Christmas of 1837, in the wilds of central Florida, was neither merry nor peaceful. Since 1835 the United States had been in conflict with local Native American tribes in what would become known as the Second Seminole War. The tale of the road to war followed a similar narrative as most other conflicts between natives and the U.S. Government. In a nutshell it went something like this…the United States takes possession of native lands (i.e. Florida), white settlers soon seek to move onto these lands, inevitable violence ensues, the tribes eventually “agree” to move onto a reservation, the settlers decide they now want that land too, the natives resist removal, armed conflict erupts once again. Fortunes had ebbed and flowed for both sides by the winter of 1837, with the natives gaining the initiative early on and the U.S. Army slowly overwhelming them as more time passed.

Supplies, of course, were of utmost importance to the army in this remote and wild theater of war. So it was that, on the 17th of December 1837, General Thomas S. Jesup ordered a detachment of over 2,000 regulars and volunteers to move south from Fort Mellon (today’s Sanford) to construct a depot. Over the next week this force cut their way through the Florida wilderness, constructing roads and bridges as they went. On December 25th they picked a spot alongside a small creek and began to construct a walled supply post. Made of pine, the stockade of the small outpost measured 80 feet square with two 20-foot square blockhouses located at opposite corners. Inside was a small powder magazine and a storehouse. Eighty men would eventually garrison the post. The work was completed in just two days and the depot was named Fort Christmas, as that was when work had begun on the site. The fort, however, didn’t last long. The primary theater of the war was moving to the south end of the Florida peninsula and so the decision was made to move supplies by sea rather than overland. After only three months of duty, Fort Christmas was abandoned in March 1838. The Second Seminole War raged for nearly four more years, ending with the almost complete eradication of native peoples on the Florida peninsula. Barely three years after the formal end to the war, in 1845, Florida became the nations 27th state.

Nature quickly reclaimed the site of the fort for a time but, by the mid to late 1800’s, new settlements had spread across the interior of the state with agriculture and ranching dominating the local economy. In 1930 a 10-acre parcel of land was donated to Orange County, approximately one mile south of where Fort Christmas once stood. Designated Fort Christmas Historical Park, a pavilion was soon added to the property thanks to the Civilian Conservation Corps. Over the years additional land has been added to the park, which now encompasses nearly 150-acres. In celebration of the United States bicentennial (1976) the county, along with the Army Corps of Engineers, proposed plans to build a full-size replica of Fort Christmas at the site. In December of 1977, exactly 140 years to the month after the original fort was built, work was completed on the reconstruction. The fort was only the beginning though. In the 1990’s there was growing interest in creating a living history settlement at the historical park as well. The result, 30 years later, is a wonderful collection of over a dozen historic structures which have been moved to the site from the surrounding area.

The following album depicts the walking tour I took of Fort Christmas Historical Park, fittingly, over the holiday season of 2019. The park is open daily and most structures are available to walk inside of, with costumed interpreters helping depict life in the “pioneer” days of central Florida. Perhaps the best surprise was that admission was completely FREE! I hope, however, that after you see with what care the park is maintained and, through countless interpretive signs and brochures, how thorough and dedicated the people who operate it are…you won’t hesitate to leave an appropriate donation. Each of the structures located at the site (as of this writing) are pictured within the album. I have admittedly cheated a bit in describing each however. So extensive and well-written was the information displayed on park placards, I decided to simply transcribe what you would actually see were you at the park reading them yourself. With that said, it’s now my pleasure to invite you along on a tour Fort Christmas Historical Park of Orange County, Florida. As I’m sure you’ll see, it’s of one of the finest little historical sites you could hope to visit…and, as always…ENJOY!!

Fort Christmas Historical Park, FL (12-31-19)

