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David Yulee was instrumental in the building of the first railroad in Florida. His dream of a trans-Florida railroad began as early as 1835, and development began about 1844. The Florida Railroad Company built a 155 mile line that ran from Fernandina Beach on the Atlantic to Cedar Key on the Gulf of Mexico. Travelers would take a ship from New York to Fernandina Beach, then the railroad to Cedar Key where they would get on another ship and continue on to New Orleans.
The line ran from the Gulf through Lukens, Sumner, Rose- wood, Wylly, Dutton’s Spur, Ellzey, Otter Creek, Lennon, Bronson, Meredith, Albion, and Camp Spur located in the northeast quadrant of the county. From there it ran to Archer in Alachua County. Shortly after the end of the Civil War what was left of the Confederate Treasury was brought on this same railroad to David Yulee’s plantation (Cottonwood) near Archer. Of the twelve Levy County towns listed above only Rosewood, Otter Creek and Bronson survive today as communities.
There were skirmishes in Levy County during the Civil War, and the town of Cedar Key was occupied by Federal troops. The troops closed the port of Cedar Key vital to confederate shipping and blocked the passage of cotton being shipped down the Suwanee River.
Early crops and industry in Levy County were Cotton, Saw Mills, Turpentine and Resin industries. Atsena Otie, an island off the coast of Cedar Key, was once studded with red cedar trees. In 1855, Eberhardt Faber built a pencil factory on the north end of the island where 100 people were employed for mill and logging work. The Federal troops had a depot and hospital on the island too, but the hurricane of 1896 leveled many buildings
Levy County, established in 1845, is on the Gulf of Mexico, south of Gainesville and west of Ocala. As part of Florida's "Nature Coast", Levy is home to the Suwannee River and many square miles of forests, marshlands, and a long Gulf Coast coastline.
Bronson, Levy’s county seat, serves as a "bedroom community" for the city of Gainesville, 25 miles to the east. Williston serves as a "bedroom community" for two communities, Gainesville, 20 miles northeast, and Ocala, approximately the same distance to the southeast. Chiefland is an agricultural community located in northern Levy County on U.S. 19 (The Georgia Florida Parkway). Cedar Key, located on an island in the Gulf of Mexico, has a K-12 school which has been designated as an isolated school. Yankeetown, also located on the gulf in southwest Levy County, transports its high school students to Dunnellon High in Marion County. This is because of the distance Yankeetown is located from the nearest Levy community with a high school. Levy County has a total of 12 school sites located within the five communities.
Cedar Key, which was originally the west coast terminal of the first cross-Florida railway, is a beautiful holiday and vacation area for those looking for excellent fishing or a look at some restful sunsets.
The area's marshes and shallow seas are among nature's grandest nurseries, hosting seabirds, shore birds, ocean life and numerous estuarine species.
Between Yankeetown to the south and Cedar Key, a limited-access area covers 31,000 acres of wetlands in the Waccasassa Bay State Preserve. The area offers camping, canoeing, and fishing in one of the most wildly beautiful settings in the state.
Commercial fishing is the leading industry in the Yankeetown-Inglis and Cedar Key areas, and forestry represents an industry of more than $7 million a year in the county. There are more than 40,000 heads of beef cattle and calves in the county. Three commercial dairies are located in the county. Agriculture is diversified, with the harvesting of corn, peanuts, grain, and sorghum. Principal truck crops include watermelon, cucumbers, squash, and peppers.
Levy County remains rural with vast, open wooded areas, springs and rivers, and more than 50 miles of coastline on the Gulf of Mexico. Its northern border is formed by the fabled Suwanee River. Commercial fishing in the Yankeetown-Inglis and Cedar Key areas is an industry grossing over $2.5 million yearly. Timber and other forest resources comprise approximately 500,000 acres, and forestry is an industry of more than $7 million a year in the county. There are over 40,000 head of beef cattle and calves, and three commercial dairies are located in the county. Agriculture is diversified, with the principal crops being corn, peanuts, grain and sorghum. Principal truck crops include watermelon, cucumbers, squash and peppers.
Information for this history and profile of Levy County provided in part by the
School Board of Levy County.
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