TORREY
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TORREY |
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NAME: Torrey COUNTY: Hardee ROADS: 2WD GRID: 3 CLIMATE: Fine BEST TIME TO VISIT: Anytime |
COMMENTS:
Scattered Residents. The location is Bowling Green and Zolfo Springs on SR17. Look on the east side of the road for Torrey Road. Across the road off Old Dixie Highway is the old community of Torrey. REMAINS: Few cracker homes. Most remains of the old town are gone. |
| Established in the late 1800's, deep in the orange groves of Hardee County, lies the sleepy little community of Torrey. (the locals pronounce it Taw-ree) In 1905 it boasted one of the largest sawmill operations in Hardee County, creating thousands of railroad ties and other wood products. The material would be loaded at the small depot next to the tracks, where locals still remember the wooden water barrels and cone shaped water buckets hanging in wait for the next fire. In addition to the sawmill, there was a turpentine operation nearby. The old Torrey School once sat on a site next to Hwy 17. If you turn, on what is marked Old Dixie Highway, to the west and after you make a sharp curve to the north there once was a cafe on the right owned by the Rose family for many years. With the sawmill and turpentine played out, the area became a truck farming community and now citrus. Pioneer family names include Knight, Cursey, Hayes, Zychek, and Himrod. Submitted by: Mike Woodfin |
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