Drainage and "Reclaiming" Land
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there was a widely held belief by real estate developers and politicians that South Florida lands could be "reclaimed" from the waters that covered them by building a series of canals and draining the Everglades and other wetlands across the peninsula. Many believed that the muck and mud found in the wetlands would make a superior soil for agricultural purposes. In 1881, industrialist Hamilton Disston purchased an incredible four million acres of Florida land in 1881, and his companies spent more than ten years engaged in land development, canal dredging, sugar plantations, and efforts to drain the Everglades and "reclaim" the land. He ultimately failed and ended up selling much of his investments. His accomplishments, however, paved the way for Henry Flagler's southward expansion of his railroad and hotel empire, and his dream to drain the Everglades was taken up by prominent Florida politicians with support from Flagler, James Ingraham and other powerful interests in the state. Most of the earliest efforts and drainage involved the dredging of canals, although later efforts focused on large scale water management.
John W. Newman gives a speech to the Expedition party before departing Fort Myers in which he explains the purpose of the journey. He states: "... if this land can be rendered fit for cultivation it will be the most productive of any in this state. It is rich with the vegetable mould of centuries, has the mildest climate on this continent, and once drained could be put into cultivation at a small cost. It might support an immense population, and would doubtless supply the United States with sugar, rice and the fruits adapted to the climate. With the money spent on hotels in the city of St. Augustine to gratify the luxurious tastes of our millionaires I believe this land could be drained, and the promoter of such a scheme would have the right [to] be considered the greatest philanthropist of his age. It would be a glorious undertaking, for [charity] could ask no nobler enterprise, ambition no higher glory and capital no greater increase than would result from the redemption of this land." After the Expedition, Newman was convinced that drainage of the Everglades was feasible and dedicated the rest of this life to this belief. In the 1900s, he managed the state's drainage operations in South Florida, serving as Engineer for the Trustees of the Internal Improvement Fund. Between 1905 and 1911, he managed canal and dredge operations at locations such as Fort Lauderdale, New River, Caloosahatchee, and various points in the Everglades.
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For other topics referenced in the Expedition texts, please refer to the Index to Subjects and Names.
1892 Everglades Exploration Expedition : Three Digital Texts, 2015