9/10: Historic Wakulla Springs, Florida

After spending two glorious weeks on the Florida Panhandle at Grayton Beach State Park, Steven and I headed south toward Tampa for a few days to stay at a friend's vacation home for a change of pace since one can only stay at a state park for two weeks straight before leaving for a minimum of three days. On the way to Tampa, we opted to stop at Wakulla Springs State Park for a few hours as we've always had great experiences at Florida's state parks.

A sign describing Wakulla Springs' archaeological and historic district indicated its importance due to relationships between human culture and natural resources from the Paleoindian period to the recent historic past, a period that spanned nearly 15,000 years. I was surprised to learn that there 55 recorded archaeological sites located in the state park. The sites included Paleoindian kill sites, camp sites, village areas, and a mound or village complex. Also found was evidence of visits by Spanish and other European explorers. 

Beginning in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, heavy logging and naval activities took place. Until the 1930s, the springs were a favorite place for picnics and political rallies. The park was acquired in 1934 by Edward Ball so it could be used as an attraction while still focusing on the preservation of wildlife and conservation of the park's natural features. The Wakulla Springs Lodge, completed in 1937, was an example of Mediterranean Revival architecture. The archaeological district was listed on the National Register in 1993.

Steven and I felt we should have been back in South America, particularly Paraguay, upon seeing the splendid ceiling decorations in the lodge!

A popular resident of Wakulla Springs, 'Old Joe' was probably the most photographed alligator in the wild! Often seen lounging on a sandbar, he reportedly never harmed a man, woman. or child. Local

folks said Old Joe took up residence in the horse-and-buggy-days at Wakula Springs! Old Joe would have started life at just 6"-8" long. About ten years later, he would have measured nearly six feet in length, half of that in his tail only! Florida's largest gator came in at 14', 5/8" long!

Joe was killed in the early hours of August 1, 1966; his body was found at the bottom of Wakulla Springs. Though a $5,000 reward was offered for information on his killer, no one has ever stepped forward to claim it! They thought he lived to be over 100 years old, measuring 11 feet, 2 inches, and weighing 650 pounds. 

The lodge's marble bar in the old soda fountain measured 70', 3" long, making it the longest marble bar east of the Mississippi River. Each of its eight pieces was quarter sawn and came from a single slab of marble. It was original to the lodge when it opened in 1937.

We read that archaeologists continue to explore and analyze areas throughout the state park. They were able to confirm a continuous human presence that began at least 14,500 years ago. Creek and Seminole Native Americans lived along the Wakulla River that was once the ancestral home of Apalache Native Americans. In a story we've heard far too many times, most of the Apalache perished from European diseases after Spanish conquistadors landed on the Wakulla River in 1528.

After touring the lodge, we walked down by the river, watching people jump off the old diving platform into the river, and then along the river trail.

By 1813, a tragic civil war between two Native American groups in nearby Alabama brought famine to the Upper Creeks or Red Sticks group. Their leader was Hillis Hadjo also known as Prophet Josiah Francis. He followed a prophetic movement that forecast doom if the 'white man's' way was adhered to. He led his family from Alabama to Spanish Florida and established Francis Town on the east bank of the Wakulla River.

In 1818, US General Andrew Jackson briefly took control of the Spanish Fuerte San Marcos de Apalache located at the end of the Wakulla River. An enslaved man, Billy, belonging to a Native American, betrayed Prophet Francis' location to Jackson. After Billy was lured to the fort, Jackson ordered him hanged in April of 1818 as he was believed to be a British sympathizer. 

The ever-so-tranquil Wakulla River:

Next post: Thanks to some dear friends in the Denver area, we spent a few nights at their home in Hudson, near Tampa.

Posted on March 25th, 2021, from our home in Denver just hours before we fly for the first time in a year to see our son, his wife, and their ten-month-old daughter, Max, in San Francisco for a long weekend. I know the weekend will be a very welcome getaway, especially for Steven, as we've been contending with a major remodel of our main floor. All was going well until an hour or so ago when we had a minor flood when the sinks were being disconnected! Here's hoping our dining room chairs won't suffer permanent damage as they got wet when the water came through the ceiling into the basement where the chairs, etc were being stored during the renovation. I hope your day has been easier!