LAKE CITY

city, seat (1832) of Columbia county, northern Florida, U.S., near Osceola National Forest, 60 mi (97 km) west of Jacksonville. It occupies the site of a Seminole village once ruled by a chief called Halpatter-Tustennuggee (meaning alligator warrior). The Indians left under the terms of an 1824 treaty, and white settlers moved in. An important settlement in early Florida, it was called Alligator until 1859, when it was incorporated and renamed Lake City for the myriad lakes that surround it. The only significant Civil War battle (Feb. 20, 1864) fought in Florida took place at Olustee, 15 mi west; it resulted in a Confederate victory, and the battlefield is now a state historic site. The city developed as a centre for mixed farming and has a tobacco auction. Other economic factors include tourism, phosphate mining, forest products, and some manufacturing, including aircraft repair facilities. Pop. (1990) 10,005.