Suwannee River
Encyclopedia
The Suwannee River is a major river
of southern Georgia
and northern Florida
in the United States
. It is a wild blackwater river
, about 246 miles (395.9 km) long. The Suwannee River is the site of the prehistoric Suwannee Straits which separated peninsular Florida from the panhandle.
The river rises in the Okefenokee Swamp
, emerging at Fargo, Georgia
. The river then runs southwest into Florida, dropping in elevation through limestone
layers resulting in a rare Florida whitewater
rapid. It then turns west near White Springs, Florida
, receiving the waters of the Alapaha
and Withlacoochee rivers, which together drain much of south-central Georgia. This meandering forms the southern border of Hamilton County, Florida
. It then bends south near Ellaville, then southeast near Luraville, receives the Santa Fe River from the east just below Branford
, then south again to the Gulf of Mexico
near the town of Suwannee
.
, it begins to border the Suwannee Valley and Suwannee County
. This continues to form a "C"-shaped curve as it drops southeast, and south again.
tribes: the Yustaga
, who lived on the west side of the river, and the Northern Utina
, who lived on the east side. The name "Suwanee" developed around this time. A University of South Florida website states the "Timucuan Indian word Suwani means Echo River ... River of Reeds, Deep Water, or Crooked Black Water." Jerald Milanovich states that "Suwannee" developed through "San Juan-ee" from the 17th-century Spanish mission
of San Juan de Guacara, located on the river known to the Spanish as "Guacara". William Bright
says the name "Suwanee" comes from the name of a Cherokee village,
In the 18th century, Seminoles lived by the river. The steamboat
Madison operated on the river before the Civil War
, and the sulphur
springs at White Springs became popular as a health resort, with 14 hotels in operation in the late 19th century.
The Suwannee is not to be confused with the mountaintop town of Sewanee, Tennessee
, home of the University of the South. A popular bumper sticker there reads "Sewanee is not a river".
This river is the subject of the Stephen Foster
song "Old Folks at Home
", in which he calls it the Swanee River. Foster had named the Pedee River
of South Carolina
in his first lyrics. It was called Swanee River because Foster had misspelled the name http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/030707/met_8429196.shtml/. Foster never saw the river he made world famous. George Gershwin
's song, with lyrics by Irving Ceasar,and made popular by Al Jolson
, is also spelled "Swanee
", and boasts that "the folks up North will see me no more when I get to that Swanee shore".
Both these songs feature strumming banjo
s and reminiscences of a plantation life more typical of 19th century South Carolina along the Peedee than among the swamps and small farms of the coastal plain of Georgia and Florida.
Don Ameche
stars as Foster in the 1939 fictional biopic Swanee River.
When crossing the river by car today, the sign greeting visitors announces that they are crossing the Historic Suwannee River, complete with the first line of sheet music
from the song. "Old Folks at Home" is the state song of Florida, designated as such in 1935. There is a Foster Museum and Carillon Tower at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park
at White Springs. The spring itself is called White Sulphur Springs because of its high sulphur
content. Because of a belief in the healing qualities of its waters, the Springs were long popular as a health resort.
In English parlance something going "up the Swannee" or "down the swanny" means something going badly wrong; analogous to "up the creek without a paddle".
, the Suwannee River Water Management District
and the cities, businesses and citizens of the eight-county region of the Suwannee River Basin. The Trail encompasses 170 river miles from Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park to the Gulf of Mexico.
The Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge
offers bird and wildlife observation, wildlife photography, fishing, canoeing, hunting, and interpretive walks. A wildlife driving tour is under construction and several boardwalks and observation towers offer views of refuge wildlife and habitat.
In recent years, the Suwannee River has been the site of music gatherings. Magnolia Festival, SpringFest, and Wanee have are held annually in Live Oak, Florida, at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park
, adjacent to the river. Performing artists include Vassar Clements, Peter Rowan, David Grisman, Allman Brothers Band, and the String Cheese Incident.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
of southern Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and northern Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a wild blackwater river
Blackwater river
A blackwater river is a river with a deep, slow-moving channel that flows through forested swamps and wetlands. As vegetation decays in the water, tannins are leached out, resulting in transparent, acidic water that is darkly stained, resembling tea or coffee. Most major blackwater rivers are in...
, about 246 miles (395.9 km) long. The Suwannee River is the site of the prehistoric Suwannee Straits which separated peninsular Florida from the panhandle.
Geography
Okefenokee Swamp
The Okefenokee Swamp is a shallow, 438,000 acre , peat-filled wetland straddling the Georgia–Florida border in the United States. A majority of the swamp is in Georgia and protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the Okefenokee Wilderness. The Okefenokee Swamp is considered to be...
