Central Florida Cattlemen

Central Florida Cattlemen. . (Side 1) , The St. John’s River valley has been an historic grazing area since the introduction of the Spanish Andalusian cattle into Florida in the 1500’s. Cattle from the central Florida area were often gathered for drives to the port of Punta Rassa near Fort Myers for shipment to Cuba or were driven northward to the railhead at Baldwin or on to Savannah or Charleston to feed the Confederate Army. The “King of the Crackers,” Jacob Summerlin and his son Sam, frequently started these cattle drives in St. Augustine. They would send word ahead to cattlemen to round up their cattle at designated points on the chosen route. $10.00 to $12.00 was paid for a fat steer., Holding pens built of split wooden rails held the cattle until the drive started. These pens were the only fences used in (Continued on other side). (Side 2) (Continued from other side). those days, as the cattle were left on the open range. In some areas there were no pens so the cow hunters and their dogs would ride round and round the herd day and night until the drive started or came along. Florida continued to be “open range” until 1949 when the “Fence Law” was passed., The cattle industry has come a long way since the early days when men packed their saddle bags, took a small bedroll, a slicker, a long plaited leather cow whip, and a pack of lean cow dogs and headed to the woods cow hunting and camping wherever nightfall caught them. They slept under open skies by a campfire. Mosquitos and flies were ever present tormenting man and beast alike. Today horses, dogs and men are transported to and from work and the market by truck.