39-487: The Wakulla Volcano was the name given to a prominent column of smoke, sometimes accompanied by bright light, seen coming from deep in the swamps of Wakulla County , Florida , from at least the Spanish occupation of Florida through 1886. The scientific assumption today is that the smoke came from a peat fire. The first accounts of the smoke come from Seminoles living nearby, and by the 1830s, white settlers attributed
78-586: A National Engineering Landmark, the fort site has been highlighted on the Florida Native American Heritage Trail. On October 10, 1962, Congress authorized designating Fort Saint Marks as a National Historic Site upon donation of the site to the National Park Service. That donation apparently never happened, however, and the site remains a Florida State Park and a National Historic Landmark. The historic park
117-478: A female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.99. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.60% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 31.70% from 25 to 44, 24.70% from 45 to 64, and 10.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
156-586: A golf resort, and a thriving seafood business. The name Wakulla is corrupted from Guacara. Guacara is a Spanish phonetic spelling of an original Indian name, and Wakulla is a Muskhogean pronunciation of Guacara. The Spanish "Gua" is the equivalent of the Creek "wa", and as the Creek alphabet does not exhibit an "R" sound, the second element "cara" would have been pronounced "kala" by the Creeks. The Creek voiceless "L"
195-436: A single spring. In an 1856 book, adventurer Charles Lanman wrote of the springs: An adequate idea of this mammoth spring could never be given by pen or pencil; but when once seen, on a bright calm day, it must ever after be a thing to dream about and love. It is the fountain-head of a river... and is of sufficient volume to float a steamboat, if such an affair had yet dared to penetrate this solemn wilderness... It wells up in
234-648: A stone fort, which was unfinished in the mid-1760s when Great Britain took over. The British divided Florida into East Florida , which included present-day Wakulla County, and West Florida . The boundary was the Apalachicola River ; at that time, West Florida extended all the way to the Mississippi River . Twenty years later when the Spanish returned, they kept the East and West divisions, with
273-598: Is a Florida State Park in Wakulla County, Florida organized around the historic site of a Spanish colonial fort (known as Fort St. Marks by the English and Americans), which was used by succeeding nations that controlled the area. The Spanish first built wooden buildings and a stockade in the late 17th and early 18th centuries here, which were destroyed by a hurricane. The stone fort was built beginning in 1753. It came under successive control by Great Britain, Spain,
312-549: Is always substituted for the Spanish "R". Thus the word Guacara was pronounced Wakala by the Seminoles who are Muskhogean in their origin and language. Because Wakulla was probably a Timucuan word, it is unlikely that its meaning will ever be known. It may contain the word kala, which signified a "spring of water" in some Indian dialects. . It may refer to the Whip-poor-will , known as waxkula in Creek. According to
351-482: Is disputed) be named for the Timucuan Indian word for "spring of water" or "mysterious water". This is in reference to Wakulla County's greatest natural attraction, Wakulla Springs , which is one of the world's largest freshwater springs , both in terms of depth and water flow. In 1974, the water flow was measured at 1.23 billion US gallons (4,700,000 m ) per day—the greatest recorded flow ever for
390-400: Is located in the vicinity of St. Marks , off S.R. 363 , at 148 Old Fort Road. In 1679, the Spanish built a wooden stockade at this site which they called San Marcos de Apalache. It was part of their colonial expansion in the northwestern Florida area. A settlement developed around the fort beginning about 1733. Another wooden structure was built about 1753. The wooden fort was destroyed and
429-402: Is so astonishlingly clear that even a pin can be seen on the bottom in the deepest places, and of course every animate and inanimate object which it contains is fully exposed to view. The apparent color of the water from the shore is greenish, but as you look perpendicularly into it, it is colorless as air, and the sensation of floating upon it is that of being suspended in a balloon; and the water
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#1732802257651468-475: Is so refractive, that when the sun shines brilliantly every object you see is enveloped in the most fascinating prismatic hues. Another possible origin for the name Wakulla, not as widely accepted, is that it means "mist" or "misting", perhaps in reference to the Wakulla Volcano , a 19th-century phenomenon in which a column of smoke could be seen emerging from the swamp for miles. The town of Port Leon
507-417: The 2020 United States census , there were 33,764 people, 11,382 households, and 8,362 families residing in the county. As of the census of 2000, there were 22,863 people, 8,450 households, and 6,236 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 inhabitants per square mile (15/km ). There were 9,820 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6/km ). The racial makeup of
