History and Culture

Home to abundant and rare wildlife and providing many recreational opportunities, the St. Marks NWR also encompasses and manages significant historical and cultural resources. The mission of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats. This includes protecting, conserving and interpreting many important national cultural resources.

Interpretive Kiosks

In order to fulfill some of the goals the Refuge listed in their Comprehensive Conservation Plan, the Friends of St. Marks association received a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to produce and install a series of interpretive kiosks and informational brochures about some of the resources.

Additional assistance was provided by:

Historic Timeline – St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge

15,000 B.C. – Paleo-Indians

The first people in this area were the Paleo-Indians. Most of refuge was inland with grasses and large mammals. Earliest artifacts are found in Mounds Trail area consisting of very simple projectile points used for hunting. Early pottery found on refuge is heavy, mostly utilitarian with clay and sand mixed in it. Collecting artifacts is illegal.

900 A. D. – Burial Mounds

Mounds are constructed, many with numerous artifacts: shark teeth pendants, projectile points, scrapers, bone hooks, and clay figurines. A National Register of Historic Place, the Bird Hammock site contains important burial mounds and middens. Decorative Swift Creek pottery have been discovered on the refuge.

1,000 – 1600 A. D. – Apalachee Indians

They developed a large agricultural society located inland around present day Tallahassee. The refuge area was used for fishing camps, where some of their distinctive pottery was found. Spanish explorers encountering the Apalachee left early 16th century items including trading beads and bells.

1528: Panfilo de Narvaez

Tired from fighting the Apalachee and low on supplies, the expedition converted their weapons into tools, set up a working forge and made four crude wooden boats. Only four survived.

1539 – Hernando de Soto

Wintering near Tallahassee, Desoto’s men find the remnants of Navarez’s camp. They hung large “yellow pennants” to mark the mouth of the St. Marks River for Desoto’s supply fleet.

1679 – Fort San Marcos de Apalachee

Built to protect St. Marks port, it was raided by French pirates in 1680. Built and rebuilt many times it was used as a fort through the Civil War.

1758 – Spanish Tower

In 1758, the whole Spanish garrison, about forty men, was drowned in a hurricane. The fort was rebuilt out of stone with a signal tower built across the river.

1799 -1803 Nation of Muskogee

Led by William Bowles, a large band of Creeks declared the independent sate of Muskogee. They looted trade stores, captured Fort St. Marks briefly, and operated four privateers out of Apalachee Bay.

1818 – Andrew Jackson

Seizing the Spanish fort at St. Marks, Andrew Jackson executed two British citizens accused of inciting the Indians: Robert Armbrister and Alexander Arbuthnot, a 70-year-old Scottish Indian trader.

1818 – Wakulla’s Pocahontas

Captured by Prophet Francis, U. S. soldier, Duncan Mc Krimmon, was saved by Francis’ daughter Milly, who begged for his life.

1831– First St. Marks Lighthouse

Due to navigational hazards, Congress authorized a lighthouse at the mouth of the St. Marks River. Built, rejected and rebuilt, it was finally completed in 1831.

1837 – Port Leon

Established on St. Marks River as a rival to the port of St. Marks, Port Leon was three miles closer to the Gulf. Wakulla County seat and terminus of Tallahassee Railroad, it was destroyed by a hurricane in 1843.

1842 – Second Lighthouse

The St. Marks lighthouse was rebuilt at its present location. Thirteen died there in 1843 hurricane. It has withstood over one hundred storms.

1861- 1865 – Union Blockade

The Union blockaded Apalachee Bay, greatly restricting trade into St. Marks. Near the lighthouse, Confederates erect Ft. Williams, which was destroyed by the Union fleet. The lighthouse lens was removed but the tower suffered heavy damage.

1861 – Confederate Salt Works

Salt was a valuable commodity to the South for preserving meat. There were many salt works in the Apalachee bay area. Remnants are still visible today.

March 12, 1865 – Battle of Natural Bridge

In March 1865, Union General Newton safely landed almost 1,000 men near the lighthouse. Attempting to cross the river at Natural Bridge they were stopped by Confederate forces.

1866 Lighthouse Rebuilt

Damaged by storms and war, the lighthouse was rebuilt exceptionally strong. The keeper’s house was attached to the tower for added support. The house has four-foot thick walls and a twelve-foot base. The tower is double walled, and a new lens was installed.

1890s Naval Stores

Turpentine and lumber became an important industry and while some were shipped by boat, most went by the railroad.

1915 – Wakulla Beach Hotel

Built in East Goose Creek. The Wakulla Beach Hotel has been rebuilt twice due to storms. Remnants of the third hotel are still visible.

1928 – Steam Yacht “Joker”

The steam-yacht “Joker” was commandeered during WWI to be used as a submarine chaser. The ‘Joker” was later used by the Florida Shellfish Commission, and burned and sank near St. Marks lighthouse channel.

1930s – Logging and Turpentine Industry

Traces of old logging tram roads, such as the sawdust pile on the Wakulla unit. “Cat faced” turpentine trees can still be found on the refuge.

1931 – St. Marks Migratory Bird Refuge

President Herbert Hoover signed an Executive Order to designate 53.2 acres for a refuge under the Department of Agriculture.

1933 – St. Marks CCC Camp

This camp was located in Woodville and work begun on 18 miles of dikes, creating over 4,000 acres of freshwater marsh.

1936 – Refuge Expands

Negotiations begin for the Wakulla Unit with the Reed Lumber Company. By 1938 the Panacea Unit was added.

1941 – Newport, World War II

A small shipyard was constructed at Newport and made landing craft. Stationed at St. Marks was a “crash boat” unit that rescued survivors from planes and shipwrecks.

1953 – Goose Project Begins

Three 100-acre fields are cleared to farm chufa to attract geese. In 1955 a flock of 25,000 Canada geese wintered on the refuge.

1972 – Otter Lake Recreation Area

Due to a successful drive in part from local school children, State Rep. Don Fuqua obtains $170,000 to improve Otter Lake Recreation area for local residents.

1975 – St. Marks Wilderness Area

Congress designated approximately 17,746 acres as Wilderness.

1820s – 1980s – West Goose Creek Seine Yard

Early visitors from south Georgia made the several days journey in covered wagons. At the Goose Creek seine yard thousands of mullet would be beach seined during the fall and winter months.

March 28, 2014 – Lighthouse Transfer

The St. Marks Lighthouse is transferred from the U.S. Coastguard to the U.S. FWS St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in an official change of command ceremony.