Silver Springs’ People

Silver Springs’ People. Silver Springs State Park. Timucuans At least 12,000 years ago, people who later became known as the Timucuans, in the Ocali province, were living here hunting large animals such as mastodon and giant sloths. At that time, the climate was much cooler and drier, sea level was lower, and people inhabited areas near water sources., The Timucuans thrived on the abundance of fish, turtles, snails, game, berries and nuts. They constructed ceremonial and burial mounds and piled discarded shells and animal bones in trash dumps called midden. Later, their diet was supplemented by cultivated crops such as corn, beans, and squash., Thanks to various Spanish observers, we have descriptions of the Timucuans' appearance. The men had their hair pulled up in top knots, and women wore Spanish moss or animal skin skirts. Both wore jewelry made of shell and bone and had red, blue, and black tattoos., Contact with the Spanish began in the early 1500s. By the mid-1700s, the Timucuans and their culture were gone-victims of disease, warfare, and enslavement., Seminoles European settlers from Spain, England and France moving west into the North American continent forced Creek Indians off of their lands in Georgia and Alabama. They quickly filled the void in Florida left by the original native groups who were now gone and became known as the Seminoles, meaning "wild one.”, In the 1830s, the United States began a program of Indian removal, including the Seminoles; to what is now Oklahoma and Arkansas. The resistance to relocation was lead by Osceola, who emerged as a leader. Seminoles camped near here during their treaty negotiations at Fort King (now Ocala) in 1835. Osceola slashed the treaty with his knife, and in December, 1835, returned to Fort King and killed Indian Agent General Wiley Thompson. This was one incident that started the Second Seminole War, which was the longest war in United States' history until Viet Nam, 1835-1842. At the end of the war, the remaining 200-300 Seminoles moved into South Florida, and to this day, have not signed a formal treaty., History Fun Fact, If the state's history was measured in time on a 12 inch ruler, the native people by themselves would be the first 11 1/2 inches!