Eva Stroud
reporter@greenepublishing.com
Ichetucknee Springs, located in Fort White Fla., is beloved by everyone and is full of wonderful history. The word “Ichetucknee” is an Indian word that means “beaver pond.” Villagers located close to the mouth of Ichetucknee decided on the name for Ichetucknee Springs, which meant “place of the beavers”.
The Ichetucknee Springs runs for about six miles and gives close to 233 million gallons of spring water to the Santa Fe River.
Ichetucknee Springs used to be a place where people could live. After the Civil War, it received a dramatic increase of settlers. It was when Fort White was still considered a wild frontier, when the small community was incorporated in 1870. The community continued to grow and progress over time, so by 1884, Ichetucknee had its own post office, grist mill and smithy. The Ichetucknee River was the life blood of the communities and settlers. One of the families who resided there was the Dampier family. They came frequently to the river banks to swim, bathe, hunt, fish and worship. This area continued to grow over time and it wasn't long before it flourished with new industries such as; phosphate-mining, citrus, cotton and railroad commerce.
Ichetucknee Springs soon had over 2,000 residents. Life there for them was good, as far as anyone knows, and they lived in peace. Those who resided there continued to live there and build upon it. However, in 1970, people no longer lived along the Ichetucknee River. The State of Florida had bought the springs from the Loncala Corporation and had turned Ichetucknee Springs into a state park to preserve one of the state's outstanding natural wonders.