LEWIS Turpentine Still and PLANTATION

A phase of Old South life never before presented to the public.

BROOKVILLE FLORIDA

Where Immunity to Modern Day Worries Prevail

Here one wanders through picturesque deep south woodlands and is seemingly transplanted back to the days of long ago. Pickaninnies are at play in the sand, an old hound dog indifferently watches, a care-free darky plaintively strums a guitar with a melody to his lady love, the sound of southern folk songs wafts across the air, typical mammies are washing clothes in primitive black iron boilers--while out in the pine woods gum is being gathered and over in the big still, turpentine is being distilled in unhurried eighteenth century fashion.

You'll thoroughly enjoy your trip through this remnant of the old colonial days, and the folks back home will enthuse to the word picture you'll be able to paint and to the snapshots you'll be able to exhibit.

The Last Link Between Slave Days and Modernity

Living as we do in this marvelous age of science, with high speed cars, aeronautics, radio, television, talkies, electricity and its myriad uses, it seems a far cry to Civil War days. We fix that period in our memory as an era recorded by history and recall it as included in class studies at school. It doesn't seem possible that a basic industry that was flourishing without any form of change in operating methods; nor would one expect to be able to meet and speak with an actual ex-slave of that period--yet the Lewis Turpentine Still and Plantation at Brooksville, Florida, is the literal spirit of that romantic period preserved in its entirety. Here lives "Uncle Doug" Ambrose, famous ex-slave (featured by Robert Ripley in "Believe It or Not") father of 38 children and hale and hearty at the age of 97.

Here live some 200 happy descendants of former slaves, engaged in the large scale production of turpentine exactly as were their forefathers a century ago.

SEE ADDITIONAL VIEWS INSIDE

EIGHTEENTH CENTURY PLANTATION LIFE
AS IT EXISTED IN CIVIL WAR DAYS

Way down below the Suwannee River

CAREFREE AND HAPPY
A SONG IN THEIR HEARTS AND MUSIC IN THEIR FEET, THEY DANCE WITH RECKLESS ABANDON.

A TYPICAL SCENE IN THE LIVING QUARTERS

LEFT: A HARMONY QUARTET WITH A MELODY PECULIARLY THEIR OWN.

ABOVE: DISTILLING TURPENTINE FROM PURE GUM.

LEFT: MAKING BARRELS BY HAND, DAY IN AND DAY OUT.

RANDOM VIEWS AT THE STILLS

LOWER RIGHT: GATHERING RAW GUM IN THE PINE FORESTS

EIGHTEENTH CENTURY PLANTATION LIFE
AS IT EXISTED IN CIVIL WAR DAYS

Negroes--An Integral Part of the REAL Old South

In addition to the thrill of experiencing real plantation life as it was lived in the last century, meeting and talking to authentic pre-Civil War slaves is worth a trip from any point in Florida. "Uncle Doug" and other old timers can unfold some intriguing tales when called upon--in fact they enjoy spinning yarns and reminiscencing--and they can fairly well discuss the little known, yet mammoth, turpentine industry of which the southern negro is so integral a part. They can't quote statistics or figures, but it would be interesting and illuminating if they could explain how this industry employs (in the several turpentine-producing States) 75,000 negroes, while allied factors employ an additional 50,000 helpers; that 2,000,000 barrels of resin are produced annually, together with 600,000 barrels of distilled turpentine; and that 34,000,000 acres of timber land are employed in producing this stupendous crop which grosses an annual minimum revenue of $50,000,000 for the industry.

You'll always remember with pleasure and satisfaction this excursion into a period gone by.

LEWIS TURPENTINE STILL AND PLANTATION
BROOKSVILLE, FLORIDA
Admission: Adults 35c, Children 10c

BROOKSVILLE FLORIDA
Old South Plantation
SINCE PRE-CIVIL WAR PERIOD

LEWIS TURPENTINE STILL