546-585: The Charleston earthquake . Although a number of people have claimed to have found the crater of origin, modern geologists are quite certain no volcano could exist in Florida. 30°11′15″N 84°05′07″W / 30.1875°N 84.0853°W / 30.1875; -84.0853 Wakulla County, Florida Wakulla County is a county located in the Big Bend region in the northern portion of
585-682: The First Seminole War and had his forces seize the Spanish Florida fort in 1818. In April 1818, the Fort was the site of the Arbuthnot and Ambrister incident . The U.S. occupied it for nearly a year. The Fort St. Marks military cemetery was established at that time, for the burial of men who died at the garrison. A total of 19 men were buried in the cemetery; most died from diseases, including dysentery and consumption . In 1819,
624-548: The Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail in 1988. The Wakulla County Airport (2J0), located south of Panacea , is a small public-use airport with a single 2,600-foot (790 m), north–south turf runway. This airfield was originally constructed during World War II, as an emergency landing strip for Army Air Corps aircraft which trained and patrolled along the Gulf Coast, most of which belonged to
663-597: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 736 square miles (1,910 km ), of which 606 square miles (1,570 km ) is land and 129 square miles (330 km ) (17.6%) is water. Wakulla County was added to the Tallahassee, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in 1973. The county was removed from the Tallahassee MSA in 1983. It was re-added to the MSA (for the second time) in 2003. As of
702-525: The U.S. state of Florida . As of the 2020 census , the population was 33,764. Its county seat is Crawfordville . Wakulla County is part of the Tallahassee, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . Wakulla County has a near-absence of any municipal population, with two small municipalities holding about 3% of the population. The county seat, Crawfordville, is one of only two unincorporated county seats among Florida's 67 counties. In 1528, Pánfilo de Narváez found his way to what would be Wakulla County from
741-674: The garrison drowned, during a hurricane . In 1759, the Spanish began to build a stone fort, designed to resist bombardment by ships. They abandoned it to Indians for use as a trading post after ceding this territory to the British following the defeat of France in the Seven Years' War , also known as the French and Indian War . The British had a garrison at the fort. But, following the American Revolutionary War ,
780-469: The poverty line , including 15.40% of those under age 18 and 15.10% of those age 65 or over. No railroads currently operate within Wakulla County, but it was formerly served by two different railroads. The Georgia, Florida and Alabama Railroad , completed in 1893, passed through Sopchoppy on its route between Tallahassee and Carrabelle until its abandonment in 1948. South of Sopchoppy,
819-409: The 19th century, but the phenomenon may have been visible much earlier; it has even been suggested that Wakulla, which may mean "mist" or "misting", received its name from the strange smoke. A number of explanations have been given, most famously that an active volcano stood out in the swamplands, but no one was able to locate the smoke's source before it disappeared forever on August 31, 1886, the day of
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#1732802257651858-523: The 3rd Army Air Corps out of Dale Mabry Field Army Air Base in Tallahassee. After the war, the air strip was turned over to the county for civilian uses. St. Marks is a small commercial seaport. Panacea and Ochlockonee Bay also support small fishing fleets. Wakulla County is served by the Wakulla school district with the following schools: The former Sopchoppy Elementary School now serves as
897-776: The British traded some territory with Spain, which took over West and East Florida again. (St. Marks was in East Florida; the boundary was the Apalachicola River ). Spanish forces reoccupied the San Marcos fort in 1783, and they strengthened its defenses. American settlers began penetrating the Southeast after the Revolution, settling deeper into Georgia and into the Mississippi and Alabama Territories . General Andrew Jackson led some raids into this area during
936-660: The Sopchoppy Education Center, a Pre-K, adult, and second chance school. The former Shadeville High School served African-American students from 1931 to 1967. The Wakulla County Public Library is the main library of Wakulla County and is a part of the Wilderness Coast Public Libraries . 30°09′N 84°23′W / 30.15°N 84.38°W / 30.15; -84.38 San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park
975-647: The United States purchased East and West Florida from Spain, via the Adams-Onis Treaty , including the fort site. In 1859, the federal government built a marine hospital here, using stones and other materials from the old fort. It provided care for sick seamen and area yellow fever victims. During the Civil War , the Confederate army took over the fort, after Florida seceded from
1014-546: The United States and, lastly, the Confederacy during the American Civil War . A U.S. Marine Hospital was built from the materials of the fort. The US took control of the site again in 1865, and the fort site was abandoned. On November 13, 1966, the fort area was designated a National Historic Landmark because of its significance and added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places . Designated as
