Florida Frontier Gazette Volume 4 Number 3

Hermann Trappman 2005

Presented by the 16th Century Company of La Cruz and Pinellas County Park Department.

Friday is School Day. Saturday is open and free to the public. 10 AM - 5 PM

Contact: Lester Dailey at DaileyNews@MyMailStation.com or 727-532-9676 Elizabeth Neily at tocobaga@verizon.net or 727-321-7845.

Ray Giron as Major Dade and Walter Moore as Louis Pacheco in the Dade Battle reenactment in January.

John Ryder and Richard Lanni of Men of Menendez learn from the Swordmaster at the School of 16th Century.

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CONTENTS

Volume 4 Number 3 Spring 2005

The Florida Frontier Gazette is published quartely by the Historic Florida Mlitia, Inc.

Page 2.

HISTORIC FLORIDA MILITIA - Coming soon!

The Lost Colony Camp Ucita Drake’s Raid 3.

COVER STORY - Elements of Historical Painting or

Trials and Tribulations of a Historical Illustrator 5.

THROUGH WOMEN’S EYES - Recreating Rawlings

7.

FEATURE - Terror on Florida’s Gulf Coast

9.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION - Looking for Angola.

12.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT PARTNER - The Pier Aquarium

13. JOHNNY’S CORNER My First (Last) Horse Ride 15.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT PARTNER Alachua County Historic Trust: Matheson Museum

16.

CENTERFOLD - Punta Gorda

18.

FEATURE - Mother Thunder

22.

MAMMA’S KITCHEN

25. BOOK REVIEWS 27 - 30. EVENTS & EXHIBITS

Fun-filled Weekends.

32. COMMUNITY SPIRIT PARTNERS

Florida Frontier Gazette

5409 21st Ave. S., Gulfport, FL 33707 727-321-7845 E-mail: tocobaga@verizon.net This publication has been financed in part with historic preservation grant assistance provided by the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State, assisted by the Florida Historical Commission. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Florida Department of State, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Florida Department of State.

STAFF Grant Administrator: George Watson Editor: Elizabeth Neily Graphics: Hermann Trappman Proof Reader: Lester R. Dailey Office Assistant/Writer/Proof Reader: Jude Bagatti Special volunteer feature writers, artists, and photographers without whom this magazine would not be possible.

Printed by WebOffset, Florida 1

HISTORIC FLORIDA MILITIA 16th Century Company of La Cruz presents

The Lost Colony at Philippe Park in Safety Harbor

Open to School Groups on Friday April 22.....9 AM - 3 PM and the Public on Saturday April 23.....9 AM - 5 PM In 1567, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, Governor of La Florida, established a Spanish colony among the Tocobaga Indians on the shores of Old Tampa Bay. It survived less than a year! This spring, with the approval of the Board of County Commissioners and the help of the Pinellas County Park Department, that lost colony and Indian village will come back to life.

Contact: Lester Dailey at DaileyNews@MyMailStation.com or call him at 727-532-9676 Elizabeth Neily at tocobaga@FloridaFrontier.com or call her at 727-321-7845.

   Men of Menendez & Drake’s Men present the 20th Anniversary of

La Compaqma de Calderon - 1539 presents

Camp Ucita

atDeSoto National Memorial on May 28-29

Tim Burke, Bradenton, demonstrates the firing of an arquebus.

Captain Pedro Calderon was left in charge of the base camp and port with approximately 100 soldiers and sailors when Hernando de Soto began his entrada into La Florida in June of 1539. Since 1993, members of the company have researched & constructed arms & armor, & portrayed the garrison life of these 16th century conquistadors in the Tampa Bay area.

Contact: Charles E. Fenwick, Superintendent at 941-792-0458.

Drake’s Raid

at the Fountain of Youth Park www.fountainofyouthflorida.com & in downtown St. Augustine This reenactment of Sir Francis Drake’s pillaging and burning of the small Spanish outpost of St. Augustine in 1586 has been a popular living history event for 20 years!

Contact: Brian Bowman at 904-824-9823 lobo@aug.com

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Glory Wayman Jacksonville stressed cannon safety at School of the 16th Century in St. Augustine in February.

COVER STORY

by Dave Edwards, Pensacola

Elements of Historical Painting or

the Trials and Tribulations of a Historical Illustrator

Hermann Trappman, who does the graphics for this magazine, The Florida Frontier Gazette and I have discussed the problems of historical interpretation. Since I have been specializing more in historical illustration the last ten years, he asked me to write about what is involved in doing a historical painting or illustration.

Two areas I have to be concerned with are technique and reference. The technique would involve the artistic side of the project like the composition and the style of the painting. The reference side would involve how the objects would be depicted.

Reference is very important to provide for credibility.

You’re concerned not just about the aesthetic value but the importance of historical accuracy. There is more of an emphasis on being precise in detail, than in other art work, because you are showing the work to a different kind of audience. The illustrator usually has to do all the research and artistically depict the image . With an illustration there is a time deadline.

To give an example of the thought process I’ll discuss what it took to do some historical illustrations for The University of West Florida Archeology Institute. The

Institute was changing out part of their exhibit area. They wanted to show more artifacts based on the British period of Pensacola,1763-1781. For this exhibit they wanted four illustrations to highlight certain artifacts.

The first thing was to develop roughs showing concepts. The rough is very important. Its role is to make sure you’re on the same page as the client. It helps save time. You don’t want to spend a lot of time developing a concept if it doesn’t match the client’s vision.

One illustration, shown on the cover, was to depict the trading post at the village. The first decision was whether I should show the outside of the trading post or the inside. In this case, I made two roughs showing Indians with their trade goods outside the trading post and another rough showing the inside of the trading post.

Even though this process is to save time it still takes time to make a rough. I find the more detail you have the better decision the client can make. Having stick figures and a crude looking building doesn’t cut it.

I didn’t have any descriptions of any trading post in Pensacola during this time period. There is a description of buildings by Lord Adam Gordon, Colonel of the Sixty-Sixth Regiment of Foot, who stayed in Pensacola from late August through part of October of 1764.

Colonel Gordon stated, “The houses too are all framed of wood, and covered with palmetto leaves, the sides either plaster or bark of trees, and scarce a chimney to be seen.”

After the roughs were presented, the decision was made to have the people shown inside the trading post.

Now I had to finalize the drawing. I had to clearly detail the trade goods that had only been indicated in the rough.

Some of the larger items, like Wolf King leaves Pensacola in 1764 with his Creek Indian band. The artist based this image on an eyewitness account by Lord Adam Gordon.

Courtesy of Dave Edwards.

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saddles, were easier to display in the background, but some One problem was to decide on which side of the fort they objects like a juice harp, ribbons, and trade knife were small were coming from. Lord Howard said they had camped in and would be hard to see if shown on the back shelves. I the woods by a brook less than half a mile from the fort. The decided to put them in the foreground around a chest like problem was there was a creek on either side of the fort. My they were being taken out to be viewed and I put the beads rough showed the Indians passing by the west gate since I on the trader’s hand. thought I had seen reference to the brook being on this side Then I needed to decide how to portray the two Indians in another source. and trader. I didn’t have any description of any traders in The archeologists believed the Indians had camped on town, either. There is an unknown source who has been the east side of the fort. I couldn’t find my source, so I went quoted in the book, “The 14th Colony-British West Florida with the east side of the fort. Luckily, I didn’t have to change 1763-1781,” as saying, “The manners and the way of much. I just reversed the image in my computer and made life of the white people differ greatly from those in other some minor changes on the buildings. provinces, particularly in respect to clothing. They are very Of course I did a lot of research on how the Indians plain. Their dress consists of a slight waistcoat of cotton, looked. I researched not only their hairstyles and clothing but a pair of trousers of the same, and often no coat. If any, also their saddles, the terrain, and how the barrels were tied on it is a short one of some slight stuff. In winter, a kind of their backs. I portrayed Wolf King leading his people. I also decided to put a British coat on surtout, made of a blanket, and a pair him. There is no description of of Indian boots is all the additions. The this, but based on other historical women also dress light and are not very accounts, it was common for expensive.” So, I depicted the trader in military officers to give clothing a basic style of dress of the day. to Indian leaders as gifts. I Col. Gordon, said about the thought it was possible that they appearance of Wolf King’s Creek tribe may have given him an officer’s who were in Pensacola in 1764, “they coat. From the artistic side this pluck all their hair off their beards, gave me a chance to put a warm and value high foreheads, — what hair color in the foreground to help remains they plait or braid behind enhance the focus of interest. wearing a variety of things mix with it, On another illustration I such as strings, shells, and feathers; did for this series I needed some wear pieces of metal and shells to put in a rooster and some to their ears, which are almost always chickens. To most people a cut and slit in uncommon shapes, others chicken is a chicken. But there have rings in the gristle of the nose, are many breeds out there. I and others large broad bracelets round had to determine what breeds their arms and wrists.” For the hair existed at this time and would style and some adornments I based my probably have been used by depiction on this quote, I also based the British settlers. I decided it on the painting of the Creek Chief to go with the Dorking breed.

Tomochichi and other members of Through my research I found his tribe being presented to the Lord This rendering of Fife and Drummer in the that the Dorking is considered Trustees of the Colony of Georgia in 16th regiment are dressed in uniforms of to be one of the oldest breeds 1734 in London. the period. Courtesy of Dave Edwards. of chickens in American and Another illustration I did was commonly found on farms documented the Creek Indian band that came down with Wolf King in 1764. I based prior to the Civil War. I also found that the re-created 1627 this image on the eye witness account by Lord Adam pilgrim village “Plimonth Plantation” used chickens.

Gordon. When the group left the fort, Lord Gordon These are just some of the areas that I had to research observed: “When they come down it is always on before I even started the final paintings. Once the research is horse back, and when they return they carry their complete and I am comfortable with the historical accuracy, kegs of rum, which they call taffy, upon their own everything comes together. The finished product has all the backs, on horse back, as well as much of the other elements necessary for both historical and artistic value. ❂ presents.”

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THROUGH WOMEN’S EYES

by Tim Bajkiewcicz, Ph.D., Tampa

Recreating Rawlings: Bringing a Florida legend back to life.

There’s living history, then there’s history that talks because they sound like either a reading, a Disney character, back, sometimes with friendly attitude. For historian and or a stand-up routine.” artist Betty Jean Steinshouer of St. Petersburg, recreating Accurately conveying Rawlings’ complexity in front the sometimes turbulent life of legendary Florida author of a crowd still takes work, even after more than a decade.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, requires a unique mixture of “It’s a humbling experience, Steinshouer said. “I’m always personality and performing. aware that for the audience, this is likely to be an emotional “I try to portray what a lonely and conflicted person experience, for they are about to meet and listen to and talk she was,” Steinshouer said, “but just below the surface, with someone they very much admire or even revere. My with a scrim of banter and her classic way of telling stories responsibility is to give them as authentic an experience as peppered with an occasional cuss word, so that there’s much possible.” humor mixed with the despair.”

Steinshouer features Rawlings and at least six other great women authors in her onewoman shows seen in 44 states since 1988. Other characters include Laura Ingalls Wilder, Gertrude Stein, Willa Cather, Sara Orne Jewett, and Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Rawlings is best known for her 1939 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Yearling,” that eternally enshrined old Florida (and probably took venison off some menus).

During her life The New York Times said of Rawlings, “When one hears the term Florida Cracker, one thinks at once of her work.”

The novel’s popularity grew with the 1946 Oscar-winning movie (in early Technicolor) starring Gregory Peck, June Lockhart, and Jane Wyman. Less known were Rawlings’ two marriages, drinking problems, and bouts of depression. In 1953 she died of a cerebral hemorrhage in St. Augustine at age 57. The (Lakeland, FL) Ledger named Rawlings Betty Jean Steinshouer delights audiences with her dramatic in 1998 one of the “50 Most Important portrayal of Rawlings. She caprtures Marjorie’s sharp wit but Floridians of the 20th Century.” also hints at her undercurrent of despair.

