The Apalachee Region

From the rolling red clay hills of southern Georgia to the blue-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the beauty and fertility of the Apalachee region have attracted both wildlife and people for many thousands of years. People began settling the coast of Apalachee Bay more than 10,000 years ago, traveling inland to forage and hunt. By the time the first Spanish explorers arrived in the 1500s, much of the region was devoted to croplands and was populated by an estimated 25,000 Apalachee Indians. The Spanish, too, appreciated the areas fertile lands and established 13 missions between the Apalachicola River and St. Augustine, connected by the Royal Road (today known as old St. Augustine Road.) By the early 1700s, native populations largely had been driven out, and English colonists began arriving. The name "Tallahassee," meaning old fields or abandoned villages, was given to the area surrounding Lake Jackson. The 1800s were a boom time. Cotton was king, and the region was one of the richest cotton producing areas in the South. Forests provided thousands of acres of timber and naval stores. The cities of Thomasville and Tallahassee were founded in the 1820s, and in the next decade roads and railroads were built to link them with coastal ports and transport increasing volumes of agricultural and silvicultural products to markets. Florida's first railroad, the Tallahassee-St. Marks Railroad, was built in 1837 to link the Red Hills with the port on the St. Marks River. Many of the region's small towns - Metcalf, Merrillville, Chaires, Lloyd, Sopchoppy, Hilliardville and McIntyre -grew up along railroad sidings to serve timber companies as they harvested the areas forests. After the Civil War, the great plantations of the region were abandoned or divided into small farms. But at the beginning of the 20th century, northern industrialists bought plantations throughout the Red Hills area, keeping their acreage intact to use as winter homes and private hunting reserves. Their stewardship has allowed much of the area to remain as open forests with grassy understories, supporting healthy populations of quail. The St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1931, and the Apalachicola National Forest in 1936, in an attempt to preserve fast-disappearing forest and wetlands. State and regional efforts since the beginning of the 1980s have focused on protecting water resources, especially the region's lakes and rivers.    Historic buildins are common sights along the nearly 300 miles of tree-canopied roads winding through the Apalachee region. Population Pressures Today, much of the Apalachee region remains as farms, forests, and wetlands. Towering live oaks lining historic trading routes create a network of canopy roads, one of the regions most distinctive features. Winding rivers act as natural pathways for both wildlife and people. But the pressures of population growth are mounting, especially in the Tallahassee area. Ninety percent of the region's population growth since 1980 has occurred in and around Tallahassee, most of it north of 1-10. And it shows no sign of slowing down. It's estimated that in the next 15 years, the growth in Tallahassee and Leon County will be larger than the current population of any other county in the region. Where will all these people go? Out -to the suburban developments planned in the rural areas north, northeast, east and southeast of the city, and to surrounding counties. While the political boundaries of the Apalachee ignore the natural and cultural boundaries of the area's landscape, they have a tremendous effect on how the landscape is protected. One of the critical challenges facing the region is figuring out how to cross political boundaries and work together to protect the region's distinctive character and way of life. Cultural/Historical Sites in the Apalchee Region Lake Jackson Mounds State Archaeological Site, Tallahassee San Luis Archaeological and Historic Site, Tallahassee DeSoto State Archaeological Site, Tallahassee San Marcos De Apalache State Historic Site, St. Marks Natural Bridge State Historic Site, near Woodville Old Fort Park, Tallahassee Pebble Hill Plantation, Thomas County Tallahassee Historic District Thomasville Historic District Quincy Historic District Monticello Historic District Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail St. Marks Lighthouse, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge

CONTENTS | PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE