Old Florida

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Back to Basics in Barberville

On my first visit to the Barberville Pioneer Settlement I virtually had the entire place to myself. As a fan of Old Florida architecture, I was in heaven. The collection of buildings that make up the settlement is spectacular. But when I pulled up on Saturday, a sheriff's deputy pointed me to a parking lot in a field a quarter mile away from the action. The line waiting on a shuttle bus was long and I was pleased that hundreds of other folks had chosen to spend the first chilly day of Autumn at the Fall Country Jamboree.

The Barberville Pioneer Settlement, located just north of DeLeon Springs near the eastern edge of the St. Johns River, began in 1976 as the Barberville Settlement for the Creative Arts. The primary structure is a wonderfully restored schoolhouse, but the grounds are full of historic structures including a railroad depot, church, Cracker cabin, and shotgun shack. On my first visit to the Fall Jamboree, it was immediately apparent that I needed to shift my focus from the architecture of the place to the people packing it, as the grounds of the museum were full of interesting faces.

I was soon engulfed in music: Bluegrass, Folk, Roots music, and old fashioned Country Music. There were stages on the back of the Pierson railroad depot, in the little country church, in the rustic barn, and in spots scattered throughout the grounds. But many times the musicians would simply find an unoccupied piece of real estate, take out their instruments and break into impromptu song. In some cases, that's where the best music came from.

My Father came from the Appalachians and I grew up listening to Country Music, Southern Gospel, and Bluegrass. As a kid I loved rock and roll, and hated it when my Dad would play his Willie Nelson eight track over and over and over... But as I've grown older, I find that somehow his musical tastes have wormed their way into my subconscious, and when I hear the music my Dad loved, I have strong emotional connection to it. In short, as I wondered the grounds of this Old Florida celebration, my heart was full and I had a tear in my eye every time I heard one my Pop's favorite tunes. He passed away less than a year ago, and I think of him often, especially at gatherings like this one.

But I was not the only one who seemed to be have a grand time on this day. Just take look at the photos. There is another celebration in Barberville in the Spring. I'll be back.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Ft. Meade and Phosphates

One of the benefits of doing speaking events around the state for my book "Finding the Fountain of Youth" is getting to visit interesting places. Last year I spoke on the tiny island of Matlacha and in the amazing mid-century modern auditorium at Tampa's downtown library. This year I've discovered the Heritage Village in Largo, the historical museum on Amelia Island and most recently I spoke at a small church for the Garden Club of Ft. Meade. The ladies of the Garden Club saw an article about my presentation at the Polk County History Center in nearby Bartow and invited me back to "Imperial Polk County."

Ft. Meade's origins go back to the Seminole Indian Wars when a fort was established at the town's location to protect a nearby homestead and because it was geographically half way between the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. The fort was named after its founder Lt. George Gordon Meade, an "aggressive" soldier who gained fame for commanding Union troops at the Civil War battle of Gettysburg.

Today Ft. Meade is in the heart of phosphate mining operations, and according to one Garden Club member, that is what helped the town maintain its historic charm. The large number of mines surrounding the town have actually acted as buffer from the rampant growth and development that has engulfed the rest of the state.

A Google maps satellite view of the area surrounding Ft. Meade.
Further north is Mosaic Peace Park with its historical marker for Kissengen Spring.

As I arrived for my speaking event I noticed how none of the churches lined up along the main road had parking lots – folks just parked in the grass. The neighborhood surrounding the church had some outstanding historic homes, both modest and grand, and I allowed myself some time to drive around a bit and take a few pictures. After my speaking event I visited the small museum located in Ft. Meade's first indoor school building. The 1885 structure also served as a boarding house and it opened to the public as a museum in September of 2000. Packed with artifacts and photos from the area's past, the museum tells the tale of this community that is so closely tied to the mining industry.

Image from the Ft. Meade Historical Museum.

Phosphate Mining

According to wikipedia, phosphate refers to rock or ore containing phosphate ions that are mined for use for industry and agriculture. Ft. Meade is located in what is known as Bone Valley, an area comprising portions of Hardee, Hillsborough, Manatee and Polk Counties. The name Bone Valley refers to the deposits of fossilized bones, many of which have been discovered during the phosphate mining process. The phosphate was accidently discovered by Captain Francis LeBaron of the Army Corps of Engineers in 1881, when he was surveying the Peace River for a route to connect the St. Johns River to Charlotte Harbor. At first mining was done on sandbars in the Peace River, but eventually dredges were used. It's impossible to visit Ft. Meade without seeing the evidence of the mining operations from the enormous piles of mining waste byproducts stacked by the road, to the logo for the local high school nicknamed the "fighting miners."

Phosphate mine at the Peace River in Ft. Meade, 1890s
State Archives of Florida.

Phosphate mining – location unknown.
State Archives of Florida.

Phosphate mining postcard, State Archives of Florida.

Phosphate dredge boat, circa 1890s.
State Archives of Florida.

Mulberry Phosphate Museum

A month earlier after a speaking in engagement in nearby Bartow, I visited the Phosphate Museum in the tiny town of Mulberry. I knew of the museum only though my discovery of wonderful photos showing vintage dinosaur murals at the museum in the state archives.

Visitors viewing an exhibit at the Phosphate Museum - Mulberry, 1960.
State Archives of Florida.

"The bones of these creatures plus remains of numerous sea animals are found in the vast phosphate deposits of central Florida. Florida supplies three-fourths of the nation's phosphate."
State Archives of Florida.

