History of Hawthorne
Hawthorne is named after James Madison Hawthorn, a veteran of the Second Seminole War, who recieved a land grant on the northwest side of Lake Johnson, and donated some of his property to encourage development of the Peninsular Railroad line that was completed from Waldo to Ocala in 1879. In 1879 the name of the post office established in the area more than twenty years earlier, was changed from Morrison's Mill to Jamestown. In 1880 it was changed to Hawthorn at Jame's Hawthorn's request. Until the 1890's, the southern part of the town was called Wait's Crossing, for the site at which the Florida Southern Railroad, which was completed from Palatka to Gainesville in 1881, crossed the Peninsular Railroad. A strong rivalry existed between the families of Calvin Waits and James Hawthorn. A diverse economy stimulated the development of Hawthorne. The addition of an "e" to the towns name did not become official until 1946.