When seeking Eternal waters, it's good to have a man on the ground...

Perhaps the greatest lesson I've learned since the publication of my book is the value of making connections. Selling books or garnering publicity is not nearly as important as connecting with people who are passionate for the historical and natural assets of Florida. These moments of connection fill me with energy and validate my mission to create awareness of our state's historical, cultural, and environmental treasures.

The connections I've made on my book talks have helped me to learn a simple and obvious lesson: there some things that just cannot be gleaned from the internet or from books. Nothing can substitute for local knowledge from a resident who knows the area. I must admit that it's much easier to do research using Google, but a real human source is still an invaluable piece of the researching process.

Archival image of the Magnolia Hotel from the State Archives of Florida

The view of the St. Johns River from the State Archives of Florida

Magnolia Springs Hotel from the State Archives of Florida

Two weeks ago, the members of Clay County Historical Society took me to Magnolia Springs, site of a massive Gilded Age hotel that drew large numbers of wealthy northerners who arrived by steamboat. Located on the St. John River just north of Green Cove Springs, the exact location of the spring had eluded my grasp. I also questioned if it was an actual spring or Artesian well. I had searched diligently from my computer in Orlando, but it took a visit to Green Cove Springs and information from locals to solve the mystery. Located just up the road from Spring Park, the tiny spring run from Magnolia Springs still trickles into the St. Johns River.

Here's what the spring run looks like today.

Where the run meets the St. Johns River.

My wife and I with the gracious members of the Clay County Historical Society.

I also sought Enterprise Springs, a small 4th magnituder inside Volusia County's Green Springs Park in Enterprise, Florida. My first attempt to find the spring led me to a small mud puddle that clearly wasn't what I was looking for. But thanks to springs enthusiast Joe Cruz, who lives nearby, I was able to find the small sulphurous spring. The opaque water, like nearby Green Springs, is a wonderful blue-green hue, and the leaves in the spring run are coated with Sulphur eating bacteria. Joe also showed me and a couple fellow spring lovers several nearby seeps, where mineral waters squeeze through small openings along the banks of shallow creeks. A fragile place of fantastic details, the narrow branch form the seep had a mystical quality.

Travis leans into a shot.

My Florida history buddy Phil contemplates the eternal at Enterprise Springs

Looking much like Deer Moss, the white stuff present in the spring run
is actually Sulphur eating bacteria. 

Water flows from the hole to the right of the palm trunk from what I've dubbed "Joe's Seep".

There is beauty and magic in all of these places, and a visit to these sublime watery portals nourishes my soul. Although there was some signs of human activity like scattered trash nearby, they are mostly forgotten. Magnolia Springs, a premier destination around the turn of the century is so covered with underbrush that I never saw the head spring. The land around Enterprise Springs shows evidence of former shell middens, and may have been revered by native peoples for thousands of years before the arrival of the Europeans. An opportunity to to be in the presence of these places is like paying homage to nature's greatest wonders and rediscovering mysteries of history that have almost been forgotten. I am grateful to have learned that sometimes a guide is required to unlock these mini mysteries.

Spring hunters, l-r: Travis, Angel, Rick, and Joe
(Photo courtesy Travis Marques, taken by Phil Eschbach)

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!

Moving the schoolhouse. Images courtesy Kevin Finn.

Mark Matzinger dressed as Jacob Brock led the festivities.

Brilliant blue skies graced the grand opening
of the Enterprise Heritage Center and Museum.

Folks really know how to dress for an occasion in Enterprise!

Re-enactor portraying a comical Florida Cracker.

The Preservation Society received several gifts of archival photos
 of notable Enterprise citizens from the past.

Inside the restored schoolhouse

Detail from a desk in the schoolhouse.

Steamboats docked in Enterprise - photo in the Enterprise Heritage Center and  Museum.

The Enterprise Heritage Center and Museum is now open 
Tuesday and Friday 11 am to 3 pm; Saturday 9 am to 1 pm.

