(Source of images: Florida State Archives)
The hat on this fine lady's head may
have been worth more than its weight in gold. This Florida photo
probably dates from the late 1800s, perhaps taken in Jacksonville during its
heyday as a tourist hotspot. Behind the woman, a canvas screen depicts a
semi-tropical Florida scene.
In the picture below on this page,
several Florida birds are shown. The image comes from a postcard that
might have been produced in 1939.
CLICK HERE for a
Tallahassee lassie
CLICK HERE for
plucking plumes in Jacksonville
CLICK HERE for a
befeathered child at a River City ostrich farm
FEATHER FEVER -- Here's something interesting: If
you took an ounce of feathers from certain Everglades wading birds in 1903, they
would've been worth twice as much as an ounce of gold.
With feathers so highly valued, you can bet that there was a "gold
rush" for plumes. Many birds owed their destruction to grand
hats,
fancy fans, and outrageous dresses. During the late 1880s, the North American
feather trade reached its zenith.
Unfortunately, Florida
lay as the prime
stomping ground for plume hunters hired by millinery companies.
Ironically, a popular interest on the natural world stirred the
increased demand for feathers. Women wore
hats with the latest feather-topped styles from Paris, New York, and other
fashion centers.
Headwear was adorned with the
pink feathers of the roseate spoonbill and the white plumes of the the egrets
and great white heron.
The more exotic the design & display, the larger the sales.
By the 1890s, women's hats and dresses were bedecked with the entire bodies
of birds. No doubt many of the feathery fashions were sold in
Jacksonville, a tourist mecca during the later 1800s.
Guns blazed away on
steamboat trips up the Ocklawaha River. The
region's herons and egrets, so
admired for their plumes, were hunted nearly to extinction.
Sightseers made the journey from Jacksonville to Silver Springs by way of the
St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers. Many looked
with horror & disgust at the fellow travelers who fired at any animal that moved, let
alone birds.
Some people gave little or no
regard to nature's preservation, for the world seemed so much larger during
these less-technologically advanced times. Numerous Americans thought that
humankind could never really pose a serious threat.
The handwriting was on the wall, however. By 1900, many species of wading birds
had almost bitten the dust. If you've read Patrick Smith's epic Florida
novel, A Land Remembered, then you have an idea of what happened.
In one ugly scene,
plume hunters quickly decimated the majestic birds that ringed a lovely,
secluded Florida lake.
Laws against poaching were passed during this period, such as in Florida in 1891
and 1901. The Audubon Society was also created, and this group hired game
wardens to protect birds from plume hunters, also known as "swamp rats."
Despite the legal consequences, though, there were outlaws who continued to
poach.
SOME GOOD NEWS
-- The populations of wading birds finally began to rebound in 1910 when
the New York legislature banned the sale of wild bird plumage.
Today, state and federal laws protect all species of wading birds. (Other
serous problems faced by these fowl have included pollution,
parasites, disturbances from boaters,
changes in South Florida's water flows, and
the conversion of wetlands into other
uses.)
Many of the species have achieved a partial comeback, much of it due to the
conservation efforts of the Everglades National Park. When President Harry
Truman dedicated the park in 1947, a woman who sat in the front row was longtime
Jacksonville resident, May Mann
Jennings. She had proven instrumental in the
its creation.
Mrs. Jennings may've
been Florida's most prominent female leader during the first half of the 20
century. She achieved statewide fame due to her volunteer civic &
political work, lending a hand to many worthwhile causes.
Indeed, she became
known as the "Mother of Florida Forestry," since she took a leading role in
securing the legislative act that created the state Board of Forestry.
A New Jersey native who was brought to Jacksonville as an infant,
Mrs. Jennings was the wife of Florida governor William Sherman
Jennings, who practiced law in the River City for many years. Mrs.
Jennings' father had also been a state senator from Jax.
A widow in 1947, the
former first lady of Florida lived in Springfield at 1651 Main Street, renting
out furnished rooms like many other homeowners in that neighborhood. After a
lifetime of successes, Mr. Jennings passed away in 1963.
PLEASE CLICK HERE for her
photo.
Although there's been good news about
South Florida's birds, much work remains to be done. Current populations of wading birds
may be as little as 10% of what they used to be.
But what an awesome sight the birds
in the Everglades can still be! The website manager of
JacksonvilleStory.com crossed part of these wetlands on a dirt road in 1993.
When he rounded one curve, an immense flock of white birds slowly took flight.
It seemed as if the very ground itself was rising up.
GOING, GOING, GONE: