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The community of Stage Pond was a small little
town that thrived all the way up until 1920. It has a tavern, general
store, 2 churches, and an inn. It also had a post office so mail could be
delivered to the local towns near by like Brooksville, Floral City and
Inverness. This community was on the main coach line from Jacksonville to
Homosassa FL and had a Stage Coach Way Station.
The town was very small and like most non industrial towns in Florida it was deserted in 1920 with the automobile gaining popularity. All that is left behind from this settlement is a stage coach in the center of the watering pond and its cemetery. Speaking of the stage coach we were not able to find it. I once had a photo of it sitting in the center of the pond but I can no longer find it on the web to share. It probably still exist but over the years I am sure vegetation and swamps have consumed it. The area was settled by the Sadlers, Leggettes, Sparkman's, Casons and Rooks. Many of these early settlers are buried in the cemetery. Walter Renfroe is one of the first burials in Stage Pond Cemetery in 1901. Although there are many broken and weathered stones so we have to assume there have been burials even before this. The area is very secluded here as it sits in a national forest with miles of woods, streams, rolling hills, and trails. There are still signs that the ghost town once existed as there is a huge open clearing with flat lands by the watering pond. The other sign is the stage coach left behind which remains in the pond. This area is fairly eerie at night lots of fog on the roads, no cars, many dirt roads some so narrow you have to hike on. Our first experience here there appeared to be heavy ghost activity like voices, movement, cold spots, being touched but that is just the tip of the iceberg as far as the cemetery goes. However near the hidden watering pond where once a town thrived on there seems to be more then just ghost lurking in these woods as we were being watched and followed by something very intelligent hiding in the woods. The woods surrounding this ghosttown are like no woods I ever been in as far as the state of Florida goes. The trails twist and turn constantly with giant tree roots consuming them. The forest is so dark you cannot see the night sky and most of the wagon trail is unmarked and seems to go on for miles with no sign of civilization. This is a reminder of what once early pioneers had to endure dealing with the harsh wilderness and although not much is left behind there is a history that haunts this place. © By Rick-AngelOfThyNight
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