TOUR AMERICA, 2020: PARADISE OAKS RV RESORT, BUSHNELL, FLORIDA

 

Places We Have Called Home In 2020

140

November 12, 2020

Temperature 82 Degrees, Humidity 98%

But The Worse Is Over Now 

Installation On Hold

Fort King – A Tale of Two Forts

Oh, I figured I would be up all night.  I never sleep well when the weather turns bad.  And yet, I slept until 7:30 am this morning!  Ms. Barbara was even up before me.  She told me we rocked and rolled all night as gusts of wind would slam into us.  The rain was just as bad.  But, again you couldn’t prove it by me.  The park in the back in the one open area is flooded but it is starting to go down and the water will probably be all gone by tonight.  Darn, I didn’t even get to use my new boots.

 

As of now, late afternoon, we have just cloudy skies.  We may not have dodged this one but, thankfully,  it turned out to be relatively harmless.  We are, as I’ve said over and over two of the most blessed and forunate people.

We received word today that the installation of our slide toppers, patio awnings, etc are on hold indefinitely.  Our installer informed us that the provider of our patio awning Carefree of Colorado has closed for the remainder of November due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the factory.  Bottom line, no sense in pulling up stakes and going to have part of the work done, only to have to go back again in the future when the patio awning comes in.  So we wait – again.  We want to do it all in one visit.

Remember the issues I was having with my battery monitor?  Guess what?  After two days of going completely wonky, for the last twenty four hours it has been working perfectly.  The issue appears to have been one of communication between the shunt in the battery bay and the monitor installed in the coach.  It appears as of now that by unplugging and replugging all the connections back in the issue was resovled.  Either that or HARVEY was bored and decided to have some fun!

OK, time for some sightseeing.  Let’s go back to

We had known of this historical sight but for some reason never visited it.  Until now.

Fort King stood at the edge where a line had been drawn.  A line that divided land designated for the native Seminole Indians from land that American settlers wanted for themselves.

It’s location in the center of the state made it the most important American outpost in Florida history.

The first fort was bult in 1827.  The location of the fort fufilled three requirements for an Army Fort:  a defendable hill, a close and reliable source of drinking water, and a nearby source of lumber for construction.

An illustration of the first fort (above) discovered in the diary of a solider who served there showed that it was not built to the original plans.  Instead of being a rectangular structure it was more of an irregular pentagon.  Speculation is that the Army ran out of funding, other resources and time, resulting in the fort’s incomplete construction.

It was occupied for several years but eventually abandoned by American forces.  Not until 1832 when tensions between the Seminole and American settlers escalated was the fort again occupied.  American forces occupied the fort until 1835 when it was again abandoned and in 1836 the Seminole burned the original fort to the ground.

In 1837 amidst increasing hostilies with the Seminole a new fort was constructed on the site of the original.  This time the stockade was build according to the original plans.

The stockade wall was 162′ x 152′.  There was a gate on the north wall and

a second gate on the south wall.

 

Two defensive blockhouses were built both 14′ square.  One was on the northeast corner and the other was on the southwest corner.

Inside the fort were officer’s quarters, barracks, a mess hall, a kitchen and munitions magazines.  Letters from those who served at the fort also indicated that various structures were built outside the fort:  a commissary, a quartermaster’s store house, a hospital, a sutler’s store, stables and a blacksmith’s shop.

In 1843 when the war with the Seminole ended the fort was again abandoned.  In 1844 the fort became the county seat of newly formed Marion County.  The two story barracks became the county’s first courthouse.

Regarding life at the fort. . .

Life was hard with often long marches through the heat and the swamps.

The work was hard and rations were usually inadequate.  Soldiers took what they could get and often tried to supplement with local food.  I’ll take a protein bar any day over what they had to eat!

Ok, we’ll call it here and pick up again tomorrow.  Till then

So another day on The Road of Retirement has come to an end.  We weathered the storm in fine fashion with no issues.  I”ve picked up some new books from the library.  As of today the issue with the battery monitor is resolved.  I’d say it was a good day all around.  Thank you good Lord for looking after us.

Thanks for checking in with us today.  We always appreciate your company as well as your comments and suggestions. Keep safe, keep healthy, live to the fullest the days that God gives you.

These are the voyages of  Elvira and her two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before.

See you on down the road!