also picked a spot that allowed for crops to be cultivated nearby.
In later times, transportation became the more important factor. Starting with Indian traces, then rough trails and (what they thought of as) roads, followed by trains, and eventually motorized vehicles. The arrival of electricity, mostly via rural electrification in the 1930s, allowed for settlement of pretty much anywhere that wasn't deep in a swamp. I once had a conversation with a retired Southern Bell lineman who told me about having to use a boat, to service a line on a coastal island.
The earliest settlers (1880-1920) took advantage of the various forms of the Homestead Act. Generally, someone was entitled to homestead a quarter section (~160 acres) provided they lived on it for 5 years, planted some area in trees (to replace old growth that was being harvested) and farmed the remainder. The registration fee (circa 1903) was $18. That same farm land, in 2015 values, would be worth around $500,000 (or more, depending on where it's located).
Thus began the arrival of civilization.
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