The Canal Story

The Canal Story. Historic Florida Barge Canal Trail. , "La Florida" Became Part of World Commerce [panel 1], 1507 . Explorer Ponce de Leon claims "La Florida" for Spain and recommends canal to King to protect gold carrying ships to Spain. , 1763-1802 . Eastern Florida passes from Spain to France to England and back to Spain. , 1776 . The colonies win independence from England. , 1803 . With Louisiana Purchase, western Florida sold by France to U.S.A. , 1819 . Spain cedes eastern Florida to the U.S.A. , 1821 . Florida becomes a Territory of the U.S.A., There were many steps in transforming the idea to build a canal across Florida. The timeline above represents some of the factors and historical events that occurred over nearly 500 years., The underlying force for the canal was money, to make it with related sales and development, to protect gold shipments from pirates, to eliminate shipwrecks when sailing around the Florida Keys., The Canal Idea Persists, But Interests Shift [panel 2], 1824 . Florida's Territorial government petitions the U.S. Congress for canal construction. , 1826 . Congress authorizes first canal survey. , 1845 . Florida becomes American state. , 1933 . U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recommends canal Route 13-B (through central Florida). , 1945 . Cross Florida Ship and Barge Canal constructions begins (250-ft. wide). , 1936 . Four bridge stanchions constructed at Santos south of Ocala. But Congress cuts off money and President Roosevelt abandons canal project. Santos left with an incomplete bridge over a phantom waterway., Over the centuries, there were many studies by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to determine the best plan for cutting a channel in the Gulf of Mexico, then across the peninsula the world calls Florida, then into another channel cut into the Atlantic Ocean. Connecting commercial markets to the east and west, to the Orient, to Europe and northern cities of the U.S.A. was a powerful motivating force for businessmen and politicians., Environmental Concerns Emerge [panel 3], 1941 . War War II against Germany and Japan. , 1942 . U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recommends change to Barge Canal (150-Ft. wide, only 12-ft. deep). , 1964 . President Johnson orders canal building begins. , 1969 . Florida Defenders of the Environment (FDA) established. Lawsuit filed in federal court. Construction halted. , 1971 . President Nixon stops canal building with Executive Order. , 1986 . Cross Florida Canal project "de-authorized" by Congress. No more money can be spent by the federal government., Other priorities began to emerge, as well as other viable forms of shipping , railroads, interstate highways and airplanes. And, new ideas about ecology, conservation and water resources (including fresh water aquifers) became a national concern. Politicians heard those ideas, too. Even a smaller canal could no longer be justified., The Canal Becomes Greenspace [panel 4], 1990 . President Bush (41) signs bill for canal land to be used for conservation and recreation. , 1991 . State of Florida creates Cross Florida Greenway. , 1998 . Cross Florida Greenway named for Marjorie Harris Carr. , 2000 . Landbridge over I-75 completed connecting eastern and western portions of the Greenway. , 2012 . Greenway merged into Florida State Park system. , 2017 . Historic Barge Canal trail re-opened on The Island at Santos on the Greenway., Thousands of acres had been cleared and dredged. Dams, locks and channels were constructed and bridge stanchions erected. People and their communities were displaced before the Cross Florida Barge Canal was stopped forever in 1990., Green space and trails for hikers, bikers and horse lovers became the new normal for the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway.