My continued obsession with the abandoned rail yards of High Springs

I was out for a ride on the unofficial rails-to-trails as I so often am, when I gave into temptation and decided to explore one of the paths that I've seen leading off into the woods alongside site of the old rail yards. From the rail path, they seemed to be little more than paths made by four wheelers or, sadly, people looking for somewhere out of sight to dump their trash. And while it did turn out that these paths had been used by both four wheeler riders and illegal dumpers, I was also able to explore more of the site of the former rail yards than I had before. CSX owns part of that woodland, and it hides more of the remains of the rail yards. Additionally, the well-worn paths through the tall oak woods were probably once streets through the rail yards themselves; it's quite magical. I am even more bummed that this property is not on the potential purchase list for the rails-to-trails project, as it would make such an amazing historical and natural park. First, let me provide you with some maps to orient you to the location of my most recent explorations (you may have seen similar maps previously, so feel free to scroll past), followed by my photographs. Enjoy!

The main portion of the rail yards was located in the three blue squares,
which are still owned by CSX.

This was the approximate area that I explored.

Note the wooded areas within the CSX properties

There were definitely some streets, but hardly any trees at the rail yards' demise.

Such an inviting path

I got a little spooked here... It was just a couple of deer, though.

Would be lovelier without the tire and other debris >:(

Old roads through the woods are magical!

Where do you park your ghost train?

More magical old roads

Some kind of old well top

Close-up of the old well pipe

Foundation remnants

More foundations

History of High Springs

One of the springs in the area – sadly, no longer flowing at more than a trickle – was located at the top of a hill, and this is what gave the town of High Springs its current name (I wrote about the spring and its current situation here), although the town wasn’t officially named High Springs until 1892. Prior to that, non-Native settlements in this area apparently went by a variety of names, including Santaffey (Santa Fe), Fairmount, and Orion. High Springs of today is known for its antique shops, restaurants, and unique natural environment filled with rivers, springs, and forests, leading to its motto of “Enjoy our Good Nature.” However, in days gone by, while the environment played an important role in providing natural resources to the town, the railroad was the true lifeblood of the community.

In the late 1800s, High Springs went through a boom period. Discovery of phosphate in the area, the extensive availability of pine and cypress to be logged, and its location along two planned railroad routes made it an important nexus for the railroad industry. The Savannah, Florida, and Western Railroad line was the first of many railroad companies to arrive in High Springs in 1884, although the most important was the arrival of the Plant System. The Plant System settled upon High Springs as the location for its district headquarters in 1895, and began construction of a roundhouse, offices, telegraph station, two-story district hospital and more. High Springs became the center of steam rail for north central Florida. Unfortunately for High Springs, by the mid-1940s, diesel was the new power on the rails, and the High Springs rail yards – designed for steam engine maintenance – slowly dwindled. By the end of the twentieth century, as rail traffic in general declined, the rail yards of High Springs faded into the brush. The rails were finally removed in February 2015. The following pictures were all taken in High Springs.

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company Engine No. 801 in 190~ (source)

Main Street, High Springs, 190~ (source)

Man identified as Gus Anderson, 19~ (source)

Railroad depot, 190~ (source)

Willards' General Merchandise Store, 191~ (source)

Downtown High Springs 1916 (source)

No identifying data (source)

Downtown High Springs in the 191~ (source)

Woman identified as Edna Johns Miller, 1916 (source)

Local children, 1916 (source)

Row of workers' homes, 1916 (source)

Coal Locomotive Engine, 1948 (source)

Both images show aerial views of the High Springs rail yards, including the roundhouse in the upper left quadrant, in 1949 and 1955. You can see how the roundhouse and rail yards have deteriorated in just that short period of time. (Sources here and here)

For more information, check out the full text of the Architectural and Historical Survey of High Springs published in 1990. To take a look at my explorations of the abandoned railroad of High Springs, click here, here, and here. Lastly, my exploration of the old spring that gave High Springs its name can be viewed here.

Fall Paddles on the Santa Fe River

The Santa Fe River runs across the northern border of High Springs. It’s also nearly entirely undeveloped, filled with springs, and an excellent river for paddling and diving year-round (although I freely admit that I prefer it to be at least 65F for paddling adventures; I like to be warm). Currently there are two excellent facilities here in/near High Springs that will rent you a boat and/or shuttle you back to your car: Rum 138 and Santa Fe Canoe Outpost. Last Saturday was possibly the last warm, sunny weekend for a while, and as my new kayak had just arrived the day before (and miraculously fit inside my tiny hatchback), I decided to take it on its maiden voyage. I decided to paddle from Rum Island to the Hwy 47 bridge – a trip I’ve done quite a few times, but never at this time of year – using the excellent shuttle services of Rum 138. Fall foliage on the Santa Fe is lovely, and I’m glad I went out even if it wasn’t quite up to my preferred level of warmth.

It was a lazy day.

Naked Springs Run

Blue Springs Run

Ginnie Springs is only this empty at this time of year!

Ginnie Springs

I snagged this map from OurSantaFeRiver.org; it shows the route I took.