Beneath a dense canopy of old live oaks, the Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins are a familiar landmark to anyone driving through Old Homosassa – the road snakes past it on the way to the river.
Resources
Overview
Location: Homosassa
Lat-Lon: 28.78429,-82.607662
Fees: Free
Open: 8 AM to sunset daily
Location
About the Park
In the mid-1800s, David Levy Yulee was a significant force in Florida politics and business. During his term as Florida’s first senator, Yulee built a railroad from Fernandina Beach to Cedar Key and established a 5,100-acre sugar plantation along the Homosassa River.
With an upbringing in the Caribbean, Yulee knew sugar production well and, using slave labor, supported the Confederate cause by selling sugar. In 1864, Union raiders attacked and burned the plantation.
Walk around the ruins to learn how sugar cane is turned into sugar.