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~ Traxler ~

Now one of the region's lost towns, it was founded by William Traxler, who established a store, cotton gin and grist mill on the old Bellamy Road. A school, post office and church were nearby. was a small community founded by William H. Traxler in the late 1800s in northern Alachua county along the Bellamy Road. It was a cotton farming community, and life there revolved around the Traxler farm. In addition to the farm buildings and homes, there was also a general store, a US post office (which operated from 1891 to 1906), and a church. These days, there's little there other than the church and a few homes.

Pictures below are from our Feb 2022 visit...

2022

Traxler's Store

Old Bellamy Road was the first federal road in Florida. It was commissioned in 1824 and completed in 1826 by John Bellamy, a plantation owner from Monticello, who used slave labor to help build a portion of it.

Spring Hill Methodist Church, Traxler ~ Dinner on the grounds. October 28, 1951

Photo by Pat Frazier

Feb. 2022 Visit

In December of 1860, five men, including Simeon Dell and Fernando Underwood, acquired land for the church. The church soon errected, using locally-sawed lumber, served the black slave and white community. The original building, although having suffered damage by the windstorm of September 1896, served until 1915, after a hurricane destroyed the earlier building, when it was replaced with this building. Graves of many pioneer families of the area are in the adjacent cemetery. .

2022~Carolyn Traxler Testrake unveils the historical marker dedicated to her grandfather William Henry Traxler Jr. His store was vital in building commerce and establishing credit for local residents.

There are a multitude of people in the congregation today, who, like Pat Frazier, are descendants of the church’s original founding members and the original settlers of the area. Pat Frazier, who’s been attending services at Spring Hill United Methodist for about 43 years, said her father remembers when men and women sat on separate sides of the sanctuary during worship. He was born in a house just down the road from the church. “Daddy’s been comin’ here for 78 years,” she said. That means her family has been attending the church for at least 121 of the 150 years it’s been in existence.

Feb 2022: Janet Malphurs, 63, grew up on Old Bellamy Road in Alachua. She remembers celebrating Christmases, Easters and other holidays on the lawn of Spring Hill United Methodist Church as a young girl. She is still an active member of the church and said her family has been involved there for as long as she can remember. But not many youths are involved at Spring Hill and most of its congregation is 50 or older. As a result, she worried it would soon be forgotten. “We don’t want this church to die,” Malphurs said.

Feb 2022: James Richardson, the pastor at Spring Hill. Richardson has a deep love for the church and has been a pastor there for over a decade. “The history of Spring Hill is ultimately responsible for us being here today,” he said. He told the dozens of people sitting on lawn chairs in front of the church the rich history that Spring Hill United Methodist Church has, including the fact that the pews in the church are originals that were handcrafted by slaves. According to the marker, the original church had two front doors for white people and a back door for enslaved people. Spring Hill United Methodist Church has been around since 1860 and was built by local Methodists. The century-and-a-half-year-old house of worship holds a unique place in Florida’s history. It was originally built as a place for slaves to hold services so they would continue to practice Christianity and not revert to native African religious practices. The land was purchased by five men for $50 total, according to the marker. During the Cedar Keys Hurricane in 1896, the church was severely damaged and needed to be repaired. In 1915, the church was completely rebuilt but still contained the original pews are the same ones hand-crafted by slaves 150 years ago and the organ which still remain. 2010: James Richardson, who was born and raised in High Springs, has been the pastor at Spring Hill United Methodist.

On September 25, 1868 Simon Dell sold land to Isham B. Thomas, 160 acres in Alachua for $1,000/Deed Book 2 - G580. Thomas Family heirs received 240 acres and other lands from Mary E. Thomas' will - order confirming sale of land to Jessie Mansfied Shaw, my great grand father, the 5th of August, 1878.

Phillis & Mattie 2022

Springhill Methodist Church Cemetery 2022

Mary Leila Dell Traxler

Quick Traxler Family History

William Henry Traxler 1812-1871 M: Ann Elizabeth Sanford 1825-1868

1~Martha Ellen Traxler 1848-1930 M: Joseph Downing 1834-1897

1~Ella Downing 1884-1966 M: Altom Lee Barlar 1884-1949

1~Dorothy Elizabeth Barlar 1912-1996 M: 1936 Joseph J Cataldo 1903-1957

2~Julia Elizabeth Traxler 1852-1917 M: Bennett Franklin Dell 1852-1935 s/o Joseph Dell 1753- & Martha Maxey B: 1772 apx GA -

1~Simeon C. Dell 1875–1957
2~Kate Dell Jones 1881–1929
3~William Maxey Dell 1891–1966

3~Mary Frances Traxler 1856-1871

4~William Henry Traxler 1857-1928 M: Mary Leila Dell 1863-1950, d/o Simeon Dell 1796–1869 & Williamina "Mina" Warren 1827–1910.

1~Leon William Traxler 1890–1975
2~Earle S Traxler 1891–1974
3~Mina Traxler Laws 1896–1921
4~Bennett Dell Traxler 1900–1986
5~Eva I Traxler 1906–1970

5~Ida G Traxler 1859 apx- M: G W Holland 1858-1902 Elisha Holland Cemetery, Pinkney, NC

6~Jefferson D Traxler 1860-1885 Malaria

7~Eliza A. Traxler (twin) 1864–1881, in childbirth M: 1880 George Laserno Bryant 1860-1908, was an Alachua County Deputy and the Town Marshal at High Springs, FL., pictured below.