Woods House (ca. 1927)
"Thomas Jefferson Woods, born in 1896, was the son of Francis Jackson Woods and Emma Matilda Savage. In 1927 he and his wife, Katie, were living in a palmetto-thached lean-to, struggling to complete the house in time for the birth of their first child, Nellie. The house originally had three rooms, a large front room and two bedrooms with porches on three sides. Later they enclosed areas of the porch to make bedrooms. They removed the walls between the original bedrooms to make a large kitchen-dining room...This house has an exhibit of fine photographs and artifacts reflecting the hunting, fishing, and trapping of Fort Christmas pioneer life." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Woods House (ca. 1927)
"Thomas Jefferson Woods, born in 1896, was the son of Francis Jackson Woods and Emma Matilda Savage. In 1927 he and his wife, Katie, were living in a palmetto-thached lean-to, struggling to complete the house in time for the birth of their first child, Nellie. The house originally had three rooms, a large front room and two bedrooms with porches on three sides. Later they enclosed areas of the porch to make bedrooms. They removed the walls between the original bedrooms to make a large kitchen-dining room...This house has an exhibit of fine photographs and artifacts reflecting the hunting, fishing, and trapping of Fort Christmas pioneer life." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Woods House (ca. 1927)
"Thomas Jefferson Woods, born in 1896, was the son of Francis Jackson Woods and Emma Matilda Savage. In 1927 he and his wife, Katie, were living in a palmetto-thached lean-to, struggling to complete the house in time for the birth of their first child, Nellie. The house originally had three rooms, a large front room and two bedrooms with porches on three sides. Later they enclosed areas of the porch to make bedrooms. They removed the walls between the original bedrooms to make a large kitchen-dining room...This house has an exhibit of fine photographs and artifacts reflecting the hunting, fishing, and trapping of Fort Christmas pioneer life." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Wheeler-Bass House (ca. 1905)
"Built by Jim Wheeler in the early 1900's, this small house began as a barn. It was converted to a home shortly after its completion. Early rural homes did not have glass windows. Board shutters were opened to allow entry of light and air circulation. Batten strips were usually placed over the joints in the board siding to seal the building. Notice on this structure narrow wooden shingles were used instead of batten strips. The house reflects the family home where the man works as a day laborer for a large citrus grove owner. The family owned six acres, planted a garden and raised livestock for their own consumption." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Wheeler-Bass House (ca. 1905)
"Built by Jim Wheeler in the early 1900's, this small house began as a barn. It was converted to a home shortly after its completion. Early rural homes did not have glass windows. Board shutters were opened to allow entry of light and air circulation. Batten strips were usually placed over the joints in the board siding to seal the building. Notice on this structure narrow wooden shingles were used instead of batten strips. The house reflects the family home where the man works as a day laborer for a large citrus grove owner. The family owned six acres, planted a garden and raised livestock for their own consumption." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Wheeler-Bass House (ca. 1905)
"Built by Jim Wheeler in the early 1900's, this small house began as a barn. It was converted to a home shortly after its completion. Early rural homes did not have glass windows. Board shutters were opened to allow entry of light and air circulation. Batten strips were usually placed over the joints in the board siding to seal the building. Notice on this structure narrow wooden shingles were used instead of batten strips. The house reflects the family home where the man works as a day laborer for a large citrus grove owner. The family owned six acres, planted a garden and raised livestock for their own consumption." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Chicken Coop
The partial view of the pioneer settlement from alongside the chicken coop (which I don't think needs any explanation as to its use). Front to back on the left is the Wood House and Beehead Ranch House. On the right is the Simmons III House.
Simmons III House (ca. 1915)
"George Simmons, born in 1867 and his sister, Martha Simmons, born in 1872, were both children of George and Ann Simmons. They never married and remained on the family farm, caring for their father and mother in their final years. After his father's death in 1912, George began constructing a new house just to the southwest of the old place. This house had a center living room with end bedrooms and a separate kitchen and dining room. The separate kitchen allowed the house to remain cooler in the heat of summer. Also, since most house fires started in the kitchen where the cook stove burned firewood, it also provided a measure of safety against the spread of fire to the main house." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Simmons III House (ca. 1915)
"George Simmons, born in 1867 and his sister, Martha Simmons, born in 1872, were both children of George and Ann Simmons. They never married and remained on the family farm, caring for their father and mother in their final years. After his father's death in 1912, George began constructing a new house just to the southwest of the old place. This house had a center living room with end bedrooms and a separate kitchen and dining room. The separate kitchen allowed the house to remain cooler in the heat of summer. Also, since most house fires started in the kitchen where the cook stove burned firewood, it also provided a measure of safety against the spread of fire to the main house." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Simmons III House (ca. 1915)
"George Simmons, born in 1867 and his sister, Martha Simmons, born in 1872, were both children of George and Ann Simmons. They never married and remained on the family farm, caring for their father and mother in their final years. After his father's death in 1912, George began constructing a new house just to the southwest of the old place. This house had a center living room with end bedrooms and a separate kitchen and dining room. The separate kitchen allowed the house to remain cooler in the heat of summer. Also, since most house fires started in the kitchen where the cook stove burned firewood, it also provided a measure of safety against the spread of fire to the main house." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Simmons III House (ca. 1915)
