“1905, the Andrews walk through Sewall’s Point’s hard wood hammock, note the giant mastic tree.” Courtesy, Thurlow Archives.
“This 1905 photo is of Margaret Andrews and Rudolph Tietig walking through the property that, at the time, belonged the Twichells – located between today’s Hillcrest and Heritage subdivisions.” Historian, Sandra Henderson Thurlow
Today’s historic photographs, shared by my mother, allow us to imagine what the high west side of Sewall’s Point in Martin County looked like before it was cleared for agriculture and development. Yes, although today a few prize trees remain, once, the peninsula’s entire high west side was covered in a hardwood hammock: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/UW/UW20600.pdf; https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw206
We still see many Live Oaks, Sabal Palms, and a few Gumbo Limbo, but other names such as Paradise Tree; Mastic; Srangler Fig; Hickory; Satin Leaf; Marlberry, Myrsine, Ironwood, and Pigeon plum are much more rare.
As was the custom of the day, and remains so, these trees were cleared. Perhaps some were used for lumber. But for the most part, there was little thought of saving them, nor of the birds and wildlife that depended on the tangled forest for shelter and food.
I think this is worth thinking about. We walk about today somewhat unaware of what the land previously looked like, forgetting forest’s relationship to water, and how many creatures have been impacted by these human changes.
Could we recreate the forests? This is doubtful, but we could bring some of it back. In order to do this, we need more than photographs, we need a native hardwood hammock -“to see.”
The St. Lucie River bank in today’s Hillcrest ca. 1907, album found by historian Alice Luckhardt on eBay.
Much of the hammock was still in tact in this Sewall Point ca. 1950 aerial by Aurthur Rhunke. Courtesy, The History of Sewall’s Point, by Sandra H. Thurlow.
We are very lucky to live in Martin County, a county that has a history of conservation. When researching the Sewall’s Point hammock, I realized I had never visited Maggy’s Hammock Park in Port Salerno. (https://www.martin.fl.us/MaggysHammock). Named after environmentalist and long time county Martin County commissioner, Maggy Hurchalla, this park is a treasure, a walk back into time. This native site, just a few miles south and across the St Lucie River from Sewall’s Point, preserves ancient live oaks, paradise trees, strangler figs, and many, many others as well as the important understory.
It is a true hardwood hammock!
.Considering the location, these trees must be similar to native Sewall’s Point’s. This was my first visit and I will be back as I try to rediscover the beauty and the benefits of the “Once Tangled Forest.”
.Martin County 20 year commissioner & environmentalist Maggy Hurchalla
Walking path
Marlberry
Paradise trees
. Inside the Hammock
Snowberry
Wild coffee up close
. Wild coffee
. Not sure what this is…
.Large Oak and Paradise trees inside the hammock
. Tall strangler fig, sabal palm, spanish moss
Strangler fig with wild coffee and resurrection fern
Strangler fig and ferns
Strangler fig trunk swallowing an oak tree
. Strangler fig and oak with other trees and underbrush
Beauty berry
leaf cover on ground
. Not sure
Hickory
Spanish moss
. Young marlberry, vines and budding sabal palms
. Cathedral in the hammock
Wild lime
Hickory
Saw palmetto
. Wild lime and marlberry with others
Air plant
Vines
. Various inside the hammock
Resurrection fern
. Oak or bay tree
. Oak or bay tree
. Wild coffee and other budding plants
.Air plants
.looks like boston fern
.Light is what all are fighting to capture as branches and leaves are raised
.There are many lichens and such on the large trees
Cocoplum
.Strangler fig