Old Myakka General Store Still Attracts Visitors
August 10, 2013
On April 7 Janet and I drove out to Old Myakka (also spelled Miakka), an unincorporated community not far from the back entrance to the Myakka River State Park. There we were enthralled by the remnants of an old general store. (So have been others; see the painting and drawing or photoshopped image I found on the web.) First, a snapshot, so you can see the whole building. Then the fun of details. A history most likely written in 1984 but posted on the Internet in or after 2003 says the building is (or was in 1984) owned by descendants of the original owner. A couple walking their dogs down the road beside the building told us the people next door owned the building, so it’s likely they are those descendants. The Old Myakka community “was settled around 1850 by a party of cattlemen. The population in 1885 was estimated to be about 100. Before the turn of the century, Miakka residents had established a school, church, post office, country store, and a telephone service. Miakka has retained its agricultural base, but today only the Methodist church remains from the original town structures. Miakka is now a residential community without stores, schools, or commercial establishments.” That still holds true in 2013.
Update, September 5, 2013: State, federal, and private grants are being sought to restore the Old Myakka general store. A relevant website features another painting, and links to other photographs of the building.
Romancing Reality 