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Originally Posted by Capt. Carrera
There's nothing in Starke, FL now. I can't imagine how desolate it was in 1940.
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Starke oversaw a period of rapid expansion brought on by the new U.S. Highway 301 in the early 1900s and the construction of Camp Blanding during World War II.
For travelers coming from the northeastern United States, Highway 301 was the quickest route between Jacksonville and Tampa (a title it still holds to this day). Starke's status as one of the largest cities on the route, as well its location on State Road 100, brought numerous hotels to the area. The construction of nearby Camp Blanding as a military training facility during World War II added to the local building boom, and by 1950, the city's population had doubled.[6]
Post-World War II, the boom continued and the area continued to see an influx of residents working in the service industry and in its strawberry fields. Bradford County's famous Strawberry Festival was born during this time, and it continues to attract thousands of visitors today.
In the late 1980s, the city received national media attention during the proceedings of the Ted Bundy case and his eventual execution at Florida State Prison in nearby Raiford, Florida.[7] It also received attention when Lawton Chiles was Florida governor as a notorious speed trap town, even having warning billboards placed on Interstate 10's exit onto south US 301. Other speed traps on this stretch of US 301 between I-10 and I-75 were Waldo, Lawtey, and Hampton.
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Was a boom town at one point. The population growth halted, but in my mind that means it seemed like a much bigger town back in the 50s-70s since pretty much everything was much smaller back then.
It's interesting about small towns.
I live in rural Texas. I live in what was once a town with a post office, 2 schools (white and "freedmen"), a depot, a hotel, a gin, several stores, slaughterhouse, and facilities to can meat and beef "extract". Borden is no longer a town IMO. It's an area with 50-60 people, a cemetery, and a small park.
A few miles down the road is a town named Glidden. At one time it had railroad maintenance shops, switching yards and a round house, a hotel, a farmers alliance, a school, several churches a post office, 3 saloons, a general store and a dry goods emporium. It's ~600 people now, and I don't think any of that stuff exists other than 2-3 churches. I think there is a place that the trains stop, but I'm not sure what happens there.
A few miles further down the road is Alleyton. It had the following associated with the railroad "shops, a roundhouse, a depot, and loading facilities."
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Completion of the railroad to Alleyton in 1860 made the town the terminus for the southernmost railroad in the state. Alleyton became the largest and most active town in Colorado County. A post office was established there in 1860. During the Civil War Alleyton was the beginning of the "cotton road," which carried cotton, brought by rail, to Mexico by wagon train, in order to bypass the Union blockade of Texas ports. Returning wagon trains brought military and domestic supplies, which were then shipped by rail to the rest of the Confederacy. After the war the Colorado River was bridged, and the railroad extended to Columbus, the county seat, and points west. Alleyton declined in importance as a rail terminus but remained important as the supply center for a heavily populated agricultural area. In 1890 the town reported a population of 200 and two churches, a school, five general stores, a drugstore, and a saloon. In 1896 the population was estimated at 320, but by 1914 the number had fallen. It remained at 200 well into the 1940s. In 2000 the population was 165.
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I don't think there's any businesses other than churches in Alleyton these days unless they are run out of someone's home.
Photographs from Colorado co
"Card Players L to R: Joseph Renz, Ed Brandon, F. Schindler, Joe Polocheck
on Frank Renz (father of Charles & Joseph Renz) farm at his home.
Photographer: Charles Renz c. 1910"
"Precinct 3 Work Crew 1920"
"Uniformed Band on Ladders at the Colorado County Courthouse 1890s"
"Max Schindler and Sons at Max & Josephine Schindler's anniversary party
The Schindler's were neighbors of the Renz family
Photographer: Charles Renz"
"Red Cross Volunteers 1917"
"Nurse With Car, 1919"
Women in bathing suits 1915
Weimar graduating class, 1930