Chiles and His Florida: Lamont

Lamont is a "post office town" that sprouted up from nothing in 1848 as a rest stop between what were then the big cities in Florida--St. Augustine and Tallahassee. It's off US 90 and Chiles didn't go there as far as I know on the Walk in 1970. But it gives a flavor of how little has changed in the smaller parts of the Panhandle since 1970. If anything, it's gotten worse since Chiles strolled through.

Lamont is just about 20 miles east of Tally, but you get the quiet Jefferson County feel quick. There is no stoplight so it's easy to miss. But after driving by 4 times on the way to and from Lakeland, I finally had to stop.

Main Street. There is so little there other than empty wooden shacks, it's not hard to imagine mule-drawn wagons shuffling around the bend, laden with cotton.

Best-maintained building in the town. Baptist Church.

Get your peanuts!

There are a couple junk heaps like this.

As usual, a storm was brewin' on the way to Tally.

It's tough to get a good shot of clouds unless they're really weirdly configured like Mammatus clouds or something like that.