Concerning the Kissinger Spring posts below

[smittyw]

These posts made me wonder about that spring. I went to Homeland, Fl Sunday and visited the historic sites there and found an old meat cutting business with some nice folks near the historic site (the building they are using must have been built in about 1920). An old gentleman was in charge and I asked him about the location of the spring and received good directions to the place on US 17 which used to be an access road or at least adjacent to the springs. As expected the place is now on property belonging to either Crystal Spring Mine or Mosaic. I have used Google Earth to try to pin the exact location but was unable to be really positive. It could be at least two likely spots next to the Peace River close to the directions I was given.

Future plan is to attempt to gain access with permission from the owners, but I'm afraid that may be as likely as snowballs surviving in a certain very hot place.

I found a document on spring monitoring that the state of Florida put out which said that the spring stopped in 1950 and I did find a 2008 photo of the hole in the ground that was the spring that went along with this document so someone knows exactly where it is located. The mines really have the place properly posted in compliance with Florida law so I don't plan any unauthorized excursions. Beam me in Scotty.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[Jon Phillips]

I went out to Homeland over the summer...to a spot just east of the old post office building, and found what most people find with historical sites in that area....reclaimed, phosphate land.

It was a very large Seminole town back in the 1820's-1830's, I think even Osceola had lived there for a time, but the only untouched spots were close to the river, and totally off limits since it is state property. The rest looked like the Great Plains with rolling hills and tall grass....pretty....but useless to find anything historical.

I looked in the lower, swampy, area closer the the buildings that were on the property I had permission for, but just junk, and for all I know, it could have been mined at some time previous to the other land.

There is a LOT of history in that area...but it is mostly gone with all the decades of mining.

A couple of Seminole War forts north of there were wiped out with mining as well.

People still find good stuff in the untouched, residential, areas though. I found a fired Minnie ball in Ft. Meade years ago.

 

[smittyw]

K, Thanks.

 

[glenn63]

I and a few others have been kickin butt in Ft Meade over the last several years. Here is a link to our ongoing story.

http://www.dankowskidetectors.com/FtMeade.htm

Glenn

 

[Jon Phillips]

Yeah, I've read that before.....I've tried to get a permit to hunt on the city property, but always get the runaround....Some local resident complained about the gold coin you guys found, and they are afraid to let people hunt there now. Never tried for permission on the private land on the north side of the road at the first fort site.....

 

[glenn63]

Yeah, we know that guy well. The guy thinks we hunt for profit even though a display case has been made that is always on loan and on display at the Sun Bank. He detects himself by the way and I'm sure he has amassed a large collection that he has kept hidden from the public. Tom has basically rewritten some of the history of the 2 fort sites and has given it, in written form all the data that he has collected. I found the eagle hat plate in 4 pieces in one hole and had it restored with my own money. The gold coin was found on the golf course along with a few 1/2 dimes. The north side had been hunted before we got there but we still found 100+ buttons but only 1 coin, a 1774 1/2 reale with about 75 years of wear on it. That area has a lot of history for sure.

 

[Jon Phillips]

Yeah...I might have ran into the guy if he is an old timer....We were detecting the elementery school, and he was on the west side in one of those old houses watching us. When we were geting ready to leave he came over to tell us we weren't going to find anything there, because he hunted it every day with his detector....Well...we showed him a handfull of coins and a fired Minnie ball, and he about jumped in the air! He stomped off like we had "wronged" him! That was several years ago, before all the school shootings and such, when anyone could walk on a school yard in Florida and detect....The good old days of coinshooting!

I know you guys have that display in the bank...I talked to some of the local business owners, and they thought it was ridiculous that the guy raised a stink about it. Now that I know he detects...it makes more sense..."sour grapes"!!!

There was some questions, I think, on the Second Seminole War items that were recovered there....Well, it was a well traveled area even in that period, and most things would probably be by, and in, the river at that crossing area around the bridge. They came through there early on when they destroyed that Seminole town, and I imagine they kept a patrol up around the area...especially around the time they were headed to Okeechobee, and building all the temporary forts, camps, and causeways north of that area.

