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| Big Sky Country, in Florida |
Oooo, a mystery. In 1895, my grandmother was born in a town
called Rocky Point, Florida, just south of Gainesville. My great-grandparents
owned a strawberry farm there and they sold to New York restaurants and the
like. But Rocky Point no longer exists. Not even the buildings. Not any photos. Not anything but a map from 1899 and some deeds, document it's existence. I’m
trying to find out what happened, when my great grandparents moved and why. I don’t know if Rocky Point dried up, or if the
population was forced or paid to leave. I do know that Payne’s Prairie, which
has been there forever, is now a state park. Since Rocky Point was situated within
Payne’s Prairie (park) boundaries, and apparently disappeared around the time
the park was established, it’s a mystery I hope to solve someday soon…
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| The sink hole |
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| Watch your puppies if you bring 'em...! |
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| Bison have been on the prairie since the 1800s, so have wild horses |
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| Sunset on the prairie |
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| Beautiful wildlife and habitat |
What you
will find
in the area today is a breath-taking sky-is-so-big park teaming with wildlife and
natural habitat. You’ll find, biking, hiking and equestrian trails, fishing,
camping, and birding to suit anyone, plus an interesting history (which doesn’t
include, for some reason, Rocky Point). Also you can get married there, canoe
and kayak, oh, and feel free to come just for the day and have a picnic, and, your
“well behaved dog,” is welcome in certain areas (just watch out for ‘gators,
snakes and bison!). The park has just announced the addition of
Operation
Recreation GeoTour which makes using
your GPS fun as well as informative! Read more about this new game/service at
Geocaching.com.
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| 1899 map with Rocky Point below Gainesville |
For more information about the park:
Images
from :
