Citrus County Florida

Mannfield :: Lat 28.784 Lon -82.444
The village of Mannfield (geographically located in the center of the newly created county) was selected to be the acting Citrus County seat for two years, after which a vote of the county electors was to decide the permanent site. Two factions soon developed: the supporters of Mannfield and those wishing to transfer the county seat to Inverness. Various inconclusive elections were held. On May 4, 1891 Inverness won by a close vote. The controversy continued, however, and at times erupted into physical violence, since the Mannfield faction refused to accept the election results. Finally, this faction obtained a court injunction to block the transfer of the courthouse to Inverness

To affect the transfer before the injunction could be served the Inverness faction moved the county government in the middle of the night some time during the month of May 1891, transferring all county records, court furniture and fixtures in wagons brought for that purpose. The County Clerk, Captain W. C. Zimmerman, refused to move, and so was lifted up in his chair and placed in a wagon. Upon his arrival in Inverness, Zimmerman was unloaded and told to declare Inverness the new county seat.

On March 9th, 2006 we paid a visit to what is left of Mannfield, now located in the Withlacoochee State forest.

Slide Show of our visit

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