Anyone with knowledge of Cosmo?

[bobsim]

 Hello, I have posted this in the "history" forum without response. I am hoping someone will share their knowledge of the Cosmo area. All I know about it is it was once a stop on the JM&P RR and it was a community of freed slaves. If you can add to this I would appreciate it.

[Ocklawaha]

Hello, I have posted this in the "history" forum without response. I am hoping someone will share their knowledge of the Cosmo area. All I know about it is it was once a stop on the JM&P RR and it was a community of freed slaves. If you can add to this I would appreciate it.

Sorry I missed this bobsim, BTW, WELCOME from the resident transportation monster...aka: historian. I have a book called "The Official Guide to The Railroad and Steamship Lines," circa 1894. Known in the business even today as "The Guide" these massive pulp paper "big Bible" size books contained every railroad, every steamship line in the USA, Canada and Mexico as well as most of Central America. They also contain schedules of every segment, every official, departments aand extensive maps of (most) railroads. They were published monthly and could be used by ticket agents anywhere to book a trip on any number of routings, as well as connections to tiny obscure lines such as the "Jump Men and Push", aka: Jacksonville, Mayport and Pablo (Pablo Beach, and Ruby, predate Jacksonville Beach and Atlantic Beach name). Railroads used an extensive system of notes +, -, ^, *, etc... as a simple code. That code might tell us more about what you are looking for. For example once we locate cosmo, if it has " y" note, we know trains turned around there. No train turns around without a reason, which tells us something of the importance of the community to the Railroad. Other symbols might indicate a water tank (frankly thousands of named places were nothing more then a windmill, and water tank). In the Rocky Mountains, and Sierra Nevada, as well as roads such as Florida's Ocklawaha Valley RR, water tanks were not needed. Trains were fed by a rushing mountain stream above the tracks, with a flume and water pipe, on the the case of the OV, skirting as it did the Ocala National Forest, simply tossed a hose into the crystal waters of Silver Springs or Orange Springs and kick on the pumps. Yet a station with a symbol for a wood or coal platform, tells us somebody(s) had to be living there and made a living chopping wood or loading coal (a better clue then a water tank). The schedules are marked off to the 1/10th of a mile, so one can locate the many communities that we don't have today.

I'll see what I can dig up on at least the rail aspect.

OCKLAWAHA

[Ocklawaha]

OFFICAL GUIDES? Hey guys we NEED to push our public library's to buy selected copy's of the guide on disc's. There are a scattering of guides now in digital form from the earliest dates to the present. They make for a GREAT reference tool.

OCKLAWAHA

[bobsim]

 Thanks OCKLAWAHA, looking forward to your input. Going out today to knock on some old doors in the area. It appears you have a background in the railroads, you may enjoy reading my cache on the JM&P. The link to the virtual tour is a lot of fun.
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=3bd14a81-e1b0-4560-be7e-9c77fe458023

[Scarlettjax]

All I know is from word of mouth - two families I know who lived in the Cosmo area were the McQueens and the Bartleys.  There are still some Bartleys living in the area; that may be a good place to start.  There is also an old cemetary near a road called Rifle Run, if memory serves me correctly, that may have some names that will help too.  They tried to move the cemetary back in the 1980's for development, but I believe that didn't happen. 

When I was much younger, I used to ride my bike out that way quite a bit, and remember it being called Cosmo by some of the folks I talked with at a 7-11 located on the corner of the McCormick/Ft. Caroline Road split. 

[bobsim]

 Scarlettjax, Thank you very much, I believe the cemetery you talked about is known as the Palm Springs Cemetery. I'm assuming a lot here as I am learning as I go. The Palm Springs is a few hundred feet from Rifle Run Rd. and the name Bartley appears here. I will include a link, maybe some other names are familiar to you?
http://files.usgwarchives.net/fl/duval/cemetery/palm.txt
  There is another cemetery nearby known as the McCormick / Cosmo cemetery that I plan on visiting tomorrow but I'm afraid the name Cosmo appears for location sake only.
  You are spot on w/location. I seem to remember an old sign pertaining to Cosmo in the McCormick/Fort Caroline Rd. junction area probably 20 years ago(+-.)
  I found some helpful information at the archery club in the area and have a name to find which may lead to some first hand knowledge.
  Thanks again and folks don't be shy- if you have anything to add I would appreciate it!