Lost Towns of Charlotte County

Ghost towns of the old West still stand on the arid plains as a reminder of prosperity that briefly flourished. The same type of ephemeral villages of old Florida disappeared rapidly under the onslaught of semi-tropical climate and foliage.

However, traces of Charlotte County's "lost towns" persist in the memories of old timers, musty newspaper clippings and faded maps. Such places once were important because of some special feature noteworthy to folks at that time.

What became Charlotte County in 1921 originally was part of Manatee County, then DeSoto County in 1887. Most lost towns here sprang up and disappeared in the few years following arrival of the railroad in 1886 until a network of automobile roads were laid down during the Great Florida Land Boom of the 1920s.

Herewith a compendium of such localities discovered during the preparation of these histories. Lost towns are listed in italics.

Today's old towns are listed in regular type. A few old towns of Manatee County strongly identified with the Charlotte Harbor area, and sometimes mentioned, are included for convenience.

Towns in Charlotte County
ACLINE	Pronounced ak- line, a contraction for Atlantic Coast Line rail road. Had turpentine still, sawmill and citrus groves. Home of the Bloody Bucket speakeasy.
ALBION	Exact location unknown. Reference says, "Near Bermont," east of Punta Gorda. Probably a sawmill.
BAIRDVILLE	Dairy and truck farms. School.
BERMONT	A general store post office and school.
BOCA GRANDE DOCK	Loading facility built 1860 by McKay and Summerlin for cattle.
BOCA GRANDE TOWN	On Gasparilla Island. Platted 1887 by Albert Gilchrist.
BOGGESS	A Peace River cattle ford marked off by Francis Boggess about 1860.
BUCKINGHAM	Site unknown Reference says, "Ten miles out of town" (Punta Gorda).
BURNT STORE	Trading post 1845, east shore of harbor. Burned by Seminoles.
CALVINA	Location unknown. Reference says, "This county, Jacob Bond postmaster."
CAMP POINT	Exact site unknown. "Near Bermont."
CAMP WHIPPLE	Temporary fortification to watch Indians during Third Seminole War.
CAYO PELAU	"Spanish" fishing village on that island.
CHADWICK BEACH	Homes, dance pavilion and store. Named Punta Gorda Beach late 1920s. Now Englewood Beach.
CHARLOTTE	A station on the CH&N railroad. Now Murdock.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR	Oldest town settled 1862 near cattle dock and store. Church, and school 1873. Post office 1877.
CLEVELAND	Platted 1885 for a resort hotel and village.
DEL VERDE	A development and inn during the land boom.
EL JOBE-AN	Now El Jobean, post office and store. First platted as Southland.
ENGLEWOOD	Resort hotel and town platted 1893.
ENGLEWOOD BEACH	See Chadwick Beach.
EUCRE PEN	An overnight holding pen for cattle. Name corrupted to Yucca Pen for nearby creek.
EVALAND	A turpentine still and CH&N flag stop.
FORT OGDEN	Established 1850 to build canoes with which to pursue Seminoles, later a large town in DeSoto County.
FORT WINDER	A refuge for settlers during Second Seminole War.
GASPARILLA	Fishing village and general store.
GILCHRIST	Homes of section hands for ACL railroad.
GILCHRIST STATION	The junction ACL and Seaboard RR.
GLEN	Holmes turpentine still, post office.
GROVE CITY	Resort hotel and lemon grove development.
HARBOR VIEW	Sawmill and development of "orange clubs.
HERMAN	Farm village.
HENDRICKS	Farm village.
HICKMAN	Exact location unknown. Reference says, "Post office of this county has been discontinued."
HICKORY BLUFF	Original name of Charlotte Harbor Town.
HULL	Phosphate mining town 1890. Burned in 1902.
LA COSTA	Early fishing town. Quarantine station 1890.
LA VILLA	Subdivision near Solona during land boom.
LEE BRANCH	Atlantic Coast Line flag stop.
LIVERPOOL	A bustling town platted 1880 at tide limit of Peace River. Had post office hotel, newspaper, stage stop.
LOCK JOINT	Fishing camp
MARS	CH&N loading dock at Frizzell's turpentine still.
MC CALL	CH&N station, post office, school, homes.
MC WILLIAMS SPUR	Sea-board Air Line railroad dock for Samville sawmill.
MORGANTOWN	Farm village
MURDOCK	A development of 10-acre farms, post office, school 1911 at CH&N Charlotte station. Later, headquarters for Frizzell ranch, turpentine still, store and sawmill.
NEW POINT COMFORT	A winter colony platted 1918.
NOCATEE	Fla. Southern Railway station. Citrus farms.
PEACON COVE	Fishing camp named for proprietor.
PINEAPPLE CENTER	Packing house, ACL flag stop.
PINELAND	Early settle-ment, site of Bert Heacock turpentine still and sawmill.
PINE LEVEL	Seat of Manatee County 1868-87.
PLACIDA	A CH&N bunk house, then the relocated Gasparilla fishing village.
PLATT	Homes of phosphate workers.
ROGERS	Originally a sawmill named for proprietor. Later: Lester and Broadbent.
ROUX	Originally a large sawmill and crate operation. Now the Babcock Ranch.
SALINE	Homes of workers for the Seaboard Air Line rail road. Acronym for the name.
SAMVILLE	Large sawmill town. Renamed Woodrow, Slater.
SHARPIE TOWN	A group of fishermen's homes on outskirts of Punta Gorda. Named for the type of sailing ships that tied up weekends, foot of Cooper St.
SHELL CREEK	Farm homes.
SOLANA	Winter homes and pineapple farms. Platted 1889.
SOUTH BOCA GRANDE	Port for phosphate ships, CH&N terminal. Now in Boca Grande.
SOUTHLAND	Platted 1887. Still for Weeks & Gurganious turpentine camp. Replatted 1923 as El Jobe-an.
SPANISH TOWN	Exact site unknown. Perhaps a group of homes for Cuban cigar workers east side Punta Gorda.
SPARKMAN	A town of homesteaders settled in 1920s. Had post office, store, school and church. Named for senator.
TAMIAMA CITY	Town on the Tamiami Trail in Lee Co.
TATER HILL	Sweet potato farm on which Arcadia platted when DeSoto County erected 1887
TRABUE	Original name of Punta Gorda when platted 1885. Terminal of Florida Southern Railway 1886. Large resort hotel. Town incorporated 1887. Elected Charlotte Co. seat 1921
TUCKER'S CORNER	Intersection Tucker's Grade and S.R. 31. Stage coach route to Fort Myers before bridges.
TUCKER'S WOODS	Flag stop on Seaboard Air Line.
VINELAND	Homestead of William Goff. School, post office and sawmill 1889.
WILLOW PEN	Exact site unknown. A cattle holding pen and farms in "township south of Punta Gorda." Perhaps original name of Eucre Pen. See above.
WOODMERE	A huge sawmill town now in Sarasota County.
Author: Lindsey Williams Home

Home