Coleman Church Cemetery in Alachua County

July 24, 2018January 25, 2019 / floridatrailblazer / 3 Comments

Coleman Cemetery

This is an old African-American cemetery that I explored in the backwoods of Alachua County. Many of these cemeteries around the state are becoming lost to time and neglect so I am trying to explore and document them as I can. This particular one may be kept up from time to time from the looks of it and there was even a newer tombstone at one of the plots which dates to the 1970’s. The cemetery itself dates back to the early 1900’s. Back then the area looked very different than it does today.

There was once a town here called Coleman at one time. It was a town founded right after the Civil War by recently freed slaves. The town had a church, stores and houses in the small community but it did not survive as later generations moved away.

Though not much remains of the town other than just this cemetery from what I could see, this site is a still a nice reminder of times gone by and the people who lived here. It is important that we remember them and their history. It is my hope that future generations will learn about these places, visit them and also help keep the history alive.

My Video

Coleman Church Cemetery

Resources

Burial Records

Coleman Cemetery

Turpentine History at Goethe State Forest

July 16, 2018July 16, 2018 / floridatrailblazer / Leave a comment

Exploring at Goethe State Forest

Over the years I have been exploring the woods of Goethe State Forest located in Levy County. There is a rich history here along with a scenic wilderness to roam. I always seem to find something new there when I visit, everything from old homestead sites, to railroad history and even an old gravesite. Recently I have been discovering a lot of turpentine history here.

Over a hundred years ago there were turpentine operations in this area. It was once Florida’s largest industry and was a driving force behind the development of many towns and cities in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. Turpentine was a ubiquitous ingredient in American household products including paints, medicines, soaps, lamp oil, ink, lubricants, hair spray, and cosmetics, just to name a few. Pine trees would be tapped for sap and resin which was used in the production of making turpentine. The camps were known as Naval stores and were typically near pine plantations.

Some of the evidence I have seen in this forest has been remains of Herty cups which were used to collect the resin and would be attached to the Pine trees with a metal gutter system. I could see many of these trees scattered throughout the wilderness here still standing with markings known as catfaces and the metal gutters attached. The term “catface” refers specifically to the scars left behind by the extraction of sap or resin from pine trees.

I will continue to explore this forest for more turpentine and other history as it one of my favorite places, it is like being transported back to another time when you can see history like this, many know it as the old Florida. As always I leave all artifacts as they are for future generations to explore and learn about, but it is also prohibited and illegal to remove artifacts from public and state lands in Florida. So please be respectful and take nothing but photos and videos when finding such sites. Remember once it’s gone, it is gone forever. Check out the photos, videos and links below to learn more, enjoy!

My Videos

Catface Trees at Goethe State Forest

Turpentine History at Goethe State Forest (Part One)

Turpentine History at Goethe State Forest (Part Two)

Resources

Turpentine and Naval Store History of North Florida

Turpentine History – Saga of the Turpentiners

Turpentine History of North Florida

History of Naval Stores

Naval Stores Handbook

Herty Cup History and Charles Herty

Exploring Goethe State Forest

Herty Cups

Catface Tree

Catface Tree with Herty Cup

Catface Tree

Turpentine Camp

Turpentine Workers

Herty Cups attached to Pine Trees

Turpentine Worker

Rocky Creek Railroad History at Upper Tampa Bay Trail

July 14, 2018 / floridatrailblazer / Leave a comment

1910 Locomotive

This paved trail in Hillsborough County known as the Upper Tampa Bay Trail was once a railroad line. Today it is used for recreational purposes and is a rails-to-trail. In fact it is one of my favorite places to go for runs from time to time. Many use this trail daily and it extends for many miles throughout the county, but I often wonder how many know the history behind the trail. One of the great things is near this section of the trail is an interpretive sign that describes some of the history.

