The Florida Cracker Trail
Posted by: 
sfwife
N 27° 29.712 W 082° 32.910
17R E 347033 N 3042239
Historical Marker in Manatee County FL
Waymark Code: WM2WWJ
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 01/01/2008
Views: 48
This point is the western terminus of the Florida Cracker Trail designated by the Florida State Legislature in 1987. The Cracker Trail follows an east/west route across the State of Florida that has existed since approximately 1850. This trail was used by Florida's early settlers to traverse the state. It was primarily used to drive cattle from Florida's heartland to the coastal ports for shipment manly to Key West and Cuba. The Confederate Army relied on cattle from this area and other Florida sites to feed its troops stationed throughout the South. The term, "Cracker", was derived from the sound of these early cowhunters' cracking whips as they moved the cattle along this trail. Later, the words, "Florida Cracker", came to indicate a Florida native. One of the last major cattle drives along this route was in 1937. The Florida Cracker Trail runs through five counties from Bradenton to Ft. Pierce along portions of State Road 64, U.S. Highway 17, State Road 66, U.S. Highway 98, County Road 68 and U.S. Highway 441.
Marker Number: none
Date: 1988
County: Manatee
Marker Type: Roadside
Sponsored or placed by: The Manatee County Historical Commission with the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners
Website: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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