Voices of the Apalachicola The Florida History and Culture Series Florida A&M University, Tallahassee Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers Florida International University, Miami Florida State University, Tallahassee University of Central Florida, Orlando University of Florida, Gainesville University of North Florida, Jacksonville University of South Florida, Tampa University of West Florida, Pensacola The Florida History and Culture Series Edited by Raymond Arsenault and Gary R. Mormino Al Burt’s Florida: Snowbirds, Sand Castles, and Self-Rising Crackers, by Al Burt (1997) Black Miami in the Twentieth Century, by Marvin Dunn (1997) Gladesmen: Gator Hunters, Moonshiners, and Skiffers, by Glen Simmons and Laura Ogden (1998) “Come to My Sunland”: Letters of Julia Daniels Moseley from the Florida Frontier, 1882-1886, by Julia Winifred Moseley and Betty Powers Crislip (1998) The Enduring Seminoles: From Alligator Wrestling to Ecotourism, by Patsy West (1998) Government in the Sunshine State: Florida Since Statehood, by David R. Colburn and Lance deHaven-Smith (1999) The Everglades: An Environmental History, by David McCally (1999), first paperback edition, 2001 Beechers, Stowes, and Yankee Strangers: The Transformation of Florida, by John T. Foster, Jr., and Sarah Whitmer Foster (1999) The Tropic of Cracker, by Al Burt (1999) Balancing Evils Judiciously: The Proslavery Writings of Zephaniah Kingsley, edited and annotated by Daniel W. Stowell (1999) Hitler’s Soldiers in the Sunshine State: German POWs in Florida, by Robert D. Billinger, Jr. (2000) Cassadaga: The South’s Oldest Spiritualist Community, edited by John J. Guthrie, Phillip Charles Lucas, and Gary Monroe (2000) Claude Pepper and Ed Ball: Politics, Purpose, and Power, by Tracy E. Danese (2000) Pensacola during the Civil War: A Thorn in the Side of the Confederacy, by George F. Pearce (2000) Castles in the Sand: The Life and Times of Carl Graham Fisher, by Mark S. Foster (2000) Miami, U.S.A., by Helen Muir (2000) Politics and Growth in Twentieth-Century Tampa, by Robert Kerstein (2001) The Invisible Empire: The Ku Klux Klan in Florida, by Michael Newton (2001) The Wide Brim: Early Poems and Ponderings of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, edited by Jack E. Davis (2002) The Architecture of Leisure: The Florida Resort Hotels of Henry Flagler and Henry Plant, by Susan R. Braden (2002) Florida’s Space Coast: The Impact of NASA on the Sunshine State, by William Barnaby Faherty, S.J. (2002) In the Eye of Hurricane Andrew, by Eugene F. Provenzo, Jr. and Asterie Baker Provenzo (2002) Florida’s Farmworkers in the Twenty-first Century, text by Nano Riley and photographs by Davida Johns (2003) Making Waves: Female Activists in Twentieth-Century Florida, edited by Jack E. Davis and Kari Frederickson (2003) Orange Journalism: Voices from Florida Newspapers, by Julian M. Pleasants (2003) The Stranahans of Ft. Lauderdale: A Pioneer Family of New River, by Harry A. Kersey, Jr. (2003) Death in the Everglades: The Murder of Guy Bradley, America’s First Martyr to Environmentalism, by Stuart B. McIver (2003) Jacksonville: The Consolidation Story, from Civil Rights to the Jaguars, by James B. Crooks (2004) The Seminole Wars: The Nation’s Longest Indian Conflict, by John and Mary Lou Missall (2004) The Mosquito Wars: A History of Mosquito Control in Florida by Gordon Patterson (2004) The Seasons of Real Florida, by Jeff Klinkenberg (2004, first paperback edition, 2005) Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: A Social History of Modern Florida, by Gary Mormino (2005) Paradise Lost? The Environmental History of Florida, edited by Jack E. Davis and Raymond Arsenault (2005) Frolicking Bears, Wet Vultures, and Other Oddities: A New York City Journalist in Nineteenth- Century Florida, edited by Jerald T. Milanich (2005) Waters Less Traveled: Exploring Florida’s Big Bend Coast, by Doug Alderson (2005) Saving South Beach, by M. Barron Stofik (2005) Losing It All to Sprawl: How Progress Ate My Cracker Landscape, by Bill Belleville (2006) Voices of the Apalachicola, compiled and edited by Faith Eidse (2006) Voices of the Apalachicola Compiled and Edited by Faith Eidse Published on Behalf of the Northwest Florida Water Management District Foreword by Gary R. Mormino and Raymond Arsenault Planning, editorial, and research assistance by Lucinda Scott, Georgann Penson, Duncan Cairns, Dan Tonsmeire, Bill Cleckley, George Fisher, Graham Lewis, David Clayton, Maria Culbertson, and the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (Woody Miley, Erik Lovestrand, Frances Ingram, and Maria Parsley). Maps by Ferdouse Sultana and Gary Settle University Press of Florida Gainesville · Tallahassee · Tampa · Boca Raton Pensacola · Orlando · Miami · Jacksonville · Ft. Myers Copyright 2006 by Northwest Florida Water Management District Printed in the United States of America on recycled, acid-free paper All rights reserved 10 09 08 07 06 05 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Voices of the Apalachicola / compiled and edited by Faith Eidse; foreword by Gary R. Mormino and Raymond Arsenault. p. cm. – (The Florida history and culture series) “Published on behalf of the Northwest Florida Water Management District.” A collection of oral histories of the Apalachicola River and Bay. