GHOST TOWNS

Part 2

Stories by Robert Martinez

Back in the 19th century and earlier part of the 20th century there were many small hamlets and villages that dotted the Hernando County map. Here is the 2nd chapter of these ghost towns along with their post offices and a few maps to guide you toward their location. You can have fun with this issue exploring the county, looking for these old spots and the ghosts of our past. Also included in this issue is the legend of the baby ghost at the Heritage Museum.

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We would like to thank those who contributed to these past two Ghost Town issues

Jeff Miller

Lou Charity

John White

Roger Landers

Ms. Mack

Sid Taylor

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Ghost Towns (Part 2)

Bay City (Rital)

Bay City (Rital) was established in February 1887 with a post office. It was located just south of where Ridge Manor is today on 301. Sometime around 1906 the name was changed to Rital. The post office was discontinued in 1916. Largely a timber and lumber community, it was about three or four miles south of Oriole (featured in Ghost Towns Part 1)

Postmasters

Thomas Sherlock - February 1, 1887

John C. Calhoun - April 30, 1895

Josiah Griswold - February 26, 1906

Arnold Jenkins - October 24, 1913

Bayport

Bayport has an illustrious history and although it still exists today, it is not the key port it was during the county's early days or during the Civil War, when blockades blocked Union boats and ships and played a major part of the "Brooksville Raid" of 1864, which was not a major battle but more of a skirmish. It was a major tourist destination during the 19th century and early 20th century for fishing and relaxation as well as a noted bootlegging and smuggling port in the 1920s. The postal service was established in 1854 and discontinued in 1955 when services were forwarded to Brooksville.

Postmasters

Thomas Parsons - May 6, 1854

John Johnson - October 12, 1856

Andrew Decatur - June 29, 1857

Marshall Garland - January 16, 1860

John Sylvester - November 12, 1867

Laura Garrison - November 9, 1873

Jesse Bruner - July 14, 1875 and April 26, 1881

Linn Sanders - October 26, 1880 and June 14, 1883

John Parsons - January 23, 1882

Frances Corzell - August 3, 1887

Warren Parson - January 2, 1889

Isaac Garrison - September 24, 1889

Mary Willingham - January 9, 1896

Walter Turner - April 15, 1896

Elvira Whisenaut - May 12, 1897

Joseph Goethe - February 14, 1899

Frances Goethe - June 18, 1910 - September 22, 1935

Marie Green - October 11, 1935

Agnes Goethe - November 19, 1939 - March 15, 1955

The Parson's House seen here around 1880, was built in 1842 and was a Bayport landmark for many years. Later, it was known as the Bayport Hotel and was a popular tourist destination for the fishing in the area. Colonel Thomas Parsons was the first postmaster in 1854, and his son Warren was postmaster in 1889.

Catch of the day! A group of tourists at Bayport (1912) pose with the day's prize. Before Weeki Wachee, Bayport was the county's desirable destination for fishing and relaxation. Many dignataries, politicians and ball players came, including Babe Ruth, during the 1920s. It was also active in bootleg liquor smuggling during the 1920s.

Chocochattee

Chocochattee was established January 2, 1845, in what way then called Benton County (before Hernando). The post office was discontinued on October 7, 1850 with services forwarded to Brooksville. It was located somewhere just southeast of current Brooksville. It was still inhabited with Seminole Indians during those early years. Charlotte Crum was scalped and killed by a gang of Indians in 1843 near there. There is a commemorative marker for her at the Brooksville Cemetery.

Postmasters

Isaac Garrison - January 2, 1845

James Boarder - June 18, 1846

James Boyet - October 14, 1847

Columbus Anderson - July 11, 1848

Cove Bend

The post office was established in Cove Bend on June 21, 1880, near the northern tip of Hernando County. Discontinued January 9, 1884 with services forwarded to Floral City.

Postmaster

James W. Fleming - June 21, 1880 - 1884

Dixie

Dixie was a small Hamlet of citrus groves and its workers, originally in northern Pasco County in 1896. It was moved over to the Hernando County line in 1907, in the south area of Spring Lake Highway. On April 30, 1909, postal service was discontinued and the town faded away.

