Juniper Springs Recreation Area, Sliver Springs, Florida

 

“Water is the driving force of all nature.”

Leonardo da Vinci

We took a small detour on our way home since we were not quite ready for our vacation to end. We decided to visit one of the oldest and best known springs in Florida on the way home. Juniper Springs was established in 1908 and is located between Ormond Beach and Ocala, Florida off of SR 40, which was slightly out of our way home. The drive there was very rural and beautiful. We drove past farmlands and then into the lush subtropical countryside of Ocala National Forest.

When we arrived, there was a line of cars waiting to get in. We took that as a good sign that this spring must be nice. We pulled up to the ticket booth and paid our fee to enter. They charge $7 a person on week days and $10 a person on weekends. Yearly passes are also available. We pulled into the shaded parking lot, parked, and followed the crowds toward the spring.

Walking down the lush garden path, we noticed some beautiful birds flitting about in the tropical flowers, and lizards scurrying about. We stopped at the bathhouse to change and then continued down the winding path towards the spring. This park is beautifully manicured and well maintained. Then the spring come into view which was a beautiful blue color. It was smaller than I expected and full of people having fun.

It is a 13 million gallon natural spring that is oval shaped. The pool is 135 feet long and 80 feet wide and is surrounded by a basin of rock and concrete. The bottom is sand and aquatic grasses and the temperature is a cool 72 degrees year round. It is surrounded by a gorgeous dense canopy of palm and massive live oak trees. The water was cold but refreshing and clear enough you could see right to the bottom.

Sitting on the back of the spring at the foot of the main pool is an old Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) mill house with a waterwheel. The lovely mill house was built between 1935 and 1936 to be used for electricity to this area since it was so far isolated. The waterwheel was designed as an undershot waterwheel, meaning the water would run under the wheel verses over. The wheel was powered by a generator that would produce enough electricity that was needed for the entire recreation area. The mill house no longer generates electricity. It is now used as an exhibit showing the history of the CCC and how they helped develop the springs for public use.

We walked down the dense trail that led to Juniper Creek which makes its way to Lake George and then into the Saint Johns River Basin. The water was crystal clear with a lovely sandy bottom. You can Kayak or canoe on this creek which goes past many bubbling springs gushing out of the earths surface. There is also a ¾ of a mile hiking trail each way that was closed the day we were there.

This park offers swimming, 24 picnic tables, 12 grills, four picnic shelters, concession building, amphitheater, and a campground with 79 sites. It is a great place to visit for a day trip. If you want a picnic table or grill, I would suggest you get there early.

We had a nice couple hours there before continuing our trip home. It was worth the visit. Go check it out. Till next time. Bye for now.

Windover Archaeological Site, Titusville, Florida

 

Archaeology is the peeping Tom of the sciences. It is the sandbox of men who care not where they are going; they merely want to know where everyone else has been.”

Jim Bishop

There is a most unusual site in Titusville, Florida about five miles from Cape Canaveral. On the side of a small road leading into a subdivision is a historic marker stating an archaeological dig occurred after Steve Vanderjagt, a backhoe operator, found several skulls in 1984 while trying to demuck his quarter acre pond. At that time, the small pond had a thick layer of peat in the center of the pond that was covered with six feet of water. He instantly stopped and call in the authorities. They contacted the Anthropology Department at the Florida State University to investigate. 

What they found was unbelievable. After pumping out the pond in a tedious fashion as to not damage any remains, they uncovered 168 individuals from the black peat moss that covered this tiny pond. They dated these skeletons to an amazing 6000 – 5000 BC, (over 7000 years old). What makes this even more amazing is that at least 90 well preserved skulls still had a greasy, brownish material that was found to be brain tissue attached. With this brain tissue, they were able to do DNA tests and it was found these people were of Asian origin as well as four other Native American peoples.

This got our curiosity up and we had to do more digging, sorry for the pun, into the subject. All of the bodies were buried within 24 to 48 hours after death and placed in the pond as a burial site. These bodies were so well preserved that in some they could actually see what they had eaten just before death. Many had seeds of wild grapes, elderberries, and prickly pear fruit that were still present. They were buried in a flexed position on their left sides with their heads facing west. It was also found they were buried in clusters and wrapped in a complex woven fabric that amazingly were still intact. In fact the cloth they found was made of plant fibers and was discovered to be the oldest complex woven cloth in the Americas.

They found bones of males and females ranging in age from infant to sixty years old with an average height of 5’ 9” for the males. Half of the dead were children who’s bones showed some were malnourished which slowed their growth. They were buried with their toys which were in remarkably good shape. They found that many of the adult females died from Osteoporosis. They found one 15 year old boy skeleton that showed he had spina bifida and was paralyzed below the waist. These people seemed to be compassionate and took care of their own.

All this information brings with it many more questions. Were the Indians the first to inhabit Florida or were Europeans here prior to them? Florida State University had reconstructed what some of these people would look like and some look totally European while others more Asian/Indian. Just a little more food for thought. 

After the dig was completed, the same backhoe operator Steve Vanderjagt came back and covered the pond. It seemed appropriate that he would start the job and finish it as well. It is sad that the pond is no more. As I said, the only thing that remains at this site now is a historic marker with fascinating facts about what once was. Where the pond once was is now on private land.

This site has been designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

Till next time. Bye for now.