, emerging at Fargo, Georgia
Fargo, Georgia
Fargo is a city in Clinch County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 380. Formerly a town, it was incorporated by the Georgia state legislature in 1992, effective on April 1 of that year....
. The river then runs southwest into Florida, dropping in elevation through limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
layers resulting in a rare Florida whitewater
Whitewater
Whitewater is formed in a rapid, when a river's gradient increases enough to disturb its laminar flow and create turbulence, i.e. form a bubbly, or aerated and unstable current; the frothy water appears white...
rapid. It then turns west near White Springs, Florida
White Springs, Florida
White Springs is a town in Hamilton County, Florida, on the Suwannee River. The population was 819 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the town had a population of 828...
, receiving the waters of the Alapaha
Alapaha River
The Alapaha River is a river in southern Georgia and northern Florida in the United States. It is a tributary of the Suwannee River, which flows to the Gulf of Mexico.- Course :...
and Withlacoochee rivers, which together drain much of south-central Georgia. This meandering forms the southern border of Hamilton County, Florida
Hamilton County, Florida
Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 13,327. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 13,983 . Its county seat is Jasper, Florida.- History :...
. It then bends south near Ellaville, then southeast near Luraville, receives the Santa Fe River from the east just below Branford
Branford, Florida
Branford is a town in Suwannee County, Florida, United States. The population was 695 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Branford is located at .The town is located on the banks of the Suwannee River. U.S. Route 27 and U.S...
, then south again to the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
near the town of Suwannee
Suwannee, Florida
Suwannee is an unincorporated community in Dixie County, Florida, United States. It is located on the Suwannee River near its mouth, at the southern end of the Big Bend region of Florida. It is 23 miles south west of Old Town, to which it is connected by County Road 349.Suwannee is a fishing...
.
Suwannee Valley
As the river turns north-northwest near White Springs, FloridaWhite Springs, Florida
White Springs is a town in Hamilton County, Florida, on the Suwannee River. The population was 819 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the town had a population of 828...
, it begins to border the Suwannee Valley and Suwannee County
Suwannee County, Florida
Suwannee County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 34,844. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county was 38,624 . Its county seat is Live Oak, Florida. Suwannee County was a dry county until August, 2011.....
. This continues to form a "C"-shaped curve as it drops southeast, and south again.
History
The Suwannee River area has been inhabited by humans for thousands of years. During the first millennium AD it was inhabited by the people of the Weedon Island archaeological culture, and around 900 a derivative local culture, known as the Suwanee River Valley culture, developed. By the 16th century the river was inhabited by two closely related TimucuaTimucua
The Timucua were a Native American people who lived in Northeast and North Central Florida and southeast Georgia. They were the largest indigenous group in that area and consisted of about 35 chiefdoms, many leading thousands of people. The various groups of Timucua spoke several dialects of the...
tribes: the Yustaga
Yustaga
Yustaga may refer to:*The Yustaga people, a branch of the Timucua that lived in northern Florida in the 16th and 17th centuries*USS Yustaga , a fleet tug laid down for the United States Navy in 1945, but converted into a submarine rescue vessel prior to completion and commissioned as USS Skylark ...
, who lived on the west side of the river, and the Northern Utina
Northern Utina
The Northern Utina, also known as the Timucua or simply Utina, were a Timucua tribe of northern Florida. They lived north of the Santa Fe River and east of the Suwanee River, and spoke a dialect of the Timucuan language known as "Timucua proper". They appear to have been closely associated with the...
, who lived on the east side. The name "Suwanee" developed around this time. A University of South Florida website states the "Timucuan Indian word Suwani means Echo River ... River of Reeds, Deep Water, or Crooked Black Water." Jerald Milanovich states that "Suwannee" developed through "San Juan-ee" from the 17th-century Spanish mission
Spanish missions in Florida
Beginning in the second half of the 16th century, the Kingdom of Spain established a number of missions throughout la Florida in order to convert the Indians to Christianity, to facilitate control of the area, and to prevent its colonization by other countries, in particular, England and France...
of San Juan de Guacara, located on the river known to the Spanish as "Guacara". William Bright
William Bright
William Bright was an American linguist who specialized in Native American and South Asian languages and descriptive linguistics....
says the name "Suwanee" comes from the name of a Cherokee village,
In the 18th century, Seminoles lived by the river. The steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
Madison operated on the river before the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and the sulphur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
springs at White Springs became popular as a health resort, with 14 hotels in operation in the late 19th century.
The Suwannee is not to be confused with the mountaintop town of Sewanee, Tennessee
Sewanee, Tennessee
Sewanee is an unincorporated locality in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States, treated by the U.S. Census as a census-designated place . The population was 2,361 at the 2000 census...
, home of the University of the South. A popular bumper sticker there reads "Sewanee is not a river".