Postmasters

Varlera Riggan - August 18, 1896

Walter Hunter - May 1, 1900

Maggie Mizell - February 7, 1902

Levi Eiland - April 9, 1907

Lee Eiland - November 28, 1908

Fort Taylor

Fort Taylor was a stagecoach stop in the 1850s and 1860s, originally established as a fort for protection against Indians. Located on what is now Highway 581 near Camper's Holiday, it was a few miles north of the famed Bradley Massacre which occurred in 1856. The stage line would continue to Pierceville (now Brooksville), then to Augusta. It is here famed pro football player Jerome Brown from Brooksville is buried.

Fort Taylor African/American school (c. 1885) was in the Southern part of the county. It was a stop for stagecoach lines during the 1850s through the 1870s. The working class village worked in Citrus and turpentine.

Kaylon or Kalon

Not a fabric, but an actual town, it is spelled two different ways on early maps. Postal service was established August 20, 1902, and discontinued May 11, 1906 with services forwarded to Terrell. Kaylon was reestablished on June 30, 1911, and discontinued a final time on January 30, 1915. Service was forwarded to the Lacoochee post office. Just another whistle stop with a train depot like Croom and Istachatta. Similar to towns like Oriole, Bay City and Richloam nearby that relied heavily on timber.

Postmasters

Sidney Kemp - August 20, 1902

Robert Emmitt - February 18 1904

Henry Tilton - April 14, 1904

Gena Wells - September 29, 1904

Claudia Fernandez - June 30, 1911

Sarah Cromatie - April 12, 1912

Luke Johnson - August 26, 1913

James Porterfield - January 15, 1915

Keninworth

A forgotten town, Keninworth was only around for a year or two. The post office was established on May 11, 1895, but discontinued on March 16, 1896, with services forwarded to Istachatta. Located about 3 1/2 miles southwest of Istachatta and 6 1/2 miles northeast of Brooksville, this area should be around where Daly Road is today, south of 476.

Postmaster

Harry Mayfiield - May 11, 1895

Natal

The Natal post office was established on July 18, 1917, and discontinued August 15, 1922, with services forwarded to Brooksville. It was located just north of Weeki Wachee about 12 miles west of Brooksville. Another timber hamlet that bit the sawdust.

Postmasters

Fred Pope - July 18, 1917

Joseph Halderman - March 4, 1919

Walter Miller - January 7, 1921 - August 15, 1922

A scary crowd! A 1911 Brooksville Halloween party shows a variety of bizarre costumes. This photo was taken at the old Hernando High School which was just south of town.

Nobleton

Nobleton is a ghost of what it should have been. Located about 12 miles NE of Brooksville, it was started by Harry Nobles in 1925 with an aggressive advertising campaign featuring large ads in the Tampa Tribune and other cities. A new home and lot was only $780, with larger homes selling for $2,000 to $3,000. Within one year, Nobles constructed 90 homes, graded a number of streets and installed a water system. In a short time, there was a grocery store, hardware store and lumber yard in operation. The homes, however, were built before the inhabitants were brought in. By early 1926, Nobles was erecting 15 homes a month and expected 120 families to move in. Although the local real estate market was brisk during 1926, events in South Florida signaled the beginning of the end. Shady real estate promotions ruined the dreams of many investors, thus potential buyers began withdrawing their money, creating a statewide depression. By 1927, it was all over. Florida proved to be a harbinger of doom to come for America in 1929 when the bottom fell out for the entire nation. Nobleton would limp along and survive the hard times of the 30s and 40s and still exists today. But what if their original dreams had come true? Was it the wrong place or the wrong time? Or both.

Postmasters

Edward Berg - July 8, 1925

John Jeffrey - Feruary 8, 1926

Sadie Nobles - March 7, 1927

Clifford Brooks - September 15, 1929

John Wright - April 23, 1934

Irene Deuberry - December 29, 1936

Kate Turnley - September 28, 1940

Retta Petteys - February 13, 1946

Dorothy Fairchild - December 15, 1947

Leatha Lamkin - March 21, 1951

Grace Hemstreet - March 10, 1952

Ringgold

Sounding like a legendary movie town from the wild west, Ringgold was a short-lived timber town north of Brooksville, just south of the Citrus County line and about a couple of miles west of what is now US 41. In operation from 1909 to 1914, its postal services were forwarded to Brooksville.

