With its ghost towns, Florida—a state well-known for its energetic beaches and cities—also has a more enigmatic side. These deserted locations provide an eerie window into the past, when once-thriving communities were brought to a complete halt by a variety of unfortunate events.
These ghost towns, which range from the creepy ruins of Fort Dade in Egmont Key State Park to the overgrown orange orchards of Hopewell in Hillsborough County, narrate tales of bygone eras.
Every town, whether it is Capps’ historic charm or Yukon’s crumbling buildings, has a distinct story that is ready to be unearthed by the daring adventurer.
Yukon
Founded in the 1880s, this little town was situated across the Ortega River from Jacksonville Naval Air Station and had a population of roughly 1,000.
But because of the town’s close proximity to the airport, the Navy ordered its closure in 1963. Though the town’s exact beginnings are unknown, historians think Blackpoint Settlement was established in the late 1800s.
A man who had moved to the area, Timothy Hollingsworth, developed a mulberry farm there around 1850. In the 1880s, a streetcar line that went through Ortega, Avondale, Riverside, and Avondale connected this neighborhood to Jacksonville.
Urban explorers can now stroll the paved streets that are deteriorating and being reclaimed by nature. Driveways, foundations, and paved walks vanish into the dense flora of Florida.
Capps
One of the most well-known ghost towns in the state is the community of Capps, which located east of Tallahassee. Once the site of Tungston Plantation, it grew to become one of the biggest producers of tung oil, a natural oil type used in paint and varnish, worldwide.
Hundreds of little settlements called Florida home in the early nineteenth century. Despite the abundance of land, some of these communities were short-lived. The Asa May House, the old residence of a cotton planter, has made the town a well-liked tourist destination today.
The house was constructed about 1836 and is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Capps is one of the more laid-back ghost towns in Florida with a fantastic blend of old and new construction.
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Ellaville
Ellaville, a small village at the meeting point of the Suwannee and Withlacoochee rivers, was long abandoned and is now a ghost town. George Franklin Drew established Ellaville near the Suwannee River in the 1860s.
It bears Ella’s name, Drew’s devoted longtime servant. In Ellaville, Drew established the biggest sawmill in Florida at the time with a steam-operated facility. Ellaville had more than a thousand residents by 1898.
The post office closed because the hamlet was no longer thriving in the late 1940s. The town’s population had reached zero in 1942.
There are a few shacks and cabins here as well as a number of abandoned buildings, despite the fact that this area is primarily undeveloped. Along Highway 90, you can observe the historic bridge that connects the town.
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Fort Dade
Fort Dade, which had a population of more than 300, has utterly collapsed into a ghost town. The best way to observe this town’s remnants and its military history is to take the ferry over.
During the Third Seminole War, the Seminole Indians controlled the fort, which was ultimately taken over by the Union Army. The Spanish-American War then threatened the fort in 1898, so it was rebuilt on Egmont Key for extra defense.
Fort Dade is one of the most picturesque ghost towns in Florida since it is situated directly on the water. Travelers can take a private boat to the island or use a ferry to get to the key.
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Sisco
Seventh Day Adventists created this tiny hamlet, but the Great Freeze of 1895 caused the village’s abandonment. The region’s history dates back to the 1880s.
In Florida, the earliest settlements were built close to natural resources, which later became the home of businesses and individuals producing goods from those resources.
At first, cattle, citrus, phosphate, and fishing were the main drivers of the economy. However, Florida had a boom and crash in land sales in the 1920s, which left numerous cities in ruins.
This region is essentially a ghost town these days. The town’s remains are situated directly along Route 15. Even though not much is left, it is still easy to see where the roadways would cross the forest.
Read More: From Glory to Ghosts: 5 Abandoned Places That Tell South Carolina’s Story
Final Words
The state’s rich and varied history is silently preserved in the ghost towns of Florida. Every town provides a window into a different era, whether they are peaceful farming villages or thriving industrial hubs.
For those with an interest in history, urban exploration, or the obscure past of Florida, ghost towns present an intriguing and one-of-a-kind chance to travel back in time.