 

[glenn63]

His name is Hancock and his family is one of the originals. We have met several other original families and all but Mr Hancock have taken a sincere interest in what we are trying to do and have been very nice to us. The mixture of period items found had us perplexed as well as this was suppose to be a 3rd Seminole War Fort. After a little reading we soon realized, like you that Meade was a pretty big hub mainly through the last 2 wars and drew a lot of traffic from day one. Also we understood that back then a lot if the soldiers put on any uniform they could get their hands on which made sense due to the different styles/periods of item we were finding.

This quarter didn't make sense when it was found in a private yard by the 2nd Fort. The condition of the coin indicates it was dropped soon after minting. If it had been found by the 1st fort it may have made a little more sense. I don't even believe the original military road went anywhere near the 2nd Fort. I guess it could have been a resident drop or could have come out of a coin collection 50 years ago but it's just one of those finds that has you scratching your head.

Have you heard of the horse race track that sprang up on the outside of town beginning around the 1880's? I would love to find it as it drew 1000's from all around Central FL. There are a few fuzzy pics on the net of it during it's heyday. We thought we had it nailed down in a cow pasture, but after 2 hours of dodging cows and their patties we kind of gave up. If found it should really be a fun place to hunt!

Are you local to the area?

Glenn

 

[Jon Phillips]

I live southeast of Tampa, but it's a short trip to Ft Meade.

I've heard of the racetrack...and the church picnic area up around Homeland...I might do a little research, and see what I come up with. I think the old "Sand Mountain" area would have a lot of coins...it used to be a destination for school field trips, and the kids would climb, and slide down it...but I have no idea where it is, or if it is even still there.

We used to do business with a guy that has a lot of land around the area, and he might could open some doors if I find something that looks good, and hasn't been mined.

Have you read Canter Brown's books on the area?

 

[glenn63]

This is one of the latest buttons that has come up. Another artillery button but older than the typical eagle A's that we have been finding.

What would the date on this one be?

 

[Jon Phillips]

1st Regiment of Light Artillery....Generally 1808-1821.

It could be there for a number of reasons....Used on a militia uniform....or surplus, leftovers used on later uniforms....or maybe on a jacket owned by an indian, either gotten as trade, or captured, and handed down from the First Seminole War....maybe even a keepsake carried by a later soldier.

Remember there was a Seminole town there as well, and some even owned plantations north of there, as I recall, before the second war broke out. That could account for some of the oddball finds.

 

[Viper5728]

These posts made me wonder about that spring. I went to Homeland, Fl Sunday and visited the historic sites there and found an old meat cutting business with some nice folks near the historic site (the building they are using must have been built in about 1920). An old gentleman was in charge and I asked him about the location of the spring and received good directions to the place on US 17 which used to be an access road or at least adjacent to the springs. As expected the place is now on property belonging to either Crystal Spring Mine or Mosaic. I have used Google Earth to try to pin the exact location but was unable to be really positive. It could be at least two likely spots next to the Peace River close to the directions I was given.

Future plan is to attempt to gain access with permission from the owners, but I'm afraid that may be as likely as snowballs surviving in a certain very hot place.

I found a document on spring monitoring that the state of Florida put out which said that the spring stopped in 1950 and I did find a 2008 photo of the hole in the ground that was the spring that went along with this document so someone knows exactly where it is located. The mines really have the place properly posted in compliance with Florida law so I don't plan any unauthorized excursions. Beam me in Scotty.

If you are still interested, I know exactly where the spring is located. I don't think that it was mined. The west side of the property looks like it was mined, but not the spring area itself. If I'm not mistaken the property is owned by South Florida Water Management (The State Of Florida). Getting permission would probably not happen. Trespassing on the property with a detector would be a really bad idea. The Sheriff of Polk County would love another reason to be in the Headlines.