1960 Map of Clay Sink

About this map

The Withlacoochee State Forest dominates this Central Florida landscape, where the borders of Hernando, Pasco, and Sumter counties converge in a vast network of wetlands and pine flatwoods. In the early 1960s, small settlements such as Richloam, Bevels Place, and Sturkey provided human outposts within the wilderness, connected by the Atlantic Coast Line railroad and a grid of forestry tracks including North Grade and South Grade. The terrain is defined by its complex hydrology, featuring the Little Withlacoochee River and a series of named wetlands like Devils Creek Swamp, Wildcat Swamp, and Yankee Swamp. Notable landmarks such as the Landing Field (Abandoned) and various Cem locations offer specific points of interest for local historians. This era shows the region before major modern development, emphasizing a landscape of cypress ponds and sloughs like Gator Hole Slough.