Suwannee in Dixie County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Fort Duval and the Suwannee River

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 22, 2017

1. Fort Duval and the Suwannee River Marker

Inscription. Captain Francis Langhorne Dade, U.S. Army and his 120-man Companies A,B,D,H and N, built Fort Duval in November 1826 at the mouth of the Suwannee River. The structure was 140 by 130 feet and six feet high with portholes for firing. The fort was named for territorial governor William Pope Duval. Fort Duval was built to guard the mouth of the Suwannee River. Indians used the river for many years, traveling to Cuba, the Bahama Islands and other places to trade and purchase goods. William Bartram witnessed this in his travels in 1774 while visiting the Indians up river from its mouth. In April 1818, General Andrew Jackson used the river to transport his wounded back to St. Marks after his Battle for Billy Bowleg’s Old Town, located on the Suwannee River. Fort Duval was destroyed by May 15, 1841. At that time, Capt. Cambell Graham wrote of Lt. Palmer’s survey of the mouth of the Suwannee River in search of the remains of Fort Duval. Time and tide have destroyed all traces of Fort Duval. The Suwannee River now carries fishing enthusiasts and sportsmen.

Erected 2005 by Dixie County Historical Society, The Suwannee River Chamber

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of Commerce, and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-536.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Wars, US Indian • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is November 1826.

Location. 29° 19.624′ N, 83° 9.023′ W. Marker is in Suwannee, Florida, in Dixie County. It can be reached from County Route 349 just east of Canal Street(Southeast 199th Street). To reach the marker you must turn left down a driveway just before reaching Canal Street(SE 199th Street). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 23465 SE 349 Hwy, Suwannee FL 32692, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Florida.

It is also in the American South

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least

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8 other markers are within 16 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Jackson Trail (approx. 12.9 miles away); John Muir at Cedar Key (approx. 13.7 miles away); The Cedar Keys: Pencils, Lumber, Palm Fiber and Brushes (approx. 14.9 miles away); Island Hotel (approx. 15 miles away); Cedar Key Veterans Monument (approx. 15 miles away); Atlantic to Gulf Railroad (approx. 15 miles away); Sink Trail (approx. 15.3 miles away); Waterfront Dining for Thousands of Years (approx. 15.3 miles away).

Credits. This page was last revised on February 26, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 26, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,057 times since then and 82 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on February 26, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.

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