Welcome to Seville
William Lent, a vice president of the Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West Railroad, founded the town of Seville in 1882 along the railroad right of way.
Taking advantage of the location, he set about to build a community. He founded the Bank of Seville and built a large brick residence for himself.
Teaming up with some northern investors, they started work on a grand scale hotel.
Next the group built a complex water system costing $60,000.
The relationship between Lent and his backers became strained and then bitter and Lent took his own life at his Seville home in 1889.
Today with limited commercial development and a largely rural /agricultural base, Seville is a quiet community on busy highway 17.