Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: Built on this site by General William Bailey in 1851, the mill was one of the first industrial experiments in Florida. It contained 1,500 spindles and forty looms and employed sixty-five white laborers. During the War Between the States he kept his products 50 percent below prevailing market prices, incurring an estimated $300,000 personal loss. Because of his patriotism, the mill was one of the few not commandeered by the Confederates. The enterprise collapsed during reconstruction.