Instructions
1....Print this file.
2....At its end, click on "rules" to see a copy of the trail rules, and print it, and then click where indicated at the end of the 3-page rules and patch order form to get back to the list of Florida trails.
3....If you want a hand-drawn map showing the locations of all of the sites, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Steve Rajtar, 1614 Bimini Dr., Orlando, FL 32806.
4....Hike the trail and order whatever patches you like (optional).
WARNING - This trail may pass through one or more neighborhoods which, although full of history, may now be unsafe for individuals on foot, or which may make you feel unsafe there. Hikers have been approached by individuals who have asked for handouts or who have inquired (not always in a friendly manner) why the hikers are in their neighborhood. Drugs and other inappropriate items have been found by hikers in some neighborhoods. It is suggested that you drive the hike routes first to see if you will feel comfortable walking them and, if you don't think it's a good place for you walk, you might want to consider (1) traveling with a large group, (2) doing the route on bicycles, or (3) choosing another hike route. The degree of comfort will vary with the individual and with the time and season of the hike, so you need to make the determination using your best judgment. If you hike the trail, you accept all risks involved.
Construction of Barberville Central High School began in the fall of 1918, and classes began in it during September of 1919. Jake Minshew and his brother-in-law, Samuel E. Lemmon, donated the land on which it sat.
It was converted to an elementary school, and then phased out altogether as a school in 1969. The school board approved its restoration in 1976 for use as the Pioneer Art Settlement, a living folk museum.
In about 1985, the naval stores commissary building used in Bakersburg was moved here to become a part of the museum.
Joseph Underhill came to Volusia County as a soldier during the Third Seminole War in 1857-58, and settled here afterward. He purchased the land here from William Turner and in about 1879 built one of the first brick homes in the county, made from bricks manufactured at Deep Creek. Later owners included Samuel E. Lemmon and his daughter, Odetta Lemmon Coleman. Their home was located across the road from what is now the Pioneer Art Settlement.
In 1855, Andrew J. "Grandpa" Baker and his wife, Martha Jane Baker, moved here with their eight sons from South Carolina. He set out the area's first orange grove, having slaves do the land clearing. The 119 acres were later sold to William Turner, who had moved to Volusia County in 1858 with his wife, Mary Ann Ivey. When Turner moved to Putnam County in about 1867, it was sold to Joseph Underhill. It was later acquired by S.E. Lemmon.
What is now County Route 3 was the route of the old Black Bear Trail, which ran from Canada to Florida. It was generally followed by the Dixie Highway.
The land on which the depot sat was acquired from James D. "Jim" Barber. He and Joseph Underhill donated the land for the right-of-way of the Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West Railroad, approved by the county commissioners in August of 1885. Barber served as the depot agent for that railroad, and later for the Plant and Atlantic Coast Line railways.
Near here was located the grocery store of Samuel Edward Lemmon of Shiloh, South Carolina, who moved to Barberville in 1884. He and wife Eliza Minshew lived in a house built on a portion of William Minshew's land on today's Warrensford Rd. Lemmon was involved in having the county's high school be located in Barberville.
Clyde and Gertrude Scott Lemmon lived next door to the store. He was the postmaster and a member of the school board. She was the principal of Volusia High School.
By 1886, the one-story Owen Brown and Brothers General Merchandise store was in business here. In 1902, it was sold to William R. Underhill, who lived in a large two-story home next door to the southeast. During the 1920s, a truck delivered groceries sold here to customers. Underhill ran the store until 1946, and then sold it to his son, Marion, who continued to operate it until it burned in 1954.
It was replaced with a concrete block structure known as the Underhill Store until 1971. It was then operated as a Handy Way Store until 1985, and was then vacated.
Barberville was named for James D. Barber in 1882. He served as its first postmaster for the post office opened that year in Barber and Morrison's General Merchandise store, owned by Barber and D.F. Morrison. In 1884, Barber bought out Morrison's interest and the name was changed to J.D. Barber's General Merchandise. By 1886, he sold it to H.P. Bryan.
