Strolling through White Springs Florida

 

With enchanting old structures you know time has paused. The scenes demand you ponder the events that led to the current town of White Springs.

Adams Store these days

As with many Florida towns WhiteSprings has a rich history wrapped in the ribbons of boom and bust. It was “Florida's first tourist attraction, located on the banks of the Suwannee River in Hamilton County, Florida ...”, http://www.whitesprings.org/

White Sulpher Springs Bath House

Before the arrival of Europeans the area was frequented by the native people seeking the healing powers of the White Sulpher Springs. The springs were sacred and hostile tribes such as the Timucuan and the Apalachee bathed in the springs peacefully. These enemies would put aside their implements of war while in the area.

One of the remaining early hotels

By the early 1800s  the US land grab of Florida was in full swing.

The United States annexed Spanish West Florida in 1810 after U.S. settlers there staged an insurrection and declared their independence from Spain. Andrew Jackson's invasion of Florida (1817-1818) and several filibustering expeditions into Texas exacerbated the boundary question. Finally, in 1819, the ratification of the Adams-Onis Transcontinental Treaty clearly defined the frontiers of Spanish and U.S. lands and ended a decade and a half of bellicose posturing. http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/prelude/md_boundary_disputes.html

The Suwannee River made for easy access 

Rumors spread of fertile land and fortunes to be made in agriculture enticing farmers and ranchers to move south. White Springs was on the in-land route from Georgia by wagon. Those traveling by steamboat could journey down the Suwannee River and stop in White Springs. 

This structure could tell many tales

By 1830 White Sulpher Springs was now called Jackson Springs, a boom town that continued to boom and blossomed into White Springs.

Methodist Parsonage
1898

Camp School House
1906

Somewhere around 1950 the limelight refocused to the dazzle of other tourist attractions:  Daytona Beach and the Beach Stockcar Races, Cape Canaveral with the space program, and Orlando with Disney World.  The final nail in the chapter of this era was probably the construction of I-75, three 3 miles west of town and I-10, ten miles south of town.   

New Library with funding from
Potash Corp, a local employer

Volunteers are the heart of any community
Even more so in White Springs

But don't discount the town because there is revival as new residents arrive to cherish the history, community, and charm of White Springs.

A study in contrasts.
Yes the town will boom again.

Suwannee River - And the tide rises

High Tide on the Suwanee River

Who said only the ocean had tides?  Coastal rivers change with the ocean tides, that may be obvious.  But I believe inland rivers also have a high tide when the rain swells the river and a low tide when the water recedes.  I guess this is not technically true but coming from one who has spent most of her life near the ocean, it makes sense.

Sunrise at Low Tide
Anastasia State Park Beach

 To me this flood stuff is exciting business.  For some reason I took a photo of the Spring House (park map) at Stephen Foster Cultural Center State Park a few days before the rains started.  

April 16, 2014

Then after two days of heavy rain there were Flood Watches and Flood Warnings.  At first I thought we would float away but quickly realized we are parked in a high area so the river would need to crest at an all time high to flood our current location.  

Fire Pit at our campsite
Still raining!

Now, that doesn't mean the ground is not damp and soggy after a good rain or that it dries quickly.  Recall in a flood situation the water table is high so the ground does stay damp.

As does the sign at the famous Ann Thomas Gazebo on the Suwanee River.  

Stairs leading the the Gazebo
Getting damp on April 20th

So over the next few days it became a mission to check the real-time river levels posted by the Suwannee River Water Management District 

Levels at White Springs
http://www.srwmd.state.fl.us/30DayRiverLevels/30DayRiverLevels.aspx?statid=62

Charts are fine but I also wanted to record the visual progress in pictures.

Spring House on April 20th

Spring House on April 24th
Now only the sign roof is visible

For the moment it appears the river has reached  it's peak at 81.63' here in White Springs but who can predict what will happen with Mother Nature?

Gazebo Stairs on April 24th
and the river still rises

Campfire Program: Florida Songs and Stories

Remember that trip to a state or national park where the ranger sang songs and told stories around thecampfire? It was always the high point of my stop at a park, as we checked into the campground I would ask, “What is the program tonight?”

