C.B. Moore on the Ocklawaha River: No Place for a Gopher
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C.B. MOORE ON THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER: NO PLACE FOR A GOPHER CYNTHIA L. CERRATO Osceola National Forest, P.O. Box 70, Olustee, Florida 32072 In 1992, I conducted an archaeological research project at Some of the collection, along with Moore's original field notes, Davenport Landing in the Ocala National Forest (ONF). This remains there today (Davis 1987). small, high bluff is in the northernmost part of the forest, on the Considering the era in which Moore worked, there was a southern bank of the Ocklawaha River. Since preliminary testing limited choice of transportation modes. Since most of Moore's in 1991 yielded prehistoric ceramics and lithics, the goals of the 'excavations were at coastal or riverine sites, he traveled by project's first phase were to determine the site's time period, water. To reach his destinations, Moore employed the Gopher, function, and significance in American prehistory and to a stem-wheel steamboat (Figure 2). The Gopher was 30.5 m delineate the site's boundaries. The second phase of this project (100 ft) long, about 6 m (20 ft) wide, and normally "carried a was to investigate an earthwork on the bluff. The earthwork captain, a pilot, an engineer, a crew of five men, six men to resembled a small volcano and was approximately 12 m in dig, and special guests" (Morse and Morse 1983:21). diameter. The central "pit" was at least 1 m deep with ridges 1- Moore's Southeastern excavations began in Florida. From 2 m high. The ONF Archeologist, Ray Willis, and I believed 1891 to 1895, he excavated sites along the St. Johns and this earthwork was C.B. Moore's Davenport Mound. Although Ocklawaha Rivers (Moore 1894a, 1894b, 1896, 1987a [1891], the Davenport Mound was recorded on the Florida Site File as 1987b [1894], 1987c [1895]). While working in eastern Florida, being 3.2 km west of this bluff, Moore's maps and notes Moore used the city of Palatka as a home base. There he showed the mound to be at Davenport Landing. Traveling by supplied his boat, hired workers to dig, and gathered informa- boat, I surveyed the river for 6.4 km west of Davenport tion about possible sites to excavate. Although Moore's highest Landing and found no additional bluffs, only inundated swamps. education level was a B.A. from Harvard University (Williams The earthwork excavation did reveal small fragments of human 1991:76), he was known as "Doctor" Moore to Florida locals remains, a few exotic goods, and hematite-impregnated sand (Swift 1903:48). With a steamboat, Moore had a home and (Cerrato 1994). laboratory that he could take with him to all the sites "that were Prior to the fieldwork, I spent several weeks researching the within reach of water navigable by the Gopher (Milanich prehistory and history of Davenport Landing and the sur- 1994:5). But one place the Gopher could not reach was the rounding 8 km. This work included an intensive study of the Ocklawaha River. For this unique waterway, a special boat was Ocklawaha River. While I was collecting data at the Department needed. of Environmental Protection in Tallahassee, Joe Knetsch, Senior Management Analyst II with the Division of State Lands, told The Ocklawaha River me about the Alligator, the subject of this paper. The Ocklawaha is one of Florida's major rivers. It is a Clarence B. Moore tributary of the St. Johns River and, like the St. Johns, flows northward. Currently, it serves as the northern and western Clarence B. (C.B.) Moore is a well-known name to both borders of the Ocala National Forest (Dorian 1984:1). There are professional and avocational Southeastern archaeologists (Figure many variations of the spelling of the river's name including 1). Born in 1852, to a wealthy Philadelphia family, Moore "Oclawaha," "Oklawaha," "Ocklewaha," "Ochlawaha," and began excavating mounds and middens in the southeastern "Okalewaha." Although modern maps use "Oklawaha," the United States in 1891. He continued this work for over 20 preferred spelling by the local population is "Ocklawaha." The years. Although lacking by today's standards, Moore's archaeo- name is supposedly derived from the Timucuan Indian word logical work was "state of the art" for the 1890s. He took "Ockli-Waha," meaning either "great river" (Livingston detailed notes, recording strata, the positions of interments, and 1991:85) or "crooked/tortuous" (Dowda 1939:87). The second providing descriptions of artifacts. Most important, Moore meaning seems more appropriate when looking at the river's shared his artifacts and information with the general public. He shape. The Ocklawaha is 121 km in length and consists of donated most of his collection to museums, and