Suwannee River State Park, formally opened in 1951, lies
just north of Live Oak FL at the confluence of the Suwannee and Withlacoochee
Rivers. I stayed here for several days; nice park with full hookups.
The park occupies an area that once held the town of
Columbus, established in 1841. With a population of about 500 people at its
height it was served by a stagecoach line which connected Pensacola to
Jacksonville, paddlewheel steamboats that plied the Suwannee from 1835 to 1901 and
a rail line which spanned the river. No remains of the town exist today except
for a cemetery, the old Stage Coach Road (now a park service road) and an earthworks
fort constructed by the Confederate Army during the civil war.
The earthworks were built to fortify the town against an
attack by Union forces who wanted to capture or destroy the rail bridge. This major
link between east and west Florida was used to supply Confederate troops. In
1864 General T. Seymore marched west from Jacksonville with 5400 men, planning
to capture the bridge. They were surprised by Confederate forces which had
traveled east over the very bridge they wanted to capture and were defeated at
the battle of Olustee on February 20th 1864, just 50 miles east of
Columbus. The bridge remained in Southern hands for the remainder of the war.
Columbus Cemetery, established in 1860 and one of the states
oldest, consists of 23 graves; the oldest marked 1862 and the latest 1974. It
lies within the park on The Sand Hill Trail which also crosses the old Stage
Coach Road.
On the Earthworks Trail a raised wooden walkway crosses over
the earthworks constructed by the Confederate Army. This dish shaped depression
is surrounded by earthen mounds on which a wooden fort was built.
Balanced Rock Trail is so named because of a 20 foot tall,
limestone formation which appears to be floating on the river when water levels
are high enough.
Little Gem Spring, which bubbles into the river, is located
along the Suwannee River Trail. Tough to tell the scale of this by the photo, but the tree near the top of the photo is several feet in diameter.
Here are a few more pictures for you to enjoy.
Hope this update finds everyone happy and healthy!
No comments:
Post a Comment