This old general store stands in the Withlacoochee State Forest east of Ridge Manor. The Richloam General Store once held the post office for the small town of Richloam. In 1921, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) decided to relocate its depot in Riverland to Richloam. Soon after, in 1922, Postmaster Lucius Sidney “Sid” Brinson moved the Riverland Post Office to the growing community of Richloam and opened a general store. The store and post office operated until the late 1930s, when the Great Depression forced the railroad to close the depot. In 1936, Brinson closed the store and post office and relocated to Sarasota. He rented the building as a residence to the Mills family until the 1950s. After sitting vacant until 1973, Brinson’s nephew, John Brinson, acquired the property. John Brinson’s son, Eric Burkes renovated the general store and reopened it in 2016. It still operates as a store and a nice place to stop while on a road trip exploring the back roads of Florida.
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