Steinshouer began researching Rawlings in 1989 and premiered her dramatization two Steinshouer has performed Rawlings for perhaps one years later, now with hundreds of performances around the of the toughest crowds around: the 300-member Marjorie country. Steinshouer said, “My work is scholarly without Kinnan Rawlings Society, based in the Department of being a lecture, dramatic without being theatrical, and English at the University of Florida in Gainesville. In educational without being boring.” She prefers the term 1950 Rawlings arranged for her papers and materials to “dramatization” for her work, saying, “I try to stay away be housed at the school, which is close to her Cross Creek from ‘interpretation’ or ‘reenactment’ or ‘impersonation’ home and where she often socialized. The M.K. Rawlings

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Elementary School in Gainesville was named in tribute of their famous neighbor.

Since the Society’s beginning in 1987 Steinshouer has been a main attraction at their annual meeting a few times. Dr. Kevin McCarthy, the Society’s Executive Director and a UF English Professor, said, “It’s great. She’s done a good job, I think, in getting the mannerisms, getting the speech, getting the dress that Rawlings wore. And most of the people in the Rawlings Society are pleased with what she’s done.”

For Steinshouer, turning someone like Rawlings from legend to lifelike is much more than just homework and getting into character. “She’s done her research. I’ve actually been with her when she’s been in the [UF] archives doing her research on Rawlings,” McCarthy said.

“Once I take on a character, it’s a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and perspective,” Steinshouer said. “I research Rawlings and other characters daily, always looking for material about their friends, neighbors, editors, publishers, trips they took, places they lived or visited, meals they shared, conversations they had. Of course I go to any library that might have primary materials—their letters, journals, photos—or any letters written to them.”

Hitting the road herself has been part of Steinshouer’s continuing research of Rawlings, as she said, to “experience the environs most familiar to her.” Steinshouer has retraced Rawlings’ past from Washington, D.C. where she grew up, to Madison, WI where she attended college, to Louisville, KY where she lived and began her career as a journalist for the Louisville Courier-Journal. Steinshouer also stayed in Rawlings’ Crescent Beach cottage for a month and visited Van Hornesville, NY, where Rawlings owned a house for the last five years of her life. “I have a few places left to visit for Rawlings’ research, and I look forward to them very much,” Steinshouer said.

Travel is no stranger for Steinshouer, who proudly considers herself part of the Chautauqua movement. These educational road shows for adults began in 1874 in western New York and soon became rural America’s choice in early distance learning, at the movement’s height visiting 45 states and 45 million people. The movement ended about 1924 with the end of WWI and the rise of cars and movies.

Steinshouer said that being on today’s Chautauqua circuit requires a different dedication than most performers. “It means profundity in thinking, deep fulfillment in working and constant reading, all of which I dearly love.”

Of course she’s taken many trips to Rawlings’ beloved home of Cross Creek, as Rawlings famously described in her book of the same name as “a bend in a country road” between Gainesville and Ocala. Rawlings first visited the area in 1928 with her first husband, Charles Rawlings and soon moved there. According to cultural travel writer Kay Harwell Fernandez, “The acquisition also included two 6

cows, two mules, 150 chicken coops, two chicken brooders, a planter, reaper, cultivators, sweeps and an old Ford truck on its last leg. They had hoped to live off the citrus groves.

That never came to fruition, but Marjorie’s writing did.”

The house and grounds are now the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park, with about 30,000 annual visitors. Sheila Barnes, a Park Ranger there for 10 years, remembers first seeing Steinshouer in 1996. At that time the Florida Park Service had just completed major restorations after taking the site over from UF in 1970 and threw a huge 100th birthday party for Rawlings.

Remembering Steinshouer’s performance, Barnes said, “I think her interpretation is the most accurate, most scholarly of any I’ve seen. She got a lot of laughs because Rawlings had such a wry sense of humor. Betty Jean has picked up on that. She’s been able to pick up on the circumstances Rawlings lived with. She can be a little bawdy, if you know what I mean.”

Barnes said most Park visitors “are struck with the authenticity of the timeframe, with the house, the animals running around. It just really evokes old Florida.” Living in early 20th century north central Florida wasn’t easy, and visitors pick up on that, too. “As soon as they see how remote the location is, they ask, ‘How did she do it? How could she have lived here?’” Barnes recalled.

Steinshouer hasn’t just dramatized Rawlings at the author’s old home, but lived near it for two months in early 1991 before premiering the character. To her, performing there takes on a special quality. “It’s rather ghostly,” she said. “I love the Creek, but I must admit I’d rather be there alone, without an audience or park rangers. That’s when I most feel her presence.

When I was living at Cross Creek Fish Camp, I used to walk across the bridge at dawn and meditate on Marjorie’s back porch. That’s still my favorite way to be there.”

When audiences are present, they’re surprised that Steinshouer remains in character until almost the very end of the performance, according to UF Professor McCarthy.

“I’ve seen audiences become so enthralled with Betty Jean that they really forget that she’s an actress. And they ask her questions as if she is Rawlings. It’s really funny. ‘Mrs. Rawlings what did you feel when…’ ‘Tell me about your husband.’ She’s a delightful person.”

Barnes said Steinshouer’s work is complementary to the Park’s mission. “It’s nice to have someone out in the community carrying the legend of the author to a lot of people. She’s keeping the legend alive.”

Showcasing Rawlings, and Florida, around the county has always been important to Steinshouer. “My goal has always been to tour with Rawlings out of Florida, to remind people in other states of our great treasure. I know that my work has been worthwhile when I can create new readers for her all over the country, as well as in Florida.” ❂

FEATURE

By Lew Zerfas, Clearwater

Terror on Florida’s Gulf Coast By late 1861, the Civil War was underway. With 140,424 people (40% of whom were slaves), Florida was known as the “Breadbasket of the Confederacy” supplying the South with food, livestock and crops. The long coastline with numerous tributaries, allowed Confederate blockade runners to export cotton and return with desperately needed supplies for the South.

large guns, and named the “U.S.S. Fort Henry.” Under the command of Acting Lieutenant Edward Yorke McCauley, it arrived at Apalachicola on June 25, 1862 for duty in the EGBS. The sector of coastline assigned to the Fort Henry, had shallow water, requiring all reconnaissance on the enemy or attacks by the crews to be accomplished by using the ship’s small launches.

The Union gunboat U.S.S. Fort Henry patrolled 50 miles of Florida’s coastline, not only enforcing the blockade, but engaging Confederate infantry ashore.

Some of the Gulf Coast’s barrier islands such as Egmont Key, Sea Horse Key, and Way Key, were controlled by the U.S. Navy and Army and were places of refuge for Florida’s Unionists. These “Unionists” were opposed to Florida seceding and were treated savagely by their families and former friends and neighbors.

To enforce the “Anaconda Policy” along 3,000 miles of coastline, the U.S. Navy had to drastically increase the number of ships. The Navy’s squadrons divided the coastline into sectors. Florida’s Gulf Coast was part of the East Gulf Blockading Squadron (EGBS).

On March 25, 1862, a New York City sidewheel steam- powered ferryboat was purchased by the U.S. Navy. The150-foot ship was fortified and armed with six

Feature writre, Lew Zerfas, portrays Lt. Edward McCauley at reenactments.

Lt. McCauley was truly a master and commander.

He joined the navy at 14, served on “Old Ironsides,” and traveled the world. He fought Chinese pirates off Asia, documented Commodore Perry’s 1853 expedition to Japan, and was the navigation officer during the first trans-Atlantic cable laying, all before the Civil War. He enjoyed fencing, sparring, riding, hunting, and was also a skillful dancer and billiard player. Cultured, he spoke four languages and adopted the ways and jargon of the sea. McCauley was described as being stern on duty, a disciplinarian who had a major effect on the Gulf Coast.

One early reconnaissance by the Fort Henry’s men and boats took place on October 16, 1862. Accompanied by the U.S.S. Sagamore, it sent her launch, armed with a howitzer. The small boats went to clear the enemy off the river banks. At Apalachicola, men amid a crowd of women and children opened fire on the boats. The naval force did not return the fire until they had clear shots. Two “assailants” were seen to fall, and eventually the Confederate sloop G. L. Brockenborough was brought out loaded with cotton and sent to Key West.

Admiral Bailey (EGBS) feared that the coast was filled with Confederate ships ready to run the blockade with valuable cargoes. On March 24, 1863, he ordered Lt. McCauley to meet with Lt. Commander English of the St. Lawrence and put together a plan to “scour the coast” between the Suwanee River and Anclote Key. With McCauley in command, they were to use “as many boats from the ships” that could be spared, and clear the Suwanee, Crystal, and Chassahowitzka Rivers, 7

and Bayport, capturing or destroying all vessels that they found, until they reached North Anclote Key. The expedition began April 2, with six armed boats— two from each ship: the St. Lawrence, Sagamor, and Fort Henry, plus a cutter ambulance. They arrived and anchored off Bayport. By daylight the next day, they were two miles off Bayport. With a strong wind and tide against them, it took two hours to reach the entrance of the harbor, giving the rebels time to make preparations. Two small Confederate schooners and two sloops were grounded on the banks of a bayou thickly covered with trees. A large schooner, laden with cotton was ready to sail but evidently had too great a draft to be moved.

The sailors carried their boats over the flats and captured the Helen, loaded with corn. Then they destroyed it by setting it afire. The crew was taken to McCauley and informed him that Bayport was defended by two canons and a company of rebel soldiers. As they approached within 900 yards, the rebel cannons opened on the Navy’s

launches. The woods around the harbor concealed riflemen, who kept up a brisk rate of fire on the sailors. After about 25-35 minutes under fire, only one sailor was wounded.

Getting closer, the launches opened fire with their howitzers.

In about 15 minutes the battery answered the launches’ fire with grape shot. Shrapnel fired from the Sagamore’s launch fell among the enemy, and they deserted their guns. Then the sailors turned their attention to shelling the riflemen in the woods.

After destroying the schooners and clearing the enemy’s guns, the Navy’s pilot warned that if the ebbtide found them there they would be left aground. The expedition then set 8

course for the mouth of the Chassahowitzka, which they barely reached that night, just in time to find a slight shelter against a violent storm that filled the small boats with water, dousing the ammunition. The seamen and officers spent that cold night baling water.

The next day the launches reached Crystal River.

Not thinking it wise to proceed in force up Crystal River, McCauley sent two boats to reconnoiter. They reported the river clear of sail and the channel very shallow. The expedition left Crystal River that afternoon and returned to the Fort Henry at 8 p.m. Tugging against headwinds and adverse tides, it took the expedition five days to travel about 75 miles.

On June 15, 1863. McCauley, now a Lt. Commander, sent the Fort Henry’s “guard,” composed of six marines under the command of Sergeant Nugent, to reconnoiter six miles up the Crystal River. A log breastwork attracted Nugent’s attention, so he landed with four men and drove a guard of 11 soldiers into the swamp, capturing their arms and destroying their camp. A Confederate shot hit the sergeant’s waist pouch, but the sergeant ordered no return fire as there was a woman among the fugitives. (Nugent was awarded with the Medal of Honor for this action at Crystal River). Many papers were found, including one concerning an earlier deserter from the Fort Henry.

Numerous Confederate ships in this sector continued to be captured or destroyed by the men of the U.S.S. Fort Henry as well as the other blockading ships. In May, 1863, the sloop Isabella out of Tampa Bay; was captured in Waccasassa Bay. In June, a scow, also in Waccasassa Bay and the schooner Anna Maria, on the Steinhatchee River, (Cedar Keys) and in July, the sloop Emma off Sea Horse Key, bound for Havana, were captured. Their cargoes were usually cotton, corn, or tar, and sometimes salt, coffee, soap, nails, gunpowder, or other merchandise. The captured crewmen were sent along with the cargos to the prize court in Key West.

At daylight on July 20, the Fort Henry’s launch, outfitted with ten days’ rations, was ordered to proceed to Bayport where it stayed out of sight during the day and intercepted blockade runners at night. McCauley, suspecting a significant enemy force nearby, forbade the ascent of Crystal River.

With the Chief Boatswain’s Mate in charge, the crew noticed a large amount of cotton floating downstream. The idea of making a good capture induced the Mate to move up river. At a narrows, they were fired upon from both banks by about 50 or 60 rifles. Seamen Doran and Bishop sprang to their gun.

Doran, shot through the neck, died instantly. Bishop was shot in the body and lived about half an hour. Upon returned fire, the rebels departed and the launch pulled out of range and returned to the Fort Henry at midnight. The next afternoon, the deceased men were buried in the cemetery on Sea Horse Key with a customary ceremony.

