Spring Blooming Season in Two Egg, Florida

The dogwood trees are now moving into full bloom, the annual notice that the spring blooming season is now reaching its height in Two Egg, Florida!

Across the Two Egg area, azaleas and dogwoods are coming out in full force. The unusually cold winter seems to have a good effect on most of the blooms, adding to their quality and numbers. The azaleas in particular are beginning to really explode with color.

Also out are peach trees, wildflowers, other blooming plants and even a few late peach blossoms. The grass has greened up nicely and most of the trees are now leafed out. Wth the temperatures already approaching 90, it won't be long before the hot days of summer are upon us, but for now conditions are just delightful.

To see photos of the spring blooms in Two Egg, read the popular local Easter legend about the Dogwood tree and check the Two Egg area weather forecast for the Easter weekend, please visit http://www.twoeggfla.com/

A Monster in Two Egg? Residents report seeing the "Two Egg Stump Jumper"

Two Egg, of course, has long been known for its unusual stories, including the tale of how the community got its odd name in the first place.

Witnesses in an area about seven miles northeast of the downtown crossroads, however, are telling a story that may be the strangest yet! They report they are seeing a mysterious creature that locals have taken to calling the Two Egg Stump Jumper!

Described as a "mini" Bigfoot or "hobbit" like creature, the unusual hairy animal has been seen twice by two unconnected eyewitnesses in the area of woods, swamps and ponds about one mile north of the ghost town of Old Parramore. It is said to be smaller than a human, but stands upright and runs on two legs.

The first sighting was at night. An eyewitness reports that he heard strange noises outside his home and went out to investigate, only to be started by the sight of a "pale" upright creature running away on two legs. The second sighting was in early evening and took place at a swampy area not far from Circle Hill Baptist Church. The creature this time was described as "small and standing on two legs, sort of a mini-Bigfoot."

Such stories are not new in Florida. Residents of Central and South Florida have long told of encounters with a small upright creature they call the "Skunk Ape" or "Swamp Ape." They are, however, new to the Two Egg region of Jackson County.

To learn more, please visit our new Two Egg Stump Jumper page at www.twoeggfla.com/monster.

Local Weather now online at TwoEggFla.com!

You can now check local weather information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at http://www.twoeggfla.com/!

Our new weather page is online at www.twoeggfla.com/weather. In addition to current temperatures and winds, you can view the extended forecast for the Two Egg area as well as the current Doppler weather radar and regional temperatures.

We will also add hurricane tracking maps and other useful links and data as we move closer to the beginning of hurricane season in June.

The addition of our new weather page is part of a major expansion of the website that is now taking place. We will soon be adding a Two Egg Recipes page, cemetery and church information and a new store with a variety of Two Egg souvenirs including t-shirts, caps, coffee cups and more!

Two Egg receives first snow in more than a decade!!

The cold rain that had been falling across the Two Egg area most of the day turned to heavy snow flurries at around 3:30 this afternoon. It was the first real snowfall in the community in more than ten years.

The snow continued for more than an hour and a half and forecasters say more is possible as temperatures continue to drop this evening. It was enough to create a dusting on grass and trees in the area, but quickly melted as the snow turned back to rain.

Other nearby communities reported heavier amounts. Students at Baptist College of Florida in Graceville reported heavy snow falling shortly before 3 this afternoon and by 3:30 enough had fallen for good natured snowball fights to break out across the campus. The photo at left was taken in the college's beautiful Heritage Village complex and shows snow accumulating around a restored historic church.

Snow was also reported in Marianna, Greenwood, Malone, Bascom and other communities across the area. To see more photos of the Two Egg snow, please visit www.twoeggfla.com/snow2010.

The History of Jackson County, Florida: The War Between the States is now available

I'm pleased to announce that my latest book, The History of Jackson County, Florida: The War Between the States is now available at Amazon.com. This is Volume 2 of my set on the history of Jackson County.

The book is available for immediate shipping now through Amazon and will be available at Chipola River Book and Tea next week. To order or learn more, just click the ad you see here.

