Clay County History Month in May. It is a time of recollection and learning. The focus for this week is 'Who's Who Politically Speaking in Clay County, Florida' by the Clay County Historical Commission, led by Chairwoman Edna McDonald. This is the final part of a four-part series. 

ORANGE PARK – Clay County was officially declared independent from Duval County on Dec. 31, 1858. By New Year's Day, the rural swath of land on the western bank of the St. Johns River had to organize and self-govern itself. 

From 1858 until now, our county has been governed by determined, if often eccentric, residents who stepped up to the political stage. 

"Who's Who Politically Speaking In Clay County, Florida" is a two-part series compiled by the Clay County Historical Commission, which catalogs every commissioner, sheriff, school board member, director and other influential leaders from 1858 until 1994, when it was last updated. 

A lot has happened in the past 30 years, and the series is overdue for an update, but nonetheless, it is an excellent reference for anyone interested in early politics in the county. 

Skimming through the catalog, you'll recognize some familiar names. 

You'll see a man named "John Thrasher," who was elected to the Clay County School Board from 1986-1990. Thrasher would go on to serve a full eight years in the Florida House of Representatives before being term-limited. He was appointed the Florida Speaker of the House during his final term from 1998-2000. He served in the Florida Senate and as the Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

He is one of the namesakes of the Thrasher-Horne Center at St. Johns River State College, which opened in 2004. 

"Who's Who" also includes a wide range of "items of interest," notable moments in our county's political development:

Three Clay County Sheriffs were killed in the line of duty. Sheriff Josephus Peeler was killed by a stray bullet when he attempted to break up a fight between two friends in 1894. Sheriff Charles Wilson was killed while attempting to arrest a passenger boarding a train in 1906. The sheriff was avenged when another passenger shot and killed the assailant. Sheriff Shelton Cherry, who previously served as a Clay County Commissioner, was gunned down as he approached a turpentine camp. 

Sheriff John P. Hall, Sr., took office on Jan. 8, 1929. Hall went on to be the longest-serving sheriff in Florida's history and a close runner-up for the nation. 

On May 1, 1911, the Board of Clay County Commissioners called the "Clerk of the Circuit Court entirely inadequate for safe keeping of records." This was 40 years after the infamous county clerk, Barney McRae, faced charges for losing the county's records from 1858-1871.

On Dec. 14, 1916, the Clay County School Board forbade any employed teachers in the school district from dancing or attending any ball during the school week. 

On Aug. 25, 1967, Markalee Johns was untimely killed in an automobile accident the day he was to take office as a constable. 

"Who's Who" is not as in-depth or detailed as "Parade of Memories: A History of Clay County, Florida" by Arch Fredric Blakey. Instead, "Who's Who" provides a thorough directory of notable names in Clay County's early political history. 

The Orange Park library, the only library where both editions of "Who's Who" are available, has a reference section stocked with both.