Reliving the U.S.S. Fort Henry Based on the Tampa Bay area, the U.S.S. Fort Henry reenactors bring Civil War U.S. Sailors and Marines to life by participating in Civil War Reeactments, living history impressions, presentations at schools, museums, memorial services, and other events.

Each reenactor contributes to the group’s authenticity by sharing research and their ability to hand craft many of the replica items they use during their mock battles. They know the commands used during the Civil War. As the U.S. Navy played a large role during the Civil War, especially in Florida, so it is through reenactors like those with the U.S.S. Henry that show how the sailors and marines served during the war.

For more information on the U.S.S. Henry visit:

www.knowlogy.net/qed/forthenry.htm

Members of the U.S.S. Fort Henry and 97th PAVI reenactors at Fort DeSoto in February 2004.

Photos courtesy of Lew Zerfas.

On the evening of August 17, 1863 one of the Fort Henry’s boats brought in two canoes with three deserters from Lee’s Virginia army and a deserter from Florida’s Confederate force. They had escaped down the Suwanee River and were eventually sent to Key West. That afternoon, the Fort Henry’s tender captured the British schooner Martha Jane off Bayport. She was bound for Havana loaded with 26,609 pounds of sea-island cotton. The captain and crew had gold, silver, U.S. Treasury notes, and Confederate money. All was forwarded to the prize commissioners at Key West.

On December 29, 1863, McCauley was reassigned and Acting Volunteer Lieutenant W. Budd assumed command of the U.S.S. Fort Henry. In Admiral Bailey’s May 31, 1864 letter to Lt. Budd, he wrote: “It was this zeal in Lieutenant-Commander McCauley when he commanded the Fort Henry that made that vessel the terror of the coast for 50 miles...” The Fort Henry continued blockade duty along this sector through to the end of the war. ❂

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HISTORIC PRESERVATION

Looking for Angola

Flowing beneath the cool greens of cypress, the spreading branches of leaning hickory, and through shadowy bayheads, Florida’s creeks and streams glide certainly toward the sea. Rich in color, they mirror the world that grows down their banks. They are beautiful places to stop and contemplate the flow of life, this story we all share.

Ancient people discovered these glades, pulsing with the sound of Southern dog-days’ cicadas. For thousands of years this place was theirs. New people came. Looking, looking.

Strange faces reflected in the dark current. Faces from far away.

by Hermann Trappman, Gulfport

not of their kind, they skirted settlements.

Their quick minds adapted to the new land. They used ancient hunting skills and they watched and they listened.

But, they were not alone. Trackers, as skilled as they were, noticed evidence of their passing. They met Indians whose generations had known the secrets of the forest. African words and Indian words are continents apart. It’s amazing to consider how fast these escaped Africans picked up the native tongues.

The native people and the escaped Africans had something in common. They both fled from the invading Europeans.

A rc h a e o l o g i s t , B i l l Burger,left, sifts dirt looking for artifacts as archaeologist, Jeff Moats, right, dumps shovel after shovel of dirt into the screen.

Only one artifact has been found so far that can be definitely linked to the early 1800s. A broken bottom of dark green bottle glass was found in one of the test pits in the yard of Jeff Williams, center.

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Oh, what terror colonial slavery brought to the shores of America. What pain and suffering. Slave masters pointed mean fingers out toward the dark forests. “Don’t go there,” they warned, “Terrible things live there. Nightmares live there—things that will eat your flesh and leave your spirit wandering in eternal agony. Don’t go there.”

There were those who didn’t believe the master’s stories.

Sharp eyes, yearning for freedom, watched the forest’s edge.

In autumn, they watched the birds drift south. The forest shadows beckoned them. Their bravery was as certain as dark water. They escaped into the waiting shadows and flowed south listening to the song of birds. Wary of anyone 10

Florida was Spanish then. In 1693, King Charles II proclaimed that escaped slaves, fleeing to Florida, would be free if they embraced the Catholic faith and swore allegiance to the King. African minds were just a few words away from freedom.

The colonies to the north were enraged by it. In St. Augustine the ex-slaves wore Spanish uniforms and took up arms. Governor Oglethorp led an army south to punish them. He captured abandoned Fort Mose (Mos-say). In the marshland just two miles north of the oldest city, African soldiers battered Oglethorp’s army.

Still the river of Africans escaping slavery flowed south.

With passing time they traveled even further south to live their lives unmolested in freedom. Hunting, fishing, and driving their cattle, they came to this good earth surrounding Tampa Bay. Searching the forest tangles of Pinellas’ past, I found no tracks. Standing on the edge of Tampa Bay, squinting out at this perfect refuge, I didn’t find them. When my wife, Elizabeth Neily and I met, we both wondered about early African American history along Florida’s west coast.

Historian Canter Brown gave us a glimpse. In his booklet, African Americans on the Tampa Bay Frontier, we discovered a reference to a community called Angola over by

Vickie explained how she got involved in the “Looking for Angola” project.

“14 years ago, I was contracted to produce a short documentary on the history of black Sarasota. Sarasota County historian Ann Shank pointed me to Canter Brown’s book. It was just coming out. I included information from Canter’s book. At the time I was hosting a TV show on the local ABC affiliate. I interviewed Canter for the show because I was intrigued by the story he shared. I had never heard the history of Angola shared by anyone before.

I was contracted again in 2003 by Sarasota County Government to write the script for a full length documentary

Cynthia Newell talks to News Channel 9, about the importance of “cultural literacy.” to our community.

The Neighborhood Leadership Initiative, Inc. not-forprofit organization stepped up to apply for the grants from the Bureau of Historic Preservation and the Florida Humanities Council, among others, that are helping to fund the Looking for Angola project.

NTS

the Manatee River. During one of the African American History Conferences in Bartow, Elizabeth asked Canter about his research on Angola. He told her about Vickie Oldham, an African American newswoman who had taped a story on the history of Sarasota. Finding little black history, she settled on a brief description of Angola.

There was an African American community here before Florida was acquired by the United States in 1821.

Beginning around 1812, Angola was an important African American community in the Tampa Bay area. Angola was our own.

In central Florida, not far from Bushnell, was another African American town—Pilaklikaha (Pea-lak-lee-ka-ha).

Also called Abraham’s Old Town, it had been founded before Florida became a territory. Armed with its recent discovery and its excavation by the University of Florida, I decided to attempt an African American history exhibit where I work as a ranger at Boyd Hill Nature Park in south St. Petersburg. When the administration agreed, I asked Elizabeth to contact Vickie and invite her to be a speaker.

about the county’s history. There were two writers who worked on the script before I was hired. When I saw their work, I noticed that the Angola story was not included. I’m sure it wasn’t intentionally left out. Few know the history of Angola because there’s not lots of information available. I included the Angola story in the documentary and substantiated what I wrote with Canter’s research. I could only include a few sentences. The story kept nudging long after that project was completed.

The story spoke to me personally. I was empowered as I reviewed the courage, determination and enterprise of the inhabitants of Angola, who risked everything for freedom.

They came here determined, set up a settlement which became a haven for escaped slaves and were making it on their own (this phrase played over and over in my mind).

I saw parallels between their story and my own life. The inhabitants of Angola spoke ‘life’ and ‘encouragement’ to me. If they survived the most horrific, harrowing experiences in the flight to freedom, with few resources, then surely I could survive with my many resources.

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I decided to see if there was funding for a documentary away. It was an impossible deadline. Vickie Oldham was about the Angola Settlement. That was my plan. It has turned not only courageous, she was determined. The phone lines into so much more. buzzed between Elizabeth, Bill, Vickie and Canter. Letters of

I organized a conference call on October 31, 2003 berecommendation had to be gathered. Volunteers for in-kind tween Ann Shank, Jan Mathews (who was Director of the Div. contributions had to be found. A plan had to be designed. of Historical Resources), TV 19 Station Manager Joe Gaither, And a not-for-profit organization willing to apply for the Archaeologist Marion Almy, Dr. Canter Brown and Dr. Rosalyn grant had to be found. All this in just a few days.

Howard. Canter told me about Rosalyn’s work. Rosalyn and I “Hey,” Vickie told Elizabeth, “I work in TV. Deadlines met in Tampa to discuss Angola prior to the conference call. (I are my life.” was amazed after hearing Rosalyn’s research about the blacks, I must admit, I didn’t believe it could be done. I advised who escaped the raid of Angola, survived and made their way Elizabeth to tell Vickie to put the grant off to the following to Andros Island, Bahamas where there is a descendent populayear. Others advised her to do the same. tion. I was totally blown away.

“I met with Bill Burger and Cathy Slusser (Director of After the call, I knew what I had to do...seek a grant or Manatee County Historical Resources) who both wanted to wait some sort of funding to begin the documentary project.” for the ‘next grant cycle’. We’d have more time.

Who else could I invite to speak? While I couldn’t wait. I didn’t want to wait. at a reenactment at DeSoto National Memo I didn’t know if I’d stay in the area. I rial, Elizabeth spoke to local archaeologist Bill was anticipating a move out of the Manatee/ Burger, about the project. To her surprise, Bill Sarasota area. I felt the time to move on said that he had poured many hours of research the grant was now, not later. As a journalinto the Angola settlement. They shared their ist, I’m accustomed to quick turnarounds dream to someday see an archaeological survey on stories, meeting impossible deadlines. done to try to find the settlement.

I assigned questions from the archaeology I called Bill to invite him to speak at the grant for each scholar to answer, gathered program. He read his outline to me over the support letters, in-kind contributions for the phone which highlighted the events leading match, edited the submitted answers, found a to Angola and its destruction in 1821. He had non-profit, met with a successful grant writer also pinpointed locations where he believed for advice, followed her advice. We made the site might be. the deadline. How glad I am that everyone Vickie Oldham has “Bill,” I said, “Why don’t you excavate worked together so well and quickly to make worked hard to put the this happen,” she added.

Angola?”

Angola project together. Vickie’s efforts were nothing short of amaz “I’d like to,” his reply came with a hint ing. She managed to pull the whole thing together and then of irony, “I’d really like to, but I believe that someone else overnight it to Tallahassee. She made it happen. has already started the process.” I could picture Bill’s wry In March 2004, Elizabeth joined Bill and Vickie in Talsmile on the other end of the phone. I invited him to speak. lahassee. They stood up to support each other’s grant at the Elizabeth called Canter back. He told her there was a grant hearing. Canter, was also there to speak in support of group of people interested in looking for Angola. She called the grants. Elizabeth came back from our State Capital, bub“the other party,” an archaeology group in the area. bling with excitement. “It looks like we are both going to get “No,” she was told , “we already have more work than funded,” she chortled. “Both grants were rated in the top five we can handle,” came the answer. for our category. We just have to wait for approval from the She called Bill back to see if he was still interested. “Sure, legislature.” if they could get a grant. to fund it,” came his reply.

Vickie says, “It’s really nothing short of amazing how Elizabeth was in the process of writing a grant to the this project came about. I’m committed to making sure the Secretary of State, Bureau of Historic Resources. She knew people of Angola are remembered and honored; that the story that they also funded archaeological excavations. is repeated over and over, that school children and everyone She called Vickie back. Had Vickie ever met Bill Burger? will know it and be empowered as I was and still am every No, she hadn’t. Elizabeth told her all about Bill’s research, time I repeat it, hear it.” the grant, that there was no claim on the project, and gave On Sunday, December 12, Elizabeth and I drove to her Bill’s phone number.

Bradenton. The excavation was beginning. Vickie, doing what The most amazing thing happened. Vickie not only she does best, was conducting interviews with television and called Bill, she downloaded a copy of the grant and began newspaper reporters. Bill beamed as we walked up. the work to apply. The grant deadline was only a week They were finally looking for Angola. ❂ 12

Community Spirit Partner The Pier Aquarium, St. Petersburg

By JUDE BAGATTI, Gulfport Three vertical cylinders, like enormous lava lamps, catch my eye as I enter the lobby of the world-famous, five-story St. Petersburg Pier. The clear acrylic cylinders, or tubes, as staff call them, pierce a circular atrium above, where a teasing glimpse of the second-floor Aquarium beckons. Water-filled, the tubes’ interiors undulate. The tallest is alive with tropical reef fish and coral; the medium one holds freshwater African Cichlids; and, swimming in the shortest tube, are killi and puffer fish, local species found in the bay right below the Pier. And that, is just the introduction to the wild, watery world of this visitorfriendly Aquarium.

