You’ll find Garfield’s remains northeast of Enterprise, Florida, where former slaves established this pioneering Black settlement in 1881. Named after President James A. Garfield, the town thrived with a post office, stores, church, and cemetery while building wealth through citrus farming and turpentine production. The devastating freeze of 1894-95 destroyed crops and triggered the community’s decline, though its cemetery still stands within today’s Deltona Lakes subdivision – a silent witness to this remarkable chapter of Florida history.
Key Takeaways
- Founded in 1881 by former slaves near Enterprise, Florida, Garfield became a ghost town after economic hardships and population decline.
- The town supported itself through citrus farming and turpentine production until the devastating freeze of 1894-95 destroyed crops.
- Essential infrastructure included a post office, two general stores, train depot, church, and cemetery before abandonment.
- The Great Depression dealt the final blow to Garfield’s economy, leading to complete abandonment of the settlement.
- Today, only the abandoned cemetery within Deltona Lakes subdivision remains as evidence of this former freedmen’s community.
The Rise of a Rural Settlement
When former slaves established Garfield in 1881, they laid the foundation for a distinct African American settlement northeast of Enterprise, Florida.
You’ll find their spirit of community resilience reflected in the thoughtful naming of their town after President James A. Garfield, signaling their post-Civil War aspirations for freedom.
Rather than clustering tightly, these pioneering settlers spread their homesteads across the rural landscape while building crucial community institutions.
Through cultural preservation, they maintained their unique identity separate from neighboring white communities like Enterprise.
They developed essential infrastructure including a post office, two general stores, a train depot, a church, and a cemetery.
The settlement’s strategic location near Lake Monroe and Enterprise’s riverboat hub connected them to the broader St. Johns River trade network.
Like residents of Mount Carmel Church in Ehren, many community members found employment in local sawmills and agriculture.
The community’s prosperity was ultimately challenged when devastating citrus freezes struck in the late 1800s.
Life and Commerce in Early Garfield
Daily life in Garfield revolved around its two general stores, which served as commercial hubs where residents could purchase supplies and exchange news.
General stores anchored Garfield’s community life, where everyday essentials and local gossip flowed through their doors.
The community dynamics centered around a self-sustaining network of homesteads, where freed African Americans established their independence through agricultural practices, particularly citrus farming. Scattered throughout the area, old homestead remnants can still be found in the forest today.
You’d find these crucial community touchpoints in early Garfield:
- A post office that connected residents to the outside world
- A church that served as the spiritual and social heart of the community
- A railroad depot that linked local farmers to broader markets
The town’s layout reflected its residents’ desire for autonomy, with homesteads spaced apart rather than clustered together. Local farmers also engaged in turpentine production as a significant industry.
Riverboat commerce through nearby Enterprise supplemented the railroad connections, creating essential trade routes for the community’s agricultural products.
Relationship With Neighboring Mannfield
Located just miles apart in late 19th century Citrus County, Garfield and Mannfield maintained a complex relationship shaped by political and economic forces.
When Mannfield became the temporary county seat in 1887, you’d have found its civic engagement impacting Garfield through shared administrative services and social connections.
The Mannfield rivalry with Inverness over the county seat affected both towns’ futures. You can trace Garfield’s decline to key events affecting its neighbor: Mannfield’s loss of county seat status in 1891 and being bypassed by the railroad in 1893.
The Austin Shuey Mann orange groves along Crystal River provided significant employment opportunities for residents of both communities.
The towns’ intertwined destinies played out through shared economic interests in citrus and cattle, while Mannfield’s commercial hub of stores, sawmills, and canal operations provided essential services to Garfield’s residents. Like the California gold rush that drew many eastward in 1849, both towns saw their populations shift as residents sought better opportunities elsewhere.
Natural Disasters and Economic Decline
The devastating freeze of 1894-95 struck a fatal blow to Garfield’s agricultural foundation, destroying the citrus crops that sustained this small Black community.
The disaster impact rippled through every aspect of town life, exposing Garfield’s economic vulnerability as a homestead-dependent settlement.
You’ll find that three key factors sealed Garfield’s fate:
- Loss of citrus trees decimated the farming-based economy, forcing many residents to abandon their properties.
- Without agricultural output, local businesses like general stores and the train depot lost their customer base.
- Limited transportation access isolated the community, making recovery nearly impossible.
The Great Depression delivered the final devastating blow to Garfield’s struggling economy, accelerating the town’s decline into abandonment as residents sought opportunities elsewhere.
Much like nearby Withlacoochee State Forest, the land was eventually acquired by the federal government in the late 1930s.
Legacy and Present-Day Remnants
Despite Garfield’s near-complete disappearance as a community, you’ll find its most tangible remnant in an abandoned cemetery nestled within today’s Deltona Lakes subdivision between Saxon Court and Panama Court.
This historical black settlement, founded in 1881 and named after President James A. Garfield, once boasted a post office, two general stores, a train depot, and a church.
The cemetery’s cultural significance faced preservation challenges when it was accidentally platted for residential development. Similar to Coleman Church Cemetery, the site serves as a poignant marker of a vanished frontier community.
Like the town of Mansfield which declined after the railroad bypassed it, Garfield faced similar transportation-related challenges to its survival.
While construction halted after grave discovery, this incident highlights the ongoing tension between historical preservation and modern development.
Today, you’ll discover Garfield’s legacy primarily through historical societies, blogs, and local histories, though the cemetery stands as the last physical evidence to this pioneering community’s role in post-Civil War Florida.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are There Any Known Photographs of Garfield During Its Active Period?
While you might find ghostly sightings more easily, there aren’t any known historic photographs from Garfield’s active period. The visual record’s as empty as a forgotten town’s Main Street.
What Happened to the Residents After They Abandoned Garfield?
You’ll find most residents scattered to nearby towns like Enterprise after the citrus freezes, seeking better opportunities. Their post-abandonment journeys led them to resettle individually, with many leaving during the Great Depression.
Were There Any Notable Crimes or Tragic Events in Garfield?
You won’t find records of mysterious disappearances or tragic accidents specifically tied to Garfield. While nearby areas faced political conflicts and courthouse disputes, no documented crimes or tragedies occurred within Garfield itself.
Did Any Famous People Ever Visit or Live in Garfield?
You won’t find any records of famous visitors or celebrity sightings in this freedmen’s settlement. All historical documents and oral histories indicate it remained a quiet farming community of former slaves.
What Native American Tribes Originally Inhabited the Garfield Area?
By 3000 B.C., you would’ve found early Native settlements near wetlands. The Seminole Tribe became the area’s primary inhabitants, emerging from Creek groups and establishing significant tribal history and cultural significance in Florida’s landscape.
References
- https://cccourthouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Ghost-towns-and-Cemeteries-of-Citrus-County.pdf
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIS8Ud3gzx4
- https://www.ghosttowns.com/states/fl/garfield.html
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioIo1K1CGVs
- http://www.gribblenation.org/2018/06/ghost-town-tuesday-mannfield-fl-and.html
- https://floridatrailblazer.com/category/ghost-towns/page/2/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov9YSsKtbDs
- https://www.instagram.com/p/DFwAp5mNlDs/?hl=en
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Reef
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josie_Mansfield
