seminolewar

Three miles south of Everglades City is the island community of Chokoloskee. They were hit pretty hard by Hurricane Wilma last year.



One hundred years ago in 1906, Ted Smallwood established the Smallwood store on the island. This was long before there were any roads to get there. A lot of people lived on the islands down here in southwest Florida, what is now mostly the 10,000 Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

This store also became well known as a trading post, to the Seminole and Miccosukee Indians in the area.



Ted Smallwood ran the store for many years, until his children continued, and today it is a museum. Check out the webpage for the Smallwood Store: http://www.florida-everglades.com/chokol/smallw.htm
It is a few bucks for admission, but worth checking out this relic of old Florida.

Well back to the early history. The most famous incidents at the store happened in 1911. An old Florida incident of mob justice.

One of the settlers here was a guy named Edgar Watson. Seems a lot of people who had disagreements with him kept ending up murdered. He owned a plantation on a nearby island, and when it came to pay the workers, they disappeared.

The local folks had enough, so they got together and decided to do something about Watson. One day there was a posse waiting at the dock at the Smallwood store. When Watson arrived, the crowd let loose a hail of gunfire that quickly ended all that. (Store owner Ted Smallwood did not participate in the shooting.)

It has long be a controversy weather Watson had killed all those people or not. But after he died, the killings stopped.

The incident has been made into a book and play that is often reenacted at the store: http://faculty.mccfl.edu/Jonesj/lit2090/Matthiessen.html

Last Saturday I went to Chokoloskee because they are filming a short movie trailer for the incident of Killing Mr. Watson. I poled around a dugout canoe for a bit. More like being caught by the tide and spun in circles. I was dressed in early 20th Century Seminole.

After leaving Chokoloskee and stopping at the first store for a drink (Glades Haven across from Everglades National Park), I walking in wearing my full outfit still, but soaked in sweat. A nice looking blond girl walked in and said, "Aren't you hot?"

To which I replied, "Thank you!"