At the park they are having an antique tractor and engine show for the weekend. So we went, Thursday, it was a great sunny 75 degree day, and our last full day in Florida. Saw a lot of old tractors which reminded me of my grandfather. When I was younger, my parents would pack all us kids up and away we would go, to my grandfathers farm in Pa for a week or two. He had a large farm, and most everything known to man concerning farm equipment. It was neat seeing and hearing all the old ones. The old engines they had we neat too, most I never heard of before. A guy had old big wheel bikes from the late 1800’s, There was also a root beer truck, selling old fashion root beer of course. I had to treat myself twice to some, and Melissa had a root beer float, yum, yum. It was fun talking to all the old timers, but one thing that wasnt’ there, younger people. No one is next in line to carry on after the old timers bite it. Sad to say that is with a lot of things now. I could go on and on, but no.

Root beer truck ,the couple have been doing it since 1950.

Melissa, is the newest worker, free root beer.

Tractor row.

Rebel yell, only $5,500

Even had a small tractor pull going on.

1923 ford pickup truck, convertible.

Another 1920’s model

Vintage sewing machines

7 in 1 woodworking machine from around 1900, Dangerous as all hell.

When this blade is running it cuts through the small log and out comes a cedar shingle. We were not able to see it run, but stand clear.

Never know what she is up to next, this is a hospital visit for sure.

Our next RV.

Train guy had a Waffle House, I love Waffle house

Main museum at the park.

What

Va, Va, VA, boom

 

As an avid civil war history buff, I knew there was a Battle of Olustee in Florida, I just didn’t know really where it was. Well it’s only about 20 miles from here, so we went there. It is a very small area and only a very small visitor center, not maned with a few artifacts, and story on the battle. It does have a one mile walking trail, with interpretive signage. By comparison it was a very small battle, lasting about three and a half hours. It was the largest battle fought in Florida during the Civil war. The other distinction it has is the third bloodiest battle of the civil war. With 10,000 men engaged almost 3000 were , either killed, wounded, captured or missing. A very high number given the shortness of the battle. It had cavalry, infantry, sharpshooters and artillery, and some regiments of U. S. colored troops. There was even a big artillery piece being fired from a railroad car. It was fought mainly in the pine woods around the old road and railroad bed.

 

The Union was advancing from Jacksonville, to the Swannee river to burn the railroad bridges and cause havoc as they went. They did not know that the confederates knew they were coming. So the confederate army of about 5000 strong, entrenched at the railroad depot at Olustee. They also had cavalry patrols out in front. Some skirmishing started with the union army and the C. S. Horseman and it soon escalated and the battle was fought about two miles from the depot. It was a back and forth event in the pine trees and low brush, with cannon going off, infantry trying to manuvere to the right places. No one wanted to give ground, at one point the confederate were out of ammunition and ready to fall back when they received a new supply. The union though made the biggest mistake when an order to move forward all at once was not heard , not obeyed or whatever and only two middle regiments moved out. They were soon hit with crossfire and decimated. Finally the union left three regiments of colored troops behind, as the rest of the army fell back. They paid the price and many were killed and taken prisoner. Many of the colored prisoners were shot dead after they gave up. In the end the union retreated back to Jacksonville and the confederates won the battle. The union lost over 1800 men, and the confederates lost over 900 men.

The pine forest where the battle was fought, it was a nice mile trail, there is only one big  monument , but there is a small cemetery where the remains were reburied after the war.

Stephen Foster state park is in the little hamlet of White Springs. Historic Route 41 and the Swannee river intersect here. There are maybe 700 people who live here, the school is closed ,but they have a gas station and a Dollar General. But back in the day this was a very popular tourist destination. People came from all over to come to the healing powers of the spring water as it came up and emptied into the Swannee River.

Hard to read from the picture, but a couple bought the surrounding area where the springs are in 1834, and within a few decades had built a log structure surrounding the springs, and began letting people use the healing waters, all for a fee of course. By the late 1800’s, droves of people began arriving. So in 1908 a brand new concrete structure was built.

You could stay here, eat here, have medical examinations and all sorts of other weird stuff.

The back of the building as it faces the river.

The spring house as it looks today from the front.

The inside as it looks today, back in the day the water was much deeper and cleaner.

The Swannee river, with the back of the spring house off in the distance.

A whole town grew up around the springs, there were restaurants, and 14 hotels. In total around 1800 people lived and worked in the area,in the heyday between the late 1800’s to the late 20′ or so. Then as with everything else, it was gone. A very bad flood came through and wipe out most of the town, leaving only the spring house, one hotel and a few house, which were on higher ground. It never came back, with only a few hundred people staying.

The remaining hotel. Buiolt in 1893

Home built on 1903, behind the trees is the river.

In the 1950’s the state took over the property and decided to make it a park. It was named Stephen Foster, after Stephen Foster who in the 1840′ wrote over 200 songs, one being the famous Swannee river song. He also wrote old folks at home, camptown races, Jeanie with the light brown hair, Oh, Susanna, and many others still popular today. The park also has a 200 foot tall 97 bell Carillon.  It belchs out a number of times a day some of Stephen Fosters most famous songs. It is quite impressive. Today they have a number of festivals here at the park, where upwards of 30,000 people ateend. Where thsy all saty is beyond me.