Site of First Houston Homestead

Site of First Houston Homestead. . The first hickory log cabin built by John C. Houston, original settler of Eau Gallie, was erected in this area. Houston came here in 1859 with his older sons and 10 slaves. He had served in the U.S. Army during the Seminole Indian wars and had been stationed at an army fort in Enterprise., When the large cabin was completed (Houston had 8 children), the pioneer went to get his family. It took 3 weeks to drive the covered wagons and the herd of cattle and horses from Enterprise to the new home site. , Houston made friends with the Seminole Indians living in the area and they exchanged otter skins, alligator hides and fresh wild pork for sugar, coffee and other items the new settlers offered. , Having no fishing tackle, the Houston family built a skiff and found that by burning a torch in a bucket of sand and poling around in the creek, the fish, intrigued by the light, would jump into the boat. , The Houstons grew sugar cane, rice and their own vegetables. They had a sugar cane mill (oxen powered) and a "salt mine" south of their home at what is now known as Sunny Point.