Boomtown on the Blue Run: An Old-Florida Native Tips His Hat to Dunnellon

Howdy, friend. Name’s Old Cypress Joe—been kickin’ around the Nature Coast since mullet were mustache-length and “GPS” meant “Get. Paddlin. Son!!!” Now pull up a crate at The Prop Stop and let me spin you a Dunnellon yarn—part history, part river mist, and all Florida.

Where the Name “Dunnellon” Sprang From (No, Not a Melon)

Back in the late 1800s, folks were laying rails and chasing fortunes. A well-known Ocala banker and railroad man by the name of John F. Dunn had his hands in both. When a settlement popped up along the Withlacoochee and the short, jewel-toned waterway we call Blue Run, townsfolk tipped their hats and stitched his name into the map. Thus: Dunn + (e)llon—Dunnellon. Does “ellon” mean anything special? Not really—just rolls off the tongue like a cane pole slipping off the dock.

A Short History Told on a Front Porch

• Before the Boom: Long before rail spikes and ribbon-cuttings, Native peoples traveled these waters, fished these runs, and read the river like a family Bible.

• 1889—Phosphate Fever: Word got out that the earth around Dunnellon was hiding phosphate, the sort of thing that turns a piney woods village into a boomtown overnight. Mines opened, payrolls fattened, and trains clattered out with rock headed for fertilizer plants near and far.

• Rails, Roads, and Rainbow: The railroad cinched the place together, and the nearby first-magnitude spring—today’s Rainbow Springs—drew sightseers with water so clear you could count the freckles on a sunfish. A companion company town, Juliette, fluttered briefly near the headsprings like a mayfly in springtime.

• Boom to Balance: As the first big phosphate rush ebbed in the early 1900s, Dunnellon found its footing in timber, farming, and river-borne commerce, then leaned into tourism—the honest kind where folks come to float, fish, and forget the time.

Dunnellon Today: Where the Rainbow Meets the Withlacoochee

These days, Dunnellon wears its history like a well-loved fishing shirt—soft, sturdy, and full of pockets.

• Rainbow Springs State Park: A sapphire ribbon of 72°F water year-round, dressed in man-made waterfalls from the attraction era and gardens that make butterflies sign leases. Kayakers, swimmers, and tubers drift by like dandelion fluff.

• Blue Run of Dunnellon Park: This is the short connector—the Blue Run—where Rainbow River meets the Withlacoochee right by town. It’s a front-row seat to otters at play, turtles sunbathing like retirees, and the odd heron practicing patience.

• Historic District Charm: Dunnellon’s Historic Village and downtown tuck in vintage storefronts, porches with stories, and the kind of antique shops that smell like cedar chests and good luck.

• Boomtown Days: Every year (check the calendar, sugar), the town tips its cap to its phosphate past with Boomtown fun—crafts, music, and stories that grow a little taller with each retelling.

• Trails & Tales: The Withlacoochee State Trail rolls nearby for cyclists and daydreamers, while anglers hunt largemouth bass in river curls that look hand-drawn by a poet.

River Etiquette from Old Cypress Joe

A place this pretty deserves gentle hands and good manners:

• Pack In, Pack Out: If it didn’t grow on a tree, don’t leave it by one.

• Mind the Manatees & Wildlife: Give critters space to do critter things.

• Know Before You Go: Parks and the City set rules for paddling, fishing, and yes, even buzzing sky-cameras—check local guidelines before you launch anything that floats or flies.

• Share the Shine: Smile at strangers. You’re probably gonna see ’em again at the boat ramp, the bait shop, or the ice-cream window.

Five Fun Nuggets to Drop at the Dock

1. Two Rivers, One Story: Dunnellon sits at the confluence of Rainbow River and the Withlacoochee, a natural crossroads that’s lured travelers for centuries.

2. Glass-Bottom Yesterday: Rainbow Springs once ran as a classic Old-Florida attraction—gardens, waterfalls, and glass-bottom boats—the kind your granddaddy still brags about.

3. Phosphate Built the Stage: The phosphate boom didn’t just pay the bills; it laid streets, brought the railroad, and made Dunnellon a pin you could find on any good map.

4. A Blue Run That’s Really Green: The Blue Run looks teal in the sun, green in the shade, and always clear enough to make you rethink bottled water.

5. Porch-Perfect Sunsets: Evening in Dunnellon paints the cypress knees and river bends like a Sunday sermon—quiet, golden, and convincing.

If You’re Headed This Way

• Float the Rainbow: Start at KP Hole or inside Rainbow Springs State Park, and drift downstream like a contented manatee.

• Launch & Lunch: Paddle the Blue Run early, then mosey into town for barbecue, tacos, or a slice of something sweet—your paddle’s earned it.

• Stroll & Browse: Park once, wander the historic storefronts, and collect a tale or two from locals who measure time in rainfall and river levels.

Why Dunnellon Endures

Some towns grow up and forget what made ’em special; Dunnellon just learned to share its rivers without spilling its soul. The past is still on the porch, but the future’s out on the water—guided by outfitters, watched over by park rangers, and loved by folks who know that clear water and kind neighbors are riches you can’t mine.

So that’s Dunnellon, friend—Boomtown heart, spring-fed soul. If you listen close at sundown, you can hear the river humming the old songs and polishing new ones. And if you see a pair of dots in the sky moving a little too smooth to be birds? Well, that’s just modern storytellers catching Dunnellon’s good side.

Y’all be sweet to the water, and the water will be sweet to you.