This abandoned railway was built in 1890 as part of the Georgia Southern & Florida Railroad, extending from Macon, GA, through Valdosta, GA, and Lake City to Palatka, FL. The railroad quickly entered bankruptcy after completion, and came under the control of the Southern Railway in 1895. It marked the point furthest to the south in the Florida for Southern, and possibly for the whole system. The GS&F remained an operating subsidiary of the Southern and still today as part of Norfolk-Southern. This line was the "B" line of GS&F, which was also known as "The Suwanee River Route".
The abandoned section extends from "Navair", just southeast of Lake City, through Lulu (Hagen), Guilford, Cliftonville, Lake Butler, New River, Sampson City, Hampton, Theressa, Keystone Heights, Lake Geneva, Newburg, Putnam Hall, Grandin, Florahome, Baywood, Carraway, Springside, and into Palatka, with a spur to the Georgia-Pacific plant to the northwest of Palatka. The line was apparently abandoned in the late 1980s. Norfolk Southern secured trackage rights from Jacksonville to Palatka over CSX, which made the line in between unnecessary in order to reach Palatka.
Much of the line between Palatka and Lake Butler is being converted to a state trail. This abandoned section runs parallel to FL SR 100 from just south of Lake City all the way to Palatka. It has been abandoned for years with trees growing in ROW, etc. However, now work is on-going to reclaim the ROW as the trail is developed.
Thanks to Bill Houston for contributing information about this route.