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8130-2864-7 (acid-free paper) 1. Apalachicola River Valley (Fla.)—History—Anecdotes. 2. Apalachicola River Valley (Fla.)—Social life and customs—Anecdotes. 3. River life— Florida—Apalachicola River—Anecdotes. 4. Apalachicola River Valley (Fla.)—Biography—Anecdotes. 5. Oral history. I. Eidse, Faith. II. Northwest Florida Water Management District (Fla.) III. Series. F317.A6V65 2005 975.9'92—dc22 2005053159 The University Press of Florida is the scholarly publishing agency for the State University System of Florida, comprising Florida A&M University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, Florida State University, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of North Florida, University of South Florida, and University of West Florida. University Press of Florida 15 Northwest 15th Street Gainesville, FL 32611-2079 http://www.upf.com Contents List of Maps ix List of Figures xi Series Foreword xiii Preface: In Praise of Natural Wonders xv Acknowledgments xix Introduction: Stories of Historic Change 1 1. Botanical Eden, Cultural Battleground 3 2. River Roots 10 Creek Chief Ramsey: Walking Softly in Two Worlds 11 Sakim: Muskogee Medicine Maker and Webmaster 22 Judge Taunton: “Robin Hood” Defender of Swamp Dwellers 29 3. From Steamboat “Elation” to Rail and Road 42 Tom Corley: Last Steamboat Pilot 45 John Hentz: Bristol Native, River Defender 55 Homer B. Hirt: Lured by Shipping 66 Alton Colvin: Navigation Channel Engineer 73 4. Fishing a Sandy River: “It Is Filled Up” 81 The Walkers: Catfish Trap Makers 84 James M. Barkuloo: Counting the Disappearing Fish 96 Jimmy Mosconis: Greek Fishing Heir 104 5. Oystering, Shrimping, Fishing, Sponging the Bay 111 Buddy Ward: Commercial Fishing Survivor 112 James Golden: Nothing but Net-Making 120 Davis Family: Saving the Resource for Someone Else 127 Capt. Joseph Barber: Aided Torpedoed Sailors 141 Mike Millender: Oyster Kid to Seafood Dealer 149 Joe Nichols: Suing to Retrieve a Livelihood 154 Woody Miley: Let’s Not Love Our Resource to Death 156 6. Turpentine, Timber, and Restoring Tate’s Hell 162 Neel Yent: Panther Flight Memories 167 Boncyle Land: Turpentine Stories 177 The Allens: Guarding a Turpentine Legend 183 Billy Kersey: Building Roads through Hell 188 7. Logging “Eternal Wood” 195 Don Ingram: Milling “Old-as-Christ” Cypress 196 Lewis Jamerson: River Swamp Forester 207 8. A System Rich in Scientific Treasures 217 Angus Gholson Speaks for the Torreya Trees 220 Marilyn Blackwell: River Warrior 229 9. King Cotton, Tupelo Gold, and Cracker Cattle 237 The Harrises: Jackson County Sharecroppers 238 L. L. Lanier: Honey Philosopher 247 Pearl Porter Marshall: Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter 256 10. River as Trade and Commerce Opportunity 263 Jimmie Nichols: Four-time Apalachicola Mayor 264 Edward Tolliver: From Poverty to First Black Mayor 273 Robert Howell: Paper Boy, Mayor, General 281 Kathleen Hays: Teacher, Gibson Inn Proprietor 288 Clifton Lewis: “High Cotton” Proprietor, “Walking Island” Matriarch 296 Notes 305 Glossary 309 Bibliography 313 Index 319 Maps 1.1. Apalachicola River and Bay Watershed 5 3.1. Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint River Watershed with Water Control Structures 44 4.1. Apalachicola River Basin Management Designations 82 6.1. East Bay/Tate’s Hell Swamp Restoration 165 6.2. Tate’s Hell Wildlife Management Area 189 8.1. Windrows on Steephead Streams at Rock Bluff 219 10.1. City of Apalachicola Historic Sites 265 Figures 1.1. Torreya State Park 4 1.2. Apalachicola Bluffs 7 2.1a. Creek chief Dr. Andrew Boggs Ramsey 12 2.1b. Creek chief Andrew and Wisa Ramsey 14 2.2. Muskogee medicine maker Sakim 23 2.3. Judge David Taunton 29 2.4. Joseph McMillan 40 3.1a. Captain Tom Corley 46 3.1b. John W. Callahan 52 3.2a. John Hentz 56 3.2b. Old Victory Bridge, Chattahoochee 60 3.2c. Victory Bridge dedication 63 3.3. Homer Hirt 67 3.4a. Alton Colvin 74 3.4b. Transferring sand 75 4.1. Virginia Cut Slough 83 4.2a. Thelma and Lavere Walker 85 4.2b. Walker worked at this lumber company 87 4.3a. James Barkuloo 96 4.3b. Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam 97 4.4. Jimmy Mosconis 105 5.1. Buddy Ward 113 5.2. James Golden and Michael Holton 121 5.3a. Earlean and Steve Davis 128 5.3b. Davis boats 129 5.4a. Captain Joseph Barber 142 5.4b. Wefing’s Marine Supplies 145 5.5. Michael Millender 150 5.6. Woody Miley 156 6.1a. Dwarf cypress 163 6.1b. Dan Tonsmeire and Ace Haddock 166 6.2a. Turpentine worker 172 6.2b. Turpentine still 173 6.2c. Neel and Opal Yent 176 6.3a. C. C. Land 178 6.3b.