Route #6 — Cubitis · Moffit · Popash · Griffin’s Corner · Sweetwater

This route crosses Hardee County, one of the most rural and sparsely populated regions of inland Florida, passing through a series of former agricultural settlements that have now almost completely disappeared. Cubitis, Moffit, Popash, Griffin’s Corner, and Sweetwater were small communities that emerged around cattle ranching, farming, and the early transportation infrastructure of the late nineteenth century.

The landscape is dominated by wide open spaces, secondary roads, and land traditionally devoted to cultivation and grazing. Unlike other areas of the state, Hardee County has remained largely outside the influence of accelerated urban growth, preserving a distinctly rural character and a low population density.

Along the route, few visible traces of the original settlements remain: road junctions, lines of trees, and place names that survive mainly in historical maps. The route connects locations that existed for a brief but significant period, offering a direct view of an interior Florida that was left on the margins of large-scale urbanization.

The complete route and its historical context are included in Discovering Florida – Volume 1.