By WILLIAM SNOWDEN
Editor
The Wakulla County Historical Society held its annual meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the Shriner’s Club.
Vernita Mack was given the Anne Quick Stewart Award as the society’s volunteer of the year. In presenting the award, Secretary Arlene Vause noted that Mack has worked two days a week for the past three years at the historical society’s museum.
New president Andrea Carter noted the many accomplishments of the historical society, while noting it is a volunteer-run organization.
The historical society operates the museum in the old jail with different exhibits and programs; the Heritage Village in the north part of the county includes a couple of historic buildings and has applied for a grant to construct a walking trail on the property; the Richardson Cemetery was recently purchased by the historic society which has made improvements to the property and used ground-penetrating radar to identify previously unmarked graves.
The society also publishes a Quarterly and participates in Wakulla Wonderful, a founders day festival celebrated on March 8.
Local historian Allen Gerrell presented a program on coastal saltworks during the Civil War, noting that salt was the primary means of preserving meat at that time. It was so important that the Confederate Conscription Act of 1862 exempted saltworkers.
Those workers, though, had to generate 22 bushels of salt per day – which is 50 pounds of fine salt.
Wakulla’s salt was high prized, and there were saltworks all around the coast – Goose Creek and Mashes Sands were two locations mentioned as they were raided by Union forces manning the naval blockade.
