CHICORA

NAME: Chicora
COUNTY: Polk
ROADS: 2WD
GRID: 3
CLIMATE: Hot in Summer
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Spring 		COMMENTS: Hwy 37 out of Mulberry to Bethlehem Road. Turn East and travel until there are two sharp turns in the road. This was Chicora. Small resident population. Few residents of former town. The Chicora graveyard is in the front yard of the Albritton home at the first turn in the road.
REMAINS: Chicora Graveyard, Bethlehem Church Graveyard. All other remains have been demolished.
Chicora was established in 1885 by A. Hendry. Other pioneers were the Albrittons, Taylors, Aldermans, and the Altmans. There once was the Chicora School, a post office, General Store, and a Blacksmith Shop near the second sharp turn in the road. The Bethlehem Church, which now resides in Hillsborough County was also a part of this sprawling town of cattlemen and farmers. When the railroad past up the town four miles to the east the store and post office were moved to the railroad. The new site was called New Chicora and the original became Old Chicora. A phosphate company began a mine at the New Chicora site and changed the name to Brewster (another ghost town). Two famous men grew up in Chicora, according to local historian Ray Albritton. One was Dr. Vincent Atanasoff who was the inventor of the modern computer. He attended the Chicora School as a child. The other was Dr. Paul J. Sheffield who is now a retired Air Force Colonel. He was the U.S. Air force Surgeon General's chief of Air force Aerospace Physiology. He was scientist of the year in 1978 and Air Force Physiologist of the year in 1991. Not bad for a small disappeared town. Submitted by: Mike Woodfin


Chicora Cemetery
Courtesy Mike Woodfin


Chicora School
Courtesy Mike Woodfin


Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church Graveyard - Matthew Allbritton was the first burial in the cemetery.  Note the two "L's" in Albritton
Courtesy Erik Ransom and Dara Vance


A lone marker at the edge of the Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery. 
Courtesy Erik Ransom and Dara Vance


This is a photo of bones found at the edge of the cemetery near the lone marker.  Assumedly they are animal bones as there were 3 small femurs and an elongated jaw bone.  Very creepy.
Courtesy Erik Ransom and Dara Vance


Grave marker circa 1895.  While the cemetery is very well kept some decay is evident as seen in the background. Very quiet and remote.
Courtesy Erik Ransom and Dara Vance

 

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