The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1892-09-03
AN OLD RELIC.
H1AANZSCENOES OF LEON COUNTY
AND TALLAHASSEE.
A CORRESPONDENT OF THE FLoR1D1AN
SENDS TT AN EARLY NAP OF THE ROADS
LEADING To TALLAHASSEE AND THE
PONDS SURROUNDING IT-AN INTEREST
ING LETTER.

MI. John c. Dhval, resident of Leon
county in the 30s, but now living ct Aus
lin, Texas, sends to the FLoRIDIAN a
ancient map, evidently more than go years
old, giving in rough outline the public
roads leading to Tallahassee and the ponds
surrounding it. The map while very
crude, gives these landmarks very accur.
ately and they will easily be recognized
by old residents. The map can be seen at
the FLoRrD1AN Office by anyone having
sufficient interest in the early history of
The county.
AUSTIN Texas. August 25, 1892.
! To the Editor of the FLoR1D1AN:
DEAR SIR-In looking over some OF
my old papers a few days ago, came
across the enclosed document, entitled "a
map OF the ponds near our house"
thought possibly as residents of the city of
Tallahassee to-day it might interest you,
and l therefore take the liberty of sending
it to you. The map" was drawn from
recollection year or 80 after left Florida
for Kentucky. 1t does not appear 10 have
bt en- drawn to any particular scale, and no
doubt distances as we'll as courses are con-
siderably "mixed'up."
For year or 90 after went to Talla-
hassee, there was no school in the place,
and my time was occupied principally in
hunting and fishing, consequen " became
pretty well acquainted with the surround
ng country. Tiger TAIL" a Seminole
isub-chief, was the professor who taught
me wood craft" Before the Seminole
war he used to come to Tallahassee every
winter. for the purpose of selling the game
lie killed t, the cit t'zens of The place.
whom he kept well supp lied with venison
and wild turkeys. His nearest hunting
gioupd (as well as mine) was the locality
marked on the map 90 the Little
Hammock" in which both deer and iulkyes
were then abundant. The northern end Of
the little hammock was about half mile
south of my fathers old place, (Wm. p.
DuvAD which was lhree-quarters of mile
east of town, and 1t extended southwardly
about two miles. In the upper end of the
little hammt ok, in 1881, killed q very
age buck, probably the last deer killeti
90 near to town. The locality marked on
tie map big Hammock" was much more
extensive than the little hammock, bu,
even before left Florida, . gentleman by
the name of HoustOun hao cleared of the
tmhr from a portion Of II Tor . cotton
field, and bore him a grudge tor long
time on account Of this act of vandalism
He had destroyed one of the best hunting
grounds in the vicinity of Tallahassee, bat
l subsequently came TO the conclusion.
that as the land belonged to him, and as .
loyal subject of King Cotton, he had a
right to ignore my prior claims upon it.
Through the big hammock, there ran
broad well defined roadway, overgrown
with large live oaks, sweetgums and
magnolias. Near this roadway at one
point there was circular mound fifteen or
sixteen feet in diameter, and about three
high A cbum Of mine and once dug
into this mound, but all we found was
numbtr OF spades, shovels, mattocks, all
OF the rude st and most clumsy shapes.
Tallaha: see, when first was there, con-
sisted of three rows of frame shanties,
built on three sides Of the public square.
On the south side there were no houses.
Between town and my fathers old place
to the eastward, there wss but one house,
occupied by Mr.. Myers and family. South
ward there was but one house mot tar
from the place where the spring branch
disappeared in the groundl I think Col
Robert .3utler, and subsequently, man
named Gibson, occupied this house. The
whole distance from town to my fathers
old place was covered by the primevai
forest. In these. woods one Of the largest
panthers ii ever saw was killed. 1t i
hardly necessary to say that after ] had
seen the beast and examined the length
of his tusks and claws / never tarried
long on the way when passing through
those woods.
When left Florida for Kentucky there
was large wild turkey ''roosting -placs"
about half mile above where tho st.
Augustine road crossed the brook east Of
tswn, / visited that roost very often.
and seldom left It without . turkey or.
two.
The locality marked "Deep Sink was
just On tho edge OF Little Hammock." Il
xas pool twenty Or thirty yarda y di-
Amster, n which thsre Wers several vari-
etiss pf flsh, although II had no visible.
inIet q on,let tlEs hcys'' aiways
thought 4 was fathomleas.