The Volusia Lodge obtained a charter in 1876 and was located at Volusia Landing on the St. Johns River. It moved to Barberville in 1884, to land purchased from Joseph Underhill. It was formerly located on the south side of SR 40.
In 1869, Duncan J. McBride dammed Deep Creek to form a mill pond. He constructed a grist mill, cotton gin and sawmill and thus established the area's first industry. When cotton ran out, he shut down the gin. When steam-powered sawmills became popular, his was closed down. For a time, there was also a blacksmith shop here.
The land for the first church and cemetery in Volusia County was donated in 1872 by Duncan Joseph McBride, who moved to Florida in 1861 from Robeson County, North Carolina. He made hats for the Confederate army during the war. He built the first church building by himself. His second homestead was located on Church St., later owned by his great-grandson, Howard Stewart McBride, Sr. and his wife, Jesse.
The name Midway became the name of the community. It came from the fact that the church was built halfway along the Methodist circuit running from Jacksonville to Tampa.
The original church building was replaced by another on the same site in about 1890. Its first pastor was Rev. J.A. Hendry. The church closed in 1964, with the congregation moving to DeLeon Springs, Pierson, and other churches.
The cemetery contains the graves of many pioneers of early Barberville, including Barbers, McBrides, Morrisons, Bellamys, Reeves, Cades, Richardsons, Buckles, Hulls and Ropes.
David F. "Dave" Morrison moved here prior to 1882, and with Jim Barber opened the community's first store. He and his wife, Mary Aurilla McBride, lived in a one-story house located here. It was later sold to William Smith, and burned in the early 1920s. Their second home was located near the Baptist Church and the W.A. Cone School.
Morrison established by 1898 the town's first turpentine still three miles to the east, operated by D.F. Morrison and Company. That still was sold in January of 1900 to John H. Tatum of Polk County.
This church was formed in 1869 by residents of Barberville who had been members of the Spring Grove Baptist Church near Emporia. Services had begun in the homes of the Minshews, Lemmons, Harpers and Underhills. By 1892, membership had dwindled to only 13 members, but in 1896 it had grown to 49.
During that year, Joe Underhill donated this land for construction of a sanctuary, with a Sunday school classroom added later. Its first pastor was Rev. Dennis Glisson, a veteran of the Civil War.
The cemetery is named after the James H. Purdom family, members of which are bured there. James, born in 1835, was a soldier in the Civil War and died in Geneva in 1916. Elizabeth, buried next to him, was either his sister or his wife. In the early 1860s, the Purdoms lived on the north side of Lake Erie, about 1/4 mile north of SR 40 and 3 miles west of US 17.
The grave of James Sauls is marked with emblems from both the Indian Wars and the Civil War. He was the son of Samuel and Mary Davis Sauls, who moved to Florida in the 1820s. James married Martha Minshew on March 15, 1858, and they established a homestead on SR 40. Their land was relatively high and free from mosquitos. Their second child was born while James served in the Confederate army on the Carolina-Virginia border, so they named her Carolina Virginia.
On this corner was the store of Lewis H. Eldridge, in which the first post office was established in May of 1881. It had living quarters upstairs.
Canadian William T. Wasson moved here in 1882 from Birmingham, Alabama, and bought L.H. Eldridge's first house, plus his second one on Main St., and the store located here. By 1884, Wasson was the postmaster. William H. and Mary D. Halsey ran a cash store from the post office, selling groceries, crockery, provisions, tinware, shoes and boots.
After Mr. Wasson died, his widow married Charles Morgan of Birmingham in 1897. For a time, she leased the store to the Turners. She sold the Main St. home to the Drudy family, and converted an old store located near here into the family winter residence. It burned down in 1917 when Mr. Morgan knocked over a kerosene lamp while having a heart attack.
