Exploring at Troy Springs Wildlife Management Area

On this adventure I explore along the Suwannee River at Troy Springs Wildlife Management Area. Troy Springs Wildlife Management Area (WMA) lies along more than four miles of the Middle Suwannee River in east Lafayette County. Three parcels of land, of primarily floodplain forests, comprise its nearly 2,000 acres. Troy Springs State Park and a county park are nestled in between the wildlife management area tracts. Nearby Troy Springs issues more than 65 million gallons of water each day. After a nice day in the wilderness here, it was nice to cool off at Troy Spring State Park nearby. Nestled in the shallow water of the spring run are the remains of the Civil War-era steamboat Madison, which was scuttled in 1863 to keep it from being captured. The area was once the site of a town called “Troy” in the 1800’s and was abandoned. Today the only reminder from the town is the cemetery, a beautiful resting place here in nature.

Troy and New Troy: After the destruction of Troy (Old Troy) the townspeople settled New Troy. By 1870 the thriving community of about 500 featured a cotton gin, sawmill, two general stores, jail, boarding house, log houses and a Baptist Church, and a Methodist Church. The area was a hub for steamboat traffic that ended in 1899 and products like turpentine, cotton vegetables, and oranges were shipped out. There also was a Ferry across the Suwanee River to Branford until 1917. There were two towns, Old Troy and New Troy. Old Troy burned in about 1856. At that time, a new settlement was made and named New Troy. Postal records show that a post office was established at New Troy on 25 August, 1860. New Troy changed its name to McIntosh in 1861, but by 1871 the town name had reverted back to New Troy. The New Troy courthouse caught fire and burned down New Year's Eve, 1892. Shortly after this county residents voted to move the county seat to Mayo, where it is today. The removal of the courthouse spelled the end for the little community of New Troy, and business soon began to fade. The houses were dismantled for their timber and bricks, hardwoods replaced the fields, steamboat traffic ended in 1899, and the ferry closed in 1917.

Troy Spring WMA: https://myfwc.com/recreation/cooperat...

Suwannee River Water Management District: https://map.mysuwanneeriver.com/tract...

Troy Spring State Park: https://www.floridastateparks.org/par...

Troy Springs History: https://www.floridastateparks.org/par...

Suwannee River Water Management District Map: https://map.mysuwanneeriver.com

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