Kreamer Island
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Kreamer Island is a small island in the south-easternmost part of Lake Okeechobee, Florida. Located just North of Torry Island, accessible only by airboat during the wet season and by recreational vehicles during dry season/droughts. (A small canal separates the two islands.)
In the beginning of the 2007 winter the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners started an archaeological dig on the Kreamer Island after drought conditions revealed artefacts on the bottom Lake Okeechobee.
Kreamer Island is now considered a ghosttown [1].
Kreamer Island was settled as a fishing and agricultural settlement in the 1800's. Access was very limited and most everything arrived by boat. There were several dwellings, a store, church, and a school. In fact one of the dwellings served as a home, post office, and general store. (see picture) Inaccessibility and the weather contributed to the demise of the community. Several hurricanes continually damaged the village especially the great hurricane in the 1920's which killed approximately 1000 people around the lake. When the dike was raised from 6 feet to about 20 feet, much of the area was flooded. Some folks lived on the island into the 20th Century but all are gone now. The only access to the northern part of the island would be by airboat. -Mike Woodfin
