Foreverglades_Valiente2019

8 BELLE GLADE FROM SW AMP TO SUGAR BOWL
THIS WAS THE EVERGLADES 9
10 10 BELLE BELLE GLADE FROM FROM SW SW AMP AMP TO TO SUGAR BOWL BOWL
8 BELLE GLADE FROM SW AMP TO SUGAR BOWL
8 8 BELLE BELLE GLADE GLADE FROM FROM SW SW AMP AMP TO TO SUGAR SUGAR BOWL BOWL
THIS THIS WAS WAS THE THE EVERGLADES 11 11
THIS WAS THE EVERGLADES 9
THIS THIS WAS WAS THE THE EVERGLADES 9 9
"Only sawgrass, as far as you could see".
Sawgrass in in bloom. bloom.
clear, and how our ice plant made deliveries F. 0. B., in
other THIS words, WAS THE Flung EVERGLADES Over Board. You'll marvel at the fabu­lous
tale of the meeting which incorporated the town.
"Only sawgrass, as far as you could see".
You'll learn how we used to fight and frolic, how Belle
clear, Glade and was almost washed from off the face of the earth,
"Only how "Only sawgrass, our sawgrass, ice as plant as far far as made as you you could deliveries could see". see". F. 0. B., in
other all about words, the Flung Mystery Over Farm, Board. and You'll of the marvel Big Fire at the too. fabulous
folks, clear, clear, tale I and reckon and of how how the you'll our meeting our ice be ice plant amazed. plant which made made incorporated deliveries F. the F. 0. 0. B., town. B., in in
Yes
You'll other other
But words, learn words,
before how Flung Flung
we we get Over used Over
bogged Board. to Board. fight down You'll You'll and with marvel frolic, marvel
all at these how at the
tales, fabulous
you'll
Belle fabulous
tale nearabout was tale of almost of the the
Glade need meeting washed meeting
to understand from which which off incorporated their face back of ground, the the earth, town. for
town.
all You'll this
You'll about country learn learn the how Mystery was
how we a
we
heap used Farm, used
different to and to fight fight of then and and Big frolic, from
frolic, Fire what how too. how Belle it Yes Belle
is
folks, Glade right
Glade
now. I was reckon was almost Yes,
almost you'll Lake washed washed be Okeechobee amazed. from from off and
off the the
the face Everglades
face of of the the earth, were
earth,
all a different
all about about the world
the Mystery Mystery
when Farm, reclamation
Farm, and and of of
started, the the Big Big
different Fire Fire too. too.
even Yes Yes
But before we get bogged down with all these tales,
folks, from
folks,
what I reckon I reckon
the first you'll you'll
settlers be be amazed. amazed.
you'll nearabout need to understand found when their they back arrived ground, about for
this the But time country But before of before World was we we a War get heap get bogged I, bogged different and that, down down then you with with might from all all these say, what these wasn't tales, it tales, is
right you'll too you'll blamed now. nearabout Yes, long Lake need ago. need Okeechobee to to understand and their their back Everglades back ground, ground, were for for
a this different this
So, country country
in your world was was
mind's when a a heap heap
eye, reclamation different just try started, then to
then
picture from from different what what even it this
it is
from right country
right what now. now.
was the Yes, Yes,
like first Lake Lake
back settlers Okeechobee then. found There and when and the was they Everglades the arrived lake about shore were were
the a swamp, different a time and of world World there
world when War was
when reclamation I, the and sawgrass that, you started, started,
Everglades, might different say, a wasn't heap even even
too from different
from blamed what what
from the long the first each ago. first settlers settlers
other. found The
found when lake
when
itself they they arrived was
arrived
blamed about about
Custard apple trees completely blanketed by moon vines.
the near
the time
So, surrounded
time of of World World
in your mind's by War wide
War I,
eye, miles and I, and that,
just of
that,
try wet you you
to and might might
picture boggy say, say,
what marshes, wasn't wasn't
too blamed long ago.
