STEAMBOATING ON THE SUWANNEE RIVER

In the late 19th century, steamboats docked regularly at the old depot in Branford (originally called Rowland's Bluff) when the settlement was a major port on the Suwannee River. From here the steam powered vessels carried the region's cotton, lumber, and naval stores to market. In 1882, the depot also became the terminus for the Live Oak and Rowland's Bluff Railroad. Steamboat traffic ended on the Suwannee before 1920, but the depot continued in use as a railroad station for many years. The wrecks of the steamboats "Madison", the "City of Hawkinsville" and others that lie on the river's bottom are reminders of a vanished era. In 1982, the Branford Shrine Club purchased the depot from the S.C.L Railroad and moved it to its present site for use as a club house and community center.