At the time of the Civil War, Jackson County was one of the most prosperous and heavily populated counties in Florida. Its population was evenly divided between free and slave and was the center of a major plantation district. The book focuses on these elements, on the county's contributions to the armies of both the South and the North, on the Battle of Marianna and on less-known events such as the Battles of Port Jackson and Forks of the Creek. There is never before published information on Governor John Milton, the Jackson County resident who served as Florida's Confederate governor, and the appendices includes lists of the soldiers in all units raised in Jackson County during the war.

This is the sequel to Volume One, The History of Jackson County, Florida: The Early Years.

If you have any questions, feel free to post a comment and I'll do my best to get back with you quickly.

Old Parramore page now online at TwoEggFla.com

Just six miles by road east of downtown Two Egg can be found the site of a little known Florida ghost town.

Old Parramore was a riverboat town of the late 19th and early 20th centuries that faded away when the advent of paved highways and expanded rail lines drove the paddlewheel riverboats out of business on the Chattahoochee, Apalachicola and Flint River system. A town that at its height boasted more than 5 stores, a cotton gin, blacksmith shop, post office, gristmill, sawmill and several large turpentine stills faded away and was reclaimed by the forest from which it had been carved.

Today, very little remains other than dirt roads, cemeteries and a few surviving structures to remind visitors that Old Parramore ever existed. From a community of several thousand, it has dwindled down to a rural area populated by a few families.

The history of this old community is quite colorful and dates back for centuries. It was in this area that William Augustus Bowles, pirate and adventurer once roamed and the woods and fields around Parramore were once the lands of Lower Creek Indians led by their chief William Perryman, a veteran of the American Revolution.

To learn more, please visit www.twoeggfla.com/parramore.

Sylvania Plantation page now online at TwoEggFla.com

I've added another new page as part of the expansion of the main http://www.twoeggfla.com/ website. This one focuses on Sylvania Plantation, the home of Governor John Milton that stood less than 7 miles southwest of downtown Two Egg, Florida.

The future governor was a prosperous and successful lawyer and businessman when he arrived in Jackson County in 1847, having acquired a couple of thousand acres of land surrounding Blue Spring. The property had originally belonged to his mother's family, but Milton decided to relocate there from New Orleans following a terrible steamboat accident in which he had been severely burned by scalding hot steam.

By 1855, the plantation had grown to encompass more than 6,300 acres and Milton was also beginning to develop a second farm near today's Parramore community east of Two Egg. His holdings made him one of the most powerful men in the South and in 1860 he was elected Governor of Florida. In those days nearly one year passed between the election of a governor and his inauguration, so he did not take office until October of 1861. In the months that passed between his election and his inauguration, Florida had seceded from the Union and the War Between the States had begun.

Milton often came home to Sylvania during the war and kept his family there throughout the conflict both for their comfort and their safety. The main house was described as a long, low dwelling with a piazza extending entirely across its front. It was set in a large grove of trees, a sylvan setting from which it took its name.

Milton ended his life at Sylvania on April 1, 1865. Realizing that the Confederacy was about to fall, he had told friends that death would be preferable to defeat at the hands of the North.

To visit the new page, please go to www.twoeggfla.com/sylvania.

The Pirate of Two Egg story now online at TwoEggFla.com

The story of William Augustus Bowles is one of the most fascinating aspects of the history of the Two Egg area.

A pirate and adventurer, he operated for a time from a site just 7 miles east of downtown Two Egg and one of his treasures is rumored to be hidden at the "Money Pond" about 12 miles northeast of the crossroads at Two Egg.

Bowles came to the area when it was still a vast wilderness after being kicked out of the British army at Pensacola. He was still just a young teenage boy and was wandering aimlessly in the woods and near starving when he was rescued by a party of Indians from the Lower Creek village of Tellmochesses, one of the Perryman towns that stood 7 miles east of Two Egg near today's Parramore community.

Adopted into the Perryman family, which was descended from the English trader Theophilus Perryman and his Creek wife, Bowles married one of the Perryman daughters and rose to a position of prominence. He led Perryman warriors at the Battle of Pensacola, an important engagement of the American Revolution, and eventually went on to commission a flotilla of pirate ships that operated from the lower Apalachicola River.