this
too
country and blamed so it was was long
like many ago.
back years then. before There there was were the lake any roads. shore
swamp, But So, along So, in and in your the your there shore, mind's mind's was on eye, the eye, a slight just sawgrass just try ridge, try to Everglades, to picture was picture a what jungle what a heap this of this
different country cypress, country was rubber, from was like each like pop back back other. ash then. and then. The There cabbage There lake was itself was trees the the was lake lake thick blamed shore shore as
near swamp, they swamp, surrounded could and and crowd. there there by That was wide was part the miles the sawgrass of of the wet woods and Everglades, along boggy the marshes, a south a heap heap
shore different and from half from way each each up other. other. eastern The The lake side, lake itself was itself a was dense was blamed forest blamed
of near near tropical surrounded custard by by apple wide wide miles trees. miles of For of wet wet a and mile and boggy to boggy two marshes,
miles
back from the water's edge they grew, and on all the
extended forty forty or or fifty fifty miles miles in in width, and and it it came came to to
within a a few few miles miles of of Loxahatchee, of of Ft. Ft. Lauderdale and and
Miami. It It was was a a huge, huge, enormous scope scope of of grass, grass, and and that that
I'll I'll have have you you know. know.
Since Since Belle Belle Glade Glade was was partly partly in in the the custard apple apple forest forest
and and partly partly in in the the sawgrass, I'd I'd better better tell tell you you about about them them
both. both. For For one one thing, thing, although now now it's it's all all the the same, same,
at at first first their their soils soils were were different. Arriving settlers discovered
that that the the muck muck soil soil in in the the custard apple apple woods woods was was
dis­
firm firm and and black black and and granular. In In dry dry years years it it could could crack crack
into into chasms into into which which you you might might step step clear clear to to your your knee knee
or or deeper. But But it it could could raise raise the the most most stupendous vegetables,
solid solid and and delicious, and and without a a pound pound of of fertil­
fertil­
vegeizerizer.
Sawgrass land, land, on on the the other other hand, hand, was was a a brown and and
fibrous peat, peat, the the partly decayed residue of of generations of of
sawgrass which which had had died died and and rotted, soft soft as as a a mattress,
and and on on top, top, fluffy fluffy as as feathers. You'd You'd sink sink to to your your shoe shoe
tops tops at at every every step. step. Until Until it it was was stirred and and aerated and and
had had decomposed into into black black muck, muck, it it hardly would would raise raise
anything, fertilizer or or no. no.
But But suppose now now we we take take a a closer closer look look at at that that custard
apple apple swamp, so so exotic exotic and and so so beautiful. There There was was noth- noth-
Custard apple trees completely blanketed by moon vines.
and so it was many years before there were any roads.
But along the shore, on a slight ridge, was a jungle of
cypress, rubber, pop ash and cabbage trees as thick as
Custard apple trees completely blanketed by moon vines.
they could crowd. That part of the woods along the south
and shore so and half way up the eastern side, was a dense forest
Custard
it Custard was
apple
many apple trees trees years
completely completely before
blanketed blanketed there by were by moon moon any
vines. vines. roads.
But of tropical along the custard shore, apple on a trees. slight For ridge, a mile was to a two jungle miles of
cypress, and back and so from so it rubber, it was the was many water's pop many years ash years edge and before before they cabbage there grew, there trees were and were as any on thick any all roads. roads. the as
they islands But But along could along as well. crowd. the the shore, About shore, That on 33,000 part on a slight a of acres slight the ridge, woods of ridge, solid was along was custard a the a jungle jungle south apple of of
shore cypress, trees cypress, there and rubber, half rubber, were, way pop and up pop ash that's the ash eastern and a and heap cabbage cabbage side, of woods. was trees trees a dense as as thick thick forest as as
of they they tropical Then could could
there crowd. custard crowd.
