LAMONT COMMUNITY

Lamont began existence in 1848 when a U.S. post office was established at Beasley’s Store, which also served as a horse changing station on the stagecoach line between Tallahassee and St. Augustine. After the Civil War, the small settlement that had grown up in the area was known locally by the unusual name of “Lick Skillet” and as McCane’s Store. By the time its name was officially changed to Lamont in 1885, the town had grown to 180 residents, with two general stores, two grist mills and three churches. The community thrived briefly after the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad built a line through the town in 1926. The town’s residents worked in sawmills and turpentine stills, grew pecans and processed watermelon seeds for planting. With the onset of the Great Depression in the 1930s, the town’s industries failed and many residents were forced to move away. Today Lamont’s past is reflected by a former post office, built c. 1910, and several historic churches and houses.