Over the years, I learned so much from the programs... stories of wildlife, safety tips, star gazing and constellations, geology, songs, and so much more. When we were invited to give the April 19^th program at Stephen Foster Cultural Center State Park I jumped at the chance. Bill and I collect and write songs and stories of Florida, this was perfect.

The rain set in on Thursday and did not let up despite the weatherman's prediction of “Sun on Saturday”. By Saturday noon you needed mud boots to negotiate the campfire area and the drizzle continued, Mother Nature did not read the prediction! Not to worry, we have a plan, move the program indoors to NellyBly's Kitchen. The room is perfect and even has a fireplace! We learned the fireplace is not fire ready but who cares it is still a good prop.

And the campers sang along to many songs
Photo by Brandon

We had a full house of friendly, happy, and inquisitive people despite the rain. As the guests drifted in we had the opportunity to chat and learn about their travels and residences. Many campers from Florida and came for the Easter weekend. The remainder were snowbirds winging their way home to a hopefully sunny environment.

Most of the songs had a repeatable chorus and this group loved to sing. Little did we know when we asked them to sing on the first song and went through the chorus a few times. Well, everyone was smiling and singing along to “MyFlorida Home”, a song by Robin Plitt. To be fair this is a great song with meaningful lyrics and an easy to learn chorus. 

The next song, written by me, had a tongue twisting name (Ivy Julia Cromartie Stranahan) in the chorus but that didn't stop anyone.  The video follows.

 And so the evening went. Folks laughed at our stories, shared their experiences, nodded in agreement, and continued to sing along. 

Marg relating stories about Gopher Stew
Great photo effects by Brandon

Before we knew it the hour was over and everyone had made a new friend. And, that is how I remember campfireprograms.

Bill leading us in This Land (Florida Version)
Brandon using Special Effects on the photo

Thank you to the rangers for trusting us with their Saturday campfire program and to Brendan, volunteer and ranger's son, for using my phone to take pictures. In one hour he learned more about the camera than I have in the past three months!   

NOTE:  When ready, I will add a video of This Land (Florida Version) so you can hear the audience singing along.

Twin Rivers State Forest: Blue Springs Unit

Time for a drive around the area.  It has been rather wet here as of late which turns hiking into wading;

Suwannee River Trail
BEFORE the latest rains

however, after a loop from White Springs to Jasper to Live Oak we happened across the Blue Springs Unit of Twin Rivers State Forest.  Now the forest encompasses 14 non-contiguous parcels which the state began to acquire in 1981 through a program called CARL.

Dry road through the forest

This area is dry as evidenced by the vegetation, mostly pines, oaks, and scrub.  So we set off through the gate on an anticipated 5 mile hike.  Following the roads, recall this is a forest, we found walking easy and interesting.  

Lovely white lanterns
on this shrub

There was evidence of recent prescribed burns. 
Prescribed fire is one of the most versatile and cost effective tools land managers use. Prescribed fire is used to reduce hazardous fuel buildups, thus providing increased protection to people, their homes and the forest. Other uses include disease control in young pines, improving habitat for wildlife, range management, preservation of endangered plant and animal species and the maintenance of fire dependent ecosystems.http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Florida-Forest-Service/Wildfire/Prescribed-Fire
A smoldering log revealed the last burn was only a few days old; however, the new growth in another area indicated the burn was several months old.

New Growth

The hike was between rain showers so the new greenery sparkled amid...

Ferns

... the gray sky and tall pines.  

Tall planted pine forest

Along the way we saw multiple wrens, sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, a Kite, and a few Fox Squirrels.  The Fox Squirrels were quite a treat as you do not always see them.  Perhaps the most surprising finds were  the egg sitting on a fence post at the trail head and a bird house lying in the middle of the forest. Now just what were they doing there?

Antique Tractor & Engine Show at Stephen Foster State Park

Welcome to the 26th Annual Antique Tractor & Engine Show at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park which occurred April 3-5, 2014 for those of you who missed the event.  

Engines galore
Photo complements of Stephen Foster CSO

Everyone was smiling as there was something for everyone. Hobby builders displayed model steam engines which powered pumps, lifts, and other admirable creations. Some folks were huddled together trading engine secrets, discussing their craft engines and techniques to build these beauties, or swapping parts to build another steam powered engine. 

The John Deere Line-up
Early morning before the show opens

Tractors were on display everywhere.  

