The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-05-22
THE HALIFAX RIVER.

Halifax Country from the Portland
1yuasclp, written by a resident OF
that place.
At Ibis season when many New
Englanders are looking longingly
sorfh at places where they might en-
low the outdoor life that a northern
winter denies them, description by
one of their own countrymen of the
above named river and its. settlement
may not be uninteresting.
Several miles down the coast from
ST Augustine is "Mosquito Inlet"
Stretching Nor-nor-west from the in
let "a miles, parallel with the ocean
shore, and separated from it by the
PENINSULA Ia strip of land but half
a mile wide is an arm OF the sea
called the "IIalitax river From the
Inlet. ten miles up, the river is cut up
and crowded into narrow channels
by marsh islands, oyster banks, and
mangrove islands, the latter favorite
haunts of the snowy heron, and other
wild fowl; but for the upper IA miles
the river IS as clear and open as
Portland harbor, mile from bank to
bank, and clear view to the family
visible clumps ofpalmetto at the head.
The head of the river widening out
and takeing quite a piece out OF the
mainland to the west is called the
@Basin." Crooking and turning in
every direction, but with general
course of n. N. E., the Tomoka, one
Of the prettiest streams in Florida,
fowsinto the basin on the south, form
ING sharp angle with the Halifax !;
HTomoka Point" and the old planta-
ton, 9Mt. Oswald" lying between
the two rivers. From the northeast
corner of the Basin a narrow extern
sion of the Halifax continues about
Is miles close along the coast, some
times within 300 yards of the ocean
beach, and the head within 6 miles OF
the head of the Matanzas river, which
continues the inland navigation to St.
Augustine. TO gain the travel and
trade of the Halifax. St. Augustine
has formeda company to cut through
this six miles, and when this is done
a boat can leave ST. Augustine and
sail 200 miles down the coast without
going outside. From the Basin to
St. Augustine by the old "King's
Road" laid out 100 years ago, and
still in good condition, it is AS miles
Long years ago the Halifax was q
busy thoroughfare. Flat boats load
ed down with molasses, sugar and
cotton, came down the creek from
great Bulow plantation 5 miles north
of the basin; lighters filed up with
cotton at the ''landing fields" Of ''Da-
mietta' and Rosetta" two large es-
tates. one of 1000 the other OF 500
acres / mile northwest of the basin
old Dummitt (the father Of the old
"Dummitt's grove" fancy loaded. light
er after lighter with RIM, yes, rum
enough to run thousand liquor
agencies, at his plantation Of LOO
acres on the west shore of the basin.
Up the Tomoka, from the Addison
and Geo. Anderson Grants, south Of
Dummitt, came sugar and cotton.
Then from Mt Oswald to the inlet
were contiguous plantations produc-
ing heavy crops Of cotton, cane, corn,
indigo and arrowroot. All this pro
duction streamed down the Halifax
to the inlet, where schooners were
waiting to take it to Savannah, and
Charleston, and the North. And
now we go through the forest and
find traces of the corn and cane rows
and occasionally come upon an old
coquina chimney or heavy iron roller
of a cane mill, but such are the only
signs of the former life and wealth OF
the river. Indian first, and white
man afterwards, reduced the country
to desert. The land and climate
are still there, machinery for compact
ing the production is superior 70
what it then was transportation is
better and market stronger-but the
labor to produce the material is gone,
and forever, unless we get coolies OF
can induce the immigration of the
poor classes of Russia, Austria OF
Germany
But now new kind of life has
sprung up on the river-Yankee life
and it takes strong hold There
are five settlements, all on the west
bank or mainland. Port Orange,
miles north of the inlet has popula
tion of say 100, has hotel tavern
we'd call it in Maine and 2 stores
Adjoining on the south is the little
n. Y. settlement Of "Allandale,"
ctoraS Month of Port Orunon9 mile,