The history of Dog Island and Carrabelle Florida includes a wonderful mix of Indians, shipping, bootlegging, logging and war. Click through the tabs below to find out more about Carrabelle's rich history!

Rio Carrabella was the name of the town recognized by the first post office in this area and was said to mean "beautiful river". Early settlers in the area, both Indians and early Europeans, hunted the bountiful game for food and furs, which were then shipped out of St. Marks.

The Picketts Clan arrived in the Franklin County area around 1855, when the acquired considerable land at the Apalachicola Land Company auction at that time. Their properties surrounded the New River area and gave the name Pickett’s Harbour to an area near the mouth of the New River at St. George Sound.

Micajah Pickett and Rachel K. Pickett, his wife purchased the Southeast one quarter of Section 19 and the Southwest One Quarter of Section 20, Township 7 South, range 4 West, from George S. Hawkins, agent for the Apalachicola Land Company.

Carrabelle's boom time came after the Civil War when lumber and naval stores were the most important commodities. In 1875 the first lumber mill was established - cutting pine and cypress from up river and in swamps, and shipping it to the north. Ships, mainly schooners, would come through and pass and drop anchor behind Dog Island in Ballast Cove, so named because the ships would drop their ballast before sailing into Carrabelle to pick up their cargo. You may to this day, find ballast rock in the cove.

By 1893 there were many lumber and saw mills along the Carrabelle River and the downtown area was established around Coombs Mill, close to the mouth of the river, and a railroad station serviced trains carrying local products away from and necessities back to the town and its residents. He railroad brought tourists from Tallahassee to stay at the luxurious Lanark Springs Hotel, a popular resort at the time, as well. The town was incorporated in May, 1893 and during this time, the area flourished - docks were stacked high with lumber and turpentine.

A disastrous hurricane hit the town head on at the turn of the century and it was at this time that the downtown area was moved to its present location. The town was rebuilt, and many of today's larger buildings were built during the early part of the 1900's.

This was a boom time for Carrabelle. Lumber and turpentine were king. During a short period, Greek sailors came and began a flourishing sponge industry.

Between World War I and World War II, Carrabelle went into a severe economic slump. Fishing became the principal industry and along with the entire country, Carrabelle slipped into the depression. Prohibition was the law of the land, and smuggling became the career of choice. Caribbean smugglers frequented the quiet port town, and Alligator Point and the surrounding forests were believed to harbor the hideouts and caches of desperate men.

In 1942, with the entry of the United States into WW II, Camp Gordon Johnston was built and thousands of men were trained at the camp for amphibious assault in preparation for D-Day. For many it was the last stopover for those going to the Pacific or European theaters.

Carrabelle was also an important port for shipping oil. The oil was shipped from Texas, through the Intracoastal Waterway to Carrabelle and then on to Jacksonville through a pipeline, where it was loaded on ships for delivery to Europe. The pipeline began at what is now known as Three Rivers.

Built in 1895, the historic Crooked River Lighthouse replaced the storm ravaged Dog Island light, the lighthouse housed a lens built in Paris in 1894, and began using electricity in 1933. The lighthouse became automated in 1952, and was decommissioned in 1995. The valuable lens was removed from the facility and is now prominently displayed inside the U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Offices in New Orleans. Through the efforts of the local Crooked River Lighthouse Society, the lighthouse was recently re-commissioned and placed back in service in December, 2007.

In contrast to the towering, 103 foot tall lighthouse, Carrabelle is also home to the world’s smallest police station – actually a phone booth on Highway 98 right in the middle of town. The original 1960’s booth, preserved and displayed at the Carrabelle Chamber of Commerce has been featured on the "Today Show", "Ripley's Believe it or Not", "Real People", and "The Johnny Carson Show". Originally a legitimate law enforcement tool for the small rural community, the world’s smallest police station exemplifies the area’s unique character.