By VERNA BROCK
Did you know “Wakulla Station” is really “Wakulla”? Despite the preferences of longtime residents, “old-timers” if you will, people stopped calling my little neighborhood just plain Wakulla. Long before I moved here nearly 50 years ago, folks wanted to differentiate between the county and the town, ergo the addition of Station to the common verbiage. Observant drivers have surely noticed the green place name sign erected along the roadside that simply reads “Wakulla.” There’s a reason for that, we are actually not Wakulla Station. At least, not officially.
That brings us to the obvious question…what town? Believe it or not Wakulla was a bustling little town with at least two large establishments for travelers who were traveling on the train (now the Rails to Trails State Park). It had a post office all its own, and several different stores for the community. Have you ever noticed the four odd pillars just north of Savannah’s Restaurant? Those pillars are the remnants of the original (and now long gone) post office. The train stopped once a day on its route to deliver mail to the post office, and to the community at large.
There were many more homes in the community than there are now. When my house was built, nearly 100 years ago, the Woodville Highway was a two-rut road, and “Old” Woodville Road was the main street. There was no electricity, and no indoor plumbing. People would travel over the rough road to get to the coast, to enjoy the beach, to fish, to visit friends and family. It was a real adventure, and not a quick one.
Folks were used to a slower pace, and enjoyed the ride. For many, there was a family tradition of stopping for hand-dipped ice cream at Rodgers’ Store (now “Sandy Bottoms”). There are still places in Franklin County where you can stop for ice cream on your ride to and from the beach!
Even in the 1970s, the 11-mile road from Hwy. 98 in Newport to the St. Marks Lighthouse was so rough it took more than an hour to traverse its cavernous potholes. There still stands a rickety forestry fire tower near the entrance to Lighthouse Road. I know it was manned well into the 1980s. Now abandoned, it is surrounded by fencing to prevent adventurous young people from attempting to scale its heights. It once served rangers who kept lonely vigil, swaying in the wind, on lookout for fires in the National Forest. The adjacent living quarters for ranger families have been gone for so long, you’d hardly know it ever existed.
Built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC), it stands 100 feet tall and has over 120 steps to the office. As a young woman, working for the Manpower Officer as a CETA youth counselor in 1978, I had the distinct pleasure of climbing to the lofty heights of the tower. I needed to see the working environment for the two high school students who would be working with the ranger when classes were done.
There are two memories that will stay with me forever. First, it was a much longer and precarious climb than anticipated (swaying in the wind!); and second, the spectacular view was unbelievable. As always seems to happen in such encounters, every detail is etched in my mind. The sound of the wind whistling around the tower, the ranger and the student, both amused by my breathlessness (remember the 120-plus steps) and awe, the seemingly endless horizons surrounding us, and the sparse furnishings in the tiny space all made a profound impact. After discussing job duties and responsibilities, I had to turn around and descend the steps to terra firma once more. I was both thrilled to have seen it, and in no hurry to repeat the experience.
Modern technology has reshaped the management of wildfires, though a few towers continue to function across Florida. The Florida Forestry Department now falls under the aegis of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, but fire management continues as a vital service for residents and farmers alike. The use of fire towers may be declining, but what a great benefit they provided for nearly 100 years!
Even as I write this, North Carolina is fighting wildfires, California continues to smolder, states in the Northeast watch in horror as fires erupt in the most unlikely and dangerous places. Florida has certainly not been immune from wildfires over the years, so every tool in the shed is valuable. I hope the powers that be will keep our remaining towers functional.
Please continue to give prayerful support to people dealing with tragedy and catastrophes here and abroad. Peace and prosperity are much desired by all peoples. Let us join together for that end.
