History of McCullough Creek

History of McCullough Creek. . , Starting in the coastal Mid-Atlantic region in the mid-1800s, turpentine camps would move south as entire forests of pine were worked, leaving the trees with little to no sap production. By the late 1800s, turpentine production camps had reached pine forests of northern Florida. The industry was booming between the late 1800s and 1920s, and camps were established throughout pine forests in North Central Florida. These camps were often staffed with leased convicts (a system formally known as penal servitude and peonage) in addition to paid laborers, however only the laborers received payment, and it was in the form of company scrip or coin that could only be used at company stores. Workers often found themselves in debt to the company, and their employment was enforced until this debt was paid. After the 1920s, camps began to close in favor of timber harvesting.