Koreshanity is the set of religious pseudoscientific beliefs put forth by Cyrus Teed (also known as Koresh). Followers of this belief were called "Koreshans", and most of them formed a utopian communal society called the Koreshan Unity .
31-529: Mound Key Archaeological State Park is a Florida State Park , located in Estero Bay , near the mouth of the Estero River . One hundred and thirteen of the island's one hundred and twenty-five acres are managed by the park system. It is a complex of mounds and accumulated shell, fish bone, and pottery middens that rises more than 30 feet above the waters of the bay. Mound Key was an important site of
62-462: A citrus and cow farming town. The Johnsons sold the island to the Koreshans, a utopian cult, in 1905. In 1894, the followers of a scientific/religious belief system known as Koreshanity arrived in the area. They built a community based on their utopian ideas, growing over the next two decades. During this time, part of the property they acquired included most of the parcels on Mound Key. After
93-414: A display of power, religious monuments, and as burial memorials. It served for many years as the ceremonial center for their kingdom, which extended over numerous shell midden islands they made up and down the southwest coast of Florida. It is also believed by most researchers to have been the site of Calos , the capital of their kingdom. The island was where King Carlos hosted a wedding for his sister, who
124-452: A low-lying oyster bar on Estero Bay . The site would have been rich in marine food resources, and very appealing to the Calusa, who were actually hunter-gatherers . As the human population grew, food waste was heaped into the middens that form the island. The Calusa formed an extensive structure of mounds, water courts and canals whose features still exist today. Mounds were constructed by
155-508: A much smaller extent charitable contributions. Many state parks have an associated local non-profit corporation. Most parks charge an entrance fee. Residents can purchase an annual entrance pass that is valid at any of the parks. Camping is available in campsites in some of the parks. All reservations for park facilities are handled through the private corporation ReserveAmerica . The Florida State Parks website (floridastateparks.org) provides an updated online guide to all parks. On 19 August 2024
186-656: Is a fishing pier and one is a recreation area. Seven parks are mostly undeveloped with few or no facilities; 10 parks are accessible only by private boat or ferry; and 13 parks contain National Natural Landmarks . Additionally, there are eleven national parks and service sites in Florida locations under control of the National Park Service . Florida State Parks are supported by tax dollars (document stamps), user fees, and to
217-511: Is a mostly nominal admission to nearly all Florida's state parks, although separate fees are charged for the use of cabins, marinas, campsites, etc. Florida's state parks offer 3,613 family campsites, 186 cabins, thousands of picnic tables, 100 miles (160 km) of beaches, and over 2,600 miles (4,200 km) of trails. The Florida Park Service is the division of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection responsible for
248-598: The Calusa tribe, and most experts believe it to be the site of their capital, Calos . The Mound Key Site on the island was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on August 12, 1970. The island is only accessible by boat from the Koreshan State Historic Site or Lovers Key State Park . Mound Key was created over 2,000 years ago by the Calusa . Their culture is carbon-dated back to 1150 B.C. at Mound Key. The site likely began as
279-445: The U.S. state of Florida which encompass more than 800,000 acres (320,000 ha), providing recreational opportunities for both residents and tourists. Almost half of the state parks have an associated local 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, often styled, "Friends of { park name } State Park, Inc.". In 2015, some 29,356 volunteers donated nearly 1.3 million hours to enhance the parks for approximately 31 million visitors. There
310-405: The state legislature to increase conservation land, said: "Our vision did not contemplate the addition of golf courses and hotels, which in my view are not in-line with the peaceful and quiet enjoyment of nature. From what I know at this time, the proposal should not move forward in its current form." Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, said that he had learned from media reports about
341-487: The Calusa had no immunity. These diseases and warfare with the Spanish eventually ended the Calusa civilization around 1750. In subsequent years, the island was used and sometimes inhabited by pirates, fishermen ( Cuban , Portuguese and Spanish), and American pioneers , among others. Frank Johnson and his wife, Grandma Johnson, were given a homestead on Mound Key in 1891. This marked a period of European immigration to
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#1732776126795372-542: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced plans to build golf courses and 350-room lodges on state park lands. In statements to the Tampa Bay Times and in posts to social media, the agency claimed that the construction of a golf course on vulnerable scrub habitat will be done in a way to "minimize habitat impacts". A spokesperson for Governor Ron DeSantis, Jeremy Redfern, defended
403-467: The Mississippi river. In 1894 Teed moved to Florida where he accumulated land for yet another community. He was influenced, according to historian Robert S. Fogarty , by Emanuel Swedenborg , as was Thomas Lake Harris , and these ideas helped craft his own notion of a "new spiritual heaven…called New Jerusalem.". Teed shows the degree to which the concept of 'New Jerusalem' not only translated into
434-690: The Real Florida." Several state parks were formerly private tourist attractions purchased by the state of Florida to preserve their natural environment. These parks include the Silver Springs State Park , Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park , Rainbow Springs State Park , and Weeki Wachee Springs . There are state parks in 58 of Florida's 67 counties . Nine of the 175 parks do not have "State Park" in their name. Four are " conservation areas " (reserve, preserve, or wildlife refuge); three are "Historical/Archaeological sites"; one
465-426: The collection and organization of "midden" which is a collaboration of shells, fish and animal bone, and artifacts such as pottery. Islands that were created by the Calusa, such as Mound Key are sometimes called "trash-heaps" as their composition is made from waste products of their culture. They are not however, just "heaps of Calusa garbage" simply tossed aside, but intricate compositions of substrate that were used for
496-542: The construction of disc golf courses, pickleball courts, and cabins. Three of the affected parks are in the Panhandle district in Panama City represented by state senator Jay Trumbull (R). He wrote on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that he remains in "strong opposition" and exhorted other lawmakers in the legislature to follow suit. Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, who has lobbied in
