Growing up in a small Florida town, going from Point A to Point B always required traveling back roads. I don’t think I ever really appreciated those drives until I moved to the city and had to drive on interstates or four-lane roads, all the while navigating through traffic. Now, I look for those back roads. I look for the small towns and the old buildings. I look for those “unique” features that define the communities. I look for Old Florida.
Lloyd, Florida
Lloyd is one of those places I probably would not have known about had it not been for this adventure to “celebrate all things Florida.” Named after Walter Lloyd, a blacksmith from New York, it is located about a mile south of Interstate 10 at Exit 217 near Tallahassee. It is also the birthplace of Mary Edwards Bryan (1846-1913), a writer of more than 20 novels, including Manch (1880) and Wild Work (1881).
The history of this little town can be tied to the railroad industry, which lasted until the 1930s. As home to the oldest brick railroad station in Florida, Lloyd is a place for Florida history buffs to visit. The Lloyd Railroad Depot was built in 1858 and is also one of only three surviving railroad depots from the Civil War in Florida. (The other two are in Tallahassee and Gainesville.) The depot once served as a hub for transportation and trade and was used by Confederate soldiers for military purposes during the war.
You can only imagine this little depot in its heyday and the stories that unfolded on the station’s platform.
The old brick building has stood up against the measure of time and is now used as the town’s post office. You can find it at the intersection of Highways 59 and 158.
McAlpin, Florida
After leaving Lloyd, we continued our back roads journey, weaving our way around to U.S. Highway 129, stopping just south of Live Oak in the unincorporated town of McAlpin.
McAlpin, settled in 1882, was named for Daniel M. McAlpin, who had been the owner of the Bulletin (forerunner to the Suwannee Democrat), station master at the railroad, tax assessor, and representative to the Florida legislature (1875).
I must admit, though, what caught my eye the numerous times driving through McAlpin, was the old Speed gas station sign. Weathered and faded, it stands next to an old abandoned store, reminiscent of a part of “old Florida” where family-owned stores and filling stations were part of the booming landscape of the time.
A great place to read up on the history of McAlpin is the group’s Facebook page, McAlpin Florida History.
O’Brien, Florida
About seven miles south of McAlpin on 129 is the small town of O’Brien. Established in 1880 as Obrine, its name changed to Obrine Station and finally O’Brien. Upon driving into town, one of the first things to see is a brightly colored rooster perched atop the O’Brien Feed Depot and Hardware Store.
The charm and history don’t stop there. Just a street to the west of 129 off County Road 349 is a row of old storefronts, one of which is still in use, the Village Emporium. The shop wasn’t open when we passed through, but it’s definitely on the list of places to revisit as it is said to have its own history. Several other vacant buildings line the small dirt road.
Just past the row of old stores sits another old gem, an old wooden structure with boarded up windows and a tree that has become a part of the structure itself.
Back across 129 going west on CR 349, is another of those back roads you must take the time to enjoy. It’s a curvy little road that holds a pleasant surprise – if you look for it. Not easily visible from the road, back among the pine trees, is an old wood-frame house. Its windows seem to be peering out from between the rows of trees as if they are eyes looking out from the past trying to get a glimpse into the future.
There are plenty of other small towns in North Central Florida to explore, each with their own unique features. Although each one has its own history to tell, sometimes it’s the little oddities or the hidden treasures among the trees that make it unique. Dare to venture off the well-traveled highways onto the county roads that lead you straight into Florida history at its finest.
FM Notes: Here are a few other old towns you might want to read about:
A sneak peek at Howard Solomon’s last completed project
