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. 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 Florida’s first U.S. Senator David Levy Yulee. In honor of his role in the development of Florida’s early transportation network, Yulee was nicknamed the “Father of Florida’s railroads,” and the town just due east of this location was named for

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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 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

and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 17, 2020

2. Florida's First Cross-Peninsula Railroad Marker

With companion marker in background.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: John Muir's Walk on the Florida Railroad (here, next to this marker); Bryant Academy (approx. 2.9 miles away); Italia (approx. 5 miles away); Home of Fernandina Beach (approx. 5.6 miles away); Florida Honors and Remembers our POW’s and MIA’s (approx. 5.7 miles away); Home of Amelia Island (approx. 5.7 miles away); The Battle of Waterman's Bluff (approx. 6.6 miles away); Jacksonville National Cemetery (approx. 7.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Yulee.

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 1,018 times since then and 77 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 22, 2020, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.