We then drove to NACO Peace River Resort in Wauchula, FL on 01/05/2011 for a week. Then on 01/12/2011 we arrived at Encore Vacation Village in Largo, FL for three weeks. While at Vacation Village we visited Sunken Gardens in Saint Petersburg, FL on 01/27/2011. Sunken Gardens is a botanical paradise in the midst of a bustling city. As St. Petersburg’s oldest living museum, this 100-year-old garden is home to some of the oldest tropical plants in the region. Explore cascading waterfalls, beautiful demonstration gardens, more than 50,000 tropical plants and flowers. In 1903 a plumber by the name of George Turner, Sr. purchased the six acres that would become a world-famous botanical attraction. Using an elaborate maze of clay tiles, he drained an ancient lake on the property, leaving a rich muck soil that was ideal for his favorite hobby – gardening. Neighbors so enjoyed strolling through Mr. Turner’s garden, that by the early 1920’s, he was charging a nickel for tours. Three generations of the Turner family continued the vision that created this unique tropical garden, with its flowing ponds. The City of St. Petersburg purchased Sunken Gardens in 1999 with funds from a voter approved tax. Preserving the garden was a community effort. With Mr. Turner Sr.’s original vision in mind, the city’s goal is to preserve this historic botanical garden and provide cultural and educational opportunities. The picture is on a walkway inside the garden area.
The picture is of Abigail next to a waterfall.
We arrived at NACO Peace River Resort in Wauchula, FL on 02/02/2011. On 02/05/2011 we visited Boca Grande Range Rear Lighthouse and Gasparilla Island (Boca Grande) Lighthouse on Gasparilla Island, Boca Grande, FL. Pyramidal skeleton towers became popular in the late 1800s as they could be built at roughly half the cost of a stone, or brick tower of the same height. Another advantage they had was that since they were constructed of prefabricated sections, it was possible to disassemble and move them. Such was the case for the Boca Grande Rear Range Light. This hexagonal tower was built in 1881 by the Phoenix Iron Company of Trenton, New Jersey, and put into service at a station just north of Lewes, Delaware, where it served as the Delaware Breakwater Rear Range Light. The front range light was the Delaware Breakwater West End Lighthouse from November 1, 1881, when the rear range light was activated, until the end of 1902. The range lights served to guide vessels past the tip of Cape Henlopen. However, the shifting shoreline on the cape resulted in the lights becoming ineffective, and the rear range light was discontinued in 1918. The tower stood inactive until it was dismantled and shipped by rail to Miami, Florida in 1921. The tower was later sent to Gasparilla Island, where in 1927 it was reassembled, painted white, and rechristened the Boca Grande Rear Range Lighthouse. The transplanted tower remained dark until it was finally lit in 1932. The Boca Grande Rear Range Light worked in conjunction with a flashing light atop a 20-foot tall steel structure located offshore. When a captain positioned his vessel so that the light from the rear range was positioned directly above the flashing light of the front range, he knew he was in the middle of the shipping channel. The captain would continue north in the channel, until he reached a series of towers that marked the channel leading east to the safe harborage at Port Boca Grande. The Boca Grande Rear Range Light remains in operation at its new home today, guiding vessels safely through the Boca Grande Channel into the safe confines of Charlotte Harbor. The Picture is of the Boca Grande Rear Range Lighthouse.