Postmaster

Edward Marble - May 19, 1909 - August 31, 1914

Riverland/Richloam

Riverland was another bustling timber town on the southeastern tip of Hernando County where a post office began on February 8, 1890. On July 13, 1922, the post office was moved slightly southwest to the more prominent Richloam, thanks to the efforts of Sid Brinson. The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad also moved their depot from Riverland to Richloam, which featured the Richloam General Store, a turpentine still, a rock crusher, sawmill, prison camp and the Schoeder Clubhouse. The schoolhouse remained in Riverland. In Eric Burkes' book, he says "Richloam was a bustling community ... with several businesses in the community." The depot remained until the 1960s. Burke's book offers more about Richloam history and is available at The Richloam General Store, the last remaining structure where you can step into the past.

Postmasters

Sidney Kemp - February 8, 1890 (Riverland)

John Gay - July 10, 1900

Moses Slaughter - October 24, 1901

James Gay - May 24, 1904

Viola Gay - September 20, 1909

Lizzie Slaughter - October 8, 1912

Henry Debbink - December 16, 1916

Lucius Brinson - March 7, 1918

Lucius Brinson - June 28, 1922 (Richloam)

Rural

Just west of Garden Grove, south of Powell Road, about six miles southeast of Brooksville. The post office was established January 5, 1885 and discontinued November 15, 1915 with services referred to the Enville post office.

Postmasters

Walter Dean - January 5, 1885

Henry Carter - February 2, 1886

Abner Alexander - July 9, 1890

William Hayes - October 21, 1911

Scrub

A short-lived town, nine miles northeast of Brooksville, two miles southwest of Istachatta. The post office was opened November 13, 1883 and discontinued December 11, 1884.

Postmaster

Chandler De La Mater - November 13, 1883

1911 map of Hernando County features many of the villages that were covered in this issue: Ringgold, Rural, Kalon (Kaylon), Riverland, Rural, Bay City and Bayport

The new Masaryk Hotel opens in 1925.

Masaryktown opened in 1925, but a devastating freeze in 1926 wiped out all its citrus. Its new settlers either moved away or re-invented themselves with egg production, soon becoming the egg capitol of Florida. Thanks to the resourcefulness of its citizens, Marsaryktown avoided becoming a ghost town and lives on today.

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The Hernando Historical Museum (May/Stringer House) Visit at https://www.hernandohistoricalmuseumassoc.com/

The Legend of the Baby Ghost at The Heritage Museum

To this day, the legend of the baby ghost at the Heritage Museum, Jessie Mae, lives on. Back in 1983, Bob Griffith, president of the Museum recalled "We were sanding floors at the museum and it was rainy and cool. We turned off the sander, then heard the baby cry three times, each time more shrill...mama...Mama...MAAHH MAAHH! Then we looked at each other and ran outside. The houses behind the museum were older residents with no children. We knew it was Jessie Mae." Three years later, Griffith was on the front porch putting up a Christmas tree and heard the "Mama" cry once again followed by a loud door slam.

Jessie Mae was the daughter of Frank Saxon and his first wife, Marina May Saxon. The family occupied the home from 1866 until 1875. An infant son of Frank and Marina, Frankland, died in 1867. Jessie Mae died in 1872 at the age of two or three. Her mother, Marina, died giving birth to Jessie in 1869. Frank remarried around 1875 to Talula Hope and the couple moved shortly after to the big house now known as Saxon Manor.

Franklin (Frank) Elmore Saxon

Frank Saxon and Talula Hope Saxon and family

Front Center - Wadsworth

Center (l to r) Frank Saxon, Eston, Lula Saxon

Back row (l to r) Terry, Jessie, Elmore and Randolph

Not pictured Rhodes (died 1895)

Bobby Hall was doing electrical work in the attic at the museum around 1988 when he heard the Mama cry from the baby. Hall said "I'm not afraid of ghosts but I never worked there again." Pauline Couch was a tour guide for the museum in the 1990s and had several encounters with Jessie Mae. "One evening before we closed, we picked up everything before we left. The next morning, there were two baby shoes and an open children's book on two chairs. We knew it was Jessie Mae again. A few times we heard furniture moving and we yell 'Jessie Mae, stop it' and she does."

Jessie Mae Saxon's legend lives on. Now over 150 years after her death, the baby ghost still lurks somewhere in the attic.