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MARK THE HISTORIC8P0T8 IN FLORIDA(By W. A. McRae. Commleeioner of Agriculture).served more definite record of its human inhabitants. Both sand and shell mounds are common along the coast; and sand mounds occur at many localities on the banks of tho principal streams farther inland Some of the sand mounds appear to have been used for dwelling places,Go where you may in Florida, there are historic and romantic spots. Theflags of three foreign nations have [ while others as burial grounds. Sev-waved over a Btate now poetically eral accounts have been published by and very properly termed the Land northern scientific societies describ-of Flowers. Here white men made ip* fhe skeletons, implements and the first permanent settlement In pottery obtained by excavating in what is now the United States. On these mounds; and a partial list, of the first maps of the new world the the papers may be found in the bib-narae of Florida was given to all that liography accompanying Moore's pa-was known of our continent north of per in the Journal of the Academy of Mexico. St. Augustine and Pensa- Natural Science, Philadelphia, volume cola are the oldest cities in the Uni- viii, 1898. Apparently all of the ted States and abound in features of mounds are built of sands or shells of interest. General Andrew Jackson living specie of mollusks. Cushing's captured Pensacola from the British “Age of the Shell Men is a readable in 1814, and from the Spanish in 1818 volume devoted to the life of the early In 1821 he became our first territorial inhabitants of Florida, and of value governor. Later he became presi- to persona interested in archeology, dent of the United States. -New Smyrna has a record going hack definitely to 1767. when Dr.Turnbull brought his colony of 1.500 Minorcans and Greeks there and engaged in the growing of Indigo. The site of Fort Caroline—the mouth, of the St. Johns, where the French Huguenots in 1564 raised the first flag of a foreign power within the boundaries of the state, should be marked. The fate of these Hugue- ( nots was one of tho first tragedies among the many in our early history, i The city of St. Joseph, terminus of Florida's first railroad and once a flourlnflhing seaport, where our firBt' constitutional convention was held, is now scarcely more than a memory.I Hernando de Soto marched from Tampa bay north across Florida, and westward to the Mississippi river to his death.A few scarred trees and mounds of earth mark the scene where Major Dade and his company of 138 men met their death in what is now Sum-Iter county during tho Seminole war.I The sites of the many battlefields of that protracted and bloody strife are not known to the public. Pnlatka i was headquarters during this war, with officers notable in American military history.It is possible to call off a long list of Interesting historic events, not to speak of tho natural bridges, disappearing rivers, caverns, sink holes, mammoth springs—some of largest in the world—etc., to bo found hero and there In the state, all worthy of } being marked and described for not •only our own people, but for tourists who ard constantly going about, and more strangers would come if they knew of the interesting things to see.The historical mimeum in old Fort Marion at St. Augustine, and the one at the Slate university at Gainesville, hs well as the collections in the offices of the stale geologist and of the fish commisisoner at Tallahassee, are places of real Interest, not only to practical observers, hut to casual visitors. At Tallahassee, too. can he seen the former home of Princo Charles Napoleon Achlllo Murat, boti of the king of Naples, and nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte. His grave and that of liia wife ran he seen in the Episcopal cemetery of tho Capital City. Near Tallahassee, too. was tho seat of government of a Marylander who proclaimed himself King of Florida.” and fought Indiana and Spaniards to maintain authority. Near Tallahassee, also. Is a township of land granted by congress to General Lafayette, our French friend and benefactor during the revolution. Tallahassee is the only capital city of tho south not occupied by federal troops during the war between states. The chief battle of that war was at Olus-tee. west of Jacksonville, close to tho s western boundary of what, is now 5 Baker county. The site is marked by a monument in view from trains on k. the north side of tho Seaboard rail-* way. There were many minor en-, gagoments in this state during tbo war of 1861-65.For many years Florida ban proved ^ a very important collecting ground for human relics. No state has pre-
Newspaper Details
Lakeland Evening Telegram
Lakeland, Florida, US
Tue, Jan 08, 1918
Page 4
Full Page
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Anonymous
FL, USA 21 May 2023
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Lakeland Evening Telegram
