19xx-xx

Joe Brown

1999-01

Joe Howard

2007

Pete Scalco

2001-

Steve Cutshaw

2004-07

Brian Fugate

2002-08

Warren Poplin

2002-2004

John Baust

2008

Jason Mauer

2008

Jason Cutshaw

2004-07

Greg Topin

2007

Kim Tinnelle

2004-

Jon Robinson

2007

V. Morgan Tyrone

2004-07

Randy Hester

2007

Nathan Summons

     During the first Seminole Indian War in 1818, General Andrew Jackson crossed the river here with his army. In 1828, when Florida became a U.S. Territory, the first government road across north Florida met the river here in the park. Throughout the 1800s, the Apalachicola River was an important interstate highway. More than 200 steamboats traveled the river during the great trading era, 1840-1910. During the Civil War, this important route was protected by a six cannon battery. Located on a bluff, the battery was in place to prevent Union gun boats from passing. The remains of the gun pit can be seen along the bluff trail. The Gregory House, built in 1849 by Planter Jason Gregory, stood across the river from the park at Ocheesee Landing. Gregory's plantation prospered until the beginning of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. In 1935, the house was dismantled and moved to its present location in the park by the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was developing the park. A number of Native American sites have been discovered on the park by archaeologists.
     The high bluffs overlooking the Apalachicola River rise more than 150 feet above the water. The bluffs have been shaped and divided by deep ravines that have been eroded by streams throughout the centuries. Torreya State Park is named for a species of endangered rare Torreya tree that occurs only on the high bluffs along Florida's Apalachicola River. The forests of the park include river swamps, hardwood hammocks and high pinelands. Each community contains a different set of trees including the rare Florida yew tree and the U.S. Champion winged elm, shrubs and wildflowers which offer variety during each season of the year. The bluffs and ravines are forested by many hardwood trees that commonly occur in the Appalachian Mountains of Georgia. These hardwoods provide the finest display of fall color found in Florida. Over 100 species of unique and colorful birds may be seen throughout the area. An array of animals commonly found in the park include deer, beaver, bobcat, grey fox and the unusual Barbours map turtle.

     This land was opened to the public in 1931 and is one of the earliest examples of grass-roots public support for environmental preservation. Local citizens, concerned about plans to turn the hammock into farmland, acquired the property and pledged to protect it. When Florida's state park system was established in 1935, Highlands Hammock became one of the four original state parks, and the Civilian Conservation Corps built a camp there as a base for park development. Highlands Hammock State Park is named for the beautiful highlands hammock in which it is located. The history of the CCC in Florida State Parks is illustrated in an on-site museum.
     The park preserves a scenic, virgin hardwood forest. Its boundaries encompass several additional plant communities, including a cypress swamp, pine flatwoods, sand pine scrub, scrubby flatwoods, bayheads and marsh. White-tailed deer, alligators, otters and rare Florida scrub jays also make frequent appearances, while bears and the endangered Florida panther are seen on occasion.

     Fort Clinch State Park is named for the Civil War era brick masonry fort located on the state park. Occupied by both Union and Confederate troops during the Civil War, Fort Clinch was never completed due to slow construction. The development of more powerful armament rendered the fort's masonry walls obsolete. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was responsible for some of the initial development of the park.
     Significant plant communities found throughout the park include sand dunes, overwash plains, maritime hammock and estuarine tidal marsh. Bird watching and nature study opportunities abound withion the park, while dolphins and manatees are often observed along the park's coastal boundries.

 Park Superintendents/Managers:  William Decker, Douglas Decker, Carl Gillen,
               Gil Becker, George McGraw, John Sommers, Hank Wilson, Roy Kemp,
                Clif Maxwell, Pete Scalco
 Staff with over ten years: Harvey Carter, George Berninger, Roger Cuenot,
                Robert Rahberg, Charles Boyett

     The extraordinary craftsmanship of the CCC is still evident today in such structures as the Cavern Visitor Center. Florida Caverns takes its name from the beautiful Florida Cavern tour cave. Equal in beauty to such famous sites as Mammoth Cave and Carlsbad Caverns, the caves at Florida Caverns State Park contain dazzling formation of stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, columns, rimstones, flowstones and draperies.
     American beech, Southern Magnolia, white oak and dogwood trees are prominent throughout the park, along with a number of plants that are also found in the southern Appalachian Mountains of north Georgia. Wildflowers as the Atamasco Lily that starts blooming in January, and the Lyre-leaf Sage which flowers in March. Culumbine and Mayapple also make their appearance in March. Yellow Leafcup dazzles the eye in June and the Cardinal Flower displays until frost. Woodpeckers, barred owls, beavers, alligators, rare Barbour's map turtles and alligator snapping turtles also inhabit the area. The pristine Chipola River flows underground in the park at the river sink and reappears several hundred feet downstream, thereby forming a natural bridge. In the early 1900s, loggers cut a ditch across this natural bridge to float logs downstream.

