Route #10 Lily - Lake Manatee - Rye - Oak Knoll

This route travels through the rural interior of southwestern Florida, crossing former settlements and areas historically linked to agriculture, cattle ranching, and water management. The route connects small communities such as Lily, Rye, and Oak Knoll, whose names now survive mainly in historical maps and local references.

One of the central points of the journey is Lake Manatee, a reservoir created in the early twentieth century to supply water to the region’s growing population. The construction of the lake permanently transformed the landscape, flooding former agricultural lands and altering traditional routes of communication.

The surroundings alternate between secondary roads, wooded areas, and open land where the human presence is discreet but constant. Remnants of infrastructure, lines of trees, and old roadways reveal the importance these communities once held at a time when Florida’s interior depended almost entirely on natural resources and local transportation.

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