This undated photograph of Blue Springs in Marion County, Florida captures the tranquility offered by Florida’s springs before the rapid development of urban centers in central Florida altered the landscape. Marion County was the location of a U.S. government military agency established in 1825 to oversee displaced Seminoles. White settlers began moving into the area in the early to mid-19th century to take advantage of the abundant farm land and numerous freshwater springs and spring-fed rivers. Trading posts and communities formed around the springs, including what would later become cities such as Belleview, Dunnellon, and the eventual county seat, Ocala, named for a settlement of the Timucuans. This image of a man fishing with a cane pole near a crude lodge captures an idyllic scene of early Florida life centered on its springs. Fishing; Fishing lodges; Fishing rods; Springs