Child viewing painting of dinosaur on display at the Mulberry Phosphate Museum, 1950s.
State Archives of Florida.

Contemporary images from the Mulberry Phosphate Museum.

While the dinosaur murals were gone, the museum was packed with fossils and full size replicas of a mastodon and a saber tooth tiger. There was also a new wing created by Mosaic, the giant phosphate mining corporation. It was a charming museum, as was the one in Ft. Meade, with lots of information about the industry that dominates this region of Florida.

Swift & Co. miner creating slurry with pressurized water at a phosphate rock mine south of Ft. Meade, 1941. State Archives of Florida.

Farm writers see "Super Scooper" in action at the Noralyn phosphate mine, 1956.
State Archives of Florida.

Sand Mountain

"If you grew up in Polk County, Florida in the 1950s or 1960s you remember the man-made phenomena, Sand Mountain." - Lake Wales Public Library.
Photo from the State Archives of Florida.

Interestingly at the museum in Ft. Meade there was little about about Sand Mountain. "Created for recreational usage from the sand dredged in the phosphate industry, Sand Mountain was a favorite weekend spot for locals." according to the Lake Wales Public Library.

Skiers on Sand Mountain, State Archives of Florida.
The mountain was a byproduct of mining operations.

Kissengen Spring

At both lectures I spoke about Kissengen Spring, the spring that lost almost all of its water flow when its water was "captured for other uses." Members of the audience remembered this spring that dried up in the 1950s. Phosphate mining has been part of this part state for generations and I find its history fascinating. But I believe it is of critical importance that we use what happened to this community's treasured spring as an example, so that we never make the same mistake again.

Detail from newspaper article about Kissengen Spring from the Polk County Historical Society.

This historical marker is located at Mosaic Peace Park between Bartow and Ft. Meade.

Kissengen Spring was a beloved Polk County recreational resource,
image from the Polk County Historical Society.

John Moran photo at the site of Kissengen Springs.

Attendees of both Polk County lectures seemed receptive to my message documenting the decline I had witnessed in Florida's springs. The ladies of the Ft. Meade Garden Club were on board with support of Amendment 1, the Florida Water and Land Legacy, an effort to ensure that there are no more 'disappearing' springs in the future. As I explored the charming town of Ft. Meade, I felt buoyed in my determination to get my message out, encouraged by the support of the sweet little old ladies in the heart of phosphate country.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

A Historic Enterprise

It was March of the year 2000 and the quickly expanding city of Deltona was considering annexing the tiny town of Enterprise into their city limits. Deltona was a relatively recent invention, founded by the Mackie Brothers as a retirement community called Deltona Lakes in 1962. By the end of the 20th century it had eclipsed Daytona as the most populous city in Volusia County. Concerned citizens of historically rich Enterprise gathered and the result of that meeting was the creation of the Enterprise Preservation Society. Their first act was to survey residents and they learned that folks living in Enterprise had a strong desire to keep the town's history alive. In 2006 Volusia County approved a "historic overlay which designates Enterprise as a historic village" according to wikipedia.

The area was originally settled by indigenous people thousands of years ago, evidence of which was found in large shell middens deposited in the area. An image of the "Enterprise Mound" was reproduced in a 1875 book by Jeffries Wyman. During the Seminole Wars of the 1800s, a defensive encampment known as Ft. Kingsbury was erected in Enterprise to protect the area from attacking Seminoles. Even though large plantations existed up and down the St. Johns River since the 1700s, a group of settlers led by Cornelius Taylor homesteaded in the area in the 1840s, establishing the foundation for the future town. Taylor built one of the earliest hotels for guests to take the waters near Green Springs on the north bank of Lake Monroe.

Enterprise became the county seat of the enormous Mosquito County in 1843 (the state originally had only two counties: Escambia to the west and Mosquito to the east.) Mosquito County included the present Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Osceola, Orange Polk, Seminole, Lake and Palm Beach Counties. For a brief time Enterprise was also the county seat of Volusia County as well.

The Brock House was host to famous folks like Grover Cleveland, Ulysses S. grant, General William Sherman and a host of Vanderbilts and Rockefellers. State Archives of Florida.

Advertisement for the Brock House, State Archives of Florida

Engraving showing visitors to the Brock House, State Archives of Florida.

In 1856, steamboat captain Jacob Brock built a 100-room wooden hotel in Enterprise, known as the Brock House. Nearby sulphur springs were offered as an amenity for visitors for those seeking to take the waters for health purposes. The hotel was later renamed the Benson Springs Inn.

Jacob Brock's influence lingers throughout Enterprise, even today.

Board and batten Carpenter Gothic church close to the former location of the Brock House.

The mineral laden waters of nearby Green Springs.

Green Springs is located in a beautiful Volusia County Park.

Historically Green Springs was a location for taking the waters
but more recently it was used a local swimming hole.

Green Springs, circa 1890s, State Archives of Florida

Interpretive signage explains the spring's history.

In 2004 the Enterprise Preservation Society took possession of a 1930s schoolhouse from Volusia County and moved it 500 feet down the road. They have painstakingly restored the two-story building, filling it with displays highlighting Enterprises fascinating history. The grand opening of the Enterprise Heritage Center and Museum this past weekend was marked with speeches, re-enactors, bluegrass, and barbecue. Everyone seemed jovial on this warm autumn day, with good reason. A small group of individuals came together to pull of the Herculean task of moving and restoring a building, preserving a community's history, and keeping their town from being assimilated into one of the fastest growing cities in the state. That's an accomplishment worthy of a celebration!