Holopaw, Florida

Holopaw is an unincorporated community in Osceola County, Florida, United States. It is located at the eastern end of the multiplex of highways US 192 and US 441. It has a population of fewer than 5,000 people and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Map of Holopaw, St Cloud, FL 34773, USA

Holopaw, a Creek Indian word meaning "Walkway" or "Pavement", was a stop along the Kissimmee Valley extension of the FEC railroad. JM Griffin began a sawmill operation here in 1923, building streets and houses for his employees. Holopaw was a company owned town, with most employees renting their homes and frequenting the factory owned general store. The JM Griffin Lumber Company became the largest operation in the St Cloud area, employing over 500 people. It also featured one of the first all-electric sawmills in the country. The mill lasted until 1931, closing during the Great Depression. A new mill owned by the Peavy-Wilson Lumber Co. opened in 1935, employing more than one thousand timber, turpentine, and sawmill workers. At the town's peak it had more than 2,000 people. When the railroad line was discontinued, the mill closed, bringing an end to the town. Most residents left to seek employment elsewhere, and the postal service was discontinued in 1954.

There are also substantial operations involving cattle ranching, timber, and citrus in the area around Holopaw. The Bull Creek Wildlife Management Area is located a few miles east on US 192. [1]