Forts on North Florida Waterways FLORIDA WATERWAYS

Like waterways in other states, engineers built a number of forts on our waterways, especially rivers, that were invaluable for housing soldiers and equipment during skirmishes/wars throughout our history. For example, Fort Fanning on the Suwannee River, near present-day Fanning Springs, was built in 1838 during the Second Seminole War, to protect the river crossing there. Honoring in its name Colonel Alexander Fanning, who had served in the First Seminole War under General Andrew Jackson, the structure has been partly reconstructed to give some idea of what it looked like almost 200 years ago.

By Kevin McCarthy

An isolated wooden fort that is hard to reach, is in San Marcos de Apalache State Historic Park, at the end of S.R. 363, called Old Fort Road in Wakulla County. What makes the site unusual and excellent for fishing, is the fact that the place is at the confluence of St. Marks River and Wakulla River on their way to Apalache Bay, as is clear from the photo supplied by the Florida State Parks.

The museum there has a display of pottery and tools found near the original fort, and an 18-minute video traces the days of the Spanish, English, American, and Confederate troops that once occupied the site. One can follow that up with a self-guided interpretive trail on the grounds.

Over on the east coast are several forts from different wars. For example, Fort Clinch in the northeastern part of Florida is a 19th-century masonry fortification on Cumberland Sound and included today in Fort Clinch State Park. Dating back to the 19th century and named after General Duncan Clinch, who fought in the War of 1812. The massive structure, pentagon in shape and containing some five million bricks, has occasional living history programs with reenactors imitating soldiers from the 1860s.

Guarding the so-called “back door” to St. Augustine, is Fort Matanzas National Monument. The fortified coquina watchtower, which visitors can tour after a short boat trip from the visitor center (no boats on Monday or Tuesday), dates back to around 1742. The fort is part of some 300 protected acres containing dunes, maritime forest, and much flora and fauna. The undisturbed surroundings give one a sense of the isolation the soldiers experienced as they guarded the southern approach to St. Augustine.

Fort Caroline is part of the Fort Caroline National Monument, and represents the French attempt to settle in North Florida. Located on the southern bank of the St. Johns River near Mayport, the reconstructed fort and nearby museum give visitors a good appreciation of what life was like for the French and

Spanish in the late 16th century. The fort was to be where Huguenots from France wanted to settle in North Florida, but the Spanish, under Pedro Menendez de Aviles, put an end to the venture.

Finally, the Castillo de San Marcos in historical St. Augustine is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States and a national monument. Easily accessible by the thousands of tourists who visit St. Augustine, the fort has withstood attempts to conquer it as well as very fierce hurricanes. The waterways of North Florida in a way hold a fascinating key to the long history of the region.ry fort

Kevin McCarthy, the author of “North Florida Waterways” 2013 (available at amazon.com), can be reached at ceyhankevin@gmail.com.