Holopaw

Holopaw was a stop along the Kissimmee Valley extension of the Florida East Coast Railroad owned by Henry Flagler. J.M. Griffin began a sawmill operation here in 1923, building streets and houses for his employees. Holopaw was a company owned town, with most employees' renting homes from their employer and frequenting the factory owned general store. The J.M. Griffin Lumber Company became the largest operation in the Saint Cloud area, employing over 500 people. It also featured one of the first all-electric sawmills in the country. The mill lasted until 1931, closing during the Great Depression. A new mill owned by the Peavy-Wilson Lumber Company opened in 1935 employing more than 1000 timber, turpentine, and sawmill workers. At the town's peak it had a population of more than 2000 people. When the railroad line was discontinued, the mill closed bringing an end to the town. Most residents left to seek employment elsewhere, and the postal service was discontinued in 1954.