Old Bellamy Road, Part 2: Columbia County

Last month I explored the Alachua County legs of the Old Bellamy Road. I wrote about that experience, as well as a little about the history of the road itself in Old Bellamy Road: Part 1. If you're interested in seeing pictures of the Alachua County segments of the road and/or if you'd like to learn a little about the history of this road, please check out Part 1.

This past weekend, I decided to drive the Columbia County legs of the Old Bellamy Road. The westernmost segment of the Alachua County part of the Old Bellamy Road dead-ends into the O'Leno and River Rise State Park land, and the road picks up again in Columbia County on the western side of the park. There is a small parking lot where the Old Bellamy Road enters the park on its western edge, and the part of the road which traverses the parkland is open to hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders. I have yet to hike the stretch of Old Bellamy Road which crosses O'Leno, but I definitely plan to do that in the future. I did, however, park in the small lot and take some photos.

At the easternmost part of Old Bellamy Road before it enters O'Leno, looking west.

Where the road dead-ends into the park
The road through the park, open to hikers, cyclists, and those on horseback.

From there I headed west as far as the remaining road would take me. While it is a dirt road for its entire length in Columbia County, Columbia's Old Bellamy Road is much more traveled than its Alachua counterparts. Additionally, while the road itself is quite scenic - mostly overhung with gorgeous old oaks - it was rather lacking in desolation or glimpses of Old Florida. The road is home to many of Columbia County's modern day residents, most of whom reside in modern houses, mainly in ranch-style houses and mobile homes.

Not all desolation is 'old'...
...although in this case, old desolation lurked behind its modern compatriot.
A closer view
Another shell of an older home, hidden by the trees

The sign on the tree reads, "Take pride in your neighborhood and yourself. Please don't trash our road."

The Columbia County stretch of Old Bellamy Road dead-ends roughly five miles west of O'leno, just after crossing SW Old Niblack Ave. (Lake City folks: did you know there was an Old Niblack Ave in the southern part of the county? I always associated that name with the school north of town where I attended sixth grade. I'm curious now about the connection between the school and the road of the same name between Fort White and High Springs. Perhaps the family of Minnie J. Niblack, for whom the school was named, lived down there? Does anyone know?) As far as I am aware, there are no other segments of road in Columbia County bearing the name of Old Bellamy or Bellamy. However, from what I can tell, the original road and Old Wire Road followed much of the same path into Lake City. Additionally, the route that Hwy 90 takes from Lake City westward to Live Oak then northwest to what is now the Suwannee River State Park, and onward toward Tallahassee, seems to follow much of the track originally set out in the 1820s as the Bellamy Road.

Old Bellamy Road, Part 1: Alachua County

Rivers are great and all for boating, swimming, and fishing; however, they pose an obstacle for anyone lacking either wings or a bridge. Long before European settlers came to the ‘new world,’ the native peoples of what is now Florida had to find ways to traverse the state’s many rivers. One river, however, provided an easy path. The Santa Fe River, which runs for approximately 75 miles across north Florida before merging with the larger Suwannee River, goes completely underground only to emerge from the earth three miles to the south. This, in effect, provided the native peoples of the state a natural bridge across an otherwise difficult to traverse waterway, and the route connecting what is now Alachua and Columbia counties became a well-trod track. After the Spanish settled the territory, they too took advantage of this natural bridge, creating a roadway of sorts linking the Spanish city of St. Augustine to what is now Pensacola. This ‘road’ crossed the natural bridge over the Santa Fe, and for a time a Spanish mission, Santa Fé de Toloca, was located there (and from whence the river received its modern name).

In the 1820s, Florida became a US territory, and the new American leadership began focusing on development of the Floridian economy and infrastructure. In 1824, Congress approved funding for the first federal highway in Florida: a road to be built from St. Augustine to Pensacola, following the route of the old Spanish road. A plantation owner named John Bellamy was contracted to build the St. Augustine to Tallahassee portion, and from him that portion of the road received its name: Bellamy Road. Like its predecessor, the Bellamy Road crossed the natural bridge over the Santa Fe River. You can read a really interesting article about the construction of the road here.

