This Florida Ghost Town Near Jacksonville Was Abandoned For A Very Unusual Reason

Florida is a prime vacation destination with some underrated but the best beaches in the world, many incredible Sunshine State snorkeling spots, and a very good variety of the best scenic bayou hikes on this a part of the nation. Plus, the state’s thrilling points of interest, like Walt Disney World® Resort, appeal to tens of millions of tourists seeking to stay in the Cinderella suite or journey the park’s thrilling rollercoasters.

Nevertheless, Florida isn’t only a vacationer’s paradise. The state additionally has a handful of mysterious ghost cities, together with Flamingo, a ghost town hidden in the Everglades, and Pigeon Key, one of Florida’s most fascinating abandoned islands.

Amongst them is a ghost city close to Jacksonville that stands out because of the uncommon motive it was deserted 62 years in the past. Let’s discover the historical past of Yukon, Florida, uncover the very unusual motive why it was deserted, and be taught what the positioning is used for at the moment.

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The Origins Of Yukon, A Florida Ghost City Close to Jacksonville

Yukon began as a cotton plantation and shortly grew right into a thriving city

The St. Johns River in Florida

Yukon, Florida, positioned between St. Johns River and Ortega River in Jacksonville, is a city relationship again to the late 18th century. In 1787, the Spanish granted a big piece of land to an Englishman named Timothy Hollingsworth. Hollingsworth then established Mulberry Grove Plantation, a cotton plantation that grew fruit and veggies.

The plantation operated till the tip of the Civil Struggle, when Arthur M. Reed, its final proprietor, offered a part of the property to previously enslaved people. The land turned Blackpoint Settlement, which advanced into Yukon throughout World Struggle I.

Yukon was a thriving city with paved streets and sidewalks, a downtown space, a 300-unit subdivision named Dewey Park, and a streetcar line connecting it to close by cities, Ortega, Avondale, and Riverside.

In 1939, the U.S. authorities began setting up Naval Air Station Jacksonville on the remaining portion of land that was Mulberry Grove Plantation subsequent to Yukon.

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The Uncommon Purpose Why Yukon, Florida, Was Deserted A long time In the past

The city’s proximity to Naval Air Station Jacksonville performed an enormous position in why it was deserted

Regardless of its development, Yukon’s success took a flip in 1963 when the U.S. Navy decided the city was a flight and security hazard as a consequence of its proximity to Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Consequently, the Navy closed Yukon, marking the tip of its 176-year historical past.

Though it’s unclear what sparked these preliminary issues in regards to the city’s proximity to the air station, later incidents close to Naval Air Station Jacksonville appear to verify that the U.S. Navy’s resolution to evacuate Yukon was clever:

• 1983 Military Transport Plane Crash: A Navy Conair C-131F army transport aircraft crashed into the water whereas making an attempt an emergency touchdown at Naval Air Station Jacksonville.
• 2005 Navy Jet Crash: A Navy jet making an attempt to land throughout a rainstorm crashed close to Tillie Ok. Fowler Regional Park (previously Westside Regional Park).
• 2019 Jetliner Crash: A jetliner carrying 143 individuals slid into St. Johns River whereas making an attempt to land on a slippery runway.

In 1979, the land that was as soon as dwelling to Yukon was leased from the Navy. Ten years later, with the help of Councilwoman Tillie Fowler, the world was remodeled right into a public park, now named Tillie K. Fowler Regional Park.

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Visiting Yukon, Florida

Guests can nonetheless discover traces of the ghost city at the moment

In the present day, guests can discover Yukon’s stays at Tillie Ok. Fowler Park. Though most of Yukon has disappeared, traces of its sidewalks, Mulberry Grove Plantation cemetery, and a pre-1917 brick highway linking Ortega and Jacksonville can nonetheless be seen.

Along with being a vacation spot to view historic websites, Tillie Ok. Fowler Park is a wonderful recreation space. Facilities within the park embrace virtually six miles of mountaineering and biking trails, a canine park, picnic shelters, grills, and a kayak launch.

Outdoors the park, elements of the ghost city’s downtown enterprise district nonetheless stand alongside Roosevelt Boulevard, together with Yukon’s former put up workplace and Yukon Baptist Church.

Whereas Yukon, Florida, just isn’t more likely to regain its standing as a bustling city because of the uncommon motive it was deserted, there have been some new additions throughout the previous 20 years. Two companies, J.L. Trent’s Seafood and Grill and Murray’s Tavern, positioned close to Roosevelt Boulevard, cater to curious guests desirous to be taught extra in regards to the city’s historical past.