There is a side to Florida that not many people know about. It’s not as well known as its beaches, theme parks, or animals. Sunshine State has a lot of secrets, and one of them is an abandoned town that used to be a busy place to live but is now forgotten and falling apart. There is a unique past to this town called Ellaville that you should learn about.
Ellaville’s Rise and Fall
George F. Drew, a rich investor who owned a sawmill and a railroad, started Ellaville in 1861. Drew made the town a hub for business and culture in the area by building a house, a hotel, a school, a church, and several stores. During its peak, Ellaville was home to about 1,000 people. Notable people like President Grover Cleveland and Mark Twain even came to visit.
Ellaville did well for a while, but not for long. In the late 1800s, the timber business went downhill because of too much cutting down and competition from other states. Drew left town in 1897 after selling his sawmill and railroad. Ellaville started to lose people and companies when it lost its main way of making money and getting around. In the 1920s, the town was almost empty, and by the 1940s, it was empty.
What’s Left of Ellaville
Ellaville is now a ghost town that is slowly being taken back by nature. Drew’s house and hotel are the only buildings that are still standing. They are covered in vines and graffiti. The rest of the town is hidden under a layer of dirt, trash, and plants. Visitors who come to learn about the town’s past and mystery are the only signs of people living there.
Ellaville is in Suwannee County, not far from Suwannee River State Park. You can only get to the town through a dirt road that ends at a locked gate. The town is not shown on any maps. People who want to visit the town must get permission from the Suwannee River Water Management District, which owns the land. The district says the town is unstable and dangerous, and visitors should be careful and polite.
What Ellaville Left Behind
Ellaville is one of many ghost towns in the United States. Each one has its own story and secrets. In these places, you can see how things have changed since they were built. You can see a different way of life through them and think about what could have been.
A part of Florida’s past that few people know about is Ellaville. It is important to learn about it and keep it alive. The town used to have a bright future, but now it’s in the dark. The town has a soul even though no one lives there.