1053-468: The administrative capitals remaining at St. Augustine and Pensacola, respectively. The area to become Wakulla County was an active place in the early 19th century. A former British officer named William Augustus Bowles attempted to unify and lead 400 Creek Indians against the Spanish outpost of San Marcos , capturing it. This provoked Spain, and a Spanish flotilla arrived some five weeks later to restore control. In 1818, General Andrew Jackson invaded
1092-406: The area, capturing Fort San Marcos. Two captive British citizens, Robert Ambrister and Alexander Arbuthnot, were tried, found guilty of inciting Indian raids, and executed under Jackson's authority – causing a diplomatic nightmare between the U.S. and Britain . The U.S. Army garrison of 200 infantry and artillery men occupied the fort for the better part of a year (1818–1819). In 1821, Florida
1131-417: The county was 86.10% White , 11.51% Black or African American , 0.59% Native American , 0.25% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 0.29% from other races , and 1.23% from two or more races. 1.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 8,450 households, out of which 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.10% were married couples living together, 12.40% had
1170-419: The dead were African-American Union soldiers. In Gloria Jahoda's book The Other Florida , she writes movingly of the extreme poverty of Wakulla County from the early 1900s to 1966 when Wakulla still had no doctor and no dentist, few stores, and a county newspaper produced just once a month on a mimeograph machine. Today, Wakulla has several doctors and dentists, several supermarkets and big-box retailers,
1209-496: The future Pinellas County, Florida , camping at the confluence of the Wakulla and St. Marks rivers. Narváez determined this was a very suitable spot for a fort . In 1539, Hernando de Soto 's expedition passed through La Florida with a similar route. The Fort San Marcos de Apalache began with a wooden fort in the late 1600s. The vicinity around the fort was not settled until 1733. Spanish colonial officials began constructing
Wakulla Volcano - Misplaced Pages Continue
1248-552: The line followed H.T. Smith Road. The railroad bridge crossing the Ochlocknee River at MacIntyre still exists as pilings blocking all but a portion of the river on the south side. The Tallahassee Railroad , the first railroad in Florida, was completed in 1836 and was abandoned by its successor, the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad , in 1983. Sixteen miles (26 km) of that right-of-way became
1287-703: The only Confederate state capital other than Austin Texas which had not been captured. The Union was not able to land all of its forces, but they still outnumbered the Confederates, who chose to make their stand at a place where the St. Marks River goes underground: the "Natural Bridge" referred to. However, the Confederate Army had over a day to prepare its defenses, and the Union Army retreated. Most of
1326-472: The prosperity of Port Leon. During the Civil War , Wakulla County was blockaded from 1861 to 1865 by a Union Navy squadron at the mouth of the St. Marks River . Confederates took the old Spanish fort known as San Marcos de Apalache , or Fort St. Marks, and renamed it Fort Ward . The Battle of Natural Bridge eventually stopped the Union force that intended to take Fort Ward and nearby Tallahassee ,
1365-600: The sight to campfires from white or Indian settlements, pirates , renegades, or a volcano . Over the years a number of folkloric explanations were given, along with plausibly naturalistic ones such as deep-burning peat fires. Several teams of investigators set out to solve the mystery during the late 19th century; the Smithsonian Institution holds correspondence from A. W. Barber between 1890 and 1894 concerning his experience there. Sightings occurred as far away as 20 miles, and were reported throughout much of
1404-412: The very heart of a dense cypress swamp, is nearly round in shape, measures some four hundred feet in diameter, and is in depth about one hundred and fifty feet, having at its bottom an immense horizontal chasm, with a dark portal, from one side of which looms up a limestone cliff, the summit of which is itself nearly fifty feet beneath the spectator, who gazes upon it from the sides of a tiny boat. The water
1443-419: Was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 37,149, and the median income for a family was $ 42,222. Males had a median income of $ 29,845 versus $ 24,330 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 17,678. About 9.30% of families and 11.30% of the population were below
1482-616: Was ceded to the United States and Fort St. Marks, as the Americans called it, was again garrisoned by U.S. troops. In 1824, the fort was abandoned and turned over to the Territory of Florida . By 1839, the fort was returned to the Federal government and a merchant marine hospital was built. The hospital provided care for seamen and area yellow fever victims. Wakulla County was created from Leon County in 1843. It may (although this
1521-442: Was once a thriving cotton-shipping hub, with a railroad from Tallahassee that carried over 50,000 tons of cotton a year to be put on ships, usually for shipment direct to Europe. Port Leon was the sixth-largest town in Florida, with 1,500 residents. However, a hurricane and the accompanying storm surge wiped out the entire town. New Port (today known as Newport, Florida ) was built two miles (3 km) upstream but never quite achieved
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