Bowles' ships prowled the Gulf of Mexico where they raided Spanish and merchant ships carrying cargoes of goods and slaves. The seized property (and slaves) went upriver to the settlements of the pirate's allies, including the Perryman family, where it was either sold to Indian and white buyers or smuggled into Georgia. It was a lucrative enterprise and resulted in Bowles being celebrated today at Fort Walton Beach's Billy Bowlegs Festival.

To learn more about the Pirate of Two Egg, please visit the latest new page at the Two Egg website by clicking www.twoeggfla.com/billybowlegs.

Battle of Ekanachattee page now online at TwoEggFla.com

I have a new page online at TwoEggFla.com that might be of interest.

The little known Battle of Ekanachatte was found just 12 miles northeast of Two Egg on March 13, 1818. The battlefield is now part of Neal's Landing Park where State Highway 2 intersects with the Chattahoochee River and the Georgia line. Unfortunately, there are no markers or monuments to remind visitors of the fighting that once took place there.

The battle was part of the First Seminole War of 1817-1818. Neal's Landing was then the site of the village of Ekanachatte ("Red Ground"), an important Lower Creek town. When U.S. troops attacked the Creek village of Fowltown in what is now Decatur County, Georgia, the chief and warriors of Ekanachatte joined those from other Creek and Seminole villages in the Florida/Georgia/Alabama borderlands in a war against the United States.

On March 13, 1818, Ekanachatte was attacked by 900 Creek warriors that had allied with the United States against the Seminole and Lower Creeks alliance. Led by Brigadier General William McIntosh, the war chief of Coweta, they had traveled down the west side of the Chattahoochee River through snow and ice in order to attack the town.

To learn more about the Battle of Ekanachatte, please visit www.twoeggfla.com/ekanachattebattle. You can also read a full account in The History of Jackson County, Florida: The Early Years.

Econchattimico's Reserve page now online at www.twoeggfla.com

I have another new page up at on the main Two Egg, Florida website. This one deals with the little known Indian reservation that was located about 9 miles southeast of Two Egg during the 1820s and 1830s.

You can check it out at www.twoeggfla.com/econchattimico.

The reservation was established under the terms of the Treaty of Moultrie Creek in 1823. Econchattimico, a title which translates roughly to "Red Ground King," was the leader of a band of several hundred Lower Creeks who lived on the west side of the Chattahoochee River. The reservation, which covered 4 square miles, ran along the river from about the point where today's Butler Road intersects with River Road and then north for four miles. Much of the original site is now covered by Lake Seminole, but perhaps 25% of the actual land remains above water. The site of Econchattimico's town, Tocktoethla, however, is now beneath the lake.

The chief and his people lived on the reservation until 1838, when they were removed at gunpoint by U.S. troops led by Colonel (and later President) Zachary Taylor. They were forced west to new homes in the Indian Nations of what is now Oklahoma, despite the fact that they had been promised "permanent" possession of the lands near Two Egg.

To learn more about this unique historic site, please visit www.twoeggfla.com/econchattimico. You can also read the complete story of Econchattimico and his people in The History of Jackson County, Florida: The Early Years.

Blue Spring page online at www.twoeggfla.com

I'm working on my Two Egg, Florida website some this week and the first of a series of new pages is now online.

It focuses on Blue Spring, a Jackson County landmark for hundreds if not thousands of years. Most people don't realize it, but one of the first places in the county described by early Spanish explorers was Blue Spring. They called it "Calutoble" or "Calistoble" and marveled at its size and the clarity of the water. One, a Franciscan missionary named Rodrigo de la Barreda, noted in 1693 that herds of buffalo grazed in the prairies surrounding the spring and that bear, deer and other animals lived in the woods.

Andrew Jackson stopped at the spring in 1818, by which time it was known as the "Big Spring" of the Chipola. His army of more than 1,000 men camped there while marching from Fort Gadsden on the Apalachicola River to Pensacola.

A major Confederate camp was located at the spring in 1862-1865 and it was also a popular place for picnics, baptisms, fishing and swimming. Today it is a well-known recreation area that is open to the public in late spring and early summer.