quickly "hairpin bends," "rapid flows" and "frequent narrow passage- published his excavation reports (Milanich 1994:6). His biggest ways between walls of massive cypress trunk" (Mitchell collection was given to the Academy of Natural Sciences in 1947:129). Its width varies from 6.7-53 m and it is only .6 m Philadelphia. In 1929, against Moore's personal choice, the deep in some places (Mueller 1983:7). The Ocklawaha's shape collection was sold to the Museum of the American Indian, was best described in 1947 by C. Bradford Mitchell: "the Heye Foundation in New York (Wardle 1987:119 [1956]). Ocklawaha is the dark jugular vein- but a vein so weirdly VOL. 49 NO. 4 THE FLORIDA ANTHROPOLOGIST DECEMBER 1996 1996 VOL. 49(4) 262 THE FLORIDA ANTHROPOLOGIST Figure 1. Clarence B. Moore's Harvard Graduation Portrait, Class of 1873. Photograph courtesy of the Harvard University Archives. between tree-lined swamps contorted and looped that distance doubles and redoubles itself bankless. Its swift current meanders Natural bluffs, such as Davenport for any navigator who takes a boat on it" (Mitchell 1947:118). that are usually inundated. The Ocklawaha's headwaters are in Lake County at a chain of Landing, are few and far between. descriptions paint a dreary picture of the lakes composed of Lake Apopka, Lake Griffin, Lake Dora, Though these has been described as the "sweetest water- Lake Eustis, and Lake Yale. From there it flows north through Ocklawaha, it also 1973:20). At the turn of the century. Lake County, into Marion county, and ends in Putnam County lane in the world" (Lanier to see this dark, contorted river and the interior at the St. Johns River (Figure 3). The Ocklawaha gets half its tourists flocked Traveling from Palatka to Silver Springs via upstream flow from the lake chain and the other half from swamps of Florida. considered a must to make one's vacation Silver Springs Run (Carr 1965:1; Livingston 1991:10). It is a the Ocklawaha was 1947). Yet, a jaunt down this unusual river, blackwater, flowing river and, although its water is clear of complete (Mitchell had to be on a specially designed sediment, it is stained with tannic acid from leaves and other for tourists and archaeologists, Steamer." organic matter (Ewel 1990:3). The Ocklawaha River is almost riverboat - an "Ocklawaha CERRATO C.B. MOORE'S OCKLAWAHA RIVERBOAT 263 .'A Figure 2. The Gopher, Moore's stern-wheel steamboat. Photograph courtesy of Ray Willis and Sam Brookes, United States Forest Service. Ocklawaha Steamboats from 1868 to the 1920s, until the railroads and newly designed water vessels led to their demise (Mitchell 1947; Mueller 1983). An Ocklawaha steamer "looked like a not-yet completed houseboat erected on a rowboat shaped hull" (Mueller 1983:7). The Alligator The boats had a blunt bow and a small, low pilot house towards the front. To avoid hitting low-hanging limbs, the smokestack Since C.B. Moore's Gopher could not travel the waters of the was short and squat, and it "looked like a rather deep bucket Ocklawaha, he needed a "recessed sternwheeler" to pursue his sitting on the roof" (Mitchell 1947:126). Since the boats excavations. That boat was the Alligator (Figure 4). It was traveled the Ocklawaha at night transporting tourists and goods constructed in Norwalk, Florida, by Captain Howard in 1888. from Palatka to Silver Springs, a brazier or iron pot was Originally, the Alligator(registration number 106613) was 17.4 mounted on the pilot house roof. Using pitch-pine or "lighter m (57 ft) long, 5.7 m (18.7 ft) wide with a 1.1 m (3.5 ft) draft. wood" for fuel, these "searchlights" cast an eerie red glare on The original tonnage was 22.42 metric tons (24.71 gross tons). the dark river throughout the night (Mitchell 1947:145-146; The length of the steamer was increased twice: in 1890 to 21.6 Mueller 1983:9). The Ocklawaha steamers had two decks: the m (71 ft) and in 1897 to 24.8 m (81.4 ft). Its maximum tonnage lower for freight and machinery and the upper for passengers. went to 62.59 metric tons (69 gross tons) (Mueller 1983:14). A The most unique feature of these riverboats was the method of second listing for the Alligator shows the year it was built as propulsion - a recessed stern paddlewheel. Measuring "about 1893 (Mueller 1983:33). In an unnumbered notebook, C.B. one fourth of the width of the vessel, it [the paddlewheel] was Moore wrote the "Cruise of the Alligator" in which he chron- almost completely enclosed in the center of the hull and icled his survey of the Ocklawaha for possible excavation sites superstructure" (Mueller 1983:7). With the Ocklawaha's narrow from March 5 to April 7, 1891 (Moore 1987a [1891]). Based passageways and sharp bends, the steamers were restricted in on Moore's notes, the earlier date is assumed to be correct.