"George Simmons, born in 1867 and his sister, Martha Simmons, born in 1872, were both children of George and Ann Simmons. They never married and remained on the family farm, caring for their father and mother in their final years. After his father's death in 1912, George began constructing a new house just to the southwest of the old place. This house had a center living room with end bedrooms and a separate kitchen and dining room. The separate kitchen allowed the house to remain cooler in the heat of summer. Also, since most house fires started in the kitchen where the cook stove burned firewood, it also provided a measure of safety against the spread of fire to the main house." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Fort Christmas Pond
A small pond is located just west of the pioneer settlement, with the Wheeler-Bass House and Simmons III House being the closest (right, out of frame)...
Florida Sugarcane
"Sugarcane is a crop that can be grown throughout Florida. In most areas of the state it is grown only as a hobby crop for syrup production or as a source of 'chewing cane'. In south Florida, along the shores of Lake Okeechobee, sugarcane is grown commercially for the production of crystal or 'white' sugar. Florida is the nationa's largest producer of cane sugar accounting for one in every five teaspoons consumed...Each stalk of sugarcane contains 30 teaspoons of sugar, six teaspoons of molasses, a quart of water, and six ounces of solid fuel called bagasse. Every portion of the sugarcane stalk is used. It takes roughly 205 stalks of sugarcane per year to fulfill one person's intake of sugar. At 30,000 stalks per acre, one acre would supply sugar for roughly 146 Americans for a year." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Fort Christmas Historical Park
The partial view of the pioneer settlement from near the pond. Left to right is the Simmons III House, the Beehead Ranch House, and the Brown House...
Brown House (ca. 1900)
"Ephriam Legrand Brown built this house in 1900. Mr. Brown was born in Americus, Georgia in 1859 and came to Florida at the age of sixteen. He worked as a surveyor. In 1882 he married Julia Roberts of the Roberts' Plantation on Lake Mills. He purchased a 40-acre parcel of land where he built a log home and planted an orange grove. When the log home was destroyed by fire, the family lived in the barn while a new home was built. He used the charred, but sound timbers from the log home for the floor joists in this building. Citrus trees planted by Mr. Brown bore fruit until the freeze of 1985. In that year the Brown family was recognized by the Florida D.O.A as a pioneer farm family under the One Hundred Year Farm Family Program." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Brown House (ca. 1900)
"Ephriam Legrand Brown built this house in 1900. Mr. Brown was born in Americus, Georgia in 1859 and came to Florida at the age of sixteen. He worked as a surveyor. In 1882 he married Julia Roberts of the Roberts' Plantation on Lake Mills. He purchased a 40-acre parcel of land where he built a log home and planted an orange grove. When the log home was destroyed by fire, the family lived in the barn while a new home was built. He used the charred, but sound timbers from the log home for the floor joists in this building. Citrus trees planted by Mr. Brown bore fruit until the freeze of 1985. In that year the Brown family was recognized by the Florida D.O.A as a pioneer farm family under the One Hundred Year Farm Family Program." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Smokehouse
Looking at the replica smokehouse, with the Beehead Ranch House beyond to the left and the Simmons II House partially visible to the right...
Yates House (ca. 1890's)
"John Burl (Bud) Yates, born in 1875 and Polly Canada, born in 1874, lived on the John Burrell Yates' homestead, located on Taylor Creek when they first married. They converted an old shed into living quarters and prepared meals on a 'cook stand' in the open. They homesteaded the property where they built this one room house and lived a simple life off the land. They herded cattle, raised livestock, hunted deer, turkey and wild hogs, and always had a garden. In early times the kitchen was on the front porch. Polly's sons added the kitchen in the rear of her house after her husband died in 1923. The gray, marl clay for the original stick and mud chimney came from a local clay pit in the Taylor Creek area." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Yates House (ca. 1890's)
"John Burl (Bud) Yates, born in 1875 and Polly Canada, born in 1874, lived on the John Burrell Yates' homestead, located on Taylor Creek when they first married. They converted an old shed into living quarters and prepared meals on a 'cook stand' in the open. They homesteaded the property where they built this one room house and lived a simple life off the land. They herded cattle, raised livestock, hunted deer, turkey and wild hogs, and always had a garden. In early times the kitchen was on the front porch. Polly's sons added the kitchen in the rear of her house after her husband died in 1923. The gray, marl clay for the original stick and mud chimney came from a local clay pit in the Taylor Creek area." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Simmons II House (ca. 1870's)
"George Washington Simmons and Ann McDougald Simmons were married at Silver Springs in 1856. They soon moved to the Orlando area where they lived near Curry's Ford for a number of years. Then in 1873 they settled at Taylor Creek near Fort Christmas on the Henry Hodges improvement. They moved there with eight of their nine children, ranging in ages from fourteen to newborn. Their oldest daughter, not quite sixteen, had already married. The family farmed the land and raised livestock. This one room house represents the simplest of structures, which was added to throughout the years by connecting rooms with covered porches or breezeways." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Simmons II House (ca. 1870's)
"George Washington Simmons and Ann McDougald Simmons were married at Silver Springs in 1856. They soon moved to the Orlando area where they lived near Curry's Ford for a number of years. Then in 1873 they settled at Taylor Creek near Fort Christmas on the Henry Hodges improvement. They moved there with eight of their nine children, ranging in ages from fourteen to newborn. Their oldest daughter, not quite sixteen, had already married. The family farmed the land and raised livestock. This one room house represents the simplest of structures, which was added to throughout the years by connecting rooms with covered porches or breezeways." -- copied from site interpretive signage
Fort Christmas Historical Park
One last look at (most of) the historic buildings comprising the pioneer settlement at Fort Christmas Historical Park...from left to right in this shot are: the Brown House, Smokehouse, Simmons III House, Chicken Coop, Wheeler-Bass House, Woods House, Beehead Ranch House, and Simmons II House.

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Fort Christmas Historical Park, FL

Fort Christmas Historical Park, FL (12-31-19)