Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park

04/15/2018

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Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park is located in Pasco County, Florida near Port Richey, Florida on the Gulf of Mexico. 8737 US-19, Port Richey, FL 34668. This is a page for all the fans and users of the park.

04/15/2018

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04/13/2018

This was written specifically about National Parks and Forests, but it holds true for State Parks and State Forests as well. Feed the "Iron Ranger".

Loma Mar, California: Ever hiked right past that “Iron Ranger,” one of those tamper-resistant fee boxes found at a day-use area, trailhead, or campground, and thought, “I pay my taxes, don’t I?” It’s true that tax revenues help fund our public lands, but as a percentage of the federal bu...

04/12/2018

The natives found flint/ chert in our park, and dug it out to make tools by working the edges( called “knapping”). Each of those sites show signs of seasonal occupation and pre or rough knapping at the site. These sites are archeological sites and are protected by state law.

“But if around sunset here at the park , you hear the irregular tick, tick, tick of rock glancing off of rock, maybe it is the spirit of a native working on his point....”

04/09/2018

Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park is located between US 19 and the Gulf of Mexico. Nearly 4,000 acres of nature and mangrove forests, karst topography, an...

04/09/2018

Although working in a saltworks exempted men from required war time service, the work was hard, and saltworks were raided and destroyed by the Union as fast as they could find them. A small saltworks, burning well dried firewood, as far inland as possible, but with access to salt water often lasted the longest before detection and destruction.

The Cedar Key Saltworks Raid

"...on 6 October, a large landing party (8 boats and about 111 men), armed with two Dahlgren boat howitzers, went ashore to the works. After deploying the howitzers and firing shell, shrapnel and canister into the works, driving off the Confederate defenders, the landing party spread out and began their destructive work." (Pg 16, "The Saltworks Near Hopeville".)

This photo is a Dhalgren Boat Howitzer.

04/03/2018

Last week, 46 cadets from Florida State Parks spanning Pensacola to Key West attended a week-long training program, called Ranger Academy, learning how to serve the parks and visitors. With a focus on the Florida Parks Service’s mission, they learned about everything from how uniforms should appear to the complexities which go into managing natural and cultural resources! They were even joined by Governor Scott!

03/31/2018

Our park has several native American chert quarrying sites. There is evidence of some primary knapping being done at these sites. Knapping is the controlled flaking of stone by striking, used to make tools and weapons. Here are some photos of modern knapped objects.

03/30/2018

The "New" State park in Pasco County. Be sure to visit and like our page on FaceBook.

Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park is located between US 19 and the Gulf of Mexico. Nearly 4,000 acres of nature and mangrove forests, karst topography, an...

03/29/2018

Although there was not a Turpentine still on the park property as far as the archeological record shows, there must have been a similar looking still not far away. There is still a living Turpentine rosin tree (cat-faced tree) in the park.

0000If you’ve ever sipped Gatorade, eaten a Cadbury Crème Egg, put on a Band-Aid or used a Post-It note, you have a forest to thank. These products are on a long list of items with ingredients derived from... Read More

03/26/2018

Cat Faced Trees, Herty Cups, and the Turpentine Industry in Florida.

Episode 23 of A History of Central Florida podcasts: Turpentine Industry. RICHES Podcast Documentaries are short form narrative documentaries that explore Ce...