Perched atop iron pilings at the extreme southern end of Gasparilla Island is found the beautifully restored Port Boca Grande Lighthouse and its look-alike companion, which served as the assistant keeper’s dwelling. These two pieces of history were almost lost, as by 1970 the sea had whittled hundreds of feet off the southern end of the island and was lapping at the lighthouse’s foundation. Fortunately, pressure from local concerns prompted the government to take measures which proved successful in regaining much of the eroded island and in saving the lighthouse so it could be enjoyed by future generations. In the early 1880’s, phosphate was discovered several miles up the Peace River, which empties into Charlotte Harbor before flowing west through the Boca Grande Channel to the Gulf of Mexico. Initially, the phosphate was shipped down the Peace River on barges to Port Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island, where it was loaded into ocean-going vessels. In 1888, Congress responded to the growth of the port by appropriating $35,000 for the construction of a lighthouse at the southern tip of Gasparilla Island, to mark the Boca Grande or “largemouth” between Gasparilla and Lacosta Islands. The lighthouse was activated on December 31, 1890, by keeper Francis McNulty. In 1966, the lighthouse was abandoned by the Coast Guard, and a modern light atop a 58-foot-tall steel skeleton tower was established further inland. By 1970, erosion on Gasparilla Island was threatening the old lighthouse along with other structures. In response, the Boca Grande Conservation Council was formed to lead the battle against erosion. The government finally acted in 1971, and a 265-foot granite jetty was built near the lighthouse to protect the sandy island. The Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association, (GICIA), the island property owner’s association, was successful in placing the lighthouse on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, and then raised sufficient funds to have the lighthouse fully restored in 1985-86. The restoration efforts culminated in 1986 when a 377mm drum lens was installed in the lantern room, and the lighthouse was re-commissioned as an active aid to navigation. The lighthouse, dwelling, and surrounding acreage were transferred to the State of Florida in 1988 and became Gasparilla Island State Park. The following year, a small group of local citizens formed the Barrier Island Parks Society (BIPS), and one of their first objectives was to establish a museum in the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse. A decade later, the $165,000 project was complete, and the museum, run by BIPS for the Florida Park Service, opened its doors. The museum tells the story of the area starting with the Native Americans, and also covering the Spanish influence, the local fishing industry, Port Boca Grande, and, of course, the history of the lighthouse. The picture is of Gasparilla Island (Boca Grande) Lighthouse.
Then on 02/12/2011 We visited Cracker Trail Museum at Pioneer Park in Zolfo Spring, FL. Cracker Trail Museum was started by the Peace River Valley Historical Society in 1967. A grant in the amount of $20,000 was procured from the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission with technical help from the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, and a building was constructed at what is now Pioneer Park in Zolfo Springs. It was originally known as Pioneer Park Museum. The objectives of the newly established museum was to serve the public interest of the Peace River Valley by providing a means for the collection, preservation and interpretation of collections of significant historic objects from the area served by the museum. In addition, its primary obligation was to guarantee adequate preservation of the collections and effective use of their contents. The dedication of the museum was held on June 24, 1967, with a number of dignitaries in attendance including Joe Dan Osceola, President of the Seminole Tribe. A Fish-a-thon was held for the children and antique vehicles were on display furnished by local antique automobile clubs. The guest register for the day of festivities grew to 650 guests. Soon local residents began donating articles to the museum, and in no time the collection grew to include a wide range of pioneer household goods, farming implements, photographs and historical documents. Shortly after its dedication, a cane grinding shed was erected on the grounds, and a kettle was donated. This was the beginning of Cracker Trail Museum’s “Pioneer Village.” That same year, a 1914 Baldwin Locomotive Engine #3 (also known as the Loping Gopher) was donated by K.D. Revell where it had been used at his crate mill in Wauchula. It now stands majestically under its cover where it can be seen by all travelers along Highway 17 and State Road 64 at Pioneer Park. The 1897 C.A. Bryant Blacksmith Shop was the next building to be donated to Pioneer Park. It was dismantled at its location in Bowling Green and reconstructed at its present location adjacent to the museum building. It houses many of the original tools and blacksmithing implements that were used by the Bryant Family. In 1979, the Hart Cabin was donated and relocated to the park by the great grandson of W.H. Hart. The cabin was built in 1879 and consists of only one of the remaining rooms of the original structure where W.H. and Mary Jane Hart raised their six children on Maud Road in Hardee County. Many of the pieces of furniture located inside the cabin were built by Mr. Hart. The picture is of Cracker Trail Museum.
The picture is of 1914 2-6-2 Baldwin Locomotive Engine #3 (also known as the Loping Gopher) and Post Office in the background.
