Italia, Florida

It was located at milepost 18 on the Florida Transit Railway, which ran from Fernandina on the Atlantic coast to Cedar Key on the Gulf of Mexico.

Bricks made at Italia were used in residential and commercial buildings in Fernandina and other locations in northeast Florida.

By 1885 the thriving village had over 300 inhabitants from Georgia, South Carolina, Maryland and Pennsylvania and a few Italian families from New England.

MacWilliams named the place "Italia" after a then-current Florida marketing campaign which promoted the state as "America's Italy" for its temperate climate and peninsular shape.

Italia's main asset was always the railroad which carried the brick, lumber, shingles, turpentine and rosin to market.