Editing Jay, Florida (section)

===19th century===
In 1821, Spain formally yielded possession of [[Spanish Florida]] to the United States and it became the [[Florida Territory]] in 1822. Santa Rosa County was created in 1842, three years before Florida became a state in 1845. The '''Town of Jay''' was known in the early 1800s as "''Cobb Old Field''", but was later known as "''Pine Level''". It is located about 38 miles north of [[Pensacola, Florida|Pensacola]] and 27 miles north of [[Milton, Florida]], and about 3 miles from the [[Escambia County, Alabama]], state line.<ref name="Diamond1949"/>

The Jernigan family were among some of the earliest pioneers in the "Pine Level" area of Santa Rosa County. Among them were such settlers as Van Jernigan, who arrived when Florida was still a territory. His homestead near the headbank at the southern bend of Cobb Creek was located on the eastern side of Milton-Pollard Road. As with many residents of the area, Jernigan's occupation was in the timber and logging industry. He also owned one of the area's largest range cattle herds, descendants of which continued to roam on the open range even many years after his death. Jerningan's estate sold them sometime in the 1890s.<ref name="Diamond1949"/>

Eldridge Jernigan was another member of the Jernigan family who was an early settler in the area. He later moved to the nearby community of [[Mount Carmel, Florida|Mount Carmel]].<ref name="Diamond1949"/>