Cortez in Manatee County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Seminole Chickee

Photographed by McGhiever, April 3, 2026

1. Seminole Chickee Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Local resources and environment affected how Native tribes built their houses. Some dwellings were circular, with clay or mud applied to a frame of woven branches. Others were pyramid-shaped, with a log frame covered from top to bottom with palm leaves or grasses. The roofs were made of thatch—dry plant material that was densely woven and tied in place.

The Seminoles of north Florida built houses of logs or boards. At one end, they attached a structure used for storage that had upright poles, a thatched roof, and an open-sided platform. By the early 1840s, the storage feature was adapted into a dwelling called a "chickee." This word means "house" in Creek and Mikasuki languages.

The transition of storage structures into homes was out of necessity. The US government wanted to remove all Native Americans from Florida. Between 1835 and 1858, it waged the Second and Third Seminole Wars for that purpose. As federal troops pursued them, Seminoles found safety in swampy areas of south Florida. They needed a shelter on stilts that was quick and easy to assemble. Vertical logs were placed in a rectangle, with the

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lower ends buried firmly. The logs supported the roof beams, and a raised platform often was built underneath. The shelter was covered by a steep, thatched roof that extended over the open sides.

Los recursos locales y el medio ambiente afectaron la forma en que las tribus nativas contruyeron sus casas. Algunas viviendas eran circulares, con arcilla o barro aplicado a un marco de ramas tejidas. Otras tenían forma de pirámide, con un marco de troncos cubierto de arriba a abajo con hojas de palma o hierbas. Los techos estaban hechos de paja, material vegetal seco que estaba densamente tejido y atado en su lugar.

Los Seminoles del norte de Florida construyeron casas de troncos o tablas. En un extremo, adjuntaron una estructura utilizada para el almacenamiento que tenía postes verticales, un techo de paja y una plataforma de lados abiertos. A principios de la década de 1840, la función de almacenamiento se adaptó a una vivienda llamada "chickee." Esta palabra significa "casa" en idiomas Creek y Mikasuki.

La transición de las estructuras de almacenamiento a log hogares fue por necesidad. El gobierno de Estados Unidos quería expulsar

Seminole Chickee and marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by McGhiever, April 3, 2026

2. Seminole Chickee and marker

a todos los nativos americanos de Florida. Entre 1835 y 1858, libró la Segunda y Tercera Guerra Seminole con ese propósito. Mientras las tropas federales los perseguían, los Semínoles encontraron seguridad en áreas pantanosas del sur de Florida. Necesitaban un refugio sobre pilotes que fuera rápido y fácil de montar.

1. A twentieth-century Seminole Indian village in the Florida Everglades reflects variations in the shape, size, and features of a chickee. Courtesy of State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

1. Una aldea indígena Seminole del siglo XX en los Everglades de Florida refleja variaciones en la forma, tamaño y caracteristicas de un chickee. Cortesía de los archivos estatales de la Florida.

2. Native camp on the Ocklawaha River, circa 1880. Courtesy of State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory.

2. Campamento de nativos en el río Ochlawaha, alrededor de 1880, Cortesía de los archivos estatales de la Florida.

3. Chickees with multiple platforms are built so a person can stand and have easy acess to upper areas. Courtesy of State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

3. Los chickees con múltiples plataformas se construyen para que una persona pueda estar de pie y tener fácil accoso a las áreas superiores. Cortesía de los archivos estatales de la Florida.

4. Seminole tribe members continue the chickee making tradition today. Jack, seen here preparing palm fronds for a roof, learned the skill from his grandmother and built his first chickee at age 14.

4. Los miembros de la tribu Seminole continúan la tradición de hacer chickee en la actualidad. Jack, visto aquí preparando hojas de palma para un techo, aprendió la habilidad de su abuela y construyó su primer chickee a los 14 años.

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used the lowest roof beams to hand and store supplies. In bad weather, they hung animal hides to keep the inside dry. Within a settlement, chickees had a designated purpose, such as sleeping, cooking, or eating.

Seminoles still build chickees, but not to use as homes. Similar structures have been used by other tribes in Florida, such as the Calusa in the southwestern part of the state. Their thatched huts used different methods and sometimes were circular.

5. Seminole children learn canoe making near a chickee, 1933. Courtesy of State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory.

5. Los niños seminolas aprenden a haver canoas cerca de un chickee, 1933. Cortesía de los archivos estatales de la Florida.

6. Image of the Maori tiki figure

6. Imagen de la figura tiki maorí

Los troncos verticales se colocaron en un rectángulo, con los extremos inferiores enterrados fermemente. Los troncos sostenían las vigas del techo y, a menudo, se construía una plataforma elevada debajo. El refugio estaba cubierto por un techo de paja empinado que se extendía por los lados abiertos. La gente usaba las vigas más bajas del tech para colgar y almacenar suministros. Con mal tiempo, colgaban pieles de animales para mantener seco el interior. Dentro de un asentamiento, los "chickees" tenían un propósito designado, como dormir, cocinar o comer.

Los Semínoles todavía construyen "chickees," pero no para usarlas como hogar. Otras tribus de Florida han utilizado estructuras similares, como los Calusa en la parte suroeste del estado. Sus chozas con techo de paja usaban diferentes métodos y, a veces, eran circulares.

Did You Know? In the early 1930s, a "tiki" trend began in the United States to mimic the tropical experience. Terms such as tiki hut, tiki torch, and tiki bar became popular. The word was taken from the native Maori culture of New Zealand, which has a mystical figure named "Tiki" and buildings with a thatched roof. Today, "tiki hut" is often used to describe a chickee, but the only real similarity is the basic shape.

¿Sabías que? A principios de la década de 1930, comenzó una tendencia "tiki" en los Estados Unidos pra imitar la experiencia tropical. Términos como tiki hut, tiki torch y tiki bar se hicieron populares. La palabra fue tomada de la cultura nativa maori de Nueva Zelanda, que tiene una figura mitica llamada "Tiki" y edificios con techo de paja. Hoy en día, "tiki hut" se usa a menudo para describir un chickee, pero la única similitud real es la forma básica.

Erected by the Florida Maritime Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Wars, US Indian.

Location. 27° 28.037′ N, 82° 40.797′ W. Marker is in Cortez, Florida, in Manatee County. It can be reached from 119th Street W. south of Cortez Road W. (Florida Highway 684), on the left when traveling south. The marker is at the Florida Maritime Museum, due east of the parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4415 119th Street W, Cortez FL 34215, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Florida’s Gulf Coast

and on Tampa Bay.

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 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Burton/Bratton Store / La Tienda de Burton/Bratton (within shouting distance of this marker); The 1890 Bratton Store / The 1912 Cortez Rural Graded Schoolhouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Robert Sailors Artistic Haven/Refugio artístico de Robert Sailors (within shouting distance of this marker); Welcome to Cortez/Bienvenido a Cortez (within shouting distance of this marker); A Century of Community/Un siglo de comunidad (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Pillsbury Boatshop/Pillsbury Tienda de Barcos (about 400 feet away); Propeller from the 1892 Steamboat 'Mistletoe' (about 400 feet away); Pillsbury Boatshop (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cortez.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 16, 2026, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 3 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 16, 2026, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota.