Voices of Apalachicola

Abstract

One of Florida's most endangered river systems is the Apalachicola River and Bay basin, and it is not just the natural areas that are threatened but also the history and culture of its people. In Voices of the Apalachicola, veteran storyteller Faith Eidse, together with the staff of the Northwest Florida Water Management District, has compiled a remarkable collection of oral histories from more than 30 individuals who have lived out their entire lives in this region, including the last steamboat pilot on the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system, sharecroppers who escaped servitude, turpentine workers in Tate's Hell, sawyers of old-as-Christ cypress, bee-keepers working the last large tupelo stand, and a Creek chief descended from a 200-year unbroken line of chiefs. As developers increase pressure and populations grow within the basin, this timely collection captures a fascinating and unique moment in history, recalling a resource that once brimmed with life - bigger oysters, larger sturgeon, healthier Torreya trees. The Apalachicola River system is one of the main resources of water not only for Florida, but also Alabama and Georgia. It flows unimpeded for 106 miles from Lake Seminole - where the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers merge - through the Florida Panhandle into Apalachicola Bay and finally into the Gulf of Mexico. From emerging technologies to environmental health, Eidse captures the battle to preserve and persevere, providing historic and current photos that show how the basin has changed. Habitat maps indicate where our sensitive species live and land preservation maps illustrate how the state of Florida is trying to protect them.