In the 1860’s the area now occupied by Inverness was settled by A. D. Tompkins,
and was appropriately named Tompkinsville. In order to attract more settlers, he
erected a sawmill and established mail service. His brother-in-law Frank Dampier
laid out the town and built a general store.
Logging was a booming business in central Florida, and the Tompkinsville sawmill
attracted many settlers with the promise of jobs. By the late 1800's, the town
had a reported population of about 250 people. In addition to the original area
homesteaded by Tompkins, many additional land purchases were made which expanded
the town's boundaries.
In 1887, Citrus County was created when the huge area of
Hernando County was split into Citrus, Hernando, and Pasco Counties. With the
creation of the new Citrus County, a county seat had to be chosen. The town of
Mannfield was promoted as a likely candidate since it was also a thriving
sawmill town – and was located at almost the exact center of the newly formed
Citrus County. It was chosen as the temporary county seat. But in a county
election, Tompkinsville received the most votes to be the new seat of government
for Citrus County starting in 1891. The choice was affirmed in 1893 when a
railroad was built – bypassing Mannfield and going through Tompkinsville
instead.
Mannfield quickly withered away and became a ghost town that was absorbed by the
Withlacoochee State Forest. Nothing remains of it except a few scattered
foundations and the Mannfield Cemetery.
Sometime in the 1890's, a Jacksonville company agreed to purchase the town of
Tompkinsville and build a new courthouse as part of the bargain. Subsequently,
the town name was changed to Inverness. Legend has it that a prominent member of
the firm that purchased the town was a Scotsman, and the view over the numerous
lakes to the east reminded him of his hometown, Inverness, Scotland.
Inverness promotes itself as a "bicycle friendly" city, anchored by the
Withlacoochee State Trail – the longest paved multi-use trail in Florida. In the
historic downtown area you can still visit the historic courthouse building,
where the Citrus County Historical Society operates a history museum. The
building is known for its copper cupola and clock tower, and was featured in the
1961 Elvis Presley movie "Follow That Dream".
You may also want to visit the newly renovated Valerie Theatre, which dates from
the 1920's silent film era. And finally, the Crown Hotel, originally constructed
in 1880, is one of the oldest buildings in town – although it has been converted
to an assisted living facility.
Inverness is also home to a variety of annual festivals. In keeping with its UK
rooted name, the city hosts one of the largest St. Patrick's day celebrations in
Florida, including a parade and street party. The Cootertober Festival is a
month long celebration held at various locations downtown during October.
Activities & Facilities
Hotel or B&B
Restaurant
Museum or Visitor Center
Playground
Picnic shelter
Dogs allowed
Dog park
Short hiking trails
Long hiking trails
Paved bike trails
Mountain bike trails
Swimming
Fishing