1893 Map of Citra

About this map

French Phosphate Mines and several other mining operations like the Baker Mine and Excelsior Mine cluster around the settlement of Anthony, highlighting the late 19th-century phosphate boom in north-central Florida. The landscape is defined by the transition between the expansive waters of Orange Lake and Lochloosa Lake, connected by Cross Creek, and the seasonally wet landscapes of Black Sink Prairie and Hawthorn Prairie. Local commerce and transportation are driven by a dense network of competing rail lines, including the Florida Southern R. R. and the Florida Central and Peninsular R. R., which linked citrus-producing towns like Citra, McIntosh, and Island Grove. These tracks navigate the undulating terrain and numerous small depressions characteristic of the region, connecting established villages like Reddick, Sparr, and Lowell.