527-552: The death of their leader, Cyrus Teed , in 1908, their numbers declined. In 1961, the remaining Koreshans decided to give over ownership of the key, as well as other land in nearby Estero , to the state. It was used to form the park, which is administered by the Koreshan State Historic Site . Approximately nine acres still remain privately owned by the McGee family. The McGee family agreed to sell their remaining parcel to Lee County in 2019. In 2020, archeologists confirmed that Mound Key
558-457: The director of Florida's state parks between 2017 and 2021, stated that it appeared that the agency sidestepped the legal process. The Times also noted that Albert Gregory, the former state chief of park planning, said the state was "hop-scotching some important steps". Note: The table of contents only applies when the list is sorted by park name. Koreshanity The main beliefs of Koreshanity, or Koreshan Universalogy , are put forth in
589-470: The earth; the second, a hydrogen atmosphere above it; the third, an aboron atmosphere at the center. The earth's shell is one hundred miles thick and has seventeen layers. The outer seven are metallic with a gold rind on the outermost layer, the middle five are mineral and the five inward are geologic strata. Inside the shell there is life, outside a void. Teed proposed the creation of a " New Jerusalem " as an ideal commune for his followers, to be located on
620-752: The first four-time winner. The parks are open year-round and offer diverse activities beyond fishing, hiking and camping. Many parks offer facilities for birding or horseback riding; there are several battle reenactments; and freshwater springs and beaches are Florida's gems. According to the Florida Park Service website, their goal "is to help create a sense of place by showing park visitors the best of Florida's diverse natural and cultural sites. Florida's state parks are managed and preserved for enjoyment by this and future generations through providing appropriate resource-based recreational opportunities, interpretation and education that help visitors connect to
651-422: The former Calusa capital. Grandma Johnson remained at Mound Key and allowed several families — Luettich, Hawkins, Hanson and Fernandez — to build homes on the island. She taught them to fish, to farm, how to build houses that would stay cool in the summer and protect them against Florida's abusive sun and summer storms. By the turn of the 20th century, most all Mound Key settlers had moved up river to Estero, then
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#1732776126795682-519: The governor and the accelerated process driving state plans to develop golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson State Park . The park, on the Atlantic coast of Florida, contains the largest area of protected scrub jay habitat in southeast Florida. An unusual bipartisan showing of elected officials in the state Legislature, Cabinet and the US Congress expressed opposition to the plans, which include
713-401: The ideal of creating a heavenly place on earth but the re-labeling of heaven to constitute a New Jerusalem up above. The day to day affairs of the settlement were governed by a council of women called "The Seven Sisters." The Seven Sisters lived in a common house referred to as The Planetary Court. Prior to the death of the last Koreshan the settlement was deeded to the state of Florida and
744-440: The many writings of Cyrus Teed and his followers. They are: The sun is an invisible electromagnetic battery revolving in the universe 's center on a 24-year cycle. Our visible sun is only a reflection, as is the moon , with the stars reflecting off seven mercurial discs that float in the sphere's center. Inside the earth there are three separate atmospheres : the first composed of oxygen and nitrogen and closest to
775-610: The operation of Florida State Parks , and won the Gold Medal honoring the best state park system in the country in 1999 and 2005 from the National Recreation and Park Association . They were also finalists in the 1997 and 2011 competitions. The Park Service was awarded the gold medal again in October 2013, making it the only three-time winner. In 2019, they received the gold medal award again, resulting in them being
806-509: The park. The only access to the island is by boat; there are no facilities. Interpretive displays can be found along a trail that spans the width of the island. Located in Estero Bay, the park is a few miles by boat from both the Koreshan State Historic Site and Lovers Key / Carl E. Johnson State Park . Florida State Parks [REDACTED] There are 175 state parks and 9 state trails in
837-668: The plans, saying "it's high time we made public lands more accessible to the public." DeSantis, an enthusiastic golfer, controls the Department of Environmental Protection, and has increased his influence over the agency in comparison to former governors. In an unprecedented move that critics said violated state law, he unilaterally appointed its secretary without approval by other members of the Florida Cabinet. The Tampa Bay Times also reported that US Senators Rick Scott (R) and Marco Rubio (R) joined local officials in criticizing
868-441: The state park development plan, and that he has "serious concerns". He issued a statement saying, "(We) have to be really careful when we talk about building infrastructure on state parks. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should." Environmental groups and former park officials agreed that the agency was trying to limit the public comment-gathering process. The Tampa Bay Times reported that Eric Draper, who served as
899-531: Was closely followed by the establishment there of a fort and settlement, in an effort to colonize the area. A Jesuit mission was also founded there at the same time by Juan Rogel , a priest of that order. Called San Antón de Carlos , it was the first such mission in the Spanish New World . There was frequent conflict with the Calusa, though, and eventually the island was abandoned by the Spanish in 1569. The Spanish brought with them diseases to which
930-538: Was later baptized as Antonia, to Pedro Menéndez de Avilés , a political marriage meant to solidify an alliance with the Spanish. Their kingdom spanned from Tampa Bay southward to the Ten Thousand Islands and eastward to Lake Okeechobee . The arrival of the Spanish was the beginning of the end for the Calusa. In 1566, the appointment of Spain's first Governor of Florida happened on the island. This
961-615: Was the site of Fort San Antón de Carlos . Which was a Spanish fort as well as one of the first Jesuit sites in North America. The fort was abandoned in 1569, after the Spanish-Calusa alliance broke apart. The fort is also the oldest known North American example of Tabby concrete . The park has such amenities as boating , fishing , wildlife viewing and interpretive exhibits. Nature trails and information kiosks are being developed but no restroom facilities are available at