Friends of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges
  • Home
    • Current News
  • About
    • About Friends >
      • Who We Are
      • What We Do
      • Current News
      • Contact Us
    • About the Refuges >
      • Our Refuges
      • Places of Interest
      • Hunting Brochure
  • Join
    • Donate
  • Maps
    • Paddling Guides
    • Refuge Maps
    • Trail Brochures
    • Places of Interest
  • Wildlife
    • Science
  • Hunt & Fish
    • Hunting
    • FWS Hunting Brochure
    • Fishing
  • Search
  • Store
    • Shirts
    • Hats
    • Books
    • Earrings
    • Gift Donation
    • On Sale

An Afternoon at Vista

12/9/2022

0 Comments

 
About 30 Friends members and visitors enjoyed an afternoon of meandering around the Vista property and taking photos.

We met at the River Trail parking area. Friends president Debbie Meeks presented an brief overview of the history of the property and of future plans for it.

Friends member Bob McKinstry, whose father was the Land and Timber Manager for the Cummer Company, answered questions about Vista's history. Bob was there many times as a boy.

Deputy Refuge Manager John Stark welcomed the group to the Refuge and mentioned that there was a tree planting operation ongoing on a nearby section of the Refuge as we met to walk at Vista.

The group spent a couple of hours of gorgeous Friday afternoon sunshine walking and exploring.

Photos will be highlighted soon in the Photo Gallery on the Wildlife page of this website. A sneak peek is below.
History and Characteristics of the Vista Site
  • The Vista camp is a 14 acre property that was part of a massive purchase of cypress timberlands by the Cummer Lumber Company in 1902.  The 100,000 acres (156 square miles) stretched from Fort Fanning to the Gulf.
  • There is a historic boat landing slightly upriver that was possibly used by steamboats around 1900 when the Vista site was a cedar sawmill operated by Thomas J. Yearty.
  • The camp was largely constructed between 1936 and 1942 by the Cummer Cypress Company.
  • It was used as a hunting and fishing resort by male executives of the Cummer company. Sandra jokes that women were not invited.
  • The property looks very much the way it did soon after it was completed since many of the trees had already reached mature size. The sabal palms lining the walk to the boat dock have grown up since the 1940's.
  • The cook's cabin is a vernacular style building that was originally designed as a duplex and appears identical to worker housing constructed for the Cummer Cypress Company lumber town in Lacoochee. It may have been moved to the site from the company mill town in Sumner. The building retains the original doors and windows, trim and pecky cypress sheathing.
  • Nearly 1,000 acres of riverfront land were donated in 1971 by the Cummer Company to the Nature Conservancy and later incorporated into the LSNWR.
Refuge ownership and importance to the Refuge
  • Vista was donated in 2011 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by Sandra Roe Smith and Linda Roe Alexander, descendants of the Cummer lumber family who held it in a life estate.
  • In 2021 ownership was transferred to the Refuge.
  • The propert may be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Place
What is planned for the property?
It is the intent of the Friends and Refuge to eventually use this property and the historic buildings to develop publicly accessible displays that explore and interpret:
  • The role of the forestry industry that developed this area after the Civil War into the mid-late 20th century
  • The role of the refuge in bringing the area back to a natural state that protects the Suwannee River and other natural resources and preserves the unique character of this region.
What is the Friends role?
  • The Friends, as an independent 501(c)3, is able to secure funding and contract work to preserve Vista more quickly and less expensively than FWS.
  • In 2020, Friends used their unique position to secure a $50,000 grant from the state to do a preliminary assessment- the Bender report.
  • In 2022, Friends were awarded a $75,000 grant from the state to weatherproof and stabilize the cook's cottage.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

Picture
Friends of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges
P. O. Box 532
Cedar Key, FL 32625
friends@friendsofrefuges.org

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.


  • Home
    • Current News
  • About
    • About Friends >
      • Who We Are
      • What We Do
      • Current News
      • Contact Us
    • About the Refuges >
      • Our Refuges
      • Places of Interest
      • Hunting Brochure
  • Join
    • Donate
  • Maps
    • Paddling Guides
    • Refuge Maps
    • Trail Brochures
    • Places of Interest
  • Wildlife
    • Science
  • Hunt & Fish
    • Hunting
    • FWS Hunting Brochure
    • Fishing
  • Search
  • Store
    • Shirts
    • Hats
    • Books
    • Earrings
    • Gift Donation
    • On Sale