Can anyone confirm the existence of a depot in the town of Micanopy FL? I believe both ACL and Seaboard passed nearby if not directly through the town. I think the ACL came in by way a spur off the Jacksonville-St. Pete mainline at a point called Micanopy Jct. Thanks for your help!

-- Bob Venditti (bobvend@bellsouth.net), September 30, 2001

Answers

Bob, the Florida Photo Archives (fpc.dos.state.fl.us) has 90 hits for "Micanopy". Photo #26 is Engine 469 with an ACL ventilated boxcar in the background. Photo #37 is ACL eng. 601 at the depot. Photo 38 is Eng. 1310 and photo 39 is Eng. 8??. Photo #45 is the "Florida Southern Railway Depot".

-- Carey Stevens (ca.stevens@worldnet.att.net), October 01, 2001.

The former SAL depot is still standing in Micanopy on the original site. The building is located in a residential district west of the historic area. It's a wooden building and you can't miss the typical railroad depot appearance. On a 1917 sectional map of Florida the line is shown as Tampa Northern which was later acquired by the Seaboard.

-- Scott Young (syoung01@sprynet.com), October 01, 2001.

There were three depots. In 1935 the ACL lists Micanopy Junction(no agent) and Micanopy, and the Jacksonville Gainesville & Gulf(SAL) also lists a station. The outer end of the ACL branch, Micanopy-Tacoma was abandoned in 1941 and Junction-Micanopy was abandoned in 1949. In the 1920's, the ACL shows passenger trains stopping at Micanopy Jct. which suggests that there was a station building and agent there at that time.

-- Tom Underwood (tlunder@attglobal.net), September 30, 2001.