History

Curious about our past?

City of Carrabelle-Founded and Incorporated on December 24, 1881. Chartered in 1893 by the Florida Legislature
The history of Dog Island and Carrabelle, Florida, includes a wonderful mix of Indians, shipping, bootlegging, logging and battles. This charming town was a fishing village prior to the Civil War, isolated from the rest of Franklin County by the lack of bridges and paved roads. After the war, it became an internationally known lumber town, shipping wood from the hundreds of thousands of acres of surrounding virgin forest. Turpentine, distilled from pine sap, was shipped via schooners from the natural deep water port on the Carrabelle River.

To learn more about Carrabelle’s history, visit the Carrabelle History page of the Carrabelle History Museum’s website.

Camp Gordon Johnston World War II Museum

4,000 square foot WW II Museum across from Carrabelle Beach! Tuesday-Saturday 11 am - 5 pmFree admission, donations warmly accepted. Camp Gordon Johnston Museum is a World War II museum…

Carrabelle History Museum

Museum & Gift Shop Hours: Wednesday 12-5 pm, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 12-5 pm. The Carrabelle History Museum is truly a community treasure.  Housed in the…

Crooked River Lighthouse

Museum  and Gift Shop Hours: Wednesday thru Sunday - 11 -5 pm. (Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.) Also open extended hours during special events including Country Market (1st, 3rd, & 5th…

Dog Island Lighthouse-Replaced by Crooked River

The  Dog Island Lighthouse was the first lighthouse, a 50-foot  brick tower and was completed in 1839. A storm in 1842 destroyed the keeper's house and badly damaged the lighthouse…

World’s Smallest Police Station

In the early 1960's, Carrabelle's police phone was located in a call box that was bolted to a building at the corner of U.S. Highway 98 and Tallahassee Street. During…