The Story That Brings Old Florida Back to Life
Step into a Florida most have forgotten—where cattle drives, cracker houses, and pioneer grit ruled the day. If you love the romance of bygone days and untamed landscapes, this unforgettable tale will sweep you away.
My father grew up near Lake City, small townof Lulu, the southern reaches of the Okefenokee Swamp. He was one of fourteen children, ten of whom lived past the age of five, into adulthood. They lived as described, on a farm, with cows, pigs, chickens, and by hunting, fishing, and foraging.
My mother was first generation Swedish-American who grew up in a medium sized industrial city in Central Massachusetts, Worcester. One of five children, all lived to adulthood.
They met because of WWII, when my dad was sent to Boot Camp in Bangor Maine, in DECEMBER, where he thought he might die of the cold. His best buddy there was from that same Central Massachusetts city as my mother, his fiancee was best friends with my her. They were introduced, & the rest is history.
They tried farming outside of Lake City for about three years, with one of my dad’s brothers, but when that didn’t work out, my parents settled in Worcester, raised my brother and me there.
An interesting dynamic was that my mother was a Yankee, but people eventually accepted her, even liked her, down south. Everybody loved my father in the Swedish-American community. And both grandmothers had grown up on farms, one in Sweden, and one in north central Florida, so they had that in common, if not much else.
i totally LOVED this article, in a newsletter I have followed for a long time, and will be digging into some of the books and references. Thank you!