OCALA, Fla. – During the 1800′s life as we’ve learned was very different, especially during times of war. It was during that era the Seminole Wars took place in Florida.
Today, the city of Ocala is telling the story of how soldiers and tribal members lived among each other and fought at Fort King’s National Historic Park. The park is home to a replica of the fort used during the Seminole Wars and where the Dade massacre took place.
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The replica was built four years ago and is the exact size of the original fort.
“The fort construction itself is 162 feet by 152 feet long. The palisade walls are the original 16-foot-tall of what the fort would’ve been when it existed here in 1837,” Bill Rodriguez said. “Fort King was the most interior fort in all of Florida at the time of the Seminole Wars. This was the first time they came this far inland.”
The structure includes two block houses, where soldiers stood watch. These homes are 15-feet by 15-feet, and sit at opposite corners of the fort.
"One of our biggest purposes of reconstructing Fort King is to have as a destination historic landmark and we want it to be an educational tool for everybody," Rodriguez said.
Once every year, a large reenactment is put together to showcase what life was like from the 1830′s to the 1840′s.
“We’ll have folks that are demonstrating how to build a shelter, how to start a fire,” Rodriguez said. “The demonstrations include everything from cooking to historical talks, pottery making, gun making and just everyday life of not just the soldiers but the Seminoles and the sutlers that surrounded themselves around the fort to provide goods to the military.”
Families will also be able to learn what merchants had to offer during the reenactment.
“The Indians lived in the woods; they hunted, that was something they had surplus of and they would use it to trade for things like guns, knives, cookware,” Robert Wilson, who plays a sutler said. “So, I could make profit with the Indians and I could also sell things to the soldiers, too. They had a surplus of hides such as raccoons, deer, bear, panther and red wolf. That were then sent back to Europe to make leather.”
If you’re interested in taking a trip to the past and learning about early Florida living you’ll be happy to know that admission to the park is free. The park is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.