Homosassa history will spring to life

A discussion among the people involved in the state park from its beginning is one of the highlights of Old-Timers' Day on Saturday.

By JORGE SANCHEZ
© St. Petersburg Times,
published November 16, 2001

Saturday's Old-Timers' Day at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park will feature an oral history discussion from the employees who helped build the state park and from longtime residents of Old Homosassa.

[Times photo: Ron Thompson] Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park spokeswoman Susan Dougherty, left, and volunteer Irene Esnard Ivory put together display boards of old park photos for display at Saturday's reunion. They hope to learn who many of the people in the photos are.

Now in its third year, the event brings in people who were with the park through its past, which included its origins as a commercially operated attraction.

"It's a real nice kind of reunion atmosphere," said Susan Dougherty, the park's public relations director.

In the 1980s the park was known as Homosassa Springs Nature World and was a commercially owned business. Then it was purchased by the County Commission in an effort to preserve its wetlands and then later purchased for about $3.4-million by the state.

Dougherty said some of the guests on Saturday will include people who worked to build the park from the beginning.

"There will be people here who helped dredge out Pepper Creek and build the walkways in the park," she said.

Pepper Creek is the waterway that takes park visitors from the Visitors Center on U.S. 19 to the park entrance off Fishbowl Drive. The Visitors Center was once a restaurant.

The keynote speaker to the Old-Timers' Day will be Dessie Smith Prescott, a local folklorist who is best known for being a housemate and friend of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. She will speak about her early childhood memories of Homosassa and Crystal River, Dougherty said.

"Then, we'll just pass the mike around and different people will be able to share their stories," Dougherty said. "It gets pretty interesting because one person will start a story, and be unable to remember all the details, but someone else will be able to remember the rest."

In addition to the oral history program, the Friends of the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park will have an exhibit, another display will show historic photos of the park and of Old Homosassa and a special Fish Bowl cake designed by park manager Tom Linley and staffer Evelyn Astore will be served.

The Old-Timers' Day is part of an ongoing effort to document the park's history, Dougherty said.

"We have a lot of photos and history, but some of these folks certainly help fill in the gaps."

The program will be held at the Garden of the Springs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Normal park admission prices apply, but former employers and their families are admitted free. Call Dougherty at 628-5343 to register for free admission.

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