Music
Stephen Foster
Stephen Collins Foster , known as the "father of American music", was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century...
song "Old Folks at Home
Old Folks at Home
"Old Folks at Home" is a minstrel song written by Stephen Foster in 1851. It was intended to be performed by the New York blackface troupe Christy's Minstrels. E. P. Christy, the troupe's leader, appears on early printings of the sheet music as the song's creator...
", in which he calls it the Swanee River. Foster had named the Pedee River
Pee Dee River
The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in North Carolina and South Carolina. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course above the mouth of the Uwharrie River is known as the Yadkin River. It is extensively dammed for flood...
of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
in his first lyrics. It was called Swanee River because Foster had misspelled the name http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/030707/met_8429196.shtml/. Foster never saw the river he made world famous. George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
's song, with lyrics by Irving Ceasar,and made popular by Al Jolson
Al Jolson
Al Jolson was an American singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer"....
, is also spelled "Swanee
Swanee (song)
"Swanee" is an American popular song written in 1919 by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Irving Caesar. It is most often associated with singer Al Jolson....
", and boasts that "the folks up North will see me no more when I get to that Swanee shore".
Both these songs feature strumming banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
s and reminiscences of a plantation life more typical of 19th century South Carolina along the Peedee than among the swamps and small farms of the coastal plain of Georgia and Florida.
Don Ameche
Don Ameche
Don Ameche was an Academy Award winning American actor with a career spanning almost sixty years.-Personal life:...
stars as Foster in the 1939 fictional biopic Swanee River.
When crossing the river by car today, the sign greeting visitors announces that they are crossing the Historic Suwannee River, complete with the first line of sheet music
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
from the song. "Old Folks at Home" is the state song of Florida, designated as such in 1935. There is a Foster Museum and Carillon Tower at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park
Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park
Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park is a Florida State Park located in White Springs off U.S. 41, along the Suwannee River in north Florida.-Fauna:...
at White Springs. The spring itself is called White Sulphur Springs because of its high sulphur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
content. Because of a belief in the healing qualities of its waters, the Springs were long popular as a health resort.
In English parlance something going "up the Swannee" or "down the swanny" means something going badly wrong; analogous to "up the creek without a paddle".
Recreation
A unique aspect of the Suwannee River is the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. The Trail is a cooperative effort by the Florida Department of Environmental ProtectionDepartment of Environmental Protection
Department of Environmental Protection is a name used by several states in the United States of America for the agency charged with proposing and enforcing environmental law...
, the Suwannee River Water Management District
Suwannee River Water Management District
The Suwannee River Water Management District is the smallest of five Florida water management districts that is responsible for managing groundwater and surface water resources in a 15-county region in north-central Florida...
and the cities, businesses and citizens of the eight-county region of the Suwannee River Basin. The Trail encompasses 170 river miles from Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park to the Gulf of Mexico.
The Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge
Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge
The Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System. It is located in southeastern Dixie and northwestern Levy counties on the western coast of Florida, approximately fifty miles southwest of the city of Gainesville.The wildlife refuge was...
offers bird and wildlife observation, wildlife photography, fishing, canoeing, hunting, and interpretive walks. A wildlife driving tour is under construction and several boardwalks and observation towers offer views of refuge wildlife and habitat.
In recent years, the Suwannee River has been the site of music gatherings. Magnolia Festival, SpringFest, and Wanee have are held annually in Live Oak, Florida, at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park
Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park
The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park is located in North Central Florida, in Suwannee County, United States. Situated on the banks of the historic Suwannee River, the park consists of over 600 acres of camping areas, concert venues, recreational facilities, and unspoiled forests...
, adjacent to the river. Performing artists include Vassar Clements, Peter Rowan, David Grisman, Allman Brothers Band, and the String Cheese Incident.
Bridges
Georgia
- Suwannee River Sill at Okefenokee National Wildlife RefugeOkefenokee National Wildlife RefugeThe Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a 402,000 acre National Wildlife Refuge located in Charlton, Ware, and Clinch Counties of Georgia, and Baker County in Florida, United States. The refuge is administered from offices in Folkston, Georgia. The refuge was established in 1937 to protect...
- US 441U.S. Route 441U.S. Route 441 is a spur route of U.S. Route 41. It currently runs for 939 miles from U.S. Route 41 in Miami, Florida to U.S. Route 25W in Lake City, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 passes through the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee...
at Fargo, GeorgiaFargo, GeorgiaFargo is a city in Clinch County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 380. Formerly a town, it was incorporated by the Georgia state legislature in 1992, effective on April 1 of that year....
Florida
- CR 6State Road 6 (Florida)State Road 6 is an east–west route in Madison and Hamilton Counties, running from US 90 east of Madison to US 129 in Jasper, the last five miles concurrent with US 41.County Road 6 continues east from Jasper to US 441 in Columbia County....