Upstairs, adults marvel at a 150-year-old Pacific Giant Clam shell (which a label says can grow as large as three feet and 600 lbs.), while kids find Nemo, the clownfish, or help feed creatures during the daily 3:00 p.m. Habitat Chats. A large tank holds Tampa Bay sport fish: tarpon, spadefish, snook, flounder, as well as a Southern Stingray.

Sea anemones, waving feathery purple and orange tentacles, remind me of garish Mohawk spikes on punk teens.

Karen Henschen is Education Coordinator for the 16-yearold Aquarium, whose videos and programs reach 15,000 students each year. Connecting scientists with educators is a priority, according to Howard Rutherford, its Executive Director since 2000.

“We provide a fun place to discover ocean science research in our own back yard,” Rutherford says. “Most popular with kids, is the Surf ‘n Turf class at Spa Beach on the north side of the Pier, but,” he emphasizes, “students of all ages enjoy our free guided tours.”

In a third-floor classroom, I watch Christy, a student staffer, feed parrot and file fish a mix of sea greens, brine shrimp and bloodworms. A shovelnose lobster, resembling a crusty mound of coral, comes to life to scavenge for bits that fall to the bottom of the tank. Many of the 15-member staff are marine science students, but one, Chris Vigh, studies art. His images of manatee, Gulf sturgeon, sea turtles and bay scallops, will become an interactive diorama for an upcoming Tampa Bay “Species of Concern” Exhibit. A perfect blend of collaborating disciplines, I think.

Rutherford, a chemical oceanographer, reveals intriguing instances of how current ocean research is

applied: Technology developed by The Center for Ocean Technology, housed at USF, was instrumental in Homeland Security efforts to detect explosives or mines around NY waters during the 2004 Republican Convention. And, a future Aquarium presentation, “Oceans, The Big Picture,” will show how satellite collection of data on water temperature, clarity, wind speed, sun intensity and wave heights can provide snapshots of conditions preceding and after a tsunami.

“We highlight a lot of cool research going on and bring it to the general public,” Rutherford enthuses.

Discover as I did, that The Pier Aquarium is not a mere touristy nature display, but a serious, working aquarium that is still fun. Three “Es” best describe it for me: Entertaining, Educational, Engaging, and Ecologicallyenlightening. Ok, that’s four. Or is it five? ❂ HOURS: Mon.-Sat. 10 AM. to 8 PM; Sun. noon-8 PM. GENERAL ADMISSION: $2.00. No charge for children under 12 or Aquarium members.

800 2nd Ave. N.E., St. Petersburg, FL 33701.

727-895-7437

www.stpetepier.com

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Johnny’s Corner So anyway, there I was….

Did I tell you that I was born in Washington D.C.? A city boy, through and through. I only visited a farm on rare occasions and I found the family cows of my country cousins to be a bit intimidating.

When I was in high school, I had a girl friend who loved to ride horses. One Saturday I agreed to go for a ride. Neither of us had drivers’ licenses yet, so we had to rely on a parent to take us. We couldn’t get there until early afternoon. She told me that it was a little late in the day and the horses might be a little hard to coax away from the barn. They would be more interested in feeding and might be hard to get out of the barnyard.

Morning was a better time to go.

But she had a plan.

While we saddled the horses she gave me some pointers on what to do. We walked them out of the barn and started down a path that went along a fence leading toward a wooded area. She explained her plan to turn left at the corner of the fence and get them trotting. We would then hang a right at the end of that fence and onto a path leading into the woods on an alternate path. We saddled up, rode to the corner, turned left and followed that fence to the next corner.

We got up a little speed and when the second corner came along, we turned right.

It worked!

It must have been a good plan.

How hard can this riding stuff be?!

by JOHNNY SHAFFER, Havana into the woods as my horse got to the corner. Suddenly, I almost flew across the saddle horn and over the horse’s head.

I don’t know why I stopped, but some how I managed to hold on. My horse had decided to stop for a snack.

She simply planted her four feet in the rough turf and bent down to reach the ground.

Without warning, the reins had jerked me forward and nearly unseated me. Somehow Sue forgot to tell me to leave my t-shirt, the one with “SUCKER” in big letters across the back, at home.

I’m sure that I said something appropriate like, WHOA!!!!! as I held on for dear life to the neck of this animal.

I knew I had to be firm.

I am the boss after all!

I pulled hard on the reins to bring her head up and encouraged her to move on.

My First (Last) Horse Ride

Sue was a few yards ahead leading the way. Her horse crossed the corner of a small pasture and was disappearing 14

I think she moved a few feet.

OK, so she turned a little…

Down went her head again and almost pulled me over her head for the second time.

I have a short memory.

Actually I may not have a memory. Did I say “her”?

Is this a female thing or what?

A horse can’t best me.

I pulled the reins again to get her head up. She stood there for a moment.

I knew I had her attention so I used the cowboy starter button to make her go. I nudged her with my heels, scooched forward in the saddle, made the universal clicking noise with my tongue at the cornerof my mouth and away we go……

“Aw come on horse, let’s go.”

She misunderstood.

I tried again. I think she turned to check out the look on my face just before her head dove for the ground again.

Ah hah! I learned something. I let the reins slide between my fingers and didn’t get pulled over saddlehorn. But, man…. Do they have to make these reins so short? I think the reins ended up on the ground. So, there I was…. I tried to reach the reins but her head was too low.

I had to climb down (dismount for you horse fans).

I grabbed a rein and looked around to see if anyone was looking. “Come on horsey, you’re making me look bad.”

Too, late. There was Sue. She was visibly miffed. What the heck are you doing? I explained what happened. She said to get back on and try again. She would turn her horse and ride away and mine would surely follow.

Away she went. I did the cowboy thing; dug in and clicked and away I went. Right over the saddle horn… again!

A few moments later Sue appeared again. She was ticked. As she rode nearer to me, she instructed me to get down and take her horse. Her horse would go with me on it and she would deal with my unwilling mount. We made the swap. I climbed on her horse and she on mine. She managed to turn my horse around and away they went. I did the cowboy thing and away I went…. right over the saddle horn. Now you can’t tell me that these animals don’t some how talk to each other. “Aw man! You’re both gonna’ make me look bad, aren’t you?”

Well, needless to say, Sue returned and was mad again.

“What the heck are you doing now?” Like I could help it.

I said, “What did you do? Call ahead and set these guys up to make me look bad?” She laughed and suggested we turn around and go back toward the barn. “When we get to the first corner, we’ll go left and try to fool them into going down that path.” She further suggested that I go first and get up a good speed. It worked! Down the path we went.

There was a stand of young trees on our left and the woods were a few yards up ahead. Sue went around us to lead the way. My mount stopped. Sue once again disappeared into the woods and there I was. I tried to encourage her forward but she turned a quarter turn and started to back up. Whoa! She stopped. I encouraged her forward and she went backward. Darn! Stuck in reverse. The harder I prodded the further she backed into the bushes.

Now, you only get an hour to ride. By now we’ve used up a bunch of time and nobody is having much fun.

“Ah oh! Here comes Sue. “You’re in a heap of trouble now,” I told the horse. Sue came back in a froth. She told me to hold her horse while she coaxed mine out of the bushes. I felt sorry for the horse.

It wasn’t a pretty sight. Sue jumped on the misbehaving horse and rode off. She hollered over her shoulder for me

to follow on her horse. A miracle happened. We took off down the path and we were really riding. Now all I have to do is figure out how to ride this thing. Do you bounce up and down with the horse or do you go in the opposite direction against the horse’s rhythm? I never did figure it out.

The trail came to a quick end it seemed. We could cross the highway and start to ride another trail but our time was nearly up and we needed to head back. We had dismounted for some reason. When Sue announced that it was time to return, the horses hollered, “Yeah!”

Sue was a little faster to get back into the saddle and head back. I didn’t quite get into the saddle before the horse took off after Sue. I struggled to get into the saddle, just barely holding on. We went from zero to sixty-miles an-hour in seconds. Racecars don’t accelerate that fast.

We sailed around corners at breakneck speeds. I think the dinner bell must have been ringing off in the distance somewhere. Before I knew it, we were back to the familiar corner and heading for the barn. The horses needed no instructions.

There must have been a lesson in there somewhere.

Stay off of horses? Maybe? I never did go riding again.

I was offered a mount in the ’95 Historic Cattle Drive. I declined. I announced that animals that have four feet and stand taller than I do make me nervous. I was called by a local school to ride a horse as Hernando deSoto in an opening ceremony a few years ago­— but...that’s another story. ❂

Conquistadora, Helen Donnell, Orlando and her fine Pasa Fino horse, Excaliber, have no problem understanding each other. at the School of the 16th century in February.

15

FEATURE

Mother Thunder

by CHARLES BEARS ROAD DUNNING, St. Petersburg

18

This is the way this story is told.

This is the way I heard it.

Some folks say gators are ugly, but that’s not so. Gators are just what they are, and they look just the way Creator made them. If you take the time to look, you might notice that gator always has a smile on its face.

Way back in the old days, way back in the days when there were less people and more animals, a giant mother gator lived in the deepest part of the bayou.

Now this mother gator wasn’t just one more gator.

That would never do. No, this mother gator was the great grandmother and the grandmother and the mother and the great-aunt of every gator that swam in that old swamp. She was bigger than any gator that ever was - before or since.

She was so old that the color had all worn off her, and she was as black as night in the bayou.

That mother gator’s name was Mother Thunder.

Other gators stayed out of her way. Every animal that lived back in the bayou, every panther that hunted in the cane breaks and every black bear that scavenged for berries, stayed out of old Mother Thunder’s way.

Spring came to that bayou one year as it had every year, and Mother Thunder came to the deepest part of the bayou.

She gathered all kinds of this and that together to build her a nest. She swept up leaves and cypress bark and old pieces of what some folks call Spanish moss - even though that moss was here forever before the Spanish found their way to Florida.

She didn’t have a broom – no she didn’t. She didn’t need one. She used her tail to sweep and Mother Thunder’s tail could sweep up more sticks and leaves and moss and whatever else was laying around in one swoop than any number of ladies sweeping away with corn brooms could ever hope to sweep.

After a while, Mother Thunder had gathered herself a huge pile of all sorts of leaves and sticks and crab shells and stuff she was looking for. That pile was so high and steep it looked like a mountain until you came up close to it.

When all of those leaves and moss and sticks are piled up like that they begin to rot and that pile just starts heating up. With all that litter piled up heat begins to build inside of that pile, and that heat can’t get out. The trash pile gets as hot as an oven. That’s just the sort of place mother gators like to lay their eggs - where they’ll stay warm and safe and all. Don’t ya see? Once she had all that trash piled up just the way she liked it old Mother Thunder patted it into place with her tail. She dug a hole right there on the top

of the pile. Steam rolled up out of that pile as it heated up, and that steam hung over the bayou like a fog lying out on the water.

The old mother gator smiled a big old gator smile as she commenced laying her eggs in the hole she had dug in that pile. She carefully set each of her eggs in place and covered them all over with more litter she scraped up with her tail.

When she was finished with her work she smiled that smile she had because she was pleased with herself.

Most swamp animals will dig up a gator nest if they get a chance to make themselves a supper of gator eggs, but every animal in that bayou was afraid to come near Mother Thunder’s nest.

Birds steered themselves off course when they were flying by just so the old mother gator would have no reason to suspect them of having designs on her eggs.

Bears and raccoons that would eat new laid gator eggs any chance they had stayed far away from Mother Thunder’s nest. Her eggs were safe.

Mother Thunder smiled, and she paddled off to make a dinner of fresh armadillo or maybe an egret or two if she could find some. She was hungry.

Now, I said there was no animal in the bayou would go anywheres near Mother Thunder’s nest, but that’s not exactly so. There was one possum who loved gator eggs more than he loved anything else. Possum just laid out of sight looking at that old nest in the middle of the swamp and dreaming about those lovely soft gator eggs just waiting for him to eat them.

