The town and natural spring, both with the name Fanning (or Fannin) Springs are in the southwestern corner of Gilchrist County and the northwestern part of Levy County at a horseshoe bend in the Suwannee River. Its one of only three towns in Florida to be in more than one county. It was there that Fort Fanning was built in November, 1838, during the Seminole Indian War (1835-1842) and named for Major Alexander Campbell Winder Fannin (or Fanning), who had served with Andrew Jackson in Florida. It was built to protect a much-used crossing of the Suwannee.

After the building of Fort Fanning, federal troops occupied it for about four or five years, during which time thirty one soldiers died in or near the fort, twenty seven died from disease, one was shot to death, two died of wounds previously received and one drowned. All were probably buried near the fort, the site of which is about 200 yards north of Highway 19/98 on the river. Today a replica of the fort occupies this spot and is part of a public park in the Gilchrist County part of the city.

The settlement around the fort was originally known as Palmetto or Sikesville, but gradually took its present name from the fort. A post office was established there in 1846 or 1847 and was discontinued in 1882. It was re-established in 1888 and officially called Fannin. In 1906, postal service was moved to Lottieville, a small settlement between Fanning Springs and Trenton, and eventually had its service moved again to Trenton in 1912 where the postal service for Fanning Springs still comes from today.

More and more people began settling in the area with their families to farm, fish and hunt. One writer described the place in 1888 in glowing terms: “The country is sparsely settled, game is abundant, and some of the finest timbered lands in the county are to be found in this locality.” A ferry across the Suwannee, connecting Fanning Springs with Dixie County, continued to operate until a wooden turn-bridge was built. A steel bridge would replace that bridge in 1935 and later, a concrete bridge was added when the road was four-laned and several big trucks had become stuck in the steel girders of the old bridge.

A few automobiles used the dusty roads alongside the horses, wagons and carriages in the area throughout the early 1900s, but the harsh conditions took their toll on the vehicles. Many visitors to Fanning Springs, especially in the hot summer months took advantage of the clear, cool water for swimming, picnics, camping, political gatherings and big Fourth of July celebrations. The springs, located in present-day Levy County and now one of the most visited Florida State Parks, across the highway from Gilchrist County, became THE recreation center for residents in the surrounding area.

Many short-term businesses were set up around the springs in the summer months, and a few lasted for a number of years becoming year round businesses. A filling station and sandwich shop sprung up just off the bridge in Fanning Springs. After World War II, another filling station and restaurant opened up on the Gilchrist side of the highway near the entrance to the springs. The restaurant grew and later became the widely known Lighthouse Restaurant, one of the most popular restaurants in the area today.

Meanwhile other places were opened in the vicinity, for example Cadillac Motel and Stuckey’s on the highway a little east of the Suwannee River bridge and the Tri-county Suwannee Valley Live-Stock Pavilion, with its annual Youth Fair and Livestock sales that attracts many visitors. A Shriners’ Clubhouse has more recently been added to the area between Fanning Springs and the one-time bustling community and railroad stop of Wilcox. A sign still announces Wilcox at the bend in Highway 26 on the way to Trenton and on to Gainesville.

A group of citizens had one time hoped to build a hospital in Fanning Springs to serve the Tri-county area, which is finally materializing, but in Chiefland, about 10 miles to the south.

In 1965, the Florida Legislature passed a bill incorporating the community of Fanning Springs into the town of Suwannee River. In 1977, because the town of Suwannee River was sometimes confused with the town of Suwannee, which is located some 25 miles away where the Suwannee River enters the Gulf of Mexico, voters in the town chose to rename their town Fanning Springs. For many years there had been some dispute as to the spelling of Fanning, whether it should have a final “g” or not. Because an 1847 survey had Fanning on it, the final “g” was used. Fanning Springs is today a very busy place with some 8,000 cars a day traveling through the town and over the bridge on Highway 19/98. It has the potential for becoming much larger as more and more people move into the area and the current trend is showing great potential for growth between Fanning Springs and Chiefland.

The town now has a permanent population of about 800.

The biggest attraction in Fanning Springs is still the great spring, now within the State Park of the same name. The town is known as the Gateway to the Suwannee due to the heavily traveled Highway 19/98 crossing the river right at the conjunction of the three counties, the southernmost crossing of the Suwannee River. The Fort Fanning park, located on a high Suwannee River bluff, is attracting more visitors all the time and plays host to several local events including the 20 year running Festival of Lights in December, a production of the local Chamber of Commerce.

There is a hub of the Nature Coast Trail right on the highway in Fanning Springs just south of a branch where the trail goes west over the old Suwannee River Railroad trestle and on to Cross City in Dixie County or south to Chiefland in Levy county.

There is always something to do in Fanning Springs with places to stay and plenty of great restaurants.