An older model Case on the park grounds

There were tractor races, tractor pulls, blind races, and barrel races.  Just how do tractors barrel race?  

Photo by
Joyce Marie Taylor
Suwannee Democrat

My only experience with this was the rodeo style barrel race where riders guide their horses through an obstacle course of barrels.  But watching the tractors push barrels around was a totally new concept and the only race that made sense... if a tractor barrel race makes any sense.

Farmall Tractor
Early AM outside the museum

The auditorium had a wonderful scale model train display with 'miles' of track and more trains than you could imagine.  Not to be outdone, there was an elaborate canning demonstration with samples of locally made jams and preserves. 

 And we can't forget the ladies with the hand-powered Singer sewing machines.  These are beauties and convenient in areas where electricity is spotty or unavailable.  Well, these days in the US they are mostly treasured machines but around 1900 it was a different story.

Photo by
Joyce Marie Taylor
Suwannee Democrat

Vendors were selling old parts, wonderful food, and many trinkets.  There was traditional music provided by yours truly, see above.   In many respects this resembled a Scottish Highland Games event but I knew it was not because there was no tractor toss!

Stephen Foster State Park: Hiking along the Suwannee River

Somehow Stephen Foster Folk Cultural Center State Park (try saying that fast!) feels like coming home.  Probably from visiting the park frequently starting at the age of 1, no I do not recall that trip.  So, one would think I knew the park from the 25+ years of attending the Florida Folk Festival plus visits in my youth, adulthood, and other activities in the area.  Wrong. Over the years, more trails and roads have been cut through the backwoods and most needed to be explored or revisited. The next few days resulted in hikes along the river and through the woods.

Let me backtrack a bit... we arrived at the park as the Annual Stephen Foster Antique Tractor and Engine Show was setting up.

  

Farmall Tractor
Museum in the background

This was an organizational day for both the Tractor Show and us. As the exhibitors and vendors completed their preparation for the opening events we met the rangers, fellow volunteers, and our new front yard. 

Oaks and Pines on the trail
but not our back yard

 Our tie-down spot is at the back of the volunteer village affording us a lovely view of the tall pines, magnolia, and oaks for which the park is known. Of course they knew we both play the banjo, wonder if that influenced our location?   

Bill under wild Azaleas
Trail near the Gazebo 

Thursday opened it's eyes to a beautiful day with sunshine and gentle breezes. What better way to enjoy the day than a hike along the Suwannee River. So after checking with the rangers and completing the a few tasks we headed towards the trail head.

Grass shimmering in the sun
along the road

As with many Florida trails, you simply need to be quiet, go slow, and be aware to see wildlife.  Over the three days we encountered a herd of 7-10 deer, wild turkey, many frogs and toads, woodpeckers, hawks, and a black racer.

Beautiful Black Racer

Hiking the Florida Trail in this area gives many wonder views of the Suwannee River which is a running about 63 feet right now. 

The river is a bit high right now

 This means parts of the trail are flooded, sometimes you can find an alternate route.

And sometimes it becomes impossible.

Save this trail for later
Flooded Florida Trail

Just think what we will see when the water recedes a bit.

Hikers Bill (rear) and Marg

Myakka City to White Springs: The long way

Leaving Myakka River State Park was met with mixed emotions, the park had been 'home' for three months and we knew we would miss the wide open spaces and friendly faces. 

Myakka River

On the other hand, the plans were to visit family in Melbourne, St. Augustine, and Citra before our next volunteer job at Stephen Foster Folk Cultural Center State Park.  

In Melbourne we returned to Wickham Park

Wickham Park in Melbourne

Bachelor Buttons
on a Wickham Park Trail

And a visit with Bill's mom

Of course, a trip to St. Augustine is incomplete without camping at Anastasia State Park

Still winter at Anastasia State Park
St. Augustine

but one reason to visit the old city was a birthday party for my mother who is celebrating her 90th year of life.

Margie at 90!

Mary giving Margie (my mother) a present
at her Birthday Party

Yes, we did find time to visit with friends and other family members before an overnight stop in Citra and a visit with more family.  

In Citra with the bubbly
Carol Messer

Then onto our next volunteer location in White Springs on the Suwannee River.

Suwannee River at
Stephen Foster State Park