He wasn’t the smartest possum but he was the hungriest, and he lay back in under the palmettos waiting for a chance to get at that nest.

When Mother Thunder started swimming off in search of her dinner, this old hungry possum decided it was time for him to eat too. He had stepped up to Mother Thunder’s nest and had started to scrape away the first layer of leaves off of that steaming pile when, just like that, the water exploded, and the trees began to shake, and that giant mother gator was looking right in that possum’s face. She smiled at him and she said, “Don’t ever trust an alligator’s smile.”

Mother Thunder went for possum but he was so scared that he moved faster than any possum had ever moved before and will ever move again. Mother Thunder’s huge jaws snapped together. Possum grew a set of wings and flew up a palmetto tree, and all Possum lost was the little end piece of his long pink tail.

Mother Thunder looked up into that palmetto and she smiled that gator smile of hers and she repeated, “Don’t ever trust an alligator’s smile.”

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Then she turned and she headed out into the swamp. Possum was so scared he didn’t come down out of that palmetto until a long time after Mother Thunder was gone.

But that possum loved eating gator eggs more than he loved anything in the whole world. He just could not pull himself away from that steaming nest of gator eggs. He tried to leave them behind but the leaf pile called him in his dreams and he couldn’t think of anything else.

Possum hid out and watched that mother gator swim back and forth. He watched as she checked on her eggs. He watched her sleeping on her nest, and he watched her getting up and leaving. He watched and watched and got hungrier.

Every now and then Mother Thunder would sweep some new trash up on top of that pile of leaves to keep the heat going and to keep her eggs warm.

This went on day after day. Possum got hungrier and hungrier. He thought and thought about those lovely gooey gator eggs waiting for him inside that pile of leaves. He wanted to see those eggs crack open and he wanted to eat every one of them until he was so full of gator eggs that he wouldn’t even be able to waddle.

One day as he was hiding under the palmettos Possum heard a sound coming out of the gator’s nest. It was a scritching scratching kind of a noise. Possum looked all around.

Mother Thunder was out hunting, and possum became so curious that he just had to know what was making that scritchy sound. He inched his way up to the top of the gator’s nest. The sound was still scratching away. Maybe it was just a little something to eat. Possum started digging down into the pile. The deeper he dug the louder the scritching was.

All at once, Possum saw a tiny little gator snout and a pair of tiny eyes at the bottom of that hole. That baby gator pulled herself up out of the nest and stood there looking Possum in the eye. Possum was drooling. He hadn’t eaten for days. If there’s anything a possum likes more than eating gooey gator eggs it’s eating baby gators. Possum could taste that baby gator going down into his hungry belly. He began to huss at that little striped baby gator, and he moved a step at a time toward the unblinking baby gator eyes.

That possum wanted that baby gator safe in his belly more than he had ever wanted anything. Baby gator smiled at the possum. Then the tiny smiling baby gator whispered,

Possum’s eyes saw that wonderful tender baby gator sitting there waiting for him to gobble it down.

Just like that, old Mother Thunder picked that foolish possum up with her lower jaw. She flipped him up into the air and batted him with her tail. Possum turned a slow circle in the air, and that big black old mother gator caught him as he fell down past her snaggled gator teeth, and she swallowed him. Mother Thunder rubbed her belly and reminded Possum, “Don’t ever trust an alligator’s smile.”

She scraped the steaming leaves away from her eggs as more of her children began hatching. When all her eggs had hatched and all the new shiny little gator babies were accounted for that old she -gator led her brood of striped hatchlings down into the bayou to take their first swim.

After that possums always passed on that very important lesson from one generation to another.

“Don’t ever trust an alligator’s smile.”

And the baby gator smiled.

Possum never saw the black shadow standing behind the tip of his pink tail. Possum never smelled that mother gator smell as Mother Thunder came up behind him. He saw and smelled that newborn baby gator. He was so hungry.

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Possum took one more step.

“Don’t ever trust an alligator’s smile.”

Don’t you trust one either.

❂

Editor’s Note: Charles Bears Road Dunning, or “Yona,” as he is known to his friends, is an extraordinary storyteller of Cherokee-Shonee-Celtic ancestry. He and Karen “Falling Leaves” Welch, Mohawk, write tales that reflect the Florida landscape under the name of Bear Crow Traditions.

They also share traditional American Indian stories learned from elders. Recently they compiled two collections their stories illustrated with Yona’s delightful sketches.

To invite them to perform contact them at Native Earth Cultural Center at Indian Stuff 1064 4th Street N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-821-8186 www.orgsites.com/fl/ourstory

Community Spirit Partner

Alachua County Historic Trust:

Matheson Museum as told by Sharon Faris, Gainesville to Elizabeth Neily, Gulfport

Christopher Matheson is fondly remembered in Gainesville as the man responsible for getting cars to drive on one side of the road or the other. Gainesville’s mayor from 1910 to 1917, Matheson, saw to it that

the downtown streets were paved and had the city purchase its first motorized fire truck. After the first electric lights were installed, passengers on the train passing through town on their way from Fernandina to Cedar Key at two o’clock in the morning, were awakened so they could see the “Great White Way.” People said that it looked just like New York City, all lit up that way. Sharon Faris, Education Director, stands in the museum’s Matheson also arranged reproduction Country Store. for the city’s first federal post office, which is now the Hippodrome State Theater. He also established the first Carnegie Library.

He was a man who got things done.

Matheson’s family moved to Gainesville after the American Civil War. Matheson’s father, James Douglas, was a Confederate war hero who owned a dry goods store on the north side of the square on University Avenue, called Liberty Street at that time.

He married Gussie Steele, Judge Augustus Steele’s daughter. She fell in love with him the day he came over to visit while working at Hale Plantation out on the Archer Road (known locally as “the road to

Cedar Key.”) He worked for her brothers who ran the plantation. Gussie and James Douglas were married July 2nd, 1867.

James Douglas and Gussie built the only house on the east side of Sweetwater Branch Creek. They had four children. Their two little girls died in infancy from one of the fevers of the time. A son, named Steele after his grandfather, died in a hunting accident on the Hawthorne Road. That left Christopher.

He attended East Florida Seminary which eventually became the University of Florida. Then he went to the Citadel, where he graduated as valedictorian. He joined the army, where he worked his way up through the ranks from private. He did not take the customary commission

The Matheson House was continuously lived-in for 150 years. It is designed after a South Carolina farm house. www.mathesonmuseum.org

because he loved the military life so much. After his brother was killed, Christopher returned home to grieve with the family. He studied to be an attorney with a local judge.

After Matheson’s parents died, he studied to become a Presbyterian minister. He was sent to Shawnee, Oklahoma, where he fell in love with Sarah Hamilton, a Christian education teacher. They were married in 1933.

In 1945, when Christopher discovered that he had Parkinson’s disease, the Mathesons moved to Gainesville where he died in 1952.

A benefactor, Dr. Martin Bayer, and Sarah Matheson decided to create the Alachua County Historical Trust: Matheson Museum. They bought the old American Legion Hall, built in 1932, and turned it into the Museum.

It sits on Sweetwater Branch Creek, that runs between the museum and the library. The Matheson home, behind the Museum, is open for tours. ❂ 21

Mamma’s Kitchen YUCK!

Were Spices Really Used to Mask the Taste of Rotting Food?

That is sort of like asking, “Are onions used in making vegetable soup?” And of course the answer is “maybe.”

In my opinion (and everyone has one), the answer to this question should be “Not as a rule”. While I am sure that spices were used in this manner from time to time, I don’t think it was the norm. For this reason I hate to hear interpretive cooks make the statement as if it was common practice. Here’s why.

First of all we as modern people, look at the past through tinted binoculars; the past being colored by our experience and knowledge. We tend to think of “primitive ways” as unskilled, ignorant, uninformed, or a dozen other possible adjectives. I will agree that technology prior to the 19th century was a lot less refined than it is today. But 200 years from now think how “primitive” our “state of the art technology” will be.

“People in the olden days” were people just like us. They made decisions based on the information at hand. If a wife had a family of six to feed she cooked a family meal for six; unlike today, we cook for the family meal and for a meal of leftovers.

Knowing what means of food preservation were at hand she would not knowingly over-cook, letting the food go to waste. You may say, “But they did not know about bacteria and what causes food spoilage in those days,” and you would be exactly correct.

They knew, however, that food left in the heat for a prolonged time tasted different, could make you sick, and was generally not good for human consumption. They also seemed to know that cooking it again, for a substantial time, might not make it taste any better but it would keep you from becoming ill.

Thus, this idea that they used spices to mask the taste of rot was born. To this point we agree.

Let’s give the earlier cooks credit, however. They knew 22

By JACKIE SHAFFER, Havana

a lot more about food preservation than most of us do in this century. We rely heavily on the industrial knowledge of food preservation. How well would we, as individuals with our modern knowledge, do if we had a garden full of food to harvest and preserve? Did I forget to mention that you can not rely on refrigeration, freezing, or canning using heat sealed jars? So, how well would you do?

To understand food preservation you have to start by understanding why it is important. The instant that food, animal or plant, is picked or killed it begins the putrefication process. For eons man followed his food from site to site as the seasons changed. Food preservation techniques made it possible for agrarian societies to develop. It decreased the possibility of ill health, by distributing the food through seasons when the pickins’ were lean and starvation was a real possibility. OK, we agree it’s a good thing, so off the soap box and back to the subject.

What did the earlier cook know about food preservation techniques? Let’s take a closer look at a few of the techniques that were used during the 14 th through 18th centuries.

Dehydration

Drying is probably the oldest form of food preservation and was probably discovered by accident. It is found throughout history, and recorded techniques date back to the early Roman Empire. In his travels through Asia, Marco Polo discovered that the Mongols dehydrate their milk, for later reconstitution and use. In more recent history, in the later part of the 19th century, there are several references to powdered eggs being used on expeditions around the world.

Drying was and is still used for fish, meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, pulses (pea family), beans, seeds, breads, you name it. There were many techniques for drying. Some

you name it. There were many techniques for drying. Some foods were placed on strings and hung to dry in warm drying areas, such as above the cook stove. Other foods were dried in cooling ovens after cooking or baking was completed. Sun drying was popular in hot arid climates. Burying food in hot sand was another early means of drying food. Surrounding the food in a dry substance to draw the water out was also effective; corn or wheat flower was often used. Wrapping the food in an absorbent material and pressing the moisture out was often the first step in a dehydration process. Requiring little preparation, being very cost effective, and a fairly simple process to follow, it is no wonder that dehydration as a means of food preservation has persisted for such a long time.

In Florida the conditions for drying were favorable; lots of hot sun and along the coasts lots of hot sand. However, the conditions for storage were not as favorable. The warm humid climate promotes not only the growth of mold and mildew, but bacteria as well. So while preservation via de-hydration was possible, particular care must have been employed to keep the foods from molding during storage.

life element. Being a desiccant, salting was often used in conjunction with dehydration for food preservation.

Salt draws the moisture out of meat leaving its surface dehydrated. It causes the meat to sweat as the water is drawn out, making it necessary to continually replace the wet salt with fresh, dry salt. As the surface becomes moist it promotes the growth of certain bacteria. During the 17th century it was discovered that gun powder rubbed on salted meat prevented it from spoiling more effectively than salt alone. It became common practice to use a combination of salt (sodium chloride) and saltpeter (potassium nitrate) in the salt curing of meat.

Curing

According to We b s t e r, c u r i n g i s a process of preserving

This 16th century illustration by Jacques LeMoyne, shows the Timucua Indians of north Florida smoking an assortment of meat and fish.

food by means of smoking, salting or aging. Aging, however, is more a process of building flavor or “character� than it is a process associated with preservation. Today, curing is primarily associated in the preservation of meats.

Probably the second oldest known form of food preservation, records of salt and smoke curing may be found in the earliest hieroglyphs, predating written history. Many an army has been sustained on hardtack and jerked meat. In fact, salt was so important that the Bay County (Florida) Salt Works became a primary target during the Civil War.

Meats however were not the limit. Fruits andvegetables were also preserved by salting. Eggplants, onions, potatoes, beans, beets, peppers, apricots, even apples, were all salted.