was That apple the
That part sawgrass trees. part of of the For the
Everglades. woods a woods mile along to along
Beyond two the the miles south the
south
back shore lake shore shore from and and half swamp the half way water's way and up up the stretching edge the eastern eastern they side, for grew, side, a was hundred was and a dense a on dense miles all forest forest the to
islands of the
of tropical state's
tropical as well. south custard custard About tip, apple was
apple 33,000 trees. that
trees. acres vast For For of expanse, a solid mile a mile custard to that
to two two
endless apple miles miles
trees back marsh,
back there from from
of knife were, the the water's edged and water's that's sawgrass, edge edge a heap they they
growing of grew, grew, woods. and from
and on waist
on all all the to
the
head islands islands
Then high as as
there in well. well.
shallow About About
was the water. 33,000 33,000
sawgrass I'm acres acres
telling of of solid
Everglades. you
solid
for custard custard
Beyond a fact, apple you
apple
the
could trees trees there
lake shore travel
there were,
swamp from
were, and the
and
and lake, that's that's
stretching down a heap a heap
the of
for canal
of woods. woods.
a hundred to Ft. miles Lauderdale,
Then state's and Then there from south there was the tip, was boat's the was the sawgrass high that pilot vast Everglades. expanse, house you'd that Beyond Beyond see endless noth­
the the
to
the
ing marsh, lake lake on shore that shore of knife swamp day swamp long edged and trip and sawgrass, stretching but an unbroken growing for for a hundred a sea hundred from of sawgrass, waist miles miles to to
head yes, the the state's high only state's in south sawgrass shallow south tip, tip, water. was was far that I'm that vast telling vast you expanse, you could for that a look, that fact, endless endless just you
could saw­grass marsh, marsh, travel of of waving knife from knife edged the and edged lake, sawgrass, glistening down the growing canal growing the to sun. from from Ft. From waist Lauderdale,
head Cypress and high high from in in shallow Swamp shallow the boat's water. to water. high the I'm I'm pilot pine telling telling house lands you you you'd for of for a the see fact, a fact, noth­
East you you
waist the to to
head Big
ing Coast, could could on travel that it travel day from from long the the trip lake, lake, but down an down unbroken the the canal canal sea to to of Ft. sawgrass, Ft. Lauderdaledale,
only and and from sawgrass from the the boat's boat's as high far high as pilot pilot you house house could you'd you'd look, see see noth­
just noth­
Lauder­
yes,
saw­grass ing ing on on that that waving day day long long and trip trip glistening but but an an unbroken in the sea sun. sea of of From sawgrass,
the
Big yes, yes, Cypress only only sawgrass Swamp as to as far the far as pine as you lands you could could of look, the look, East just just
Coast, saw­grass it waving waving and and glistening in in the the sun. sun. From From the the
Big Big Cypress Cypress Swamp Swamp to to the the pine pine lands lands of of the the East East
Coast, Coast, it it
Small Small custard custard apple apple trees trees on on Torry Torry Island. Island.
ing ing like like it it in in the the whole whole United States, nor nor in in the the whole whole
wide wide world world either, I I reckon. Golly Golly folks, folks, I I just just wish wish you you
could could have have been been here here then. then. That That was was a a sight sight you'd you'd not not
forget.
By By nature the the custard apples love love to to grow grow in in water,
but but after after drainage started here, here, they they found found themselves
to to be be high high and and mighty dry. dry. The The tree tree itself itself was was nothing
much. much. It It wasn't tall, tall, it it had had no no shape, shape, you you couldn't saw saw it it
into into boards and and you you couldn't eat eat its its fruit. fruit. But But it it grew grew in in
the the finest finest soil soil in in all all the the state, state, and and when when settlers started
flocking here, here, they they squatted where where they they darned well well pleaseed
and and they they cleared off off those those custard apple apple trees trees in in a
pleas­
a