----History of Florida's Turpentine Industry---
In 1565 Sir John Hawkins discovered turpentine in Florida. After returning to England and boasting about the jackpot he found, the English quickly made plans to start harvesting. During the time turpentine was used as a form of caulk for ships. The industry started in Virginia and worked it's way south. It wasn't until the 19th century that Florida's turpentine Industry really started booming.
Landowners were given $150 a year for an operating lease to supplement the labor. Workers were paid $1.00 - $1.75 a day. The conditions were horrid and many died of starvation, violence, malaria, shootings, snakebites, whips, hunting dogs, and other torturous acts carried out by the timber foreman. It wasn't until Governor Neopoleon Broward stepped in that the cruel treatment of workers began to subside. Changes in the industry included the introduction of financers from out of state who ran the operations and marketed the products. While these methods cut down on abuse, they also did nothing to help the people of Florida to prosper off the industry.
It took a short 40 years for the industry to deplete Florida's slash pine and longleaf pine by 80%. In the absence of reforestation, the industry did not appear to be sustainable. Yet the operations persisted at a cost to the workers. While many conditions had improved, the quality of life was still terrible. Human waste problems built up and food consisted of whatever was thrown into a big cauldron at the work camps. To save on housing the foreman would often order a man and woman to marry in a "commissary wedding" and force them to live in the same quarters. With the introduction of the Social Security Act came an order which excluded agricultural workers leaving them with no social security benefits in their retirement.
The turpentine industry was built on the backs of hard-working people who suffered at the hands of those who did profit. Fortunately, by the 1970s the industry came to an end. With the introduction of the Governmental Reorganization Act of 1969, the Forestry Advisory Council which was a part of the Florida Forest Service took over the previous responsibilities of the Board of Forestry. The state began buying land at a rapid rate. No longer would they be supplementing the Turpentine and Timber industry. Instead, they began conserving land.
The Conservation and Recreation Lands Program of 1979, as well as the Florida Preservation 2000 Fund of 1990, helped provide more funding to conserve land. Despite this funding much land was lost to other industries including tung oil and satsuma oranges, both which were not successful long term, as well as sugar cane, cattle, mining, and urbanization.
While we may never get that land back we can all strive to restore a bit of Florida in our own yards by converting some or all of our gardens to native plants. The Florida Forever Act offered even more funding to purchase conservation land. As more land is acquired and more sustainable practices are adapted, Florida's original charm can gradually be restored. Developing smarter cities means less land is needed and better transportation options can be provided.
Imagining a better Florida is the first step. With perserverence, we will make our imagined Florida a reality.
#Florida #FLtimber #Timber #ImagineOurFlorida #IOF #turpentine #Floridastateforests Photo Credit: Aymee Laurain
Location: Withlacoochee State Park
References:
Burnet, G., 2014, Florida's Past, Vol 1: People and Events That Shaped the State, Rowman & Littlefield
F.S. 259.032 Conservation and recreation lands
F.S. 259.105 The Florida Forever Act
F.S. 259.101 Florida Preservation 2000 Act
Volk, M., Hoctor, T., Nettles, B., Hilsenbeck, R., Putz, F., Oetting, J.,(2017). Florida Land Use and Land Cover Change in the Past 100 Years . Florida's Climate: Changes, Variations, & Impacts. Retrieved from
http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1515440747_56b1ed92
