Bartow in Polk County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Col. Zachary Taylor Trail & Causeway

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 21, 2023

1. Zach Marker

Inscription. Col. Zachary Taylor, commanding the Army south of the Withlacoochee during the Second Seminole War. 1835-1842. received orders in November 1837 to penetrate into the interior of the state by opening a road from Tampa to the headwaters of Peace Creek and eastward to the Kissimmee River. Lt. Col. William Foster was dispatched from Fort Brooke in Tampa to Lake Hancock to build a stockade and supply depot, named Fort Fraser. A military bridge spanning Saddle Creek crossed near the opening into Lake Hancock, and a 300-foot raised dirt causeway was located further south on the west side of the creek. Army troops continued to construct bridges and causeways along military roads to reach the Seminoles near the Kissimmee River, culminating in the Battle of Okeechobee on Christmas Day 1837. The Saddle Creek military bridge was destroyed and the causeway was damaged during a hurricane in 1848. Their destruction prompted the establishment of Fort Meade in 1849, the same year Col. Zachary Taylor became the 12th President of the United States. The military road and elevated causeway were located approximately 1500 feet south of the Lake

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Hancock water control system operated by Southwest Florida Water Management District, and the wetlands mitigation site for Polk County Waste Resource Management Division.
A Polk County Heritage Site

Erected 2018 by Polk County Historical Commission, Polk County Board of County Commissioners. (Marker Number PCHC-025.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • Wars, US Indian. A significant historical month for this entry is November 1837.

Location. 27° 56.331′ N, 81° 51.012′ W. Marker is in Bartow, Florida, in Polk County. It can be reached from Farm Road 0.2 miles east of Bartow Road (U.S. 98). To reach marker, park and walk across Saddle Creek at the water control gate. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 220 Farm Road, Bartow FL 33830, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Florida.

It is also in the American South.

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,

Col. Zachary Taylor Trail & Causeway Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 21, 2023

2. Col. Zachary Taylor Trail & Causeway Marker

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Fort Fraser (approx. 1.2 miles away); First Baptist Church of Bartow (approx. 2.9 miles away); Evergreen & Palm Cemeteries (approx. 2.9 miles away); Swearingen - Langford House (approx. 2.9 miles away); The City of Bartow (approx. 2.9 miles away); Old Polk County Courthouse (approx. 2.9 miles away); Site of Fort Blount (approx. 3 miles away); Mann Manor (approx. 3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bartow.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Co E 7th Florida Inf Regt South Florida Bulldogs (was approx. 3 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Also see . . . Lake Hancock Boat Ramp. (Submitted on January 10, 2024, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 10, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 10, 2024, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 819 times since then and 96 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 10, 2024, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.