- US 41U.S. Route 41U.S. Route 41 is a north–south United States Highway that runs from Miami, Florida to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, was U.S...
at White Springs, FloridaWhite Springs, FloridaWhite Springs is a town in Hamilton County, Florida, on the Suwannee River. The population was 819 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the town had a population of 828...
(Ed Scott Bridge) - SR 136 at White Springs, FloridaWhite Springs, FloridaWhite Springs is a town in Hamilton County, Florida, on the Suwannee River. The population was 819 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the town had a population of 828...
- Interstate 75Interstate 75 in FloridaInterstate 75 is a part of the Interstate Highway System and runs from Hialeah, Florida, a few miles northwest of Miami to Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan...
- US 129U.S. Route 129U.S. Route 129 is an offshoot route of U.S. Route 29, which it intersects near Athens, Georgia. US 129 currently runs for 582 miles from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Chiefland, Florida, at U.S. Route 19 and U.S. Route 98. It passes through the states of Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida...
at Suwannee Springs, Florida - SR 249
- US 90U.S. Route 90U.S. Route 90 is an east–west United States highway. Despite the "0" in its route number, U.S. 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route; it has always ended at Van Horn, Texas. A short-lived northward extension to U.S...
at Ellaville, Florida - Interstate 10Interstate 10 in FloridaThe of Interstate 10 in Florida is the eastern most section of the east–west Interstate 10 in the Southern United States. It is also the eastern end of the Interstate Highway known as the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway, one of three coast to coast interstates, along with I-80...
- CR 250 at Dowling Park, Florida
- CR 51 at Luraville, Florida (Hal W. Adams BridgeHal W. Adams BridgeThe Hal W. Adams Bridge, built in 1947, is an historic bridge that carries Florida State Road 51 across the Suwannee River between Lafayette and Suwannee counties, Florida. Located 3 miles north of Mayo, it was the first suspension bridge built in Florida, and the only one to carry highway traffic....
) - US 27U.S. Route 27U.S. Route 27 is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne, Indiana...
at Branford, FloridaBranford, FloridaBranford is a town in Suwannee County, Florida, United States. The population was 695 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Branford is located at .The town is located on the banks of the Suwannee River. U.S. Route 27 and U.S...
(Frank R. Norris Bridge) - CR 340 near Bell, FloridaBell, FloridaBell is a town in Gilchrist County, Florida, United States. It was originally founded in 1946 by entrepreneur Ian H. Crocker. The population was 349 at the 2000 census. Gilchrist County holds two towns, Bell & Trenton. It is situated in the northern part of the county. The Middle/High School is...
- Nature Coast State Trail between Old Town, FloridaOld Town, FloridaOld Town is an unincorporated community in Dixie County, Florida, United States. It is located at the intersection of US 19/US 98 and State Road 349.-Geography:...
and Fanning Springs, FloridaFanning Springs, FloridaFanning Springs is a city in Gilchrist and Levy counties in the U.S. state of Florida. The population was 737 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2004 population of 800.-Geography:Fanning Springs is located at .... - US 19U.S. Route 19 in FloridaU.S. Route 19 in Florida runs along Florida's west coast from an interchange with U.S. Route 41 in Memphis, Florida, south of Tampa, and continues to the Georgia border north of Monticello, Florida....
/US 98U.S. Route 98U.S. Route 98 is an east–west United States highway that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola, Florida and Apalachicola, Florida, and has since been extended westward into Mississippi and eastward across the Florida...
/Alternate US 27 at Fanning Springs, FloridaFanning Springs, FloridaFanning Springs is a city in Gilchrist and Levy counties in the U.S. state of Florida. The population was 737 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2004 population of 800.-Geography:Fanning Springs is located at ....
(Joe H. Anderson Sr. BridgeJoe H. Anderson Sr. BridgeThe Joe H. Anderson Sr. Bridge carries US 19/US 98/Alternate US 27 over the Suwannee River in northwestern Florida, near Fanning Springs.-References:*...
)
See also
External links
- Suwannee Online
- USF page with history
- EPA info on Suwannee basin
- Suwannee River Wilderness Trail
- Info on the Suwannee River and surrounding areas from SRWMD
- Suwanee River Watershed - Florida DEP
- Recording of "Old Folks at Home" at the 1955 Florida Folk Festival; made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida
- Where it's SpringTime year round (http://www.springsrus.com)
Further reading
- Light, H.M., et al. (2002). Hydrology, vegetation, and soils of riverine and tidal floodplain forests of the lower Suwannee River, Florida, and potential impacts of flow reductions [U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1656A]. Denver: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.