Miakka

Miakka. . , Side 1 , One half mile south of this marker once stood a log structure where church services were held by circuit riding preachers. During the week the building was used as a school. William Rawls and A.M. “Gus” Wilson each donated land for what is now the church and cemetery. In 1886 the church was built and the graves of some of the early settlers dot the small cemetery. Gus Wilson served as State Senator from this area and played a prominent part in state and local government. One fourth mile NW of here, on Wilson Road is the site of the one room school built in 1914 now used as a community meeting house. , Side 2 , Indians were still living this area when the first settlers arrived. The deep pine forests were rich with game, the nearby Myakka River supplied them with fish. Pioneers felled the tall trees used in building their cabins and barns. Following the Civil War, the Homestead Act and burgeoning railroad industry opened up vast sections of the country including this area of Florida for more settlers. Evidence of the Pine Level Trail that led to the County Seat can still be seen at the nearby Crowley Nature Center. Here also is where John J. Crowley built the first blacksmith shop.