The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-01-08
MARK THE HISTORIC
SPOTS IN FLORIDA
(By W. A. McRae, Commissioner OF
Agriculture).

flags Of three foreign nations have
waved over a state now POLITICALLY
and very properly termed the Land
of Flowers" Here white men made
the first permanent settlement In
what Is now the United States. On
the first maps Of the new world the
name of Florida was given to all that
was known of our continent north of
Mexico. St. Augustine and Pensa-
cola are the oldest cities in the Uni.
ted States and abound in features Of
interest. General Andrew Jackson
captured Pensacola from the British
in 1914, and from the Spanish In 1918
In 1921 he became our first territorial
governor Later he became presi.
dent Of the United States.
New Smyrna has record going
back definitely to 1867, when Dr.
Turnbull brought his colony Of 1900
Minorcans and Greeks there and en-
gagged in the growing of indigo The
site of Fort Caroline-the mouth
OF the st. Johns, where the French
Huguenots In 1864 raised the first
flag of a foreign power within the
boundaries of the state, should be
marked The fate of these Hugue-
nots was one of the first tragedies
among the many in our early history.
The city Of st. Joseph, terminus Of
Florida's first railroad and once a
flourinshing seaport, where our first
constitutional convention was held, is
now scarcely more than memory.
fernando de Soto marched from
Tampa bay north across Florida, and
westward to the Mississippi river to
his death
A few SCARED trees and mounds of
earth mark the scene where Major
Dade and his company Of 1873 men
met their death in what is now Sum-
ter county during the Seminole war.
The sites of the many battlefelds of
that protracted and bloody strife are
not known to the public. Palatka
was headquarters during this war,
with officers notable in American mil
itary history.
1t is possible to call off long list
OF interesting historic events, not to
speak Of the natural bridges disap-
pearing rivers, caverns, sink holes,
mammoth springs-some Of largest
In the world-etc., to be found here
and there in the state, all worthy Of
, being marked and described for not
Sonly our own people, but for tourists
who are constantly going about, and
more strangers would come IL they
knew Of the interesting things to see,
The historical museum in old Fort
Marion at st. Augustine, and the one
at the State university at Gainesville,
as we'll as the collections in the Of
fees Of the state geologist and of the
fish commissioner at Tallahassee, are
places Of real interest, not only to
practical observers, but to casual Wis.
ttors. At Tallahassee, too, can be
seen the former home of Prince
Charles Napoleon Achille Murat, son
of the king of Naples, and nephew Of
Napoleon Bonaparte. His grave and
that of his wife can be seen In the
Episcopal cemetery Of the Capital
City. Near Tallahassee, too, was the
seat Of government Of Marylandel
who proclaimed himself king oil
Florida" and fought Indians and
Spaniards to maintain authority. Near
Tallahassee, also, is a township oil
land granted by congress to Genera
Lafayette, our French friend and ben
efactor during the revolution. ITALIA
hassee is the only capital city of thu
south not occupied by federal troops
during the war between states. The
chief battle of that war was at Olus
tee, west Of Jacksonville, close to the
western boundary of what Is nov
/, Baker county. The site is marked BY
a monument in view from trains OF
the north side of the Seaboard rail
, way. There were many minor en-
gagenents in this state during tn
war of 1S61-65.
For many years Florida has prove,
, very important collecting grount
for human roI{oo No state hoo 49,.