Matanzas 5/3/08

Matanzas pass was really cool. I learned so much and took a ton of notes! The women greeted us in this small little house and had cookies and lemonade for us. They told us a lot of the history and then we walked on the trail. I was not too impressed with it, however. The history was great, but the path seemed to just have Mangroves. Anywho, I thought I'd put my comprehensive notes on this post.

I. Calusa Indians-first people
-Mounds
-Layered room
-Massacre is Matanzas in Spanish.
II.Koreshans- Believed we lived INSIDE the earth
-Museum
-Commune-style living
-Cyrus Read Teed was believed to be the Messaiah
III. Bridges
A. 1921-wooden bridge
--washed out by hurricane in 1926
B.1928-Second Bridge
--San Carlos Blvd.
III.Depression and Rebirth!
A. 1929-Depression
B.1950's-expand
C.1934-Estero Blvd. electricity!
D.1936-silent film
--pay for second half!
IV. Schools and chapels
A.1937-First School!
--40 people max.
--open for ten years
--three grades in each room
B. 1948-second school
--under 200 students
C. Chapel By the Sea
--Nautical themed
--Fish or bird stainglass windows
V.Commercial Fishing
--Mullet
--December is their spawning season
--They live in Grassbeds- Japan/Roe
--Early '90's-Ban on Net fishing
--Pollution killed grassbeds, and Mullet are vegetarians. It also killed clams, quahogs.
--Mangroves andoysters filter the water.
--turn off the lights for turtles
--DDT powder was used to kill mosquitos
--no aerial spraying
--1950=shrimp ("pink gold")
VI. Library
--"Lending Library"
--Super small
--now a bright yellow souvenir shop
VII. Here
--built in 1921
--wood=no insulation and NO MOLD
VIII. Other Critters
--Black Crown Night Heron
--Manatee
--Ibus (Red is not native)