History

The History of the Everglades.

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History Details

The Everglades were first established in 1947 in an effort to conserve their natural landscape and delicate ecosystem. In the years before, water flowed freely from the Kissimmee River to Lake Okeechobee, eventually reaching the Florida Bay. This slow moving "river" covered over 11,000 square miles, forming some of the infamous canoe trails and estuaries that dot the park today. But to early colonial settlers, the water was more bothersome than beautiful. This was land they considered to be valuable space to farm, and by the early 1900s, a draining process was begun to convert the wetlands into farm land. Unfortunately, the results were horribly damaging and close to irreversible. Because the Everglades are so unique, strong conservation efforts have been made to restore and protect them. While the Everglades gained interest from the public because of their ecosystem, there's a deep human history as well. Many groups have traveled well into the Everglades, exploring its rich lands by boat and foot and making use of the natural wonder that lies under the mangrove hammocks. Check out more about the history of the Everglades here: https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/historyculture/people.htm

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