WAKULLA COUNTY
WAKULLA- An Indian name probably meaning mystery, dervied from the disappearing rivers and streams of the area and the small lakes which appear over night.
1528 visited by Narvaez with 300 men, who captured the village of Aute. Fleet lost in storm and Narvaez sets first blacksmith shop in what is now the United States, at Shell point on Apalachee Bay and built 5 barges upon which the expedition left.
1528 Narvaez sails with five barges. Entire fleet lost in Gulf of Mexico. Cabeza De Voca and three others only survivors.
1539 Area visited by Hernando de Sota with 600 men.
1633 Franciscan Missionaries arrive.
About 1673 first redoubt built at site of later Fort San Marcos.
1704 English and Indians under Colonel Moor lay waste to area and occupy St. Marks for short time.
1718 Spanish begin construction of Fort San Marcos d'Apalachee at confluence of Wakulla and St. Marks River.
1758 Hurrican floods fort drowning 40 men.
1764-1783 Fort San Marcos occupied by English as a result of war with Spain.
1783 Charles McLatchey establishes the first trading post of panton, Leslie & Company on Wakulla River.
1787 Spanish reoccupy Fort San marcos
About 178-? Indians led by William Bowles began depredations in the area by capturing Panton & Leslie Trading Post on Wakulla River.
January 1792 William Bowles with 300 Indians captures Fort San Marcos and hold fort several months before it is retaken by Spanish gun boats.
April 7, 1818 General Andrew Jackson captures Fort san Marcos from Spanish.
April 29, 1818 Alexander Arbuthnot, British agent, hanged and Robert Ambrister shot by firing squad in St. Marks by order of General Jackson, nearly causing war with England and Spain.
1821 Florida ceded to United States. Americans occupy Fort San Marcos.
1828-1830 Magnolia on St. Marks River one of first twelve cities in Florida.
1836 Railroad from Tallahasse to St. Marks placed in operation. First railroad in Florida and third in United States.
1843 Wakulla County created from a part of Leon County. Port Leon destroyed by storm.
1840-1860 Thirty to forty thousand bales of cotton per year shipped from St. Marks. Ice houses and cotton compresses built.
1861 Confederate Army occupies St. Marks and renamed it Fort Ward.
1861-1865 Mouth of St. Marks River blocaded by Federal Navy.
1927 First highway through Wakulla County completed.
1933-1934 Modern consolidated high schools built at Crawfordville and Sopchoppy
1935 First oil tanks and terminal erected at St. Marks.
1936-1950 Modern forestry practices instituted.
1941 E P Larsh erects ship yards at New port.
1940-1950 Period of home improvement.
1949 New Court House completed. R. E. A. Power lines completed in county.
1950 Construction fo Raod 30 from New Port to Perry begun.
-PERTINENT INFORMATION
The Bee Industry Produced 363,800 Pounds of Pure Honey last year, from 3300 colonies of hives, in Tyty, Tupelo, Gailberry and Patridge pea Flavors.
Crawfordville Schools --- 363
Sopchoppy Schools --- 448
Shadeville Schools--- 350
Buckhorn Schools --- 128
St. Marks Schools --- 78
HUNTING & FISHING
Licenses Purchased 1950
Hunting Licenses
400 Non-Resident
Fishing licenses 1950
State License --- 1182
Non-Resident --- 671
10 Day Permits --- 1984
Total Enrollment --- 1367
WAKULLA SPRINGS:--- The largest Springs in the world from a single source, had more than half a million visitors during the past twelve months.
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