The third and fifth Territorial Governor of Florida, Richard Keith Call, was born in Virginia on this date. Call first came to Florida in 1814 as aide-de-camp to General Andrew Jackson during the Creek Indian Wars and worked with Jackson to establish a territorial government in 1821. Call decided to make Florida his permanent home and opened a law practice there in 1822. In 1836 President Jackson appointed Call Territorial Governor of Florida. During the Second Seminole War (1835-1842) Call led the Florida Militia and was directly involved in many early skirmishes. In the early 1830s, Call began construction on a large plantation home north of Tallahassee known as “The Grove.” The home remained in the Call family including his great-granddaughter Mary Call and her husband, the late Governor Leroy Collins. The home is now owned by the State of Florida and in 2009 a comprehensive restoration project began on the property which will eventually be open for public tours.
