DUNNELLON, FL (352today.com) – Tucked between Rainbow Springs and Dunnellon once stood the tiny phosphate-era town of Juliette, a community lost to time and nearly wiped from local memory. Though it faded quietly in the early 20th century, Juliette played a significant role during the height of the region’s phosphate boom and may have been instrumental in Dunnellon’s early growth.
Juliette was established in the late 1800s by Captain Samuel Agnew, considered to be the first permanent resident. The town was centered around the same phosphate-rich lands that led to the explosive rise of Dunnellon. Some records suggest Juliette may have been founded before or alongside Dunnellon, though historians disagree on which town came first. The area’s phosphate deposits, discovered in 1889, brought wealth, workers, and railroads to the region nearly overnight.
Located just north of modern-day Dunnellon, near what is now Blue Run Park and the Rainbow River, Juliette was a fully functioning settlement with its own post office, stores, and residences. A rail line passed nearby, connecting the town to Ocala and beyond. Workers from the phosphate mines and river-related industries made up much of the population
What makes Juliette so mysterious today is how thoroughly it vanished. By the early 1900s, most of its residents and commerce had been absorbed by Dunnellon. As phosphate companies consolidated and shifted operations, Juliette slowly emptied. Some believe it was gradually annexed or outgrown by Dunnellon, while others cite economic migration or the depletion of local phosphate beds…