Ellaville, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ellaville
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County | Suwannee County |
| Founded by | George Franklin Drew |
| Named for | One of George Franklin Drew's slaves Ella. |
| GNIS feature ID | 294754 |
Ellaville, Florida is a ghost town located in Suwannee County, Florida, United States. A ghost town is a place that used to be a busy community but is now mostly empty. Ellaville is found within the Suwannee River State Park. It was built where the Suwannee River and Withlacoochee River meet.
The Story of Ellaville
Ellaville was started in 1861 by George Franklin Drew. He was a very successful businessman. Later, he even became the governor of Florida. Drew decided to build a large house, called a mansion, on the west side of the Suwannee River. The town was named Ellaville to honor a person named Ella who was important to him.
A Booming Town
George Franklin Drew and Louis Bucki built a big mill in Ellaville. A mill is a factory that cuts wood. This mill was one of the largest in Florida at the time. It gave jobs to over 500 people.
The Florida Railroad built a train line right to the town. This made it easy to move goods from the mill. Soon, Ellaville became a very busy and growing place. In the early 1870s, the town was at its best. It had a train station, two schools, and two churches. There was also a place for steamboats to dock. The town even had a special meeting place called a masonic lodge. It also had a store called a commissary and, of course, the large sawmill.
Ellaville was important for more than just cutting wood. It also produced turpentine, built parts for railroad cars, and was a center for logging. At its busiest time, about 1,000 people lived in Ellaville.
Decline of the Town
In 1876, George Franklin Drew, who founded the town, became the governor of Florida. After this, Ellaville slowly started to shrink. A big fire destroyed the mill in 1898. It was rebuilt quickly, but there were not many pine trees left to cut down.
Later, both the Suwannee and Withlacoochee rivers flooded the area. Then, the Great Depression hit the country. This was a time when many people lost their jobs and money. These problems showed that Ellaville did not have a strong future. The town's post office closed in 1942.
The Drew Mansion, George Franklin Drew's big house, was left empty. People broke into it and damaged it for many years. In the 1970s, the mansion burned down completely. The Florida Archives have old photos of the mansion from before and after it was abandoned.
The Hillman Bridge
The Hillman Bridge was built in 1925. It was part of a Federal Aid Project. This bridge crossed the river near Ellaville. In 1986, the Hillman Bridge was no longer used. A new bridge was built to take its place.
