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Wildlife Wednesday – Bobcat

In today’s installment of Wildlife Wednesday we will discuss one of our favorite residents, the Florida bobcat (Felidae rufus Floridanus). This interesting creature is the smaller of two large predatory cat species that inhabit Florida. It is also one of…

Miccosukee Village at CMNC Groundbreaking

Indian Fields

The first chickee in our historic Miccosukee village replica was built today by Huggins & Osceola Enterprises. A private donor requested a Miccosukee saying instead of a sign in honor of their donation. This chickee is named; Che-hun-tamo which is…

The Tatum Rawls House

Tatum House

by Missy Brewer, who gratefully acknowledges Spessard Stone’s contribution of data on the life of Laura Fredonia Redd. The c.1889 Tatum-Rawls House at Crowley is one of the oldest examples of pioneer Florida architecture still standing in Sarasota County. The building is…

Jasper Crowley – An Introduction

Jasper Crowley

Crowley, Jasper (William Jasper), 1900-1976  Jasper Crowley, grandson of pioneer settler John Crowley, donated Crowley lands to the community in 1974. Jasper was a teacher at the Old Miakka one-room Schoolhouse from 1931-1943. In those days, people lived on enough land to keep a garden and some…

Miakka or Myakka?

Which spelling is correct? The answer is not simple. Background: According to 16th century Spanish Mission reports, an indigenous hunter/gatherers tribe along the St.Johns River called themselves the Mayaca. Since they had no written language, there was no specific spelling…