ILLAHAW
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ILLAHAW |
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NAME: Illahaw COUNTY: Osceola ROADS: 2WD GRID: 3 CLIMATE: hot in summer, moderate to cold otherwise BEST TIME TO VISIT: anytime |
COMMENTS:
Approximately 10 miles north of Kenansville along 441. About a mile further up the road the town name lives on in Forever Florida as Camp Illahaw, a horse and adventure camp for teens. REMAINS: railroad substation building, cemetery, possibly more on private property |
| Illahaw was a small turpentine community with a station along the Florida East Coast Railroad Kissimmee Valley Extension. The name comes from the Indian word Yalaha, meaning “orange”. The Consolidated Land and Naval Stores Company owned and ran a turpentine operation in town. Illahaw’s post office opened in 1923, and in 1932 the town had an arsenic cattle dip vat to help combat the spread of cattle ticks, a major concern in those days. As the trees in the area were cut down the turpentine business wound to a close and the town began to disappear. In 1935 the post office closed, with the nearby community of Nittaw accepting Illahaw’s mail delivery. By the time the railroad service ended in 1947 Illahaw was a ghost town. Reportedly there is an Illahaw cemetery (also referred to as Tracy cemetery) somewhere near the town however have not been able to locate it. Submitted by: Jim Pike |
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