The State of Springs

I headed out early this Saturday to visit some of the springs closest to my home. I don't usually do much in-state adventuring during the summer months because: 1.) it's too damn hot and 2.) the light is usually crappy. But I was itching to take some pictures and I was really tired of hearing politicians talking about abandoning "cumbersome" environmental regulations and I wanted to see people enjoying the environment they are so willing to forsake.

Wekiva Springs
The closest spring to my house is Wekiva Springs State Park and I hit I-4 early enough to get there in just about 30 minutes. Wekiva Springs has been a favorite recreational spot for Central Floridians for a very long time: it was originally know as Clay Springs and the Orange County Regional History Center has great images of Victorian Floridians trying to beat the heat there. Home to one of my favorite canoe runs, I hadn't visited the springs themselves in several years.

I got to the park 15 minutes after opening and found a small group of tri-atheletes swimming in the clear blue waters. Otherwise I beat the crowds that usually cover the lawn surrounding the bowl-like swimming area with blankets, coolers and lawn chairs. It was very peaceful briefly, but the folks were streaming in rapidly to make the most of the last Saturday of summer before the public schools started.

Orange County Regional History Center

Rock Springs

Next up was Rock Springs, which I am embarrassed to say, I had never visited before. The entrance to this spring was through Orange County's Kelly Park, and I didn't beat the crowd here. In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it was the most crowded county park I've ever visited. But the facilities seemed to handle it well, and it was refreshing to see all sorts of folks enjoying the natural side of Florida.

Rock Springs was originally owned by planter from Georgia named Joseph Delk who moved there with a few slaves in the 1850s. After he passed away the land was sold to a lumber company and the property eventually made its way to the hands of Dr. Howard Kelly who donated the site to Orange County in 1926. On Saturday, the 248 acre park was a lively place as kids of all ages, (adults too), grabbed inner tubes and walked down to the rocky cliff where the water emerges from the aquifer. From there it's a 25 minute float to "lagoon" areas with sandy beaches. It's kind of like lazy river attraction at a water park, except mother nature provides the current. I can't wait to go back another time and try it out.

Green Springs

Soon I was soon back on the road cutting through Mt. Plymouth to get back to I-4 and cross the St. Johns River to get to Volusia County and my next two springs. Next up was the appropriately named Green Springs, a Volusia County Park, where 19th century visitors "took the waters" in hopes of healing their ailments in the sulphurous spring. Coming by steamboat to the area that was to be known as Enterprise on the north side of the River, guest stayed at the 100 room Brock Hotel, one of Florida's premier destination in the post Civil War era.

Today the hotel is long gone and the park surrounding the spring is only 3 years old. The emerald green waters of the spring don't have a boil like most typical Florida Springs, and I had little desire to "take the waters", yet it is a fascinating historical site and has beautiful, peaceful quality. The shady road along the river leading to the park is gorgeous.

Brock Hotel from the State Archives of Florida

Gemini Springs

My final stop was Gemini Springs, which is a 210 acre Volusia County Park. The spring itself is much smaller compared to the massive boil at Wekiva, but I was pleased to find it magnificently illuminated by serendipitous light rays. I also found evidence of the algae growth that I had seen in abundance further north at DeLeon and Silver Springs, and was not surprised. Both Wekiva and Rock Springs had signs created by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection with the following copy: "The clean, clear waters of Florida's springs provide a variety of recreational uses, including tubing, swimming, canoeing, and nature study. However, the health of our springs is threatened by human activities: Pollution from fertilizers, pesticides, animal wastes, septic tanks, gasoline, industrial wastes, and other contaminates pollute the water in our aquifer – our drinking water – and ultimately pollute the springs. Withdrawal of water from the aquifer for irrigation, drinking and industrial uses can reduce the flow of the spring."

Florida's first human inhabitants found sacredness in these waters. On the Saturday I visited these four Central Florida springs, they were all being enjoyed; I saw people having picnics, swimming, tubing, and exploring. I think these sacred waters are places that connect Floridians to the environment, and that the people of our state would support their preservation for future generations to enjoy.