The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-12-20

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Named for ST. Rosa, of yiterbo, saint
of the Roman Catholic church. Name
was probably first given to Santa Rosa
Island
20. Sumter January g., 1853.
Named for Gen. Thomas Sumter
G736-1S32), patriot officer in the rev.
dictionary army, prominent in the
southern campaigns. He was a ma
tive OF South Carolina, and the last
surviving general officer Of the revolu-
tionaTy army. This county was large
~ settled by emigrants from South
Carolina
81. Suwanee. December 81. 1858.
From an Indian word, sawanf, mean
ing echo river" One OF the few
counties in the United States whose
name has been immortaaized in song.
81. Taylor. December 90, 1855.
Named for Zachary Tayl Tor, president,
prominent In the second Seminole In
dian war, defeating the Indians in the
decisive battle of NOkeechob>e, for
which he received the brevet OF brig
adier-geeral. and in 1888 the chief
command in Florida.
30. Volusia December 20. 1854.
Named from a settlement within its
limits supposed to have been named
from one Volus, an English settler
%. Wakulla. March IL, 1S43.
Named from an Indian word meaning
mystery, applied to the famous
spring within its Hmits.*
IL. Walton December %, 1924.
Named for Colonel George Walton,
secretary of West Florida during the
territorial governorship of Andrew
Jackson, 1S21-22, and secretary of the
entire territory, 1925. Son of George
Walton, governor of Georgia and
signer of the declaration of independ-
ence. Tallahassee (meaning beautiful
land) was so named by Waltons
daughter, Octavia.
IL. Washington, December 29. 1924.
Named for George Washington.
WakuIIa Spring.
"The springs OF Florida are indeed
among its most peculiar and attract
i've features. Walsallla fountain sur
passes the others in every particular,
and will hereafter live in my memory
with the Saguenay River, Niagara
Falls. the Mammoth Cave. and Tallu-
lah Chasm An adequate idea of it
cannot be given by pen or pencil: but
when once seen, on a bright. calm
day, 1t must ever after be a thing to
dream about and love- 1t is the foun-
the very heart of a dense cypress
swamp, is nearly. round, measures
some four hundred feet in diameter
and about hundred and fifty feet
in depth, having at its bottom an i'm
mense horizontal chasm, with a dark
portal, from one side OF which looms
up limestone cliff, the summit of
which is itself nearly fifty feet. beneath
the spectator in aeboat. The water is
so astonishingly clear that even a pin
can be seen on the bottom in the deep
est places, and as yea look perpen-
dicularly into it it is as colorless as
air, and the sensation of floating upon
it is that of being suspended in bal
loon. That the ancient Seminoles
should have attached a legend to this,
the brightest spot in their domain,
was quite natural. At. night, said
they, may be seen around the shores
and on the bottom of the fountain
tiny fairy creatures, sporting and bath
ing, in noiseless glee:s but at midnight
when the moon is. at-its full there ap-
pears upon the water a gigantic war;
rior, sitting in stone canoe, with a
copper paddle in his hand, from whose
presence the affrighted fairies flee
away, leaving, as the last object seen
in the darkness of a cloud the spectre
warrior alone in his canoe, which
seems anchored and imnilovable.
Charles Lanman, Adventures in the
Wilds of America" 1856, Vol. ii.
D. 49, -.