Tour Guide of Historic Alachua County History of Traxler and Bellamy Road Virtual Tour of Traxler Virtual Tour of Bellamy Road Traxler William H. Traxler, son of settlers from South Carolina, was born near the natural bridge in Columbia County in 1854. In the 1880's he acquired property in Alachua County on the Bellamy Road, opened a general store, and began farming. He married the daughter of Simeon Dell, Mary Lelia, in 1889. Prospering, he increased his holdings and enlarged the commissary. The post office, established in 1891 with Mr. Traxler as postmaster, was discontinued in 1906. At one time the community had a one-room school, a number of tenant farm homes, a cotton gin, grist mill, and church. Bellamy Road Representatives of the legislative council of the Territory of Florida, concerned by the difficulty of travel from St. Augustine to Pensacola, petitioned -the U.S. Congress in 1823 for authorization of a road linking the two major towns of Florida. The sum of $20,000 was appropriated in February 1824 by the 18th Congress "for a survey and the opening of a public road across northern section of the Territory of Florida." The road was to be 25 feet wide and stumps were to be cut to within 12 inches of the ground so that wagon axles would clear them. John Bellamy, surveyor and engineer, was given $13,500 to build the eastern half of the road from Picolata, on the St. Johns River, to the Ochlockonee River. Using his own equipment and slaves, this section was completed by May of 1826 after delays by rains and Indian attacks. The Bellamy Road crossed what is now Alachua County from just south of Santa Fe Lake to the natural bridge over the Santa Fe River, roughly following the old Spanish trail. This first Federal highway in Florida opened the interior of the north Florida region to settlers. This information has been taken from the Alachua County Historical Tour Series Brochure, published by the Alachua County Historical Commission, and sponsored by the Alachua County Commission (1986).