Abstract
- Florida is understood for its vacationer points of interest like theme parks and seashores, however it additionally has a wealthy historic previous with many deserted cities.
- Ghost cities like Ellaville, Atsena Otie Key, and Kismet present a glimpse into Florida’s historical past and the individuals who as soon as lived there.
- Exploring these deserted cities permits guests to find out about Florida’s previous and recognize its intricate historical past.
From its theme park capital of Orlando and sprawling golf programs to Florida’s best beaches with the clearest water, the Sunshine State is understood for varied vacationer enticements.
The various small beach towns in Florida and the state’s iconic cities (like historic St. Augustine, one of the oldest cities in the US, and the bustling leisure metropolis of Miami) by no means fail to draw all the eye. However lengthy earlier than any of Florida’s thrilling points of interest have been established lies an immense historical past stretching again millennia.
Historic gems within the type of long-forgotten cities and cities might be discovered sprinkled throughout the state, offering a glimpse into Florida’s unimaginable previous and the individuals who as soon as referred to as it dwelling. Showcasing a bygone period and engaging historic websites, listed below are a few of the finest deserted cities in Florida to go to to get a style of the state’s historical past.
10
Ellaville
Suwannee River outdated bridge, Ellaville, Florida
Nestled on the banks of the Suwannee River, the ghost town of Ellaville was based again in 1861 by George Drew, who later went on to turn out to be the state’s twelfth governor. A lumber tycoon, he additionally established Florida’s largest sawmill; nevertheless, he later bought his firm and moved away.
A collection of pure disasters coupled with the Nice Despair in the end led to the city’s demise, which culminated with the closing of its put up workplace in 1942.
- Location: Suwannee County in north central Florida
- Notable sights: Suwannee River Bridge
All that is left of the city at present is the bridge over the Suwanee River, and solely bits of items of the Drew Mansion stay after it burned down within the Seventies.
9
Atsena Otie Key
Atsena Otie Key on Florida’s Gulf Coast
Pigeon Key isn’t Florida’s only ghost island; Atsena Otie Key, which is now a part of the Cedar Keys Nationwide Wildlife Refuge, is one other.
Initially referred to as Cedar Key by settlers who established the world in 1842, the area was dwelling to solely about 200 individuals till a mammoth hurricane destroyed the city some 54 years later, forcing them to maneuver to an island nearer to the mainland.
- Location: Island off the northwest coast of Florida within the Gulf of Mexico
- Notable sights: Atsena Otie Cemetery
8
Brewster
The outdated smokestack in Brewster, Florida
Established in 1910 for miners working in a close-by phosphate mine, this small city had all of it: a put up workplace, a grocery retailer, a faculty, a saloon, and even a swimming pool.
Nevertheless, after the mine was closed, the city was all however deserted by 1962, leaving solely the smokestack and a handful of buildings in its wake.
- Location: Southwest Polk County, Florida
7
Fort Dade
Deserted buliding in Fort Dade, Florida
Nestled on the distant island of Egmont Key off the coast of St. Petersburg, Fort Dade is likely one of the abandoned islands in Florida. It was built in 1848 and served as a U.S. army outpost.
For these visiting the Tampa Bay space, the abandoned island supplies an enchanting look into Florida’s army previous.
- Location: Island off the west-central coast of Florida on the mouth of the Tampa Bay
- Notable sights: Egmont Key Nationwide Wildlife Refuge, Egmont Key State Park, Egmont Key Lighthouse, Battery Mellon, Battery McIntosh,
Admission to Egmont Key State Park is free; nevertheless, there are charges related to accessing the island by way of ferry, such because the Egmont Key Ferry that departs from Fort De Soto Park.
6
Kismet
An animal stands in a abandoned dust street within the Ocala Nationwide Forest
Located in Lake County simply exterior of Orlando, the small city of Kismet is likely one of the finest ghost cities in Florida to go to; it flourished within the late 1800s as a burgeoning citrus community till excessive blizzards, referred to as the “Nice Freeze,” blanketed the world resulting in its premature demise.
It is mentioned that movie and tv producer Walt Disney’s mother and father met within the city and received married on the native church. Though nothing nonetheless stands at present, the world is now a part of the Ocala Nationwide Forest.
- Location: Lake County in Central Florida
- Notable sights: Ocala Nationwide Forest
5
Fort Drum
A street by Okeechobee County, Florida
Built in the 1840s, this settlement was a army fort in the course of the Second Seminole Conflict and is among the many finest deserted locations in Florida to find out about this time period within the state’s historical past.
Though there are hardly any remnants of what it as soon as was, it nonetheless serves as one other useful piece of Florida’s army historical past.
- Location: Okeechobee County in Florida’s Heartland area
- Notable sights: Fort Drum Cemetery
4
Rollestown
A view of the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida
The Rollestown Historic Marker serves as one of many few reminders of this Florida ghost city’s existence, detailing the settlement’s founding alongside the banks of the St. Johns River in 1767 by English philanthropist Danys Rolle.
It was in the end deserted in 1783 following the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolution and formally acknowledged the US as an impartial nation. At present, it is among the many finest Florida ghost cities to go to to be taught concerning the state’s historical past.
- Location: Putnam County in northern Florida
- Notable sights: Rollestown Historic Marker
The Rollestown Historic Marker, which was erected in 1961, might be discovered at 343 Hwy 17, East Palatka, FL 32131.
3
Yukon
The Duval County and Jacksonville line
Located between the Ortega River and the St. Johns River, the world now referred to as Tillie Okay. Fowler Regional Park in Jacksonville, Florida, as soon as served because the neighborhood of Yukon, which dates back to 1787.
After the Naval Air Station Jacksonville was established close by, the city was deemed a flight and security hazard and was closed.
- Location: On the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida in Jacksonville
- Notable sights: Tillie Fowler Park Loop Trailhead, Tillie Okay. Fowler Regional Park
2
Eldora
The Eldora Home, Canaveral Nationwide Seashore, Florida
Positioned on a barrier island off the east coast of Florida, Eldora is an deserted city in Florida that served as a stop-over point for travelers in the course of the nineteenth century.
Additionally recognized for its orange groves, the city by no means recovered after the icy freezes that affected the world, in addition to the impacts felt throughout World Conflict II. The historic Eldora Statehouse serves as one of many few reminders of this charming city.
- Location: Volusia County in east-central Florida
- Notable sights: The Eldora Statehouse
1
Tasmania
Fisheating Creek, the center of Wild Florida, USA
Tasmania is one in all Florida’s ghost cities, however it wasn’t at all times so. This former settlement was nestled alongside Fisheating Creek in what’s at present referred to as Glades County.
Initially established in 1888 and later renamed Tasmania in 1916, the city’s finish took place in the course of the Nice Despair.
- Location: Glades County in Florida’s Heartland area
Though many of those deserted cities in Florida at the moment are lengthy and gone, they nonetheless paint a wonderful portrait of the state’s intricate previous.
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