Fort and Lighthouse Tour B - Big...

•Museum/Grounds& SaltwaterPaddling

•History,Photography, Birding,Fishing, WildlifeViewing

•SelforGuided

•Paddling5.5Miles/3-4 Hours

•PicnicLunchorata St.MarksRestaurant

•AdvancedBeginner andUp

•PaddlingAlongShore

•Tidal,Wind,Shallow Water

Explore Undiscovered North Florida

The Big Bend Scenic Byway will Transport You to a Different Time and Place through its Wildlife, Waterways, Woods, and Way of Life

eginthedaywithabrieforientationtoSt.Marks’richhistoryatSanMarcosdeApalacheHistoricalStatePark.Walktheself-guidedtrailandvisittheexcellentsmall museum to discover the rich history of its

occupations by Apalachee Indians, Spanish Conquistadors,Pirates, British Soldiers, and later Confederate Troops.Afterwards, launch your kayak at the adjacent public boatrampandpaddledownstream,followingthegrassyshoreline

ontheleft(east)sideoftheSt.MarksRiver.

In ½ mile you will reach Port Leon Creek (Channel Marker 48 – N 30.130885 W 84.201670). If timepermits, enter the creek and followthiswinding,scenicchannel.Don’tbesurprisedifanalligatorslidesintothewaterasyougo!Thecreekdeadendsinabout½mileattheoldPortLeonTrainTrestle.Thebridgenolongerexists,butyoucanstillseetheoldpilings.Ifyoufeeladventuresome,climbthebankonyour right and follow a portion of theFloridaNationalScenicTrailthroughthepinetreestolocatethefewremainingremnantsofthetown.Returnthesamewayandcontinuepaddlingdownstream,passingspoilislandswithremnantsofWWIIgunencasements.

Apalachee Point Spoil Island (BeforeChannelMarker29-N 30.092564 W 84.192352).

Access the island via a flat, gravelsurfaceontheback(east)side,nearthenorthtip.Thisisaperfectpicnicorreststop.Theisland’srockysurfacesupportsabundantvegetationandcedartrees,andspaceforcamping

withafire ring.Camping ispermitted forpaddlerscontinuingalong the Circumnavigational Paddling Trial, with advancepermissionfromtheSt.MarksNationalWildlifeRefuge.

Continue downstream into Apalachee Bay, and follow thetranquil line of saltmarshes toward the breathtaking outlineoftheSt. Marks Lighthouse.Thewaterdepthisquiteshallow,sometimesonlyonetotwofeet,upto1/2mileoffshore.BaldEagles,Osprey,GreatBlueHerons,andshorebirdsaboundandManateesarepresentyearround.ContinuepastalineofoldpilingsattheparkinglotadjacenttotheLighthouse.LookforopenspaceslinedwithSaltBushtotakeout.Aftervisitingthelighthouseandinterpretivedisplays,lookoverthenearbypondsforWaterfowl,Herons,Egrets,Shorebirds,andAlligators.

DirectionsPut In:St.MarksRiverfrontParkandLaunch.Beginthistrip

onanoutgoingtide.

N 30.15144W 84.20966

InWakullaCounty,taketheScenicByway’sCoastalTrailEast(USHighway98)andturnsouthat the intersectionwithPortLeonDr.(SR363)towardtheCityofSt.Marks.Uponenteringthe city, follow signs to San Marcos de Apalache HistoricalStatePark.Aftertouringthepark,putinattheboatrampnexttothepark.

Take Out:St.MarksLighthouseparkinglot.Ifreversingthe

trip,beginhereonanincomingtide.

N 30.074219W 84.180164

OntheScenicByway’sCoastalTrailEast(USHighway98),driveeastpastNewPort, crossing theSt.MarksRiver. Turnsouth(right)ontoCR59(LighthouseDrive)andcontinuethroughtheSt.MarksNationalWildlifeRefugetothelighthouseattheendoftheroad.Athightidetakeouthereoratlowtideattheboatrampaccessedbythewaterwaywestofthelighthouse.

BFort and Lighthouse Tour

Overview

San Marcos de Apalache Historical State Park

ThefirstEuropeanknowntohaveseenthispointwasPanfilode Narvaez in 1528. In 1679, the Spanish started buildingthefirstfortonthissite,usinglogspaintedwithlimetolook

likestone,butpiratesweren’tfooledbythecamouflage.Theylootedandburnedthefortafewyearslater.FortsinSt.Markswere later occupiedbySpanish,British,Spanish again, then(forfiveweeks)byaforceseekingtoestablish“theNationofMuskogee,”andSpanishyetagain,beforebeingtakenoverbyAndrewJackson in1818.The fortpassedback intoSpanishcontrolonemoretimebeforeU.S.troopsoccupieditin1821.In1861,itwasreoccupiedbyConfederatetroopsandnamedFortWard. The site becamea permanent possessionof theUnitedStatesattheendoftheCivilWar.

