Apalachicola’s Early History

Apalachicola’s Early History. . Apalachicola is one of the most historic cities in Florida. Located where the Apalachicola River meets Apalachicola Bay, the name "Apalachicola" is an Indian word interpreted as a ridge of earth produced by sweeping the ground in preparation for a council or peace fire. Over time, the term has been translated as an area of peaceful people or people on the other side. "Land of the friendly people" is a common interpretation of the word. , , But even before the city was founded, the area surrounding Apalachicola was an important center of history. Remnants of native American cultures date back to the middle Archaic period (2000 B.C.) and documentation exists that claims native cultures have lived here during the intervening Woodland and Mississippian periods. Archaeologists estimate at the population could have reached 40,000, attracted the area due to stable water supplies and abundant game. Middens left by these settlers are composed primarily of clam and oyster shells. Some of the larger middens were used as ritual sites. , , Europeans first explored Franklin County in the early 1500s. Panfilo de Narvaez visited a location near present-day Apalachicola. The journal of his expedition describes a coastal island that is believed to be Dog Island, St. Vincent Island or St. George Island. The earliest-known European settlement of the area was a fort built at the mouth of the Apalachicola River by the Spanish in 1705 where it remained under Spanish ownership until it was ceded to England in 1763. , , In 1783 the area returned to Spanish control after the Second Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War. Some British trading companies, including Panton, Leslie, and Company were allowed to remain. In 1811, the trading company John Forbes and Company persuaded Spain and the Indians to cede 1.5 million acres between the Apalachicola and St. Marks Rivers to their firm because of large debts owed to their trading company by trader Indians. The transfer became known as the Forbes Purchase. , , Because of unrest in its more populous colonies in Central and South America, Spain was unable to effectively control Florida. In 1818 the U.S. army attacked Indians living in Spanish Florida in what became known as the First Seminole War. Spain ceded Florida to the United States in 1821. In 1828 the town which was originally named Cottontown was incorporated as West Point and later renamed Apalachicola in 1831. , (captions) , Above: Forbes Purchase Map shows the area including Apalachicola that was part of a transfer between Spain and the John Forbes trading company in 1811 to settle trading post debt. , , Above Left: British loyalist turned Indian sympathizer Augustus Bowles was a rival to the Panton Leslie and Forbes Trading Company. , , Left: Apalachee Indians were one of the main tribes documented by Spanish explorers in Apalachicola. Photos courtesy Florida State Archives. , , Early entrepreneur William Lee Popham played a large role in Apalachicola history with his promotion efforts in the early 1900s including one in which he formed a co-operative colony to sell individuals Apalachicola Bay submerged lands for the harvesting of seafood. The scheme was later denounced by the State. , , Scan the code to read more Apalachicola history at www.Cityofapalachicola.com