Pennichaw, Florida

Pennichaw
—  Unincorporated community  —
Pennichaw
Coordinates:
Country  United States
State  Florida
County  Volusia
Settled
Elevation 16 ft (5 m)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
enter ZIP code 32764
Area code(s) 386
GNIS feature ID 294885[1]

Pennichaw is a rural unincorporated community located in south Volusia County, Florida. It located on Lake Harney Road, approximately 1.8 miles south of Maytown Road.

Contents

History

Pennichaw was one of several small settlements along the Enterprise Branch (E-Branch) of the Atlantic Coast, St. Johns & Indian River Railway, which later became the Florida East Coast Railway. The railroad line was built between 1883 and 1885, connecting Enterprise and Titusville. The name Pennichaw comes from a Seminole word meaning "turkey gobbler".[2]At its peak, Pennichaw had a turpentine still and commissary.

The railroad through Pennichaw fell into disuse after World War II, and by the 1970, the rails had been removed, leaving nothing but cross ties, gravel and the occasional trestle. As the railroads and the commerce they brought disappeared, small communities such as Pennichaw declined. A few residential properties remain in the vicinity of Pennichaw.

Rails-to-Trails

The state of Florida has purchased the right of way that was formerly used for the rail line and is partnering with Volusia County to construct a paved, multi-use trail from Lake Monroe to both Edgewater and Titusville.[3]

The East Central Regional Rail Trail corridor, which is more than 50 miles long, will be developed and managed by Volusia and Brevard counties. The first 5.7 miles opened in early 2011.[4]

References

  1. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  2. ^ Reed, William Alexander (1934). Florida place-names of Indian origin and Seminole personal names. Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press. pp. 29. ISBN 0817350713. 
  3. ^ Williamson, Ronald (11 May 2008). "Echoes of the Past - A lonely highway offers few clues to communities' former importance". Daytona Beach News-Journal. 
  4. ^ "Volusia County Trails". Volusia County Trails Program. http://volusia.org/trails/. Retrieved 29 August 2011. 

External Links