The
Indians
The Port of Apalachicola did not exist until President
James Monroe appointed a port collector in 1822. Before that time the area around the
mouth of the Apalachicola River had been occupied by Indians for some 10,000 years.
The Indians came to eat oysters. There are Indian mounds west of town at "11
Mile," back of town in the Magnolia cemetery area, and in Eastpoint. The shell mounds
served as religious and burial sites. Indian mounds may also be found up the Mississippi
River and throughout the Southeastern United States.
The primary reason why there was no settlement at the river's mouth until 1821-1822 was
because the lands at the mouth of the river were isolated from the hinterland by a large
network of bayous and swamps. The river also empties into a shallow bay.
The Apalachicola River Indians probably came into contact with the first European
expedition to reach the general vicinity of the river: the ill-fated Narvaes expedition of
1528 into Apalachee country. Apalachee country was east of Apalachicola River country. The members of the Narvaes expedition killed their horses at a place
called the Bay of Horses and used the skins for water bottles before building small boats
and sailing toward the Southwest. The account of the DeSoto expedition tells of finding
remnants of the Narvaes expedition on the coast. The Bay of Horses was probably somewhere
around the St. Marks and Ochlockonee Bay area, near the head of Apalachicola Bay.
The name "Apalachicola" comes from the Indians and apparently described a ridge
of earth produced by sweeping the ground in preparation for a council or peace fire. Such
an area might be translated as an area of peaceful people or people on the other side.
"Land of the friendly people" might be taken as a broad interpretation of the
word. It was spelled with two "p"s in the Act of the Legislative Council of the
Territory of Florida in 1821 which named the town.
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George L.
Chapel
Apalachicola Historical Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 75
Apalachicola, Florida 32329
Reprinted by Permission
Chapter 1 - The Indians
Chapter 2 - The Spanish
Chapter 3 - The English
Chapter 4 - Scottish Traders
Chapter 5 - The United States
Chapter 6 - The Settlements
Chapter 7 - Apalachicola
Chapter 8 - The Civil War
Chapter 9 - Cypress
Chapter 10 - World War II
Chapter 11 - Seafood
Selected BibliographyGeorge L. Chapel Is a local Historian.
He has kindly given us his permission to re-produce his
volumes local history about Apalachicola, St. George Island, Carrabelle, Eastpoint and the
rest of Franklin County. Known now as Forgotten Florida |
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