July 11, 1840: Owen Patterson and his brother Jeremiah settle in the area and build a well

June 2, 1842: Florence Harbor constructed

- Florence Harbor is built by Owen Patterson in honor of his wife Florence, who died in childbirth the previous year.

August 21, 1842: Jebediah Forrest settles in the area

November 16, 1844: Forrest builds roads on his farm and sells lots

- The new town names itself Florence after the nearby pier, hoping to appear as a place of commercial opportunity. 

- William Gibson, a settler from Pennsylvania, serves as the first head of Florence HS, the first in the area (1847).

April 17, 1846: Port Murray constructed

Robert Murray, a fisherman/settler from Louisiana, builds Port Murray.