Ralph, Since I am a homeeowner in the Sunshine state and spending increasing time there, I am trying to learn all about the history of the various regions. My father in law erecommended a book to me, 'A land Remembered" by Patrick D. Smith. It follows the eveolution of one family from 1858 to present and is set mainly in the interior from Kisimmee south to Okeechobee. It does goe east-west from fort Pierce ro the gulf coast. I am just coming down the home stretch now and was wondering if your land is anywhere near what I described above.
George, I highly recommend that you set up a fishing trip out of Chokoloskee with fishing guide Brian Sanders. Not only will you catch fish but you will see the most remote part of Florida's Everglades coastal region. It's very very cool and somewhat surprisingly remote and natural.
I recommend you read Ponce De Leon's biography...there's a clue in there some place to a special fountain!
Probably should check out the drinking, chasing women in the nightclub and oh yeah.... the golf with Gipper. lol
George, A Land Remembered should be required reading for every student in Florida because it describes the early history of living in our State. It's a very interesting question but yes there are several areas of Florida the book is speaking about where I have lived and where I currently live. Just the other day my son and I were driving down the "Cracker Trail" which is the East/West route the cattlemen would move their cattle to the dock to be shipped to Cuba, he even took a picture because my fancy new truck showed the name on the map. By the way you guys may know this but the term "Cracker" which is used as a vulgarity against dirty white trash these days was phrased at the crack of the whip as cattleman moved their cattle across the state. Florida is known for it's beaches, Disney world and Miami Vice attitude but it is the 3rd largest supplier of cattle in America. Frederick Remington whose paintings and sculptures adorn the Smithsonian spent much time here before moving to the west to research the cowboys of America and the pictures and sculptures are based on what he experienced on his time with the cowboys of Florida. I currently live in the ridge area of Florida being Lake Placid, I have lived in Miami, Wauchula, Ft. Myers and Miami among a few other areas. In the book a Land Remembered it describes the mosquitoes bringing down the cattle because the great amount of the insects. We residents of interior Florida can appreciate that because we do not have mosquito districts that spray to control the beast and the horror they bring. We are a hardy people who depend on ourselves and each other "if asked" to take care of things. The large Ag investment I manage is 23 miles from the nearest gas station much less a police station or fire house. It never even crosses my mind to call someone for assistance because we have just done it ourselves for so long. All I can say is that there is a continental divide West of I-95 and East of I-75 in our state that separates cultures so great that you can hardly tell we are from the same state. Everyday on my 45 mile journey to the farm I pass through one red light and a convenience store, if you are there early enough I can guarantee cowboys buying their snacks wearing spurs walking through the store as they prepare to go work cattle on somebody's ranch...
I agree with your description of interior Florida Ralph. My mother's side of the family hails from Mayo, Fl. up in north central Florida. My grandparents used to take me with them from Jacksonville to see the Mayo relatives and eat a southern style Sunday chicken dinner at my Great Aunt Zinnies. She lived in a farm house that sat up on blocks and the chickens used to run free under the house and man was it hot. And I do remember at least one maybe two junk vehicles in the front yard sitting up on blocks. It was a countrified place to say the least.
One of the stories I have always cherished is in the 80's I lived in a community called Ft.Green. This was one of the original fort towns that criss crossed Florida a 100 years ago. There was a woman called granny Shackleford who was a 106 years old in 1982 and she would share that she remembered as a young girl hearing the fort bell ring to tell the community that Indians were coming and for everyone to run to the fort for safety. Our house was only a few hundred yards from the grown up location of that fort and I could only imagine the events that went on at that time. Granny Shacklefords grandson became a rodeo clown and eventually moved to Texas and was named to the Texas cowboy hall of fame...Reason I know this is because the bastard borrowed my chaps and Spurs to ride a bull and I never got them back...In checking his name years later on google I read of his accomplishments. https://vimeo.com/68403892
Let's not forget that Iam born and raised in southwest Ohio. Spent 26 years there. I will always be a Buckeye at heart. But I love the Jersey shore and I will write my final chapter in Martin county Fl. Ralph, thank you for filling in some blanks for me. I knew you would. I love the book an hate to see it end.
I haven't forgotten, Godfather. In fact, I'm well aware of your burgeoning roots in Florida. For the foreseeable future, however, you're a Jersey Boy, which is not a bad thing.
Martin County.... my best fishing buddy lives in Stuart and in fact he is the guy that hooked me up with Brian Sanders over in Chokoloskee.
Cool story Ralph. I had a great grandmother who lived into her mid 90s and who passed about 40 years ago and she had a very lucid memory of Old Florida and could spin quite a tale about it. Both sides of my heritage have lived in Florida since the early 1800s at least and I know this because my Dad spent years researching it as a hobby. I think everyone knows about this novel published in 1938: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Yearling A great restaurant to visit serving "cracker" food is also by that name.. The Yearling in Cross Creek, Fl http://www.yearlingrestaurant.net/