On Wednesday, October 9, 2019, the Hickory Bluff Mound historical marker was dedicated at Live Oak Point Park alongside the waters of the Peace River.
Back in 2017, The Colonel, acting as the Chair for the county's Historical Advisory Committee (the committee responsible for getting historical markers to become a reality), asked me to write the text for a new marker about the Hickory Bluff Mound. My Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) chapter is named after Hickory Bluff, an early settlement in the local area and it sponsored the new marker.
DAR ladies at the marker dedication
Why the two year wait for the dedication? Well, a hurricane came through the area and caused some damage to the park and that had to be repaired and gross lack of leadership and management at the county level (not involving The Colonel) caused the delay.
Yam, the county's graphic specialist, designed the marker dedication mailer postcard and event program.
So, finally the time for the dedication arrived. It was a nice morning, albeit a bit foggy. The Colonel began the program with a welcome and introduction of key speakers.
He was followed by one of the county commissioners and then the past Regent of the Hickory Bluff Chapter, Valerie Colbert.
Valerie was followed by Rachael Kangas, Public Archaeology Coordinator from the Florida Public Archaeology Network. She spoke about the historical significance of the mound and the early peoples of the area.
Finally, were the closing comments by the Director of Charlotte County Community Services and the unveiling of the marker.
The marker's text follows:
In 1905, Clarence Bloomfield Moore (1852-1936), a wealthy, amateur archaeologist from Philadelphia excavated a mound located on the northern bank of the Peace River about one half mile north of this site. Moore found the sand burial mound containing bones and pottery sherds dating the mound to the Safety Harbor period (A.D. 900-1725). The Timucua Indians, part of the Safety Harbor culture, lived along the central Gulf coast of Florida. Moore noted that the mound had been badly disturbed prior to his excavation. Early settlement of he Hickory Bluff area may have been the cause of the mound's disturbance. Today there is no evidence of the sand mound.
Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners 2017
To date, I have written five historical markers for the county: The Punta Gorda Army Airfield, The Town of McCall, Hickory Bluff Cemetery, Lt. Carl A. Bailey Cemetery and Hickory Bluff Mound.
The Colonel and I love to stop and read historical markers. Having worked the process of getting a marker from idea to dedication, we can appreciate what goes into making each marker a reality. We are proud to be part of preserving and presenting local history.
You are making your mark on your city. Well done! Jenn
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