Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2008 Florida Crackers and Yankee Tourists: The Civilian Conservation Corps, the Florida Park Service and the Emergence of Modern Florida Tourism David J. Nelson Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES FLORIDA CRACKERS AND YANKEE TOURISTS: THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS, THE FLORIDA PARK SERVICE AND THE EMERGENCE OF MODERN FLORIDA TOURISM By DAVID J. NELSON A Dissertation submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2008 Copyright © 2008 David J. Nelson All Rights Reserved The members of the Committee approve the dissertation of David J. Nelson defended on March 26, 2008. ______________________________ Elna C. Green Professor Directing Dissertation ______________________________ Jonathan Leib Outside Committee Member ______________________________ Jennifer Koslow Committee Member ______________________________ Frederick Davis Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii This dissertation is dedicated to: David E. Nelson, Sr. (6 February 1923 – 14 January 2008) who inspired me to look at the past; And Carter Cole Nelson (born 17 April 2006) who inspires me to look towards the future. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I want to express in writing how grateful I am to the members of my doctoral committee: Dr. Jennifer Koslow, Dr. Jonathan Leib, Dr. Frederick Davis, as well as two former members, Dr. Albrecht Koschnik and Dr. Valerie Conner. And I especially want to express my immense gratitude to my major professor, Dr. Elna Green. No one could ask for a more supportive, protective, challenging, and nurturing adviser. She gave me the freedom to follow my own path, but also the guidance when I most needed it. I thank the committee for all their encouragement, advice, and criticisms. All the good that can be derived from this dissertation is because of their efforts; all that is not is due to mine. I am grateful to the many scholars of history and other disciplines with whom I have consulted and sought advice from over the years: Keith Ashley, Tina Bucuvalas, Robert Cassanello, Valerie Conner, Frederick Davis, Jack Davis, Joan Denman, Jon Evans, Craig Friend, Michael Francis, Elna Green, Jacob Helt, James P. Jones, Joe Knetsch, Connie Lester, Barbara Mattick, Sean McMahon, Gary Mormino, Julian Pleasants, Tracy Revels, Joseph Sasser, Robin Sellers, Claire Strom, Robert Thunen, Lu Vickers, and Nick Wynne. Several individuals with the Florida Park Service have greatly assisted with this study. George Apthorp, Sandy Cook, Ney Landrum, Triel Lindstrom, Steve Martin, Brian Polk, and Phil Werndli helped me with locating (and often archiving at the State Archives of Florida) records of the early park service. Renee Rau and Warren Poplin graciously granted me scholar-in-residence status at Gold Head Branch State Park during the final writing of this dissertation in February 2008. Several park managers opened their park files to me for research, including Pete Anderson (Highlands Hammock State Park), Steve Cutshaw (Torreya State Park), Robert Dye (Myakka River State Park), Bill Maphis (Florida Caverns State Park), Morgan Tyrone (Oleno State Park), Warren Poplin (Gold Head Branch State Park), and Robert Wilhelm (Hillsborough River State Park). And finally, to my close friend, former colleague, and fellow historian Brian Fugate (Wakulla Springs State Park) who encouraged and challenged me during the entire process, I offer my sincere gratitude. I am also grateful to the Florida Chapter of the CCC Alumni Association for assisting me with locating and interviewing several CCC veterans, especially two volunteers, Annemarie iv van Hemmen and Larry Levey, as well as all the alumni who graciously agreed to be interviewed. While my archival background may render me biased in this viewpoint, I nonetheless maintain that no researcher can survive without the tireless efforts of often nameless and forgotten archivists and librarians. I am no exception and am eternally grateful to: Burt Altman (Special Collections, Strozier Library, Florida State University), James Cusick (P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History, University of Florida), Carole Goad (Sebring Historical Society), Gene Morris (National Archives-College Park), Salina Pavlovick (National Archives-Atlanta), Phil Werndli (Florida Park Service), Debbie Wynne (Florida Historical Society), and the reference staff of the National Archives regional office in Philadelphia. Friends and colleagues who over the years have endured my endless ramblings about the project without complaint nor (noticeable) eye rolling: Tony Attore, Matt Brackett, Julia Brock (thanks for the coffee), Melissa Euziere, Angie Fugate, Crista Hosmer, Lindsey Harrington, Matthew Harrington, Kimberly Luke (thanks for all the much-needed prayers, conversations, and support), Bob Pando, Karen Rubin, Jon Sheppard (my Dixie County comrade), Holly Sinco (thanks for looking the other way on countless Saturdays), Bill Wilson, and Joshua Youngblood. I want to especially thank two of my closest friends and extraordinary historians: fellow archivist Boyd Murphree and former fellow graduate student and now professor Lee Willis. Both greatly assisted me throughout the dissertation by both personal example and with much-needed advice – plus by suffering through numerous long lunches, many of which were on their dime. My colleagues at the Florida State Archives have always offered selfless support and endless encouragement, including Jim Burke, Miriam Gan-Spalding, Beth Golding, Katrina Harkness, James Helms, Jamie Madden, Boyd Murphree, Candice Odom, Karlyn Solis, Holly Sinco, and Adam Watson. And without the personal and professional support by my two supervisors (and close friends) Gerard Clark and Jody Norman, this project would never have been completed. And finally, to my family: I can never repay what you have all done for me. My parents, David and Mary Nelson: It’s been a long road, but I hope I have made you proud. You two are my role models. And I am especially grateful for all those extra babysitting hours over v the past year. To my other parents, Frank and Kathy Shuke, I thank you for the patience, assistance, and encouragement over the years. To my son Carter, I apologize for all the times you wanted to play and I instead had to write. I will make it up, I promise. And to my wife, Heather-- words cannot express my love and gratitude I feel for you now and forever. All I can say is: We did it! vi TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ................................................................................................ viii Abstract ...................................................................................................... ix INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1 1. BEFORE THE FLOOD: A TALE OF TWO FLORIDAS ............................. 21 2. A NEW DEAL FOR FLORIDA..................................................................... 37 3. TOURISM, CONSERVATION, AND STATE PARKS ............................... 62 4. STATE SPONSORED TOURISM AND THE BUILDING OF FLORIDA’S STATE PARKS .............................................................. 117 5. FLORIDA’S WELFARE STATE PARKS: THE CCC AT WORK AND AT PLAY .................................................................................... 163 6. IMPROVING PARADISE: NATURE AS COMMIDITY ............................ 201 7. REJECTING PARADISE: CRACKERS, COWS, AND CONSUMERS...... 225 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................ 294 FIGURES ................................................................................................ 311 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................... 318 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .............................................................................. 340 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: May Mann Jennings ............................................................................ 311 Figure 2: Gov. Dave Sholtz signing Florida Park Service into existence, 1935 ................................................................................................ 311 Figure 3: Organizers of the Florida National Exhibits, 193- .............................. 312 Figure 4: Florida National Exhibit Boat at the Century of Progress, 1933 ......... 312 Figure 5: CCC enrollees planting trees in Madison County ............................... 313 Figure 6: CCC reconstructing Gregory Mansion at Torreya State Park.............. 313 Figure 7: CCC camp at Gold Head Branch State Park ....................................... 313 Figure 8: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings .................................................................. 314 Figure 9: Early depiction of a Florida Cracker ................................................... 314 Figure 10: Cow being dipped in Duval County .................................................. 315 Figure 11: Turpentine worker with longleaf pine ............................................... 315 Figure 12: Map of Florida State Park, 1939 ....................................................... 316 Figure 13: Postcard of Florida