As time passed, other routes across north Florida became more popular and the Bellamy Road fell into disuse; however, stretches of the road – some paved, some dirt – still remain, scattered throughout the northeastern part of the state. Below are some images from the sections of the road in Alachua County. 

The sign reads as follows:
1824 - The Bellamy Road - 1952 The construction of this road was authorized by the 18th Congress and approved February 28, 1824. The section from Tallahassee to St. Augustine was built by John Bellamy and followed the old Spanish road. Gainesville Chapter, Daughters of American Revolution



All that remains of the St. Mary's Church, an African-American church once located at the intersections of Old Providence Road and Old Bellamy Road.


 
  A note of caution for those interested in checking out the Old Bellamy Road, whether in Alachua or other counties: There were once numerous old structures along the roadway; however, both time and trespassers have taken their toll. The St. Mary's Church (fourth picture from the top) was one such example. I stopped to photograph what was left of it (from the road), and the property owner was there in less than a minute. He was a very nice man, and we had a lovely chat. He told me that when he bought the property, the church was standing, but that over the years he caught numerous people trespassing, many of whom were taking souvenirs. He blamed such souvenir-taking on the building's eventual collapse. I photographed the final two buildings above from the roadway as well, as the properties are clearly marked as private, no trespassing. Despite not leaving the road, their owner was out to see what I was up to quite quickly as well, and seemed to be dealing with the same problem. As corny as it sounds, the quote which I've seen at numerous state and national parks, 'take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints' seems achingly appropriate here. Enjoy looking at these structures, whether here online or in real life, but be respectful of the properties and their owners.

The Stump Knocker: Bellamy's Road

Far Enough Photo: Old Bellamy Road 

Bellamy Road [wikipedia]

Traxler, Florida

Back in August, JOM of Gravel Cyclist mentioned to me that he'd ridden past the sign for Traxler many times, but that he'd never actually explored Traxler itself.

My response was, "What's Traxler?"

Well, as it turns out, not all that much.

Traxler was a small community founded by William H. Traxler in the late 1800s in northern Alachua county along the Bellamy Road. It was a cotton farming community, and life there revolved around the Traxler farm. In addition to the farm buildings and homes, there was also a general store, a US post office (which operated from 1891 to 1906), and a church. These days, there's little there other than the church and a few homes, mostly of modern vintage. The construction of I-75 may have obliterated outlying parts of the former community, but at this point in time, it's hard to tell.

Note Traxler's location along the Old Bellamy Road
(and, less fortunately, its current proximity to I-75)
The turn-off for Traxler from 253A; this section of road was once part of the Bellamy Road.
Old Bellamy Road leading into Traxler
Spring Hill United Methodist Church

The inscription reads: "TRAXLER, FLA This community was named Traxler in the late 1800s when William H. Traxler and Mary Dell Traxler operated a large trading center and US Post Office here. This memorial given in memory of their daughter, EVA TRAXLER"

Many Traxlers reside in the cemetery of the Spring Hill United Methodist Church
There really wasn't much to see in Traxler aside from the church. There were a handful of modern houses, and one older home, quite likely dating from the founding of the community. I didn't photograph it, as there were people out in its yard and that would have been a tad awkward. Ghosttowns.com does, however, have a picture of the house, which they've labeled as the Traxler plantation home. They've also got a shot of the old Traxler General Store, which I was unable to locate.

From CR 236 up by the interstate, one can peer over a locked gate at this, which looks to me to be more of the Old Bellamy Road, headed straight from CR236 just east of the interstate towards Traxler. Or it could be an old driveway headed towards the Traxler farm.
There's very little online about Traxler, but what little I could locate is here: Wikipedia: Traxler, FL GhostTowns.com: Traxler, FL Waymarking.com: Traxler, FL
There are a plethora of resources out there on the Old Bellamy Road, but here are a few: Wikipedia: Bellamy Road ExploreSouthernHistory.com: Old Bellamy Road FarEnoughPhoto: Old Bellamy Road