The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-11-09
FLORIDA'S ORIGINAL
FARM COLONY
BY G CHAPLIN in Financial and
By G. M. CHAPLIN. in Financial and Industrial.
nd provisions. DR.. Turnbull Spain.


and provisions. DR.. Turnbull Spain
Turnbull Grants.
DIR. Turnbu1l appears to have been
among the favored ones, for he and
his associates were given grants "a
follows:
TO DR.. Turnbull, fourteen grants,
the first dated February l6, 1771, and
the last March 81, 1775, containing In
the aggregate $4,000 acres.
To Mary Turnbull,' daughter.
March s, 1869, rant Of 5000 acres.
To James Tu Ill. son. February
Is, It'll q grant Of 5000 acres.
To Nicol Turnbull, son. May s.
1863. a grant Of 5000 acres.
To Mary Turnbull, February, 1771,
grant Of 5000 acres.
To Abraham Marshall, q relative,
October Is, 1774. grant OF 5000
acres.
The total area was approximately
$1,000 acres. and presumably 1t was
In one solid body. although the grants
are briefly described In the American
State Papers ~ being on the Halifax,
Mosquito. and South St. Augustine
rivers.
It viii be noted that the dates OF
these grants are all subsequent to
the time Of the settlement Of the
Turnbull colony of Florida. and pre-
sumably were the lands which he
had already improved when the pat.
ents were issued.
But having In view the sett'eme- :
Of these lands. DR.. Turnbull and his
fellow ENGLISH capitalists at an outlay
Of $166, 900 brought over several ship.
loads Of settlers to inhabit the new
land OF abundant promise. These peo-
pie had been recruited from Smyrna.
the Greek Islands of the Mediterrane-
an, Italy and the island Of Minorca.
about 1900 of them. They were un-
der indentures which required them
In consideration of the sum paid for
their employers for a certain number
Of years, and at the expiration Of this
period they were to receive al!ot-
ments Of land In proportion to the
size Of their respective families. With
the colonists were brought cattle,
household goods and farm imple~a-.-
and provisions. DR.. Turnbuil himself
beaded the colony. came With 1t and
for q number Of years at least, II not
for all the time of its existence. re-
manned In active charge Of its affairs.
The new settlement was caI'e] New
Smyrna, in honor of the birthplace
of his wife.
Mr.. George r. Fairbanks. in mis-
History Of Florida, says: THE loca.
ton Of the settlement was well cho-
sen, In a very mild climate situated
upon . river Astounding in fish. turtle
and oysters; the forest abounding In
deer, wssd turkew "-S game
large bodies Of land. rich and pro.
ductive when drained, bordered by q
dry and salxbrious sesshore and nine
forests" all Of which II an excellent
description Of the location today, pos.
sibly emitting the reference to game
In the forests, although enough re-
mains to substAutiate the description
Coed Roads and Drains.
Much Of this land was rich ham.
mock, which IL the boast of Florida
agricultural sections at the present
time, and lying back from the river
Z mile or more, was q considerable
tract OF swamp. rich and deep in fer
tile black muck, and It is there now,
Just as Turnbull found 1t.
"''o-.'.- roreseein& that skilled Ia.
Dor would be in demand in develop.
- ,.s> .e.nu. Or. Turnbull brought
among his colonists Q full quota OF
engineers. mechanics and artisans
competent to run levels and plan and
construct an extensive system Of
drains and good roads. No better
evidence Of their skill could be had
than the remains Of their work A
system Of drains. or rather can-ls
Was constructed, more than ten miles
Of which are In service Today. One
OF these canals borders a main street
Of New Smyrna, carrying the sur.
plus water from . large area west
OF the city. Wherever these canals
for their size entities them to that
name rather than That Of bitches
are open today the land is dry and
productive. It - the assertion Of com.
petent judges that the swamp back
Of the city would be made cultiva5le
land, which 1t was under the Turn.
bull administration, were the canals
which his engineers constructed into
It. to b cleared and opened.
Beside 10 drainage, these same
engineers planned and built q system
Of good, hard roads through the col.
ony lands, for II seems that the con.
nection between improved highways
and the prosperity Of the community
Is not an original discovery Of the
twentieth century. The writer within
q month past, has travelled over
some Of these roads, built $50 years
ago by these Greek workmen, and he
bears witness that they are in bet
ter condition today than ninety PEI
cent Of the roads he has seen in the
South. As the automobile sped aloue
twenty miles an hour over the hard,
u..> &