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October 16, 2002

soak some up

Just doing a little research on a new site, we are working in Blue Springs State park. I have discovered that beginning in Nov. Blue Springs and the other surrounding springs will be in the midst of Manatee season beause the waters of the St. Johns River get too cold, and the Manatees move to the constant temperature waters of the springs. I have also found a few interesting things about past occupants of the site and surrounding areas.

Blue Springs
More Blue Springs
Springs of Florida -- Geological Survey Info, interesting, if you are into it.

I have seen this same writeup on about four different sites, and not one of them credits the other for it, is ther one fella out there making several websites for the same purpose?

For hundreds of years the Timucuan Indians made the spring area their home. The spring run, river and the surrounding swamps and uplands provided food, clothing, shelter and materials for tools and weapons. Snails gathered from sandbars were a staple food for these people. Over the centuries, the discarded shells formed a massive mound.

Three years after England acquired Florida from Spain, John Bartram, a prominent British botanist, explored the St. Johns in search of resources of value to the Crown. On January 4th, 1766, he rowed his boat past sunning alligators into the clear water of Blue Spring.

By the mid- 1800's most of the Indians had been killed or driven south and pioneer settlers took their place. In 1872, the Thursby family built a large frame home atop the Indians' shell mound, safe from the floodwaters of the St. Johns. The pilings of the steamboat dock remain, relics of a bygone era.

The same pristine beauty enjoyed by Florida's earliest residents still can be seen today. A self-guided boardwalk guides visitors through a lush hammock to Blue Spring.

The spring is much more than a scenic area for canoeing and swimming; it's a place that plays a vital role in the survival of one of Florida's most beleaguered residents - the manatee. An observation platform provides a view of the endangered mammals that gather at the spring during the cooler months of the year. From November through March, the manatees leave the colder waters of the St. Johns River for the safety and comfort of the 72-degree spring. A designated swimming area separates the bathers from the manatee refuge zone.

Timucuan Natives Historic Preserve
A man with a travelling Timucuan Village -- or so he claims.

Posted by tbartels at October 16, 2002 08:09 AM

Comments

Posted by: Brim at October 16, 2002 12:12 PM