HOLOPAW
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HOLOPAW |
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NAME: Holopaw COUNTY: Osceola ROADS: 2WD GRID: 3 CLIMATE: hot in summer, moderate to cold in winter BEST TIME TO VISIT: anytime |
COMMENTS:
Townsite is at the intersection of US192/SR500 and US441/SR15 in Osceola County. Exists now only as a gas station and a few stores along the road. Scattered rural residents not connected to the original town. REMAINS: In October 2010. Located a trailer and two houses built in 1926 during the town's original settlement period. Jim Pike |
| Holopaw, a Creek Indian word meaning "Walkway" or "Pavement", was a stop along the Kissimmee Valley extension of the FEC railroad. JM Griffin began a sawmill operation here in 1923, building streets and houses for his employees. Holopaw was basically a company owned town, with most employees renting their homes from the boss and frequenting the factory owned general store. The JM Griffin Lumber Company became the largest operation in the St Cloud area, employing over 500 people. It also featured one of the first all-electric sawmills in the country. The mill lasted until 1931, closing during the Great Depression. A new mill owned by the Peavy-Wilson Lumber Co. opened in 1935, employing more than a thousand timber, turpentine, and sawmill workers. At the town's peak it had more than 2000 people. When the railroad line was discontinued, the mill closed, bringing an end to the town. Most residents left to seek employment elsewhere, and the postal service was discontinued in 1954. Submitted by: Jim Pike |
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