To visit the new page, please go to www.twoeggfla.com/bluespring.

A Bit of Consumer Advice from Two Egg, Florida

I was browsing through Amazon.com today and noticed that some people and/or companies are reselling copies of my various books for some pretty astronomical prices. Here are some examples.

• Two Egg, Florida - $21.36 (Retails for $16.95)
• Battle of Marianna - $34.97 (Retails for $19.95)
• Battle of Natural Bridge -$19.75 (Retails for $19.95)
• History of Jackson County, Florida: The Early Years - $51.77 (Retails for $24.95)
• Early History of Gadsden County, Florida - $51.77 (Retails for $24.95)

Amazon provides a service that lets other firms or individuals resell books through their website. And honestly, I have no problem with anyone making a profit, but I hate the thought of a reader paying $51.77 for a book that they can buy brand new for $24.95.

If you want any of my books for Christmas gifts, I suggest you buy them from the official site at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/dalecox. Amazon now services all orders there and you can get new copies at the best price available. Signed copies of The History of Jackson County, Florida: The Early Years are also available at Chipola River Book and Tea in Downtown Marianna.

Best,

Dale Cox

Jackson County books available for Christmas

If you are looking for unique gifts this holiday season, don't forget the books Two Egg, Florida and The History of Jackson County, Florida: The Early Years.

Both are available online for immediate purchase at http://www.amazon.com/ and autographed copies are available in Marianna at Chipola River Book & Tea (on Lafayette Street, directly across from the Battle of Marianna monument).

I also expect to have news next week on the release of the second volume of the Jackson County set, which will be titled The History of Jackson County, Florida: The Civil War Years. If you would like to receive an email as soon as it is available, just drop me a note by visiting www.twoeggfla.com/contactus and I'll be glad to keep you informed.

And, if you are looking for something to do now that the cool weather of winter is spreading across the South, be sure to visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com. A sister site to this blog and to www.twoeggfla.com, it features photographs and details information on a wide array of historic sites and natural wonders in Florida and across the South!

Annual Oak Grove Homecoming in Old Parramore set for Next Weekend

The popular annual Oak Grove Homecoming in Old Parramore will take place next Sunday, October 4, 2009.

This event brings the long faded "ghost town" of Parramore back to life on the first Sunday in October of each year. Although the area was settled long before the War Between the States, the town of Parramore actually grew at the intersection of today's Oak Grove and Parramore roads during the years after the war when former soldiers and former slaves made homes for themselves in the piney woods. By 1890, Parramore had become a thriving community based on its status as an important port for the paddlewheel riverboats that then navigated the Chattahoochee River.

By the decade between 1900 and 1910, Parramore featured several stores, a sawmill, gristmill, cotton gin, blacksmith shop, post office, turpentine operations, several steamboat landings, schools, churches and more. When the riverboat traffic began to fade in the 1920s, however, the town started to fade as well. By 1950, only abandoned buildings, a scattering of families and ruins remained.

People will start gathering for the event at around 9 or 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 4th, and plans for the day include a historical discussion, special music and dinner on the grounds. I'll post more information over coming days, but the event is open to the public and anyone with an interest in the Parramore area is invited!

Confederate Veterans to be honored at Cox Reunion

This year's annual Cox Family Reunion will have a unique feature. The Theophilus West Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans will be on hand to unveil markers and pay tribute to three Confederate veterans buried at Circile Hill Cemetery.

The annual reunion takes place at the Circle Hill Baptist Church Fellowship Hall on the first Saturday after the 4th of July each year. Cox relatives from across the country and occasionally even from overseas show up to share conversation and memories.

This year's event will begin at 11:30 a.m. this Saturday with ceremonies to honor the three Confederate veterans buried at Circle Hill. One of these has never had a headstone of any kind. I'll take a closer look at all three over the coming days.

New History of Jackson County now available at Amazon.com

The History of Jackson County, Florida: Volume One is now available for online purchase at Amazon.com. The book went into national release this weekend and is now stocked by Amazon and is available for immediate delivery.

