Mabel is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
in central
Sumter County, Florida
Sumter County is a County (United States), county located in the Central Florida, central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 129,752, and was estimated to be 154,693 in 202 ...
, United States. The postal codes are 33597, which is shared by
Webster to the northwest and 33514, which is shared by
Center Hill to the north.
Geography
Mabel is bordered by the
Withlacoochee State Forest
The Withlacoochee State Forest is in the western central part in the US state of Florida, near Lecanto, Inverness, Floral City, Brooksville, Ridge Manor, and Dade City. The forest was named for the Withlacoochee River, which passes thro ...
to the south,
Linden to the west, Center Hill to the north, and
Lake County to the east.
Transportation and economy
The main road through Mabel is
State Road 50
The following highways are numbered 50:
International
* European route E50
Brazil
* BR-050
Canada
* Alberta Highway 50
* Manitoba Highway 50
* Newfoundland and Labrador Route 50
* Ontario Highway 50 (Also referred to as Peel Regional Road 5 ...
. Two abandoned railroad lines also run through Mabel. One was the
Orange Belt Railway
The Orange Belt Railway (later known as the Sanford & St. Petersburg Railroad) was a narrow gauge railroad established in 1885 by Russian exile Peter Demens in Florida. It was one of the longest narrow gauge railroads in the United States at t ...
line that spans from
Trilby
A trilby is a narrow-brimmed type of hat. The trilby was once viewed as the rich man's favored hat; it is sometimes called the "brown trilby" in UK, BritainBernhard Roetzel, Roetzel, Bernhard (1999). ''Gentleman's Guide to Grooming and Style''. B ...
in
Pasco County
Pasco County is a county located on the west central coast in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2024, the population of the county is 656,851, making it the tenth-most populous county in the state. Its county seat is Dade City, and its largest c ...
to Sylvan Lake in
Seminole County. The other was a
Seaboard Air Line Railroad
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , known colloquially as the Seaboard Railroad during its time, was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime ri ...
line that spans from
Coleman
Coleman may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Coleman Glacier (Antarctica)
* Coleman Peak, Ross Island
Canada
* Coleman, Alberta
* Coleman, Ontario
* Coleman, Prince Edward Island
United Kingdom
* Coleman, Leicester, England
United States
* C ...
to
Auburndale in
Polk County.
Aside from local farms, the main attraction of Mabel is the northern terminus of the
General James A. Van Fleet State Trail, which runs along the former railroad line between Coleman and Auburndale. SR 50 ran over a bridge above the former SAL line, and was kept for a future extension of the trail toward Coleman, aimed primarily at horse riders. The extension was never built, and the bridge was demolished in the early-2010s by the
Florida Department of Transportation
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the U.S. state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the power ...
.
SR 50 Mabel Bridge Reconstruction (Central Florida Roads; FDOT)
/ref>
History
Mabel began in the late 1800s, receiving a Post Office in 1894. The town was named after the daughter of Postmaster J.P. Phelps. This was a small community of 40-50 people, with a sawmill that made bean hampers (wooden fruit baskets) and other wood products. There was also a packing house called "Maybell". The sawmill and packing house closed as the residents slowly migrated to nearby Linden. The Post Office closed in 1918 and Mabel has remained a quiet spot on the map ever since.
References
External links
Mabel, Florida (ePodunk.com)
{{authority control
Unincorporated communities in Sumter County, Florida
Unincorporated communities in Florida