Tallahassee in Leon County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

The "Luraville Locomotive"

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, April 16, 2013

1. The "Luraville Locomotive" Marker

Inscription. Its specific identity lost to time and the Suwannee River, the Luraville Locomotive is one of the nation's oldest "iron horse" steam locomotives. Most likely built between 1850 and 1855, the oft-modified 10-ton, wood-burning American 4-4-0 steam locomotive played a role in Florida's early logging history. At one time the engine may have sported a cowcatcher and perhaps was used to pull passenger cars. It became a tram engine c. 1890 and was used to haul logs for the Bache Brothers Lumber Company to its sawmill near Luraville, Suwannee County. The locomotive's working career ended sometime around 1900 when the engine sank to the bottom of the Suwannee River while being loaded onto a barge at or near the Live Oak & Gulf Railroad's Suwannee River terminus in Peek. In 1979, a team headed by Luraville resident James Lancaster hoisted the remains of the locomotive and two sets of iron wheels from the river bottom. The locomotive was subsequently purchased and presented to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for safekeeping and preservation. The partially restored engine now rests in front of a load of

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bald-cypress logs, a fitting monument to an important era in Florida's history.

Erected 2011 by The Florida Society of American Foresters, The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, The Florida Division of Forestry, The Generosity of Jack and Peggy Goyke and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-709.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1850.

Location. 30° 26.347′ N, 84° 13.398′ W. Marker is in Tallahassee, Florida, in Leon County. It can be reached from Conner Boulevard 0.2 miles east of Capital Circle Southeast (U.S. 319), on the right when traveling east. Located in front of the Florida Department of Agriculture. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3125 Conner Boulevard, Tallahassee FL 32311, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Florida.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

The "Luraville Locomotive" image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, April 16, 2013

2. The "Luraville Locomotive"

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. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named The Luraville Locomotive (here, next to this marker); 9/11 By The Numbers (approx. ¾ mile away); Leon County War on Terror Memorial (approx. ¾ mile away); Strike Against the Pentagon (approx. ¾ mile away); Under Cover of Corn (approx. 1.9 miles away); Layfayette Land Grant (approx. 2 miles away); Tallahassee National Cemetery (approx. 2.3 miles away); Tallahassee National Cemetery Carillon (approx. 2.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tallahassee.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Southern Boundary of Lafayette Land Grant (was approx. 2.1 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Credits. This page was last revised on September 1, 2017. It was originally submitted on August 14, 2013, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 2,791 times since then and 167 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 14, 2013, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.