The fruits and vegetables were then washed and soaked prior to eating. Butter was stored in barrels layered alternately with salt. In order to make a more tasty butter some of the salt was washed out of the butter prior to use. Many fruits were prepared with honey and then preserved in salt. It was said that the clashing tastes between the salt and the sweetness of the honey were a delightful treat.

Salting

Smoke

Few commodities have been as widely traded as salt.

It has the distinction of being classified as a necessary

Smoking is another ancient form of preserving foods, and is often employed along with dehydration and salting.

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Smoking huts or smoke houses were an integral part of most native villages and early colonial communities.

In the earlier days when the country was primarily rural, every farm had its own smoke house. Later when industrialization became more common and people moved away from self sustained farms, communal smokehouses became more common. Smoking works much the same way as dehydration. The very fact that, “where there is smoke, there is fire,” (and thus heat), increases the likelihood of drying or dehydration. But smoking has an added advantage. It leaves behind the resins emitted from the burning wood or the material used to produce the smoke, thus imparting a flavor (such as hickory or walnut) to the cured food. Once the flavor enhancing smokes had imparted their distinction to the meat, woods like fir and pine were often used in the final stages of preservation.

These resinous woods contributed to preservation by leaving a tar coat on the meat. This tar coat detracted flies,preventing maggots. Pepper was often used to deter bats. Yes, that’s right, I said bats. Smoked meats were often stored in the wide chimneys inside the house. Bats living in the chimney were very fond of smoked meat and would come down the chimney in search of the food. But bats apparently didn’t like pepper so a liberal coat of pepper could literally “save the bacon.”

Pickling

The earliest forms of pickling are associated with the use of salt. Many fruits and vegetables were preserved by placing alternating layers of salt and food in a jar, barrel or other container. As the salt drew the water off the food, brine collected in the container. A weighted lid kept the food in the brine. This brine was known as the pickle.

Later it was discovered that you could add certain herbs and spices to the pickle and the taste would be imparted to the food. Favorite foods for pickling included: apples, peaches, cabbage, beans, pumpkin, beets, cucumbers, palm hearts, onions, eggs, walnuts, even lemons and oranges were pickled. Wine or vinegar was sometimes also added for additional flavor. However, just as curing with salt was not limited to meat so pickling was not limited to plant food stuffs. Whole grains of salt, called corns were packed around slabs of beef. An array of spices was added to the meat and salt, brine developed in the container, pickling the beef, giving rise to the term corned beef. Consider this delectable array of pickled meats, all common in their day: pigs’ feet, ears, snouts, tails, and knuckles; beef and lamb tongue, tripe, all manner of organs including; heart, lungs, liver, and pancreas.

Pickled foods were thought to dry the blood, thus promote healthy blood, for everyone knows too much blood is unhealthy. And wouldn’t you rather eat a lot of pickled food in order to avoid the need to be bled by leaches? The 24

fact that they also increased the thirst prompted public houses to keep several jars on hand, free to the customer of course. Pickled foods were also thought to prevent intestinal parasites, though in many cases they actually promoted them, especially in the case of cabbage.

Many fruits and nuts were preserved by storing them directly in wine. The alcoholic nature of wine inhibits the spoiling process and produces a tasty and intoxicating edible fruit. At the same time the fruit imparts its flavor to the wine.

Fruits preserved in such a way were said to be pickled or “soused” and were favorites in fruit compotes, baked pies and puddings.

Taking wine a step further, vinegar was a natural for pickling. After all, vinegar is simply the product of wine that has been exposed to the air during its fermentation process.

Vinegar is highly acidic and is an excellent preventative for spoilage. Vinegar pickling became very popular in the 16th century. Salted foods had become associated with the poor so other, less common, forms of preservation were desired. The thing to remember about vinegar pickling is that storage was sometimes a problem. Vinegar is so acidic that it would melt the lead in pottery so it had to be stored in stoneware or glass.

Covering was equally important. It had to be carefully sealed using cork, wax, bladders, or resin, all pretty common with perhaps cork being an exception. I do not know how widely cork was available or used during the 16th to 18th centuries.

Substitutes would have included wooden, stoneware, and earthenware stoppers.

Fermentation

I daresay that when you think of fermentation the first thing that comes to mind are grapes or apples. While it is true that wine and cider are probably two of the most common, and most popular of the fermented foods, they are by no means the only foods fermented. Fermentation was particularly good in damp climates where dry salting or smoking were not practical.

Perhaps you did not realize that sauerkraut is actually fermented cabbage. Some of the more popular foods to ferment might include: figs, berries, milk, rice, potatoes, honey, and certain grains like corn. With the exception of cabbage and figs, it should be fairly obvious that most of these foods were used in the production of alcoholic beverages. But whole fruits were also fermented for eating; peaches, pears, quince, and plums to name only a few. Of course yeast breads are also the product of fermentation, though we don’t often think of them as such. ❂ Jackie will continue her discussion of preserving foods in the next issue of the Florida Frontier Gazette. She may be reached at:

beachnutbottom@earthlink.net

BOOK REVIEWS DREAM STATE

by Diane Roberts 2004 Simon & Shuster ISBN 0-7432-5206-3 History $25.00

Diane Roberts prologue to DREAM STATE opens with the media circus that has descended on Tallahassee in the wake of the “notelection” of 2000. Politicians and reporters hover around the capital and the whole world holds its breath as the Florida Supreme Court ponders the situation.

“We are bright, hopeful, and historyless. The current unpleasantness over the presidential election is like a hurricane. An act of God. Not our fault. This hurricane has ripped off a few roofs, rearranged the lawn furniture, and brought down some big tree limbs. But it will soon be over.

The clouds will clear. Then we can go back to the Florida that’s about fun, fun and sun, and money, back to the Florida that pretends very hard that the past doesn’t matter”.

Roberts writes with the confidence of a swashbuckling privateer come to take Florida from whom ever claims to own it. Her prose cuts a sharp swath through any pretenses of so-called southern civility to expose a long legacy of political corruption. She leaves no closet unopened in her frank, yet delightfully funny prose, poking fun at the political establishment. She also has a bit of fun explaining how Florida fits in to the South.

“The up-north reporter wants to know if I’ve ever worn a hoopskirt. You should see the look on his face when I say yes.

The hoopskirt is the tribal costume of the white-girl South, I say.” She goes on to explain how young ladies managed to maneuver in the thing. “I’ll tell you this much, I say. “Driving a Honda Civic in a hoop skirt is no damn joke.”

Roberts’ history takes you back to Florida’s conquest.

She details the traditional introduction that students are taught about the first European to set foot on its sandy shores.

“THE STORY I WAS TOLD, the story all Florida schoolchildren were once told, was that Juan Ponce de Leon came to Florida to find the Fountain of Youth. Maybe Spain was full of geriatric conquistadors, looking for a place to unfreeze their bones and heat up their blood once more. This made sense. Florida was full of old people wearing shorts in fierce gum-ball colors, old people on golf carts, old people with burnt sienna tans and parasoled

by Elizabeth Neily and Hermann Trappman cocktails and fifty-dollar manicures, all trying to feel less old.

It was as if Florida were some kind of American reward: Live most of your life in a place where you have to work in the cold, walk on ice, and shovel snow, then go south, go where you can play like a child in the sun.”

I am often asked to recommend books about Florida’s history. DREAM STATE is the first to paint a totally irreverent picture of our history. Far from the dry, typically insufferable tombs that call themselves history, Roberts’ history will have you devouring every word and leave you drooling for more. I even bought a “back-up copy” just in case the one I loaned out doesn’t find its way home. - EN

SAND MANSIONS

by Norman Gilliland 2004 NEMO Productions ISBN 0-9715093-1-X 2005 Fiction

$24.95

I began visiting Gainesville, the Florida Museum of Natural History, and the University of Florida when I was 22. That’s 37 years ago.

For me, Gainesville was the

University and it’s museum. Occasionally I’d ask about local history. The usual answer I was given, “They’re mostly farmers.” While visiting the Matheson Museum, Gainesville’s own history museum, I came across a copy of the book SAND MANSIONS. The Matheson Museum and SAND MANSIONS have totally changed my paradigm of Gainesville. What I discovered was a genuine flesh and blood community, filled with human drama.

In SAND MANSIONS Norman Gilliland brings Gainesville’s rich past to life through the eyes of two of its early inhabitants, Nathaniel Larrabee and John Howard.

In 1876, young Larrabee is forced into a desperate escape from his native state of Missouri. Larrabee robbed a bank as revenge against the loss of his family farm. Because of a possibility of a murder he may have committed, he decided to seek his fortunes in the gold fields of the Dakota Territory. Through a series of misadventures, he ends up in Florida instead.

Florida, during late the Reconstruction era, is a wild and dangerous place. Roving gangs of desperados having shoot-outs on the streets punctuate its frontier efforts toward civilization. Larrabee, a young man without any education, skills, or money, trys to find some way of making a living.

Paid as a body guard, he falls in with John Howard and a 25

corrupt presidential election. His discovery of corruption and deception leaves him feeling used. His indignation creates a rift between he and Howard. The two men become bitter enemies.

Larrabee’s fortunes take a change for the better when he’s hired to work on the King Payne, a paddle-wheel ship, carrying freight on Alachua Lake. Bordered by orange groves and plantations, the lake environment affords Larrabee the independence to confront the uncertainties of his life. Larrabee and Howard struggle with the rise and fall of fortunes and power.

Today, Alachua Lake is modern Payne’s Prairie. Alachua Lake disappeared into the labyrinth of caves and underground rivers beneath Florida. Like the mystery of the lake, SAND MANSIONS weaves a human story of intrigues, love, and happenstance. I really enjoyed the book and the new perspective it gave me of a romantic and robust Gainesville. - HT

BLACK SEMINOLES IN THE BAHAMAS

by Rosalyn Howard 2004 Univeristy Press of Florida ISBN 0-8130-2559-1 Anthropology $40.00 BLACK SEMINOLES IN THE BAHAMAS is an exploration of the African American experience and adaptation in Florida and the Bahamas.

Slavery comes in many varieties. Often slavery was not associated with the colors of human skin. Many forms of slavery were only temporary. As a person became a part of the society which held them captive, they were given freedom.

Colonial America was the origin of one of the most brutal forms of slavery on the planet. It was the kind of slavery that targeted an individual’s racial quality and enslaved them for life. The Colonies passed laws to trace slave family lines through the female slaves. In that way all of her children could be enslaved as well. Even free Africans, or Africans who had purchased their freedom, were not equal. So, for people of color, slavery was a life sentence passed from one generation to the next..

Florida was the first road to freedom for colonial slaves.

People of African origin who fled to Florida had a variety of options available to them. Those options were tied to strength, ability to travel, and circumstance. Among their possibilities, they could look for communities of their own people, they could join the Seminole Indian communities, or they could join the coastal Spanish fishing ranchos.

For the newly formed northern states, the free Africans living

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in Florida posed a threat. Raids from the north forced some of Florida’s free Africans to flee into the Bahamas.

Rosalyn Howard traces the process which led Black Seminoles to the dangerous journey from the Florida Keys to the Bahamas. Traveling in the Bahamas she identified several of these communities through their own family histories. Dr. Howard describes these communities and their modern lifestyles. BLACK SEMINOLES IN THE BAHAMAS offers pivotal research for the understanding of the spread and adaptation of African culture on the Florida frontier. - HT

GORGON

Paleontology, Obsession, and the Greatest Catastrophe in Earth’s History

by Peter D. Ward 2004, Viking ISBN 0-670-03094-5 Paleontology $27.95 GORGON is about the extinction which occurred along the Permian Triassic boundary, 250 million years ago. This was the greatest extinction in our planet’s history. Some scientists estimate that almost 95% of life on planet earth died out. Why did it happen?

What’s that got to do with Florida history or prehistory?

During the late Permian, America crashed into Gondwanaland. Gondwanaland was made up of Africa, South America, Antarctica, and India. That crash would create the single great continent of Pangaea. That crash was the birth place of Florida.

Although Peter Ward never mentions Florida, those who are interested in Florida’s origins will find his book fascinating. The heart of Ward’s research takes place in the Karoo of South Africa. The Karoo is an ancient landscape of environmental extremes. It gives up its secrets grudgingly through many hardships. Most of the fossils are of mammallike reptiles. Somewhere, during this extinction, an animal slipped through to give birth to the dinosaurs. Somewhere, a mammal-like reptile made it to give birth to the line of mammals. This is an incredible tale from which all of us can trace our beginnings.

