Not only did Archer have Yulee's railroad, but also Plant's railroad intersected in Archer. "The big thing that happened to Archer was when the railway came through in about 1855. He owned a tremendous amount of land around here," Denton said. "Yulee figured that since this is where the first Alligator Highway from Alligator - then the name of Lake City - to Tampa was, he made his plantation here. Another Florida pioneer, Henry Plant, also ran his railroad from Northeast Florida through Archer to Tampa. Yulee was the founder of a railroad that cut from the east coast to Cedar Key. The name was given by David Levy Yulee, a prominent resident, friend of Archer and Florida's first senator after the state's admission to the Union in 1845.Īrcher wouldn't be Archer without Yulee, in more than just name. The city is named after James Archer, Florida's first secretary of state. The oldest grave in the town cemetery - an oak shaded spot so lovely that whatever ghosts are roaming must be at peace - dates from that decade. It is an appropriate spot for the town's museum, since Archer's early life was fed by the railroad.Īrcher was originally called Deer Hammock and was settled in the 1830s. "We want to partner with that community and provide the educational components they need for the citizens that live in that greater geographic area."Īll of Archer's history can be found in an old train depot in the center of town. "I just think it's going to be a tremendous shot in the arm to the community," Hutchins said.
Hutchins said he believes the campus will be an economic, educational and cultural tonic for Archer. The college is expected to draw students from neighboring towns, which is why Archer is banking on the college to change its fortune. It will initially have eight classrooms and will offer general education classes, continuing and remedial education classes and short courses customized for local needs, said Paul Hutchins, SFCC dean for educational centers.Īn enrollment of 750 can be accommodated. SFCC is building a satellite campus in Archer that is set to open Aug. With Santa Fe coming, I think Archer is on the upswing." It kind of overwhelmed the area with subsidized housing. Even to the point of we had a number of developers who saw fit to build a tremendous number of subsidized housing. "With Archer, it seems, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Archer didn't recover from the Depression until at least the war, and maybe never," said Phil Denton of the Archer Historical Society. "The thing that really hurt Archer was the Depression. And it is poor - with a 27 percent poverty rate, the highest in Alachua County.īut Archer never became a complete ghost town, and folks here believe its future is poised for an upswing thanks to Santa Fe Community College. A fire several years ago destroyed a boat plant - one of Archer's two main employers. But the postcard of "Archer's Most Haunted Home" picturing the family is also evocative of a past that bedevils Archer, a past when the town was a hub of commerce and a crossroad for two major rail lines.Īrcher today is a city that - says the U.S. The atmosphere it conjures is appropriate, because Kasicki believes her home is shared by ghosts of the original owners, the Wood family. A man sits in a rocker, in riding boots and vest. The people on the porch have an out-of-time look - long skirts and white blouses on the women, their hair pulled back in buns. And the colors are washed-out shades of gray. The small town has big hopes for the community.ĪRCHER - The postcard of Linda Kasicki's home just looks haunted.
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