St. Marks River Saltworks In thedaysbeforerefrigeration,saltwasusedtopreserve

meats and tan leather. When the Union blockade along thesoutheastern coast cut off salt shipments, the Confederacyturned to theocean,andnoareawasmoreproductive thantheshallowbaysandmarshesofApalacheeBay.Thesaltworksrangedinsizefromsmallfamily-runsaltworksusingafewironkettles,whichcouldhold60-100gallonsofwatersetinabrickfurnacetohugecomplexesusinglargeboilersofupto1,000kettles.Saltwaterwasboiledtoamushyconsistency,whichwasthendriedandspreadonoakplankstodryinthesun.Indampweather,thesaltwaskeptundercoverandsmallfireshelpedthedryingprocess.Earlyinthewar,thesaltindustrydrewlittleattentionfromtheUnion.Menwhocouldproduce20bushelsofsaltadaywereexcused fromserving in theConfederacy,butthelaborbecamejustasdangerousasthefrontlineonce

theUnionbegan targetingoperations.ConfederatesaltworksalongtheSt.MarksRiverwereprimemilitarytargets.In1864,a Union raiding party, supported by shelling from the USSTahoma,attackedanddestroyed“sevenmiles”ofsaltworksontheSt.MarksRiver.Thedestructionincluded“455saltkettles,95sheet-ironboilers,and268brickfurnaces,”comprisinganestimatedlossof$2milliontotheSouth.

Heavy storms also took a toll on the workers and the

equipment. As the salt was shipped farther from the coastandpassedthroughthehandsofdealers,thepriceincreased.In thespringof1862,saltsold for$3abushel.Byautumn,thepricehad risen to$16 to$20abushel.Salt productionattractedprofiteers,andspeculatorspurchasedsaltmarshestoholdforfutureproduction.Whenregulartraderesumed,thenumber of people engaged in its production declined in thecoastalareas.Bricks,wood,kettles,andboilersthatcouldbeputtootheruseswerescavengedfromthesites.Brokenpartsormaterialsthatweretoolargetomoveeasilywereleftbehindandcontinuetodeteriorate.

Interpretation

Maritime Heritage Trail Interpretation - Fort and Lighthouse Tour

Floridabigbendscenicbyway.org

onCommercerecognizedSt.MarksasanofficialportofentryandtheU.S.HouseofRepresentativesauthorizedconstructionofalighthouse.In1831,thetower’swhale-oillampswerelit.In1835,fearingattackduringtheSecondSeminoleIndianWar,asmalldetachmentoftroopswerequarterednearthelighthousetoprotectbothitandthekeeper’sfamilyagainsthostileattack.In1842,erosionthreatenedthelighthouseanditwasdismantledand moved to its current location, where it survived severaldestructivehurricanes,includingtheonein1843,whichdestroyedmostofthetownofPortLeonandcausedmajordamagetothetownofSt.Marks.In1865,Confederatetroopswerestationednear the lighthousetodefendtheareaagainstaUnionattack.In March of that year, a Federal fleet of 16 ships shelled thevicinityofthe lighthouseinpreparationfor landingaforce.Thelighthousewascompletelyrebuiltfollowingthewar,atwhichtimethetowerwasraisedtoitspresentfocalplaneof82feetabove

sealevel,andtheoriginal lightingapparatuswasrestored.Thelighthousewasautomatedin1960andremainstodayanactiveaidtonavigationforvesselsontheApalacheeBay.

St. Marks River and TownsTheSt.MarksRiveroriginatesinthehardwoodandcypress

river swampsof theRedHillsarea,northof the capital city,Tallahassee, and flows for 35 miles through Florida beforeemptyingintoApalacheeBay.Theriverprovidedthebasisforalucrativecottontransportbusiness,whichinturnsupported

theestablishmentoffivetownsalongitsbanks.NewportwasfoundedtoreplacePortLeonfollowingadisastroushurricane,andbecameaneconomic centerwith1,500 inhabitantsandadozenlargestores,warehouses,wharves,andstills.Inthe1820s,St.MarkswasanimportantportofentryforshipmentstoNewOrleansand/orSt.Augustine.

A Lighthouse on Apalachee BayTheshallowdepthsofApalacheeBayandtheSt.MarksRiver

madenavigationtreacherous.In1828,theUSSenateCommittee

Maritime Heritage Trail Interpretation - Fort and Lighthouse Tour

Floridabigbendscenicbyway.org

We gratefully acknowledge the support of this

publication and the financial assistance provided

by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity

and National Scenic Byways Program.

Photograph Credits:Diane Delaney –pageone,upperright;pagetwo,upperleftandright;pagethree,upperleftandright.Florida Photographic Collection –pagetwo,lowerright.