 When a railroad depot was built nearby, the small community that sprung up around it was called “Live Oak Station” (first mentioned in records in 1861).The tree was located where the now-present Pepe's Mexican Grocery on U.S. 90 is located.During the Civil War, the Pensacola & Georgia Railroad served as a vital route for parts of North Florida, and earthworks were built where it crossed the Suwannee River west of Live Oak to deter Union attacks; these earthworks still exist as part of the Suwannee River State Park, one of Florida's first State parks.