William Henry Traxler

William Henry Traxler. . , Side 1 , Country stores were critical for collecting farm crops and sending them to market. They played an important role in building commerce and establishing credit. The Traxler store was one of several in Alachua County that provided these essential services to local farmers. William Henry Traxler, Jr., (1857-1928) was born in Columbia County, Florida. He was the son of pioneers and former slaveholder, William Henry Traxler, Sr. (1812-1871), and Ann Elizabeth Sandford (1825-1868), who came from Colleton County, South Carolina, to grow long-fibered Sea Island cotton. One of eleven children, he was orphaned at age 14. In 1879, the 22-year-old Traxler used $100 of his inheritance to purchase 360 acres on the Bellamy Road. He built a small store adjoining his home and supplied goods needed by local farmers. In 1889, this was the home where he brought his bride, Mary Keika Dell, the daughter of community leader and former slaveholder Simeon Dell (1795-1869) and Williamina Warren Dell Downing (1827-1910). This marked the beginning of the Traxler community. The Traxler home became a hub of activity. The store became a general merchandise store; value of the inventory increased to $5,000 in 1900 ($152,600 in 2020 value). , (Continued on other side) , Side 2 , (Continued from other side) , From 1891 to 1906, a post office operated out of the store, and Traxler served as the postmaster. The cotton gin, grist mill, sawmill, and store formed the heart of the community. Local farmers including tenant farmers provided a bustling marketplace on Saturdays. Nearby was Spring Hill Methodist Church and a one-room schoolhouse. Leno on the Santa Fe River was located about four miles over the natural bridge from Traxler. The Leno trading post closed in 1896 after the railroad bypassed it, and Traxler benefited from increased business. Traxler may have brought the grist mill grinding stone to the community. He extended business ties to Savannah and up the East Coast as a cotton broker and merchant. In 1917, the Traxler house completely burned and was rebuilt. Boll weevils appeared in 1917 and had destroyed the cotton crop by 1919. Many farmers then transitioned to tobacco as their primary cash crop. Traxler served as the president of the First National Bank in Alachua until his death in 1928. The bank survived the Great Depression, but was later sold. The stone from the grist mill is on display in O'Leno State Park. The store building and cotton gin were moved to the Florida Agriculture Museum in Palm Coast.