Once upon a time there was a Spanish family living in Santa Rosa County back when Florida belonged to Spain. Historian John T. Diamond wrote in 1949 that two of these families were headed by Rix and Talc Gaylor, two brothers that lived on Governor's Creek that eventually became known as Gaylor Creek (Now Campbell Creek). Oddly, the name "Gaylor" has serval origins one of which is French and means "high spirited" a characteristic that will have disastrous results later. The family had a large home on a high hill overlooking the Escambia River. There also is a long forgotten old family cemetery.
While life progressed in the backwoods along Escambia River, negations between American and Spain came to a close that would cede Florida to Spain in 1919. This meant that life was about to change for all of the former Spanish inhabitants. The United States would take possession of the new territory officially in 1821 whereupon General Andrew Jackson would be appointed military governor. Even though many Spaniards would be offered American citizenship if they wished it, some decided to stay and some didn't! Apparently, one of the Gaylor family chose to take it and one chose otherwise! In the meantime, the two brothers, Rix and Talton (known as Talc), conducted their timber and free-range cattle business independently, although both were successful. It was said that the Gaylor's had been part of the former Spanish aristocracy, which of course would mean nothing after the Americans took control. As to their personalities Mr. Diamond described them in his writings as "proud, high tempered, courageous and full of the pioneer Spanish fighting spirit."
As it were, Talc and his wife chose to build a modest log cabin near a springhead known later as the" Malone Place." It could be found a few hundred yards north of the Wilson Branch on the Pine Level Road. But as the story goes, an incident occurred between the two brothers that left both in a very vengeful mood! The origin of the disagreement rose over the sale of some cattle and escalated into physical violence. Talc lost his temper and hit Rix over the head with his gun so hard it bent the barrel rendering the weapon useless. However, the blow was serious enough to send Rix staggering to his knees. As his head cleared, Rix looked up to see Talc trying to use the gun to shoot him. In self-defense Rix pulled a large knife from his pocket and drove the blade into Talc. As blood spurted out from a punctured artery, bystanders grabbed Talc and rushed him into a nearby cabin. However, nothing they did could stop the bleeding! But the local wood folk, according to Mr. Diamond said that Rix "possessed the supernatural power to stop blood." Thus, Rix offered his help to this brother who flatly denied it, stating to all that would listen that "he would rather die than accept aid from Rix." Regardless of his refusal Talc would survive the wound and live another day.
This incident apparently had occurred only a short time before the United States took control of Florida and may well have been why Talc was selling his cattle in the first place. Regardless, Talc sold his cattle, abandoned his modest cabin and cattle pens and disappeared out of the new American territory and into the mists of obscurity! In the meantime, Rix went on with his life while his beautiful Spanish wife would give birth to twin boys. The family was now nestled in a spacious "double pen" log cabin, described as a mansion by frontier standards, surrounded by their barns and cattle pens and such. A "double pen" is a term used to describe a house or cabin with two equal but separate halves divided by a breezeway that would later be called a "dog run." Most cabins in the area only had a single pen cabin because it was cheaper and easier to erect.
Eventually, Gaylor's wife passed away around 1845 with Rix following her to the grave around 1867. Both were buried on a nearby hill in the family cemetery. With their parents now gone, the family enterprise fell to their twin sons to handle the timber, cattle, mill, and land. But it wasn't long before trouble surfaced much like what happened between their father and uncle decades before. The bickering went on for weeks and before long a rumor was going around that the twins was going to have a duel, customary of the old Spanish customs. Before long travelers down the old Winding River Road noticed the boys weren't ever seen around their place and I imagine the cattle hadn't been fed or watered!
When they began looking for them and found their bodies, still and cold, on the floor of their living room in the old mansion, lying on opposite sides of the room. Each of them was still clutching a large hunting knife covered with blood. The searchers said that the bodies were absolutely "cut to pieces" and lying in a pool of blood. Rumors quickly surfaced that it might have been over a woman, but I would image in a closed, intimate society like theirs, such a romantic triangle would have become common knowledge. In the meantime, regardless of the cause both brothers were carried to the family cemetery and buried beside the graves of their parents.
Mr. Diamond went on to state in 1949 that there was nothing left to mark the graves except little mounds of earth and unlettered wooden stakes." He also related that even though "the old log mansion had stood for another forty or fifty years" the blood of the two brothers could still be seen "soaked deep into the floor of the main living room. A sobering reminder of the greatest tragedy along Santa Rosa County's old Winding River Road.
For those of your that have any knowledge of the old Gaylor homestead may be able to shed some light on its location, especially the old cemetery. It was described as near the Old Steam Mill Bluff Landing, sometimes called the Campbell Bluff Landing, because of a small stream mill that operated on the bluff for a short time. It was also because it was near the old home site of a pioneer, Neil Campbell. If you do let us know!
A duel to the death!
Purchase of 39 and 90/100 acres in Santa Rosa County
(Escambia County Florida Territory) on July 10, 1844
Certificate #8386 by a Henry R. Gaylor. May or may not
have a relation to Rix Gaylor
The old water powered sawmill of the day. If you didn't have water you dug a pit and one man got down into it and pulled the double handle cross saw down while one was on the above platform and pushed the saw down to cut the logs into lumber. These saw mills were scattered up and down the Escambia River and creeks.
A depiction of the old water powered mills
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