Those who drive deep into Geneva will find a curious sight along the roadway: a decrepit bank vault sitting in a small field of grass.
It’s one of the few remaining traces of an old Central Florida ghost town.
The vault can be found near 2573 E. Osceola Road in the middle of a fenced-in lawn. Drivers passing by can spot it while going around the sharp bend.
The bank vault can be found near 2573 E. Osceola Road.
According to local historian Jason Byrne, the town that used to be here — dubbed “Osceola” after a famous Seminole warrior by the same name — was built along the St. Johns River north of Lake Harney in the early 1900s.
While the area was originally known as “Cook’s Ferry,” a lumber firm called the Osceola Cypress Company came and built both a giant sawmill and the town of Osceola in 1916.
Originally owned by Waterboro Lumber Company as engine 1; then owned by Southern Iron and Equipment as engine 1372; then owned by Osceola Cypress Company in Bridgend, Florida on June 2, 1919. (Florida State Archives General Collection/)
Aside from the enormous lumber yard, the company town featured schools, stores, churches, a train depot, a post office, and even a bank (as the vault may indicate).
Osceola was a huge town in the county during its heyday, though after the company exhausted the nearby lumber supply, it packed up, dismantled the town and moved down south, Byrne explains.
Of course, the company apparently didn’t take quite everything with them, as the bank’s vault was left behind.
The bank vault was left behind after the Osceola Cypress Company dismantled the town. (Anthony Talcott/)
The fence around the vault was built recently thanks to Jim Buckley, a local homeowner who owns the land on which the vault now rests.
Buckley told News 6 that he and his wife moved to the area a few years ago, building up the house on the lot nearby.
After they bought the property, they were asked by the local historical society whether they would demolish the bank vault.
“They were asking questions. ‘What are you gonna do with it? You gonna tear it down?’” Buckley said. “I was like, ‘No, we’re gonna keep it!’”
Interior of the Osceola bank vault. Several wooden planks were installed inside to help maintain the structure. (Anthony Talcott/)
Additional photo showing the interior walls and roof of the bank vault (Anthony Talcott/)
Much of the trees and shrubbery that had overtaken the bank vault were cut down, and while they haven’t done much to change it, Buckley continues to mow the surrounding greenery to keep it looking nice.
Aside from the vault, Buckley said he’s found plenty of artifacts on the property, including several historic glass bottles.
Glass bottles that Jim Buckley found on his property, several of which date back to the early 1900s. One bottle (right) is from the Geneva Coca Cola Bottling Company, which is now defunct. (Anthony Talcott/)
In addition, wooden pylons from the abandoned town’s pier are still standing in the St. Johns River right across the road from Buckley’s home.
Many pylons remain, though they’re no longer in use. The adjacent properties are all privately owned, so they’re only viewable by passing boaters.
Wooden pylons still stand in the water where a huge pier in the now-defunct town of Osceola used to be. (Anthony Talcott/)
While the town of Osceola may be no more, there are still plenty of other areas in Central Florida that are alive and thriving.
For more on those areas, check out ClickOrlando’s Boomtown page by clicking here.
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