GORGON is a very personal book—a book about the struggle for understanding, and the human cost involved. I couldn’t put it down. I found myself as engrossed in the lives of these scientists as I was in their findings.

The book helped me imagine Florida in its ancient throws of creation. Like the description of the Karoo, I envision ancient Florida to be a rough and hostile country.

Ward leads us to important insights in the face of our modern environment and its connection to the greenhouse gasses we are producing today. - HT.

April 2 - 3 Fernandina Beach FORT CLINCH - Union Special Spring Encampment Event includes candlelight viewing on Saturday evening.

Admission: $5/vehicle. Events free with park admission unless otherwise indicated. Off A1A on Amelia Island. 904277-7274.

Events & Exhibits April 2005 Thru April Tallahassee Maclay House Tours 9 AM - 5 PM daily. $4 per vehicle. The historic Maclay Family winter residence is open for informal tours throughout the blooming season, which peaks in midMarch, with hundreds of camellias, azaleas, dogwoods and other plants. Park staff and volunteers answer questions and explain the rich history of the Maclay family and gardens.

Alfred B. Maclay Gardens, 3540 Thomasville Dr. on US 319, one mile off I-10. No Pets. 850-487-4556 Thru April Punta Gorda Hiking the High Marsh at Little Pine Key Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays, 8:30 - 10:30 AM. Charlotte Harbor Preserve, 12301 Burnt Store Rd. (County Rd. 765). Free Park Admission. 941-575-5861 April 1-2 Pensacola Time Portal to the Past on the Green, a time line of the Five Flags of Spanish (explorer or colonial), British colonial, French Occupation, Civil War Union and Civil War Confederacy. “The Windows Stage”, an open air space on the green for presentations of dance, delightful history presentations, theatre (Cabaret ‘tentative’), view of Native American culture, and more...Friday 12 noon-5 PM and Saturday 10 AM - 5 PM. April 1-2 Perry Florida Bluegrass Festival April 1: Show Time6 PM - 10 PM. April 2: Show Time, 1 PM - 5 pm and 6 PMm to 10 PM. Park Admission, $1/person. NO PETS. Enjoy music, fun, food, crafts and festivities. Bring lawn chairs and blankets.

Featuring: Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike Capsized; Southern Lite The Palms Bluegrass Band; Southern Gentlemen Swing Bridge; Fifth Gear; The River City Connection. Forest Capital Museum on U.S. Highway 19, one mile south of Perry. 850-584-3227

April 4-8 Gainesville K-5th Grade Spring Break Classes Biodiversity Around the World 8:30 AM -12 PM. Find out where plants and animals live in the oddest places on earth! Explore the rainforests, coral reefs and estuaries that are teeming with life and discover how you can help keep this diversity for the future.

Backyard Habitats for Wildlife 1 - 4:30 PM. Focus on Florida’s native plants and animals and how you can make a better home for them in your backyard. Plant a plant; build a birdhouse; go wild with wildlife! $80 members/$88 nonmembers. Both Classes: $160 members/$176 nonmembers.

Florida Museum of Natural History.

352-846-2000 or www.flmnh.ufl.edu.

April 8-10 Brooksville Springbreak Music Fest Sertoma Youth Ranch. Three days of cool music including Americana, Jamgrass, Bluegrass & Alternative, plus arts, crafts, good food and music workshops. Gates open 8 AM Friday. Pancake breakfast Sat. & Sun. at Bluegrass Cafe. For tickets and info contact Lind Entertainment Corp., PO Box 694, Polk City, 863-984-8445.

Email: riverhawk@ij.net Website: lindentertainment.com April 8 Gainesville Celestial Celebrations Event. 5 - 7:30 PM. Join us for a partial solar eclipse, with solar-viewing telescopes provided by the Alachua Astronomy Club. This is a dinner time eclipse beginning at 5:26 PM and ending at 7:08 PM. At maximum eclipse, the moon will obscure 34 percent of the sun. Indoor exhibits will be open. Florida Museum of Natural History 352-846-2000. www.flmnh.ufl.edu April 9 Dunedin Art Auction 7 PM to 10 PM. Special art auction held at Andrews Memorial Chapel, 1899 San Mateo Drive, at the entrance to Hammock Park. Viewing of art before the auction of mostly scenes and landscapes. 727-736-1176 April 16 Ellenton 5th Annual Plantation Festival sponsored by the Gamble Plantation Preservation Alliance 10 AM-4 PM. We had approximately 2,100 visitors and 33 art and craft vendors at the 2004 Festival and we are expecting much larger crowds

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in 2005. benefit the GPPA, a Citizen’s Support Organization (CSO) pledged to support the Gamble Plantation State Historic Park and its many valuable artifacts. VENDORS: All Arts/Crafts/Food Vendors are cordially invited to participate in this festival. Vendor fees: Arts/Craft - $35.00 Food $100.00. Setup, when coordinated with the Park Staff, on Friday, April 15, or before 9:30 AM on Saturday. Contact Ms. June Hartlieb at 941-755‑8050 as soon as possible, but no later than March 31. Gamble Plantation Historic State Park, 3708 Patten Avenue. Public Free.

April 20 Gainesville Nancy Gildersleeve Demo: The Versatile Palm. 1 - 3:30 PM. For centuries, useful and decorative objects (rope, mats, baskets, roofs, toys, ornaments) have been crafted from palm fronds and fiber. See examples of palm crafts, try your hand at some and take a docent-led tour of the Southwest Florida People and Environments exhibition hall to see how the Calusa used Sabal palmetto, our state tree. Adults: $5 members/nonmembers. Florida Museum of Natural History 352-846-2000 or www.flmnh.ufl.edu.

April 22-23 Safety Harbor Menendez Lost Colony, 1567 Philippe Park. Re-enactment of Menendez’ first “Lost Colony” at Tocobaga on Tampa Bay. 16th Century garb and gear required. School Day: Friday.

Public Day- Saturday.

Contacts: Lester Dailey, 727-5329676 or email: daileynews@ mymailstation.com Elizabeth Neily, 727-321-7845 or email: tocobaga@verizon. net. See inside front cover for details.

April 22-24 New Port Richey Anclote River Raid at Jay. B. Starkey Park, 150-acre site in Hardy Brigade Maximum Effort Event. School & Scout Days scheduled April 22, 10 AM 2 PM. Camping for Scouts, cabins and campsites can be arranged with early registration.

Powder ration for first 4 artillery pieces. Sutlers welcome; no fees with pre-registration. Two full-scale battles Saturday 2 PM and Sunday 1PM. Saturday Night Tactical. Ladies’ Tea Saturday at 11 PM; Grand Ball Saturday at 8 PM (in air conditioned building). Lighted nature walks and horse riding trails. Cavalry welcome. Ideal grounds with 14 miles of riding trails. Living history demos. Directions: 20 miles West of I-75. From Tampa , I-75 (N) - Exit SR 56 (Turns to SR54) west to Little Rd (Interstate 1/ New Port Richey); north to River Crossing; right to Starkey Blvd., L; first right entrance to Jay B. Starkey Park. From Tallahassee (S) SR 52 to Little Rd., left (S) to DeCubellis Rd., left (E) to Starkey Blvd. Right (S) entrance to Jay B. Starkey Park first left.

Contact: Anclote_rr@yahoo.com

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April 23 Ft. Myers Trail of the Lost Tribes Archaeology Lecture Series: “Stories buried in the Ground”. Corbett Torrence, M.A. “Caloosahatchee Landscapes” an architctural analysis of Coastal Mound Sites in Southwest Florida.” The Mound House, 289 Connecticut Street, Ft. Myers Beach, with guided tours of Mound Key in Estero Bay. Contact Theresa Schober, 239-765-0865 or www.ecotrail.com

April 23-24 Palm Coast Earth Day Timeline Washington Oaks Gardens State Park. This annual Florida history timeline includes a 16th Century beach camp at the foot of a Native American mound, Timucuans, Jonathan Dickinson, Florida cowboys, and military impressions from 1740 to the War Between the States. Contact Brian Bowman, 904-824-9823 or lobo@ aug.com April 23-24 Arcadia Peace River 2005 Peace River Campgrounds, Hwy 70 & 72.

Join Tampa Bay Fossil Club for a weekend of fossil hunting, camping & canoeing. Saturday: 8:30 am - Screenwashers & Snorkels meet at the campgrounds deck overlooking the river. 4 PM - Barbecue dinner, $9.50. Free raffle ticket with each dinner. Reserve campsite at 863-494-9693 and tell them you’re with TBFC. Register by April 12. For more info, call Mike Searle at 813-909-9358.

April 23 - 24 Fernandina Beach FORT CLINCH - Confederate Garrison Park admission $5 per vehicle, plus $2 per person. See prior event listing.

April 23 Gainesville Let’s Explore Small Stuff - Rainforests! Program for children in grades 1-5. Saturday, April 23 10 AM-12 PM. Focus closely on small things. See the worlds that open up with the aid of a hand lens. Classes will explore microbes, insects, marine life, aquatic invertebrates and small plants.

Visit our exhibits, look for signs of water pollution by searching for animal life and make your own tiny rainforest in a terrarium. Limit 12 students. Pre-registration is required. $10 per class members/nonmembers. Florida Museum of Natural History 352-846-2000 or www.flmnh.ufl.edu April 24 Gainesville Of Lice and Men: What Lice and Other Parasites Can Tell Us About Our Evolutionary History. 2 -3 PM. Florida Museum Curator of Mammals David Reed will explain how scientists use parasites to better understand human evolutionary history, including parasites like tapeworms, pinworms, fungi, bacteria and mites, as well as lice. FMHNH. 352-846-2000 or www.flmnh.ufl.edu

April 23-May 14 Gainesville Gardening in Spring Saturdays, 10 - 11:30 AM. Hannah Nendick-Mason, horticulturalist at the Butterfly Rainforest.

Learn about North-Central Florida butterflies and how to attract them, including basic butterfly biology, types of local butterflies, larval host and adult nectar plants, garden design, site preparation and planting, and general care and maintenance. Class is four Saturday mornings. Adults: $54 members/$60 nonmembers (May 7 fieldtrip to Kanapaha Botanical Garden $5). Florida Museum of Natural History 352-846-2000 or www.flmnh.ufl.edu.

April 30 Deland Cracker Days Festival & Rodeo Presented by The Volusia County Cattleman’s Association, Volusia County Fairgrounds. “Feathers on the Wind”will be performing a two -hour concert Saturday, starting 11 AM. Directions: I-4 East to exit 118 – SR 44. Go east on SR44 approx. 1⁄2 mile.

Turn into the second entrance, which will be between the Volusia County Farm Bureau building and Volusia County Ag Extension office. You will see the “cookshack” on the right, directly behind the Farm Bureau office. An entertainment tent will be set up between the arena and the food area.

April - May 1 West Palm Beach Spain in the Age of Exploration, 1492-1819, 10 AM - 5 PM Monday-Saturday, 1-5 PM Sunday. The Norton Museum of Art exhibits treasures from the centuries when Spain ruled the world. It was a time when Spain was the ultimate superpower, when kings and queens ruled the world, and the world, as they knew it, was never enough. never-before-seen keepsakes from the Spanish royal family, such as paintings by Velázquez and Goya, a breathtaking Bernini sculpture, extravagant royal armor, rare early maps and a letter from Queen Isabel to Christopher Columbus on the eve of his second voyage to the New World. 1451 S. Olive Ave. Contact 561- 832-5196 or www.norton.org April - May

Tampa MOSI - “Space: A Journey to Our Future.” This extraordinary exhibit gives audiences an opportunity to experience past explorations and our future destiny in space. Visitors are reminded that only through dreaming and exploration can we truly begin to live as inhabitants of this universe in which we find ourselves adrift. “Space” uses immersive scenic elements, the most advanced interactive exhibits and state-of-the-art projection and audio technology to bring this epic story to life. www.mosi.org April thru September Tampa MOSI -”Mystery of the Nile” tells the story of an emotional and historic expedition while exploring the

cultural and environmental links between the Ethiopian, Sudanese and Egyptian civilizations. A captivating human adventure and a serious in-depth look at this most fascinating, yet little-known region, “Mystery of the Nile” promises another exciting and educational giant screen experience. www.mosi.org

May 2005 Thru May 31 Dunedin Sailing Thru Dunedin Exhibit. Celebrating Dunedin’s waterfront history, the exhibit includes the story of the Dunedin Yacht Club, Dunedin Boat Club, the invention and beginnings of pram racing (Dunedin held the first State Pram Regatta in 1952), fishing, and the fishing industry.