Please click here for ordering information.

This book is volume one of what will eventually be a three volume set on the history of the county. It covers events from the years from before the Civil War and covers topics such as early Spanish missions, the American Revolution in Jackson County, the First and Second Seminole Wars, the Battle of Ekanachatte, Scott's Massacre, the Ghost of Bellamy Bridge, Marianna vs. Webbville, crime and punishment, the Calhoun County War, the Trail of Tears, the early steamboat era and more.

Another recent book -The Early History of Gadsden County - is also now available at Amazon.com.

Dozier School's "Mystery Graves"

I have received many questions this week about the supposed "mystery graves" at Dozier School in Marianna. Allegations have been made that these burials might result from cases of abuse at the school for juvenile offenders.

While I have no knowledge one way or the other about the abuse claims, I do know that most if not all of the graves in the little cemetery at the school can be explained.

Ten of them date from a tragic fire that broke out in the main dormitory of the school (then the Florida Reform School) in November of 1914. An oil lamp exploded starting an accidental fire from which eight students and two employees were unable to escape. A number of other individuals, including the superintendent of the school, were injured trying to rescue them.

Twelve more graves date from the great influenza epidemic of 1918. The flu epidemic that year is believed to have been the worst outbreak in American history. An estimated 500,000 people lost their lives, including at least eleven students and one staff member at the school.

These two events, then, account for more than two-thirds of the graves in the school's little cemetery. The others are thought to be those of several boys that died between 1918 and 1949. Among these was a youth who died from illness, a 13-year-old student who was murdered by another student and a 14-year-old who died from exposure in the woods after escaping.

The cemetery is also said to contain the remains of two pet dogs and a pet peacock named Sue. They were buried there by students from the school.

The real history of the little burial ground is undeniably tragic, but at least 28 of the 31 or so graves long predate the recent allegations made by former students of the school.

Annual Christmas Lights this weekend at Three Rivers

The annual Christmas Lights Show will begin this weekend at Three Rivers State Park. Located on Highway 271 (River Road) just north of Sneads, the beautiful park borders Lake Seminole and has been part of the state park system since 1955.

If some in state government have their way, this could be the last year for Three Rivers. The state is proposing that the land on which the park is located be given back to the federal government. The move would save Florida less than $200,000 out of a state budget of more than $70 BILLION. (a budget, by the way, that has more than doubled in the last ten years). Apparently our state leaders can double their budget but no longer have the money they need to maintain Three Rivers and a number of other state parks. I encourage you to voice your opposition to this plan by writing to Gov. Crist at Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com or by contacting your local senators and representatives. You can obtain their emails and mailing addresses at http://www.myflorida.com/.

In the meantime, take the time to head out to Three Rivers this weekend to enjoy the lights. The display opens at 5 p.m. both Friday and Saturday night and continues until 7 p.m. If the state goes through with its plans, this will be your last year to enjoy the display.

Special Holiday Sale on Books by Dale Cox

If you would like to purchase any of my books as Christmas gifts this year, you might consider a special online sale taking place for the next three days (Nov. 28th, 29th and 30th).

The prices on all books are reduced and this will be the only sale of this holiday season. Delivery is guaranteed in time for Christmas.

The sale is now over, but please click here for current prices on my books.

Here is a list of the books included in the sale:

• Two Egg, Florida
• The History of Jackson County, Florida: Volume One
• The Battle of Marianna, Florida
• The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida
• The Early History of Gadsden County
• The Battle of Massard Prairie, Arkansas

Happy Thanksgiving from Two Egg, Florida!

Just a note to night to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope that you each have time to spend with family or friends, but even if you don't, please remember that we all are blessed in ways beyond comprehension.

This time of year always helps me remember just how fortunate I am to be from this wonderful little corner of America. No matter the difficulties we all face from day to day, and I know that for many people they are many, we are all fortunate as well. God has blessed us with a wonderful country, a beautiful state and a heritage in which we can all take pride.

My God bless you this Thanksgiving. May He lighten your load, remind you of good memories and surround you with love and protection.

Dale Cox

2008