Liberty County was established on December 15, 1855, paying homage, by its name, to the sentiment of the American people. It was created from the southern part of Gadsden County. The 1860 census listed the County with a population of about 1,500 people. At that time Bristol, the County seat, was a town forty-six years old, yet it had a population of only about 150.
The earliest known culture of people in the Liberty County area were the Apalachee Indians. Old Indian mounds and pieces of pottery can still be found here which is a true sign that the Indians first lived here. Six of these mounds were excavated to some extent, and it is estimated that they date back to the early 1200's.
Liberty County was part of the territory included in Forbes Grant, 1803. Forbes was a British trader and maintained trading posts on the Apalachicola River. When Florida became a territory of the United States, pioneers from Georgia and the Carolinas settled this area because of the good farm land.
During the Civil War the swamps bordering the Apalachicola and Ochlockonee Rivers furnished a haven for a good many deserters. There were no battles within the county, but Confederate forces maintained battle emplacements on the banks above the Apalachicola River and strived to defend the river from the Union Army.