Florida History: The real origin of “Florida Cracker”
Readers: Is the crack of the whip near the ear of a stubborn cow the origin of "Florida Cracker?"
About 20 miles east of Lake Wales, just up the road from Highway 60, Lake Kissimmee State Park recreated an 1876 cow camp in the heart of Central Florida.
A decade after the Civil War, Florida was sparsely populated, made dirt poor by conflict and defeat. Tourism and citrus hadn't yet overtaken the cattle industry, which had started in the 16th century with the original Spanish explorers and their Andalusia cows.
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Nearly 150 years later, Florida ranks 13th in beef cows and 18th in total cattle, with 1.63 million head as of 2018.
In the reenactment, characters with names such as Rooster and Skeeter, drink black coffee from tin cups, pump water by hand, stretch out in rope-and-log beds and whine about their $1.50-a-day pay.
For centuries, cows were not shepherded herds. They were "free range." Florida had no fences. But it did have cow hunters.
A team ranging from one person to 25 would work through the trees and scrub, riding a lithe "marsh tackie,'' a diminutive horse bred in Spain to be lean and sure-footed.
The whip rarely touched the cow; usually it just gave the animal a little encouragement. Legend says the crack of the whip is the source of the nickname "cracker," although many old-time Floridians now complain the term has become derogatory.
The hunters would round up maybe 500 to 700 dogies, then get them across the Kissimmee River valley in an arduous 45-day journey from Okeechobee to Paynes Prairie, south of Gainesville.
From there, some cows were fattened before being loaded onto trains for slaughterhouses in Georgia or other northern destinations. The rest were herded down to the docks at Punta Rassa, north of Fort Myers, where they were loaded onto barges for Cuba, where a healthy cow brought $6 to $14, a pretty price at the time. $14 in 1876 is about $340 now.
Reenactments are on weekends, Oct. 1 through May 1, except Christmas. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, check with the park to see if all features are open. (863) 696-1112.
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From a reader: Hi Eliot, I loved your article on the names of airports! As a frequent traveler I used to memorize the symbols. I always thought of MCO as Mickey Mouse! Having lived in Panama City Beach for 15 years, I can tell you the name of the Airport was much debated. Whoever you spoke to did not know what they were talking about! ECP stands for Emerald Coast Panama City. The Emerald Coast is Destin. The airport was built in far western Bay County, almost on the line with Walton. Easy access to both Panama City Beach and Destin. Thanks for the fun! - Linda Z., Palm Beach
Eliot Kleinberg has been a staff writer for the past three decades at The Palm Beach Post in West Palm Beach, and is the author of 10 books about Florida (www.ekfla.com). Florida Time is a product of GateHouse Media and publishes online in their 22 Florida markets including Jacksonville, Fort Walton Beach, Daytona Beach, Lakeland, Sarasota and West Palm Beach. Submit your questions, comments or memories to FloridaTime@Gatehousemedia.com. Include your full name and hometown. Sorry; no personal replies.