Fort Foster at Hillsborough River State Park

In early March we visited Hillsborough River State Park and the historic site Fort Foster.  You can read about Hillsborough River State Park in another posting... this is about life on the Florida Frontier.  

Ranger informing us about the
fort construction,
armaments, and general life.

Fort Foster is the only standing replica of a second Seminole War fort, it is an authentic reproduction and can be visited through guided tours offered by the rangers at Hillsborough River State Park.  During the tour you learn of fort life and the difficulty of Florida survival in the 1800s, more from bugs and critters than Seminoles.  

One of the two fort towers for defense
note the rifle ports on both levels

There are period maps and log books available for viewing in addition to furnished commissary, officer quarters, and a supply house.  Several times each year there are historical re-enactments of the war and depicting a living history of life at that time.  

Fort supply house where you found
beans, salt pork, rum, uniforms,
quarter master, his helper, and their beds

It was built in 1836 under the direction of Lt. Col. William S. Foster.  The Hillsborough River cut the supply lines and this is the easiest point for safely crossing the river.  Today's bridge is as historically accurate as possible.  

Bridge across the Hillsborough River
the fort was placed here at
the easiest fordable point

The Seminole Indian Wars  were waged by the US government on the Seminoles during 1813-1838. The original encroachment into Spanish Florida was by bounty hunters and the US military looking to retrieve black slaves that had run to Florida for freedom.  Before the US gained ownership of Florida there was a perceived "Indian Problem" and Col. Andrew Jackson found support for military action.  These "wars" continued as the US government tried to eradicate the Seminole Indians. 
 

Is this a lily of hope?

It is not a pleasant part of our history but it is important to know and experience our past so we can hopefully not repeat the mistakes in the future.