The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-11-09

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commission Of the United States Gov
eminent, November "a. 1928. From
the report q tho Committee Of Pri
vate Land Claims, communicated TO
Congress, December 20, 1927, and af
terward from the report OF the Same
committee to Congress, January. 1890.
the claim disallowed. (See American
State Papers, Vol. 5, page Is, and Vol
6, page 1879
According to these reports DIR.
Turnbull and his family removed to
Charleston shout 1879, and he then
became . citizen Of the United States
and Joined the American forces in the
Revolution between this country and
Great Britain. The British Govern
ment after the war, refused to recos.
nize the claim or to grant any in
-demnity. The United States under
these reports refused to confirm the
grants to the heirs Of Turnbull on the
ground that he had abandoned them
and had not exerted his right of sale.
permitted under the Treaty of 1874
by which the British Government re-
ceded the FlOridas to the Spanish
crown.
Relies at New Smyrna.
There are toady many interesting
remains at New Smyrna of the Turn
bull colony and OF other and probably
previous occupation by older settlers.
Some of these relics have been the
basis Of the claim that at this point
was located the first settlement by
white races on this continent, even
antedating that at St. Augustine,
which Is generally accepted as the
most venerable. In addition to the
canals and roads already described,
are the foundations of the so-called
"Turnbull Castle" located on an Gle
walton near the center of tho CITY and
commanding Q hne view of the river
and harbor. These foundations are
supposed by some to have been a
fort for protective purposes. but the
location and other circumstances fail
to confirm this theor~
In seeking An attractive site for his
home, Dr.. TurnbuIl seems to have
chosen the summit Of a great mound
OF oyster shell, formed by a previous
race. Into this mass was made the
excavation for the foundations, which
remain as 8, ! stantial walls Of stone.
much Of which was probably guarded
in the construction Of the canals
That it was intended and used as
foundations for the residence, is sub
stantiated by the fact that q well
known and prominent lady OF New
Smyrna, was born in house standing
upon these walls. which may have
been the original house, or castle
built by Turnbull for his own rest
dence. LAS was destroyed during tbs
early years Of this lady. who is stil
living within a few Hundred feet @.
her birthplace.
The main portion OF these founda-
tons shows three divisions, or walls
each about twenty feet square, witt
no interior openings or doors connect.
ing them. At present they are filed
with . rank growth OF grass and smai,
trees. Surrounding them also to the
top OIL the walls. excepting where re-
cent excavations have been made. are
the oyster shell deposits into which
the foundations were built.
Within q past few years the ad-
vance Of a railroad into this section,
seemed to make necessary the de-
struction Of q two-story building, evil
IDENTITY belonging to the Turnbull COL
ony. It was known as the stone
House" and was probably used as a
dwelling and its tower as q place for
lookout possibly for military purposes
and to guard against the sudden IN
cursions Of Indians.
The Old Spanish Missions.
Some two miles west Of New Smyr.
ma are the remains of the old Span
ish Mission" located also on the lands
Of the Turnbun colonies. Undoubted-
~ it was erected much prior to the
coming Of these settlers, yet little is
known Of the date Of its construction
nor its builders. It was used prob
ably as Catholic Mission by. the Span
ish early in the history Of Florida. in
their work among the Indians. APP.
parently 1t was abandoned for this
purpose and with later additions made
to the original building, was used as
q sugar mill. The differences Of ma.
terial and Of construction are eyi
dent, as we'll as the foundations for
boilers, engines and evanOrating pans
It was used in the manufacture OF
sugar until 1885, when massacre by
the Indians at the beginning OF the
Seminole War, drove its owners and
operators from the field. Since that
time 1t has remained only as a relic
Of the past
Other reminders OF a civilization
pT1OT 10 LQdL Oh LQ6 IQIu0uu OCCOD6-
ton are scattered over the section
controlled by him: the burial mounds
and shell mounds, by whom built and
through what elasping Of years IL not
Of centuries being subjects Of doubt
and speculation. are still in state
Of preservation adapted to the study
Of the archaeologis. Doubtless care.
ful investigation by trained scientists
would develop valuable additions to
the early history Of Florida.
Here and there are found the re-
mains Of billings which were prob
ably used by the Turnbull colonists in
the manufacture Of indigo from the
raw material which they raised from
the soil. There are evidences that
they were acquainted with the use
and manufacture OF turpentine and
naval stores and peculiar tar, which
thew produced from the pine forests.
They also cultivated fiss, oranges ars
other fruits and undertook to raise
olives and similar products which
were indigenous to the Mediterrane-