The museum is located in downtown Dunedin where Main St. meets the Pinellas Trail. Open Tuesday - Saturday 10 PM to 4 PM. Admission, a suggested donation of $2/adults.

For info call 727-736-1176.

May 6 thru Labor Day Fernandina Beach FORT CLINCH - Candlelight Tours Fri. & Sat. evenings.

Guided tours take place after sundown. Tours available except on Saturdays during First Weekend Union Garrisons or Special Events. Call the front gate , 904-277-7274, for reservations.

May 6-7 Gainesville Flower Show. The Four Seasons Garden Club sponsors a juried flower show featuring flower arrangements and live plants. Judging takes place Friday morning and the show will be open to the public Friday and Saturday. 10 AM - 5 PM, Sat., May 7 10PM. - 4 PM. Florida Museum of Natural History 352-846-2000. www. flmnh.ufl.edu.

May 6 - 8 St. Augustine Gamble Rogers Folk Festival. St. Augustine Amphitheater off AIA south of city. you can find the list of performers, the schedule and information about all the events for the festival. Ticket Prices: Friday night - $15 (Free fish dinner with paid admission); Saturday 11am-5pm - $15; Saturday Night 7pm - $15 or ALL DAY Saturday pass - $25, Sunday 11AM-5PM - $10, Weekend pass - $45 a savings of $10.

Children under the age of 12 are FREE with a paid adult excluding Saturday night’s performance. Due to limited seating, admission for children on Saturday night will be $10. This will be strictly enforced (even if they sit on your lap). Tickets available at: Music Matters; Albertson’s Shopping Plaza; Simple Gestures, 4 White Street East (south of Gypsy Cab); Graphic Inks Design Studo, 835-C Anastasia Blvd. & Gamble Rogers Middle School.

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May 7 Tampa Florida’s Role in the Spanish-American War, 10 AM - 4 PM. Cracker Country. The Spanish-American War was more than the larger-than-life Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders. Find out why Tampa was the major port in the conflict and how Floridians were affected by their state’s importance in the War. To take part in either event , contact K. Ken Johnston, Curator of Living History & Programming at 813-627-4225 or kjohnston@digital.net.

May 11 Gainesville Preschool Class: Wigglers and Walkers, Plants and What’s for Dinner. 3:30 - 4:30 PM. $3 adult/child pair, $1 for second child ages 2-5. Join us the second Wednesday of the month for child-friendly fun with museum docents. Kids, ages 2-5 accompanied by an adult, will learn about Museum exhibits through stories, games, hands-on objects and other age appropriate activities. Come early to park your stroller and meet new friends! Florida Museum of Natural History 352-846-2000. www.flmnh.ufl.edu.

May 21 Largo Civil War Days skirmish at Heritage Village, 9:00 AM- 5:00 PM (second year in this event’s new date slot; in the past, it was held in July.) Sponsored by Pinellas County’s Heritage Village, the Pinellas County Historical Society and co-hosted by the USS Fort Henry and USS Ottawa. Spectators will be able to participate in various “hands on” activities focused on both military and civilian life. Sutlers, food and beverage vendors will be on site. Reenactors talk about their uniforms and gear, their units, feelings about the war, etc. Skirmish is at 2:00 PM. Reenactor/sutler/vendor Registration: Gate No. 2. opens for registration and setup 7-8:30 AM . Participants register inside of Gate 2. Field passes will be issued to reenactors. Parking: Only vehicles with trailers (artillery, sutlers, etc.) can park inside fence. Other vehicles can park outside fence to maintain ambience. Overflow parking in the nearby extension parking lot (paved) just north of the gates. Public to follow signs and park in the event lot and ride free shuttles to the entrance. Sutlers and vendors are to contact Heritage Village in advance (727-582-2123) http:// www.county.pinellas.org/heritage. Reenactor information: Lew Zerfas, email: go.lew@verizon.net.

May 21-22 Fort Pierce Wings ‘n Wheels Air Show & Military Vehicle Show, St. Lucie County Intl. Airport, (along Florida’s Treasure Coast). Co-sponsored by the Victory Forge Boot Camp.

Vehicles, displays, parades, reenactments, fly-bys.

Contact Mark Stinnett@CH2M.com

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May 27- 29 White Springs The 53rd Annual Florida Folk Festival - Our friends, “Feathers On The Wind” were chosen to perform at this fantastic event. Their performance times as follows: Friday, the 27th at 2-2:30 PM, performing on the “Under the Oaks” stage; Saturday, the 28th at 1:30 PM - 2 PM, performing on the “River Gazebo” stage; Sunday, the 29th at 1 PM - 2 PM, performing at the “Seminole Camp” stage. For other performers see - http://floridastateparks.org/folkfest/ default.htm May 28-29

Bradenton De Soto’s Landing. De Soto National Memorial,. 9 AM - 4 PM. A re-enactment of the landing of Hernando de Soto and his army in 1539. Includes interpretive programs by rangers and costumed living history programs and demos. 16th Century garb required!

Contact Tim Burke of Calderon Company, 914-953-7723 or calderon@comcast.net.

May 28 - 29 Fernandina Beach FORT CLINCH - WWII Event. Memorial Weekend program in honor of soldiers who fought during WWII. Park admission fee. See prior event.

June 2005 June 3-5 St. Augustine Drake’s Raid. Fountain of Youth Park. 9am to 5 PM. Reeactment 7:00 PM downtown. Attend the 20th Anniversary of this premier 16th Century re-enactment. Reenactors - 16th Century garb and gear required! Contact Brian Bowman, 904-824-9823 or lobo@aug.com.

June 18 Fernandina Beach FORT CLINCH - Annual Free Kids’ Fishing Clinic 9 AM-1PM. Kids learn how to be responsible anglers, tie knots, cast and more! Kids receive a free rod and reel, bait provided. Be sure to bring sunscreen. Park admission fee.

Please call ahead to make sure the event is still on and that there have been no last minute changes since being published on these pages.

To list events and exhibits, please email them to:

tocobaga@verizon.net

Continued from page 17...Punta Gorda In sheer numbers, the storm’s destruction — and subsequent demolitions — threatened the integrity of old Punta Gorda. It also lit a spark under the preservation movement.

Fearful that too many old buildings would vanish, the city charged the Historic Preservation Advisory Board with reviewing demolition requests for buildings 50 years and older. But Lynn Harrell, of the Peace River Writer’s Group located in the old Trabue building says, “It was a daunting task for volunteers to try to identify all the historic structures slated for demolition.”

A resident of Punta Gorda since childhood, Harrell said that her favorite historic landmarks simply disappear overnight. “I feel diminished by all the demolition.” says Harrell who lost her proof-reading business to Charley. Her office

was located next to the old Punda Gorda Herald (Sun) building on Taylor Street. Its gone now too.

Now, residents who have spent years restoring old buildings are mired in costly decisions about whether or not to save their historic structures or sacrifice them to the wrecking ball.

While officials talk up the importance of preservation, there is little to no local, state or federal money earmarked for restoring old buildings. On one hand people are desperate to save the integrity of their community. On the other, some feel they are being forced to preserve what they believe is irreparable.

As this community struggles to navigate its way through the quagmire that Charley left behind, the growing number of empty lots continues to break the hearts of the old-timers that remember its glory days. ❂

Frontier Gazette

A publication of the Historic Florida Militia, Inc. (Living History Groups) 42 Spanish Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084 904-829-9792 www.historicfloridamilitia.org

MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION ___INDIVIDUAL - $12.00 per year - 4 quarterly issues mailed to your home. ___COMMUNITY SPIRIT PARTNERS (non-profit) - $50.00 per year - 100 each quarterly issues to distribute to your patrons for FREE! Visitation and/or upcoming events may be promoted by purchasing ad space.

___1/8 page (2-1/4” x 5”) at $50.00 per insertion ____1/4 page (2-1/4” x 5”) at $100.00 per insertion. ___COMMUNITY SPIRIT BUSINESS PARTNERS - $50.00 - $250 per year (10% donated to designated

Community Spirit Partner) - 4 quarterly listings with Business Name, Address, Phone Number, and Website. ___COMMUNITY SPIRIT CORPORATE PARTNERS - $500-$1000 per year. (10% donated to designated Community Spirit Partner) - Logo with Business Name, Address, Phone Number, and Website on an individual page of the magazine.

Name:__________________________________Community Spirit Partner or Business:_____________________________ Address:____________________________________________City:_________________________State:_______Zip:_______ Phone:(_____)_________________E-mail:__________________________Website:________________________________ Membership $______________

Display Ad $______________

Total amount enclosed $______________

Please make checks payable to FLORIDA FRONTIERS 5409 21st Avenue S., Gulfport, FL 33707.

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Community Spirit Partners NOT FOR PROFIT PARTNERS American Waterski Educational Foundation 1251 Holy Cow Road, Polk City, FL 33868 863-324-2472 www.waterskihalloffame Collier County Museum 3301 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL 34112 941-774-8476 www.colliermuseum.org Dunedin Historical Society & Museum 349 Main Street, Dunedin, FL 34697 727-736-1176 www.ci.dunedin.fl.us/dunedin/historical-society Gamble Plantation Preservation Alliance 3708 Patten Avenue, Ellenton, Florida 34222 www.floridastateparks.org/gambleplantation Heritage Village at Pinewood Cultural Park 11909 125th Street N., Largo, FL 33774 727-582-2123 www.pinellascounty.org/Heritage/default.htm Indian Rocks Beach Historical Society P.O. Box 631 Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785 727-593-3861 www.indian-rocks-beach.com/historical_society.html Matheson Museum 513 E. University Ave., Gainesville, FL 32601 352-378-2280 www.mathesonmuseum.org Native Earth Cultural Center at Indian Stuff 1064 4th Street N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-821-8186 www.orgsites.com/fl/ourstory Panama Canal Museum 7985 113th Street, Suite 100,Seminole, FL 33772 727-394-9338 www.panamacanalmuseum.org Past Tymes (Living History Educators) 745 N.E. 117th St., Biscayne Park, FL 33161 305-895-7317 www.pasttymeproductions.com

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Pensacola Historical Society 117 E. Government Street Pensacola, FL 32502 850-434-5455 www.pensacolahistory.org The Pier Aquarium 800 2nd Avenue NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-895-7437 www.pieraquarium.org Randell Research Center PO Box 608, Pineland, FL 33945 239-283-2062. www.flmnh.ufl.edu/sflarch/pineland.htm Sacred Lands Preservation & Education 1620 Park Street N. St. Petersburg, FL 33710 727-347-0354 www.sacredlandspreservationandeducation.org St. Petersburg Museum of History 335 Second Avenue NE at the approach to The Pier.

St. Peterburg, FL 33707 727-894-1052 www.stpetemuseumofhistory.org Tampa Bay History Center 225 S. Franklin Street, Tampa, FL 33602 813-228-0097 www.tampabayhistorycenter.org The Trail of The Lost Tribes 941-456-6128 www.trailofthelosttribes.org Warm Mineral Springs/Little Salt Spring Archaeological Society P.O. Box 7797 North Port, FL 34287 www.fasweb.org/chapters/warmmineralsprings.htm

BUSINESS PARTNERS Custom Locators USA 2322 Hercala Lane, Hernando, FL 34442 352-560-0056

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Located in a vintage 1930s era beach cottage.

Covering the rich and storied history of the Indian Rocks area • Indian and beach displays • Timeline • Tiki Gardens exhibit & more Open Wed. - Sat. 10 am - 2 pm

Summer hours may vary

203 4th Ave., IRB, FL Across from the Post Office 727-593-3861

Join the The Florida Frontier Gazette. Details on page 31.

Storyteller Gladys Varga enchants audiences at the annual Florida Frontiers Days in Port Charlotte.

Swamp Owl on Smokey during the Dade Battle, January 1 & 2, 2005.

NTS