''City of Hawkinsville'' was a

paddle steamer A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine driving paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, whereby the first uses were wh ...

constructed in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

in 1886. Sold in 1900 to a

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

company, it delivered cargo and lumber along the

Suwannee River The Suwannee River (also spelled Suwanee River or Swanee River) is a river that runs through south Georgia southward into Florida in the Southern United States. It is a wild blackwater river, about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrog ...

. Eventually rendered obsolete by the advent of

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

s in the region, it was abandoned in the middle of the Suwannee in 1922. It became the third Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserve when it opened to the public in 1992. On May 31, 2001, it was added to the

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

as City of Hawkinsville (shipwreck). It is located in Dixie County, 100 yards south of the

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...

railroad trestle (which is part of the

Nature Coast State Trail The Nature Coast State Trail (NCST) is a 31.7-mile long segment of Florida's Statewide System of Greenways and Trails System built along abandoned railroad tracks, and designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a National Recreation Tra ...

History

Georgia

In 1886, the Hawkinsville (Georgia) Deepwater Boat Lines had the wooden-hulled ''City of Hawkinsville'' built for them in

Abbeville, Georgia Abbeville is a city in Wilcox County, Georgia, Wilcox County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 2,685. The city is the county seat of Wilcox County. History Abbeville was founded in 1 ...

. After 14 years of service, they sold it to the Gulf Transportation Company of Tampa.

Florida

The largest ( long by wide) steamboat stationed on the Suwannee, ''City of Hawkinsville'' transported lumber and supplies from Branford to

Cedar Key Cedar Key is a city in Levy County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 687, down from 702 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Cedar Keys are a cluster of ...

for the next two decades. Supplies included construction materials for the railroads that would end the need for the steamboat. In 1922, the steamboat was abandoned in the Suwanee near what is now the railroad trestle built across the river, reducing the need for a boat to cross the river at that point. It remains at this location, preserved as one of the

Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserves The Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserves are a system of underwater parks in the state of Florida, US. They consist of shipwrecks of historic interest, both off the coast and inland, and are open all year round, free of charge. Similar pro ...

Today

The wreck of the steamboat has become part of the river's ecosystem, and was added to the Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserve system in 1992. Most of it is remarkably intact, and rests on a ledge in the middle of the Suwannee, visible from the river's surface. Diving is allowed, but only for those with advanced open water certification; venturing within the wreck itself is not permitted.

References

External links

Dixie County listings
a
National Register of Historic Places

a
Florida's Shipwrecks - 300 Years of Maritime History

{{National Register of Historic Places in Florida Archaeological sites in Florida Protected areas of Dixie County, Florida Shipwrecks in rivers Shipwrecks on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserves National Register of Historic Places in Dixie County, Florida