History of the Florida Everglades

The Florida Everglades are not to be confused with a city in Florida also named Everglades. The Florida Everglades is an area of subtropical marsh lands. The Florida Everglades are in portions of five counties in Florida. The five counties are; Monroe, Collier, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Broward counties.


Exploration of the Everglades has been hindered by the very nature of the Everglades. There is dense (extremely dense) undergrowth or saw grass and sedge. The first known European to enter the Everglades was Escalante de Fontenada. He was a Spanish captive of a Native American Indian Chief. Then between 1841 and1856 some United States Military Forces entered the Everglades in an attempt to capture, kill or drive out the Seminoles who had taken refuge in the Everglades. The attempts were mostly unsuccessful.


During the later part of the nineteenth century there were several expeditions to and explorations of the Florida Everglades. The expeditions were led by Major Archie P. Williams in 1883, James E. Ingraham in 1892, and Hugh L. Willoughby in 1897.


Florida wanted the Everglades to be drained so that the land could be developed. In 1850 that is just what happened. The whole idea basically turned into an expensive fiasco with a lot of participants. By 1905 a small area had been reclaimed and had proven to be very fertile land that produced bumper crops of sugar cane, oranges and garden vegetables.


It wasn’t until 1947 that Harry S. Truman proclaimed two million acres of the Everglades a national park so that it could be protected. Meanwhile a great deal of damage had been done and the results of that damage can still be seen today.


Melaleuca tree seeds which are very tiny had been sowed over the Everglades by airplanes using what were called salt and pepper shakers. These trees were of course not native to the Everglades. They were thirsty little seeds that were supposed to suck up the water and help to drain the Everglades. The tree is a nuisance today and it also presents an increased danger of fire because the oils in the Melaleuca trees are highly flammable.


Brazilian Pepper and Water Hyacinth have also been introduced into the Everglades. Neither plant is indigenous to the area and both are wreaking havoc on the ecosystem. They are both very difficult and very expensive to eradicate.


About half of the original Everglades have been lost. What remains is under the protection of the government as a national park, a wildlife refuge or as a water conservation project. Water from the Everglades is still used as a water supply for major cities in the area, such as Miami. There is a toll road now that crosses the Everglades from East to West that is often called Alligator Alley. It is now part of Interstate 75.


The Florida Everglades are a mysterious and beautiful place. All of its secrets may never be unlocked. Many have tried and many have died trying. The Florida Everglades are worth the efforts being made to preserve them.