August 31, 1856
On August 31, 1856, Richard Taylor Speissegger was born in Charleston, South Carolina. History would refer to him as R.T. Speissegger. In December 1869, Richard and his mother, brother, and sister traveled by steamer down the St. Johns River to Mill Creek, Florida. This would be the family’s new home. In 1868, his father, Dr. T.W. Speissegger, along with some of his other siblings, arrived at Mill Creek one year earlier.
1889
In 1889, Richard married Mary Jane Hughes and moved to New Augustine. Together the couple had four children: Mary Hughes, Richard Alston, Ray, and Milton. Richard Taylor relocated to Moultrie, close to Fort Peyton, in the fall of 1903. After settling there for six years with his family, he opened a business in Moultrie in the fall of 1904. He returned to New Augustine in the fall of 1909, and on December 8th of the same year, he opened his store while simultaneously constructing his home.
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In 1909, Speissegger opened his store while simultaneously constructing his home.
Richard was a farmer before he started his mercantile career. A.W. Corbett Sr., the ferryman; the Southwick family; James Hartshaw; and Richard were the only people residing in New Augustine when Richard first visited; nevertheless, Mr. Corbett was not regarded as a resident of New Augustine because he lived south of Oyster Creek. The lot on King Street was the first piece of real estate Richard bought in New Augustine.
Richard Alston Speissegger
In St. John’s County on March 17th, 1894, Richard Alston was born to Richard Taylor and Mary Jane Speissegger. He was the second of four children born to the couple.
Along with his younger brother Milton, the two went on to run and restore the Oldest Store Museum Experience. The brothers’ family initially began the drugstore business when their grandfather migrated to Florida to farm oranges and failed. The family would have nearly starved to death if he had not opened the pharmacy.
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