The Eldridge family moved to their third house in this area, located southeast of the Lake Hester Hotel in about 1884-85. Later owners included Mary J. Bernard, then William Howard. It burned down in about 1939.
In 1882, Martin M. and Mary Miner moved here from Emporia and opened a small jewelry shop here.
Lewis H. Eldridge built a hotel here in about 1886 with 18 rooms for tourists and a small nearby orange grove. It was sold to Amelia Baker in December of 1887. She had several cottages built, one across the street toward the lake and others to the east of the hotel. She sold the property to the Turners on January 8, 1914, and in about 1935 the hotel was torn down by Frank Turner and the lumber was taken to Lungren.
This was the home of Martin M. and Mary Miner, who owned a store a little to the north and also owned property adjacent to Oakdale Cemetery.
John Leonard Beers of Pennsylvania bought 150 acres in Emporia and set out citrus groves. His son, John J. Beers, bought out his brothers' interests in the property in 1898-99. With new bride Cordelia Maurer, in 1900 they built this large two-story house. The upstairs sleeping porch has since been removed. It was one of the earliest in the area with indoor plumbing.
Beers owned the John J. Beers Packing House, which became the home of the Emporia Citrus Growers Association. It was later owned by T.A. Taylor, and also by Charles Smith and then by Daniel Hansen. It no longer exists.
After Fred Hodgson bought this house, the post office was installed in it. Later owners include Marge and Thomas Murphy, Jr.
This structure was originally built in 1883 as the Emporia Presbyterian Church. After it ceased being a Presbyterian church, it was the Union Church starting before 1900. In 1930, it began housing the congregation of the Emporia Baptist Church, which began that year with 32 members.
This road is named after William Blackburn, who built a home north of the Emporia Baptist Church in about 1927. He and his wife were charter members of the church and he served as a school trustee.
In the late 1870s, Joshua Pitt Felt came here from Emporium, Pennsylvania, and built a large two-story house with porches on the east, south and west sides. Above the kitchen were the servants' quarters. The upper story was removed and the lower one was remodeled and reroofed in 1957. Felt is the individual who selected Emporia as the name of the town.
In 1883-84, a two-story wood frame school was built here with a bell tower and entry through the front porch. It was called Emporia School, No. 32, and in 1915 was renamed as No. 27. Early teachers boarded with local families during the school year until the mid-1880s, when Mary James built a house here to live in while she served as teacher and principal. The building was torn down in 1927 and the lumber was used in constructing a house in Bishopville.
To replace it, this stucco building was erected on the property, and additional land was acquired. It had modern outdoor bathrooms with flush toilets. The building ceased being used as a school during the 1950s, and local students were transferred to schools in Pierson or Barberville. The former school building became the home of Richard Peterson.
After the school at the Burgstiner place, established in 1871, burned down, a new school was started in a small frame house at this location. Later, it was replaced by a larger house on the same site. Both were, at first, called Midway School.
The private school became public in 1878 and was renamed the W.A. Cone School after one of its trustees. It was also known as School Number 4. By September of 1886, it was known as Barberville School Number 2.
Before settlement of the area by whites, there was an Indian trail which crossed the St. Johns River at Volusia, ran through Barberville, crossed the Tomoka River, and ended at what is now Ormond Beach. After the Spanish arrived, it was known as the Spanish Trail.
Today's SR 40 generally follows the route of the Spanish Trail, but the old trail was usually over the higher and drier land. More specifically, the trail in 1839 came from the river, jogged northeast to the Stone Rd. area, ran southeast to cross SR 40 just west of Clinic-in-the-Country, and then ran generally east toward today's SR 11.
The Pioneer Churches of Florida, by The Daughters of the American Revolution (The Mickler House 1976)
Volusia: The West Side, by Arthur E. Francke, Jr., Alyce Hockaday Gillingham, and Maxine Carey Turner (West Volusia Historical Society 1986)
Click here for a copy of the trail rules.