     The park gets its name from the Gold Head Branch stream that originates from springs issuing from the side of the park's deep ravine system. An old grist mill site, once operated by hardy folks whose decendants still live near the park, can be seen by along the bank of stream. The extraordinary craftsmanship of the CCC is still evident today in such structures as the cabins nestled along the shores of Lake Johnson.
     Marshes, lakes, long leaf pine and sand pine scrub plant communities provide a habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, including fox squirrel and gopher tortise.

     The park was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936 and opened to the public in 1938. Hillsborough River State Park takes its name from the scenic Hillsborough River which has one of Florida's only class II rapids. Hammocks of live oaks, sabal palms and hickories which border the scenic Hillsborough River provide ample opportunity to to observe wildlife.

     In the early 1930's local residents recognized the Myakka River Valley as a valuable part of their heritage, worthy of preserving for future generations. Myakka River State Park takes its name from a 14 mile segment of Myakka River which meanders through the park. Because of continued strong citizen interest in protecting its scenic qualities, the Myakka was declared an official Florida Wild and Scenic River by State Legislature in 1985. Again, in 1992, thousands of Floridians wrote to legislators petitioning for its protection against threatening adjacent development. The people's will prevailed and Myakka River State Park is now Florida's largest state park - over 45 square miles of parklands.
     Shady hammocks, majestic pine flatwoods, fertile marshes and sunny praires are home to a diverse array of wildlife. Herons and ibis feed in shallow lakes and fertile marshes; eagles nest in pine flatwoods and steal fish from successful ospreys; and the calls of meadowlarks and bobwhite echo through the prairies. Winter and spring bring flocks of ducks, warblers, wading birds and hawks. It is a time when the waters of the Myakka River and Upper and Lower Myakka Lakes are at their lowest. The shallow waters often entice large flocks of wading birds into a feeding frenzy.

     O'leno State Park takes its name from the old settlement of Leno. O'Leno State Park is located on the banks of the scenic and unique Santa Fe River, a tributary of the Suwannee River. Within the park, the Santa Fe disappears and flows underground for more than three miles before it again becomes a surface stream, spotlighting the geological distinction of the park. In the mid-1800s, a town was founded upstream from where the river disappears. Perhaps first known as Keno, after a game of chance, the settlement was later called Leno. The town grew, and a mill, general store, hotel and livery stable were built. Leno was the end of the line for the first telegraph set up to link Florida with the outside world. When the railroad bypassed the tiny town, Leno's decline was bound to occur. It took only until the turn of the century for the settlement to become just a memory; the Old Wire Road and mill dams are all that remain of this early lumber town. The suspension bridge which spans the river was originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the late 1930s. It still provides a pleasurable view of the Santa Fe River as well as one of the mill dams. The park was developed by the CCC and the Works Progress Authority (WPA) primarily for use as a summer forestry camp and training facility.

     This 59 acre gardens were created in a natural steephead ravine by the City of Palatka, Florida, local citizens, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), the Federal Works Project Administration (WPA) and the Civil Works Administration (CWA) in the 1930'S. Described in the 1934 Florida Municipal Record as the "Nations Outstanding C.W.A. project," the 59 acre ravines were planted with over 95,000 azaleas including 64 varieties, 11,000 palm trees and more than 250,000 ornamental plants. The gardens were maintained by the City of Palatka until the park was deeded to the State of Florida in 1970. One of nine Florida state parks with New Deal Era structures, Ravine Gardens is the only park with a formal designed landscape. The extensive fieldstone terraces, rock gardens and massive cypress building construction is typical of the era. The Court of States and 64 foot obelisk dedicated to Franklin D. Roosevelt is located near the park entrance.

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