Yulee in Nassau County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Florida's First Cross-Peninsula Railroad
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 17, 2020
1. Florida's First Cross-Peninsula Railroad Marker
Inscription.
Florida's First Cross-Peninsula Railroad. . In 1855, construction began in Fernandina on the first railroad in Florida to connect the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The final tracks were completed in Cedar Key in March 1861 just a month before the start of the Civil War. Named the Florida Railroad, it spanned 156 miles and was the longest railroad in Florida prior to the Civil War. It was intended to streamline shipments between the east and west coasts. In 1862, however, the USS Hatteras raided Cedar Key and destroyed the railroad depot, seven freight cars, and several other buildings. That same year, a Union squadron seized Fernandina. In 1864, the Confederacy dismantled the Florida Railroad in order to build a new line from Live Oak, Florida, to Lawton, Georgia, to facilitate troop and supply movements. The president and chief stockholder of the Florida Railroad, who oversaw its initial construction, was Floridas first U.S. Senator David Levy Yulee. In honor of his role in the development of Floridas early transportation network, Yulee was nicknamed the “Father of Floridas railroads,” and the town just due east of this location was named for him. Though the Florida Railroad no longer exists, its bed forms the foundation of portions of this trail.
In 1855, construction began in Fernandina on the first railroad in Florida to connect the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The final tracks were completed in Cedar Key in March 1861 just a month before the start of the Civil War. Named the Florida Railroad, it spanned 156 miles and was the longest railroad in Florida prior to the Civil War. It was intended to streamline shipments between the east and west coasts. In 1862, however, the USS Hatteras raided Cedar Key and destroyed the railroad depot, seven freight cars, and several other buildings. That same year, a Union squadron seized Fernandina. In 1864, the Confederacy dismantled the Florida Railroad in order to build a new line from Live Oak, Florida, to Lawton, Georgia, to facilitate troop and supply movements. The president and chief stockholder of the Florida Railroad, who oversaw its initial construction, was Floridas first U.S. Senator David Levy Yulee. In honor of his role in the development of Floridas early transportation network, Yulee was nicknamed the “Father of Floridas railroads,” and the town just due east of this location was named for him. Though the Florida Railroad no longer exists, its bed forms the foundation of portions of this trail.
Erected 2017 by East Nassau Stewardship District and the Florida Department
Click or scan to see this page online
of State. (Marker Number F-962.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1855.
Location. 30° 37.445′ N, 81° 38.094′ W. Marker is in Yulee, Florida, in Nassau County. It is on Florida Route A1A/200 0.1 miles east of Wildlight Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Yulee FL 32097, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in First Coast and in Greater Jacksonville. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
2. Florida's First Cross-Peninsula Railroad Marker
With companion marker in background.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 22, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 22, 2020, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,003 times since then and 62 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 22, 2020, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.
