The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1880-11-25
RUINED CITIES IN FLORIDA.
The Departed GIories Of AppaIaohieoia.
st. joseph, ST. Marks end Bel Air.

St. Joseph. ST. Marks and Bel Air.
APPALACHICOLA,F Fla, Oct 8.
This is a locality i'm which stIang-
er but seldom wanders. Having bust
ness down the river from ChattahoO-
chez, l took the steamer from this
point in order that I might look at
what was once a thriving commercial
town. Before railroads were built
across Alabama and Georgia Appa-
lachicola was the seaport for all the
country bordering the Appalachicola
and Flint rivers for several hundred
miles. 1t grew in wealth and impOr-
lance, and presented all the features of
a business place River steamers and
ocean vessels lined it wharfs, and long
blocks of brick and granite buildings
fronted its streets. Elegant dwellings
and good churches were scattered
throughout the town.
But the entrance from the Gulf into
AppalachicOla Bay was difficult, and
the harbor of the town itself was not
good. So st. Joseph arose as q rival
at point OIL the coast some twenty
five miles west. 1t had a good har-
Dor. and the entrance to its bay was
safe and easy. A railroad was built
from lola, on the AppalachicOla river,
to St Joseph, and the river trade coz
centrated at lola and the ocean traffic
ut st. Joseph. The town Of Appa-
lachicOla was almost deserted. st.
Joseph arose upon the ruins of its
commerce. But the railroads across
the country from the Mississippi to
the Atlantic gradually took away the
business of st. Joseph, as they have
taken business from Mobile and New
Orleans, until there was nothing left
of it. Finally when the yellow fever
ragged throughout the South some
years since, st. Joseph was visited by
the scOurge and nearly depOpulated.
With its business gone and nearly all
the people in their graves, it had no
use for railroad. The iron on the
road to lola was taken up and sold,
and lola and st. Joseph were assigned
to bats andpwls.
Appalachicola escapad yellow fever,
but in 1874 it encountered furious
which:leveled most of its
The town to-day is mel
ancholy ruin. A feeling of sadness
comes over the visitor as he goes
its streets and views the desc
latiOn. Large dwellings finely finished,
which the storm left standing, are go
ing to decay for want Of occupants.
There are not enough people i'm the
town to fill the houses, and property
has no value. A town which once
furnished business for fifteen Ortwenty
river steamers mas now Cniy Two Iha,is
a week. during the winter hlon.ns
there Is some httie trade III oysters
with the upper river country, Mhu Tue
coast region ana the river iahdih2s
furnish some oranges ior shiPhent.
AnOther articie Iol occasiohai snip
ment Is IOund IN the pricks VI the
ruined walls, whicn are cieaheG ana
put on river boats ior cnihmey ouIiu-
ing AT dlnereht Poihts in the uPPer
river country. rms, WIN very III
tie export trade In iuihDer. IS All inc
business APpaiacnIcoIa mas ieI' ou' vi
what was once niiiions year;
81. MARKS when was once the port
OF Iallanassee, aii.Miuuie io'ida anu
much OF southwestern Georgia, sun
has ITS railroad 10 tallahassee, WIFI
three trains week. Inc ralIroa1
from tallahassee W Savahhaii iuineu
the business OF ST Mark s, anu II mas
since suffered from nurricanes, ncous
ana nres uhtil there Is put httie ieu .,
it,. 1t Is not much better than a totai
rum, anu there are not enough Ieit oi
The ancient inhaoitahts 10 I'VE on rec
objections OF The distant past, rs VIZ
ginians are SAID 10 DO. IL mas gone
INTO a state OF coliatose rePose' like 81.