The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-04-14
HfICANoPY.
A Village OF Homes and a Land
..Flowing in EIilk and Honey"
NlICANoPY, FLA,
April 70, 1885.

name, which it got from the fact that
the chief Of the tribe that occupied this
point bore that name
This post was captured by the United
States troops in 1884, and converted into
a military fort, and it grew to nothing Of
more importance until 1853, when few
adventurous settlers, attracted by its ad-
vantageous location and the richness of
its soil, located here, made clearings and
built homes for their families. \ few of
these first settlers are still residents of
the place, and even now lead bullets and
coins are fonnd in the sand about whore
the one hotly contested battle was fought
between the whites and the Indians.
Before the late civil war the section
about here was thickly settled by veal
thy and refined people, and the old fields
aud plantations to be seen here and there
Us one drives along the roads. which those
people had in cultivation, but which now
are grown over with scrub pine, tells the
story of the ante bellum prosperity and
the changed condition of those people to
make room for the new order of things
the orange grove and the vegetable patch.
Just south of the village lies Tuska-
villa lake. named for Chief 3Iicanopy's
daughter. Tuskawilla, as beautiful body
of water as the Indian maiden in whose
honor it was named is said to have been
lovely The lake Is about one mile square,
surrounded on three sides by rich ham
mock land, which covers an area of
some fifty square miles. large portion
of which has been cleared, and is either
dotted with orange groves or cultivated
in vegetables. A short distance is the
section known as Payne's Prairie, and
Lake Waughberg, said 20 be one of the
most beautiful lakes in Florida, four
BY three miles in size, its limpid water
rs clear as crystal, the white sand on the
bottom glisteuing under the suns rays,
making picture of dazzling beauty.
Many orange groves and truck farms dot
the banks Of this lake.
Through the kindness of Mr.. j. c.
Mathers, the clever and energetic agent
of TIE NEWS, I drove through the new
settlement of Tocona, some three miles
northwest Of AIicanopy, the entire com
munity composed Of Northerner5. With
the thrift so characteristic of that peo-
pie. they have made the waste places
glad with productive crops, promising
groves. and comfortable homes. The
places of Messrs. w. C. Smith, NJ. /.
Wood and w. 4. Smith are especially
attractive and desirable. with young
groves just coming into bearing. Levy
and Ledwith lakes, large bodies Of clear
water, surrounded by hammock lands,
are in this neighborhood. and their banks
are being rapidly settled up with clever
and enterprising people.
The lands surrounding MicanOpy are
rolling. and noted for tn il productive
ness. In this section, too are snatches
Of scenery unexcelled in florida for beau
ty Perhaps more oranges and yegeta-
bles are shipped from here than any sim
liar community in the State. From DIR.
A. II. Mathers. one of its oldest citizens,
who is thoroughly posted on the orange
and vegetable business, l learn that last
season there were $4,000 boxes of oran-
ges shipped from this point, netting
$37, 500. For the same season about
$4,000 crates of vegetables We're shipped
to the Northern markets, netting the
lucky truckers between 100000 and
100000. Besides the orange and vege-
table crops, large area is cultivated in
corn. oats. cotton aud other field crops,
all of which are grown to such good ad-
vantage that these people are contented
and happy in accumulating good share
OF this worlds goods.
The Nicanopy of to-day is a beautiful,
home.like, comfortable and easy-going
village of coo Inhabitants. The homes
Of the citizens are emhowered in luXuri-
ant orange groves and surrounded by
neat gardens Indeed, the place has the
appearance of one large grove and gar
den, divided only by the streets. The
town differs from any other place in the
United States. perhaps, in the fact thai
every home is self sustaining. /. e.. the
groves and gardens produce a revenue
sufficient to support the families occupy
ing them in comfort, and many of the
places are making tt cir owners wealthy
DR.. Mathers showed me through hi.
grove in the heart of the town, consist
ing of one hundred as fine trees rs car
be found in the State. and this grove i.
only one of many similar ones about
here. From these trees, this season
700 boxes of fruit has been shipped
which netted a handsome sum ON aecoun
of the superiority of the fruit and tht
luck in shipping to good markets The
trees are fourteen years old, very large
and produce good crops each season
The doctor has two remarkable trees ir
his grove, one a Tangerine-from which
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