Sorrento in Lake County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

The Railway

Historic Ethel Trail

— Rock Springs Run State Park —

The Railway Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. The Railway Marker

Inscription. The railway transformed Ethel and other communities in the area. Before, travel was a slow and tedious experience. There were no paved roads; instead, narrow, sandy, pot-holed tracks caused ox-drawn carts to get stuck or lose a wheel. With the new rail system, locally grown crops and timber could be sent to new markets and townspeople now had more employment opportunities. The railway was in use until the 1960s.
(captions)
Tavares, Orlando and Atlantic Railroad advertisement. Courtesy, Florida Memory

Until a platform was built, Ethel was considered a “flag” stop. Passengers would stand on the tracks to “flag” the train down.

Train Photo, Courtesy of Florida Memory.

The first map to show Ethel, printed in 1888. Source, South Florida Railroad Co.

Railroad Spikes

Erected 2024 by Florida State Parks and the Wekiva Wilderness Trust.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1888.

Location. 28° 48.133′ N, 81° 26.572′ W. Marker is in Sorrento, Florida, in Lake County. It is on Ethel Drive. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Sorrento FL 32776, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Orlando

and in Central Florida.

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.

Other nearby markers.

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At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Ethel School (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Life in Ethel (approx. 0.2 miles away); Living Off the Land Marker (approx. ¼ mile away); Uncovering History (approx. ¼ mile away); The Frazier Family (approx. ¼ mile away); The Life of Anthony Frazier (approx. ¼ mile away); Welcome to the Historic Ethel Trail (approx. 0.3 miles away); Early Settlement in Florida (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sorrento.

More about this marker. Note that the drive/trail in the vicinity is graded but not paved.

Also see . . .
1. Historic Ethel Trail. (Submitted on January 24, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. Ethel. (Submitted on January 24, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. The Railway Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on January 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 24, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 161 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 24, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.