W.P. Lutz, a railroad engineer and Odessa sawmill owner, engineered the Tampa Gulf Coast Railway which connected Odessa to the Tampa Northern Railroad in 1909. Sawmills began laying narrow-gauge tracks throughout the region in 1910 to have access to virgin timber. In 1913, a spur was built to Tarpon Junction, located at present day Wilsky Boulevard and Linebaugh Avenue where the Rocky Creek portion of the trail is today.

There was a railroad trestle that crossed over Rocky Creek at this location and since has been modified for the recreational trail. So the remains of it are still there but a boardwalk crosses over it now but if you look down by the creek under the bridge you can see the original supports still there that were used for the trestle.

My Video

Rocky Creek Railroad History at Upper Tampa Bay Trail

Resources

Upper Tampa Bay Trail – (Wilsky Boulevard Trailhead)

Old Trestle

Paved Trail (Old Railroad Line)

Sign along Trail

Paved Trail (Old Railroad Line)

Train Schedule

1910 Locomotive

Video Diary: Old Phosphate Mine in Citrus County

July 5, 2018 / floridatrailblazer / 1 Comment

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Old Phosphate Mine

This was a really neat exploration I did in Citrus County where some of the old phosphate mining took place back in the 1800’s. Phosphate was and still is a big industry throughout Florida and is used for many purposes. This particular mine was located near the towns of Dunnellon and Hernando, it was near an old railroad line which linked many of these mines long ago. Today the railroad is part of the Withlacoochee State Trail.

A subdivision surrounds the old mine today and nature has reclaimed the area but some traces of the past could still be seen as I roamed around there. Some of this history I found on the area: In 1889 the Dunnellon Phosphate Company purchased 70,000 acres in Marion, Citrus, and Hernando Counties. Mining Operations began early the next year, By 1909 there were 34 mines in operation in Citrus County. Mining operations ceased around the time of World War I in the early 1900’s.

My Video

Abandoned Phosphate Mine in Citrus County

Resources

Florida Phosphate History

Phosphate History in Florida: Florida Memory

Rails-to-Trails Withlacoochee State Trail

Old Phosphate Mine

Remains at Phosphate Mine

Old Phosphate Mine

Dunnellon Phosphate Mine early 1900’s

Video Diary: Hike to Old Indian Mound in Ocala National Forest

July 2, 2018 / floridatrailblazer / Leave a comment

Indian Mound

Over the years I have been researching some of the fascinating history within the Ocala National Forest. Besides the vast scenic wilderness and trails that you can enjoy there, the forest has a rich historical past. Everything from turpentine camps, to old homestead sites, cemeteries, Civil War history and Native American History as well.

One of my main goals recently has been to track down as many Native American Indian Mounds there as possible. It is challenging because for the most part the majority of them aren’t generally accessible to the public as far hiking to them and some are only reachable by boat. Although there are a few I have visited located along trails and forest roads that are very interesting to see such as Davenport Mound and Tishler Mound.

One of them I managed to reach was near the Ocklawaha River tucked away deep in the woods there so hiking to it was a bit of a challenge since no trail really leads to it. Maps I have studied show an old jeep trail in the area but today is overgrown and very hard to see. Most of the way I had to bushwhack and navigate my way through thick vegetation to reach the site. After a few miles I ended up at the mound which I believe to be an old burial mound. There could’ve been a village site here at one time as well. The area opens up at the site and you can see the slope of the mound and large it must’ve been at one time but a lot of it is covered up by vegetation today. The mound is right along the shoreline where the natives typically lived and hunted. The history of native cultures here date back 12,000 years. I am not sure how old this mound is but it may be at least 500 years old.

As always I left the site undisturbed and took only photos and videos, it is amazing to be in the presence of such history and you can get a sense of how life must have been back then. Check out my video below for a tour of the site.

*When visiting sites such as these please remember it is prohibited and unlawful to dig into the mounds and or remove artifacts. Leave them as you see them for future generations to discover and learn about, thank you!

My Video

Old Indian Mound in Ocala National Forest

Resources

Ocala National Forest

Davenport Landing Mound

Tishler Mound