400 Orange Street, Ozona, FL 34660 727-786-6255 mollygoodheadsinc@gmail.com

Ozona, Florida

THE EARLY YEARS OF OZONA FLORIDA…

THE TOWN OF YELLOW BLUFF, LATER KNOWN AS OZONA, IS SHOWN ON OFFICIAL MAPS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY DATED 1882. J.B. WALTON LAID OUT THE PLAN FOR THE TOWN OF YELLOW BLUFF IN FEBRUARY 1885. THE PLAN WAS FILED IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RECORDS IN AUGUST 1885.

YELLOW BLUFF WAS A PLEASANT LITTLE TOWN ACROSS THE BAY FROM HOG ISLAND. IT WAS CALLED YELLOW BLUFF DUE TO A HIGH YELLOW COLORED SAND BLUFF PROJECTED INTO THE WATER AT THIS POINT. THE TOWN WAS LATER GIVEN THE NAME OZONA, FOR THE OCEAN AIR. DR. H.E. WHITFORD OF CHICAGO AND DR. L. RICHARDSON OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, CHANGED THE NAME. THEY SETTLED IN THE COUNTY IN 1890. THE AREA HAD SUFFERED SEVERAL BOUTS OF OF YELLOW FEVER, AND THE DOCTORS THOUGHT THAT OZONA WAS A MORE PLEASANT NAME.

OZONA IS ONE OF THE OLDEST TOWNS IN FLORIDA. “UNCLE WALTON” WHITEHURST BUILT A GRAND LOG CABIN ON THE BLUFF THAT LATER BECAME KNOWN AS THE LAWLER HOME. A FIRE DESTROYED THE CABIN AND THE METHODIST CHURCH IN THE EARLY 1900’S.

BEFORE W.B. FUTREL COMMISSIONED THE FIRST POST OFFICE, MAIL WAS DELIVERED BY HORSEBACK AND STAGECOACH. JAMES C. CRAVER WAS DESIGNATED AS THE FIRST POSTMASTER IN SEPTEMBER 1886. HE DISTRIBUTED MAIL FROM HIS HOME. LATER, FUTREL WOULD OPEN AN OFFICIAL POST OFFICE AND GENERAL STORE. ONE OF THE FEW ON THE COAST.

THE MAJOR FORM OF TRANSPORTATION PRIOR TO THE ORANGE BELT RAILROAD IN 1888 WAS BY BOAT. THE “JOHN D. HOFFMAN” A SCHOONER OWNED BY OLLIE TINNY, SHIPPED MOST AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. THE TWO MASTED SHIP RAN FROM TAMPA TO CEDAR KEYS. SHIPPING OUT FRUIT AND BRINGING IN MERCHANDISE.

MOST TOWNS ALONG THE COAST HAD LARGE DOCKS FOR SHIPS TO PICK UP OR DROP OFF MERCHANDISE. IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE TOWN, THERE WERE AT LEAST THREE PACKING HOUSES AND A LARGE DOCK THAT COULD ACCOMMODATE A HORSE AND WAGON. THE STORE WAS LOCATED AT ONE END OF THE DOCK AND DURING OPEN HOURS, THE DOCK COULD BE ACCESSED FROM WITHIN THE STORE.

IN NOVEMBER 1914, A TOWN ELECTION WAS HELD TO INCORPORATE THE TOWN. THERE WERE 31 QUALIFIED ELECTORS LIVING WITHIN CITY LIMITS. THREE YEARS LATER, ANOTHER VOTE WAS HELD TO UNINCORPORATE THE TOWN. THE VILLAGE OF OZONA FLORIDA STILL REMAINS UNINCORPORATED TO THIS DAY.

THE OWNER, LAUREL FLOWERS, MANAGEMENT AND STAFF OF MOLLY GOODHEADS WELCOMES YOU TO OZONA AND HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR DAY! CONTACT US FOR MORE ABOUT… MOLLY GOODHEADS IN OZONA FLORIDA