When Route 66 Rolled Through Citrus County By Ken Marotte, Citrus County Historical Society A new highway designated as Route 66 captured the imagination of Americans in the 1950’s. Before the advent of today’s interstate highways, people from the North and Mid-West...
Remembering The Rendezvous – The Grand Dame of Homosassa By Ken Marotte, Citrus County Historical Society Hundreds of people cruise down the Homosassa River on a typical weekend. As they pass the Riverhaven Marina, boaters are probably not aware that this was once...
Homosassa’s Riverside Lodge By Ken Marotte, Citrus County Historical Society Riverside Lodge – Background The story of Homosassa’s Riverside Lodge began with mercantile guru Benjamin F Dutton. His company, Houghton and Dutton, was a Boston landmark for years. ...
Homosassa’s Atlanta Fishing Club By Ken Marotte, Citrus County Historical Society It Started with Phosphate George S. Lowdnes was a true entrepreneur by any standard. He had prospected for gold in North Georgia. He was a partner in a successful patent medicine...
The Homosassa Dodgers? By Ken Marotte, Citrus County Historical Society This is the little-known story of how Homosassa won (and lost) a contract to host a Major League Baseball team. The Dissatisfied Dodgers Florida had already been established as an ideal Spring...
Beware of the ‘Skeeters and Malary! By: Ken Marotte, Citrus County Historical Society When late Judge E.C. May was a young man, he was warned to avoid the Citrus County area at all costs. An old timer told him “Them there bad men’ll kill ye, er the gaters’ll...
The Bridges of Citrus County By: Ken Marotte, Citrus County Historical Society We drive over them every day without noticing them. Most people are unaware of the political intrigue, criminal charges and danger involved in crossing the Withlacoochee River in the...
Citrus County’s History Told in Advertising By: Ken Marotte, Citrus County Historical Society Advertisements from local newspapers provide a look into the goods and services that were important to the people living in Citrus County. Here’s a look back at...
The Drive-In Movies of Citrus County By: Ken Marotte, Citrus County Historical Society Did the sight of dancing hot-dogs and boxes of popcorn entice you to leave your car and run to the snack bar during a movie’s intermission? Did you ever ride around the...
Ebbert Castel – Floral City’s Snake Man By: Ken Marotte, Citrus County Historical Society If you see some snakes slithering in your yard – who’re you going to call? For many Citrus County residents, the answer was “Ebbert Castel” – the “Snake Man of Floral...
