When we arrived at Hillsborough River State Park outside Tampa, we were looking forward to hiking some beautiful trails and canoeing with alligators and blue herons. What happened instead was that we discovered a fundraising drive that was doomed to fail.
Many of the park’s lush forested trails were closed due to hurricane damage, so instead of walking through the woods along the river, we rode our bikes to the interpretative center expecting to see stuffed samples of wildlife and souvenir t shirts. But it turned out that the interpretative center was not filled with information about the flora and fauna of the park but was instead focused on Fort Foster, a historical site just across the street.
That’s where we encountered what would have to be one of the most difficult fundraising projects of all time.
An Unpleasant Reminder
Fort Foster was built in 1836. But the building that stands on the historic site now is a reproduction built in 1980. And even though it’s not that old, it’s now in such bad shape that it’s closed to the public and they’re trying to raise funds to “save” it.
But it’s going to be so hard to get people excited about donating to the restoration of the fort. Not only is it a fake historical building, but it’s a reproduction of an obscure building commemorating a war with no redeeming features whatsoever.
Fort Foster served primarily as a supply for the U.S. Army post during the Second Seminole War, a conflict between native American tribes and U.S. forces which took place in Florida from 1835 to 1842. While most wars feature some deplorable conduct by both sides, this particular war featured obnoxiously dishonorable conduct by the U.S. against the Seminoles, a group of native communities who had been shifted from the panhandle region to a reservation in south central Florida. Representatives of the U.S. government brought tribal leaders together and produced a treaty in which these tribes supposedly agreed to uproot and move west of the Mississippi River.
It turns out most of the signatures on the treaty were forged. The Seminoles did not want to leave. And so years of fighting raged throughout Florida. At one point, Seminole leaders agreed to meet with a supposedly neutral Cherokee delegation to discuss peace, but the U.S. government simply arrested them all. By 1842, with many leaders either dead or relocated, most of the remaining Seminoles agreed to move to the western part of the Creek reservation in what is now Oklahoma. Enough Seminoles remained in southern Florida, however, to prompt the U.S. government to expel them in the Third Seminole War from 1855 to 1858.
While I’m passionate about learning about history so we can learn from the mistakes of the past, the amount of money available for restoring and interpreting historic sites is limited. Rebuilding a supply post of an oppressive army really doesn’t teach a message that I want to invest in. I would much rather rebuild one of the Seminole villages burned down during the shameless land grab exercise.
The history of humankind consists of one group of people taking over land of another, and I would argue that it is only relatively recently that most people have begun to see that as wrong. By the time of this particular military action, many people, including some of the soldiers fighting against the natives, saw the natives as fighting honorably to protect their homes.
Happier History
I will now climb down off my soapbox and explain why Hillsborough River State Park celebrates some of the best of our nation’s efforts as well as some of the worst. This park, like so many others in the U.S., contains numerous facilities constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps or CCC. This organization was founded in 1933 during the height of the Great Depression to provide employment for young men who were not married. Workers were provided rustic shelter, clothing, and food along with a small wage, most of which had to be sent home to their families. During their six-month shifts, CCC workers worked on a variety of conservation projects in national and state forests, such as building bridges and working on erosion control. Today, nearly a century later, their work is perhaps most obvious in the recreation facilities they created, such as nature trails and picnic shelters built of stone and wood to create a sense of harmony with their surroundings.
Near the Fort Foster interpretative center, Hillsborough River State Park also has displays discussing the work of the CCC in the park and elsewhere in Florida. A scenic suspension bridge and numerous picnic tables built of stone are some samples of their work found in the park. (My favorite CCC project is located at another central Florida park, Highlands Hammock. It’s a walkway constructed through an alligator-infested swamp.)
The CCC projects draw the public’s attention to the natural beauty of our country and allow people to appreciate places they would never even be able to access, let alone enjoy regularly.
So there it is, the best and worst of our nation on display at Hillsborough River State Park. The river rapids are still accessible, and even with most of the walking trails closed, we enjoyed some serenity along the river. On our last day in the park, the canoe rentals opened up so we could share the river with alligators once again.
Highly recommended for camping and day-trips alike.