1893 Map of Panasoffkee

About this map

The expansive Lake Panasoffkee and the intricate wetlands of the Withlacoochee River dominate this Central Florida landscape during the late nineteenth century. This reconnaissance survey captures the region's early development, where the Florida Central and Peninsular RR connects budding settlements like Wildwood, Oxford, and Coleman. The map reveals a distinct environmental pattern of hammocks and sinks, such as Warm Spring Hammock and Hogeye Sink, interspersed between the large open waters of Tsala Apopka Lake and the dense vegetation of Gum Swamp. For the local historian, the presence of smaller communities like Orangehome, Kelvin, and Carlson along the river and rail corridors provides a look at a rail-and-water economy before twentieth-century drainage and development projects significantly altered the Florida interior.