Beneath a dense canopy of old live oaks, the Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins are a familiar landmark to anyone driving through Old Homosassa.
CR 490 snakes past it on the way to the river. However, it takes a brief stop and a walk around the interpreted site to understand its significance to this area.
The mill stands in a grove of live oaks along Yulee DrResources
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Overview
Location: Homosassa
Length: 0.2 mile loop
Trailhead: 28.78429,-82.607662
Address: CR 490, Homosassa
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 352-795-3817
Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome.
Directions
From the intersection of US 19 and SR 44 in Crystal River, drive south on US 19 for 7.1 miles. Turn right on Halls River Rd. Go 0.6 mile and make a left on Fishbowl Dr. Continue 1.6 miles, passing through Homosassa Springs State Park, before the road jogs left and becomes Yulee Drive. Continue 0.4 mile to the parking area across the road from the prominent ruins.
About the Park
Serving as Florida’s first senator in the U.S. Congress in 1845, David Levy Yulee was a significant force in the early growth of the state.
In 1855, he became president and prime stockholder of the Florida Railroad Company, which built the Florida Railroad built from Fernandina Beach to Cedar Key.
It was the first significant railroad in Florida prior to the Civil War, opening up cross-state transfer of goods to ships headed towards the Caribbean and New Orleans.
Noted conservationist and author John Muir followed the route by foot in 1867 as part of his “Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf.”
Florida Railroad route at John Muir Ecological Park in the town of Yulee, west of FernandinaAmong his many interests in Florida, Yulee established a 5,100 acre plantation along the Homosassa River in 1851.
Born on St. Thomas in the Caribbean, he was brought to Florida as a child and grew up on his father’s vast holdings near the St. Johns River.
His father Moses Levy, for whom Levy County was named, intended to establish a colony for Jewish settlers.
When elected, Yulee became the first Jewish member of the U.S. Senate.
He later converted to Christianity and altered his name after marrying the daughter of a governor of Kentucky.
Yulee resided with his wife at Cotton Wood Plantation in Archer, a village west of Gainesville along his rail lineThe timing of Yulee’s political career enabled him to build his railroad based on a framework for development our young state had just established.
In 1855, the Florida Internal Improvement Act set up the “Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund” to oversee draining swamps and cutting forests for farmland.
Both the Act and the Trustees still exist. The Trustees are now the Governor’s cabinet, and they hold title to all public lands in Florida.
Using the Act, Yulee received state land grants to acquire lands on which to build his railroad. Not just a linear right-of-way, but tracts of land to be sold once “improved.”
The Florida Railroad ended at Cedar KeyLaborers included immigrants and slaves. Enslaved workers tended Yulee’s Homosassa plantation, cultivating the sugar cane and grinding it for production at this mill.
Yulee argued for slavery in the U.S. Senate and worked with fellow senator Stephen Mallory of Key West to build up armaments at Florida’s coastal fortresses.
In January 1861, as part of a constitutional convention, the state’s General Assembly voted to seceded from the Union.
Narrowly escaping a bombardment of Fernandina on his railroad once the Union struck back, Yulee actively supported the Confederate cause with sugar sales and raw product.
The sugar mill used gears run by a steam boilerIn May 1864, a Union raiding party landed along the Homosassa River, burning Yulee’s home on Tiger Tail Island. Operation of the mill ceased.
In addition to the short interpretive walk around the structure, there is a picnic grove and picnic shelter adjoining the parking area.
Having assisted Confederate President Jefferson Davis in his escape after the war’s end, Yulee was arrested and imprisoned for treason.
Pardoned nine years later, Yulee returned to railroading. He did not reopen the mill. What you see is interpreted from its 1864 use.
Interpretation at the ruinsA paddle trip down the Homosassa River into Chasshowitzka National Wildlife Refuge lets you circle Tigertail Island, where Yulee’s plantation home once stood.
Its chimney was obvious to passing boaters until the palm hammock reclaimed the island.
Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge Expansive marshes fringing the Gulf of Mexico provide shelter for marine species and bird life in estuarine shallows south of Crystal River.Explore More!
Slideshow
See our photos of the Yulee Sugar Mill
Nearby Adventures
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park A former roadside attraction at the source of the Homosassa River, this Florida State Park showcases native Florida wildlife.
Hunter Springs Park Besides access to its namesake spring for swimmers, Hunter Springs Park is also a popular put-in for paddlers headed to Three Sisters Springs.
Kings Bay River Walk Discover a variety of unexpected perspectives on coves, springs, and the expanse of Kings Bay along a marked walkway stretching around downtown Crystal River.
Crystal River Archaeological State Park A treasure trove of landforms and artifacts, this pre-Columbian complex of temple and burial mounds provides insight into Florida's ancient civilizations. 
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