Instructions:
1....Print this file.
2....At its end, click on "rules" to see a copy of the trail rules, print it, and then click where indicated at the end of the 3-page rules and patch order form to get back to the list of Florida trails.
3....If you want a hand-drawn map showing the locations of all of the sites, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Steve Rajtar, 1614 Bimini Dr., Orlando, FL 32806.
4....Hike the trail and order whatever patches you like (optional).
WARNING - This trail may pass through one or more neighborhoods which, although full of history, may now be unsafe for individuals on foot, or which may make you feel unsafe there. Hikers have been approached by individuals who have asked for handouts or who have inquired (not always in a friendly manner) why the hikers are in their neighborhood. Drugs and other inappropriate items have been found by hikers in some neighborhoods. It is suggested that you drive the hike routes first to see if you will feel comfortable walking them and, if you don't think it's a good place for you walk, you might want to consider (1) traveling with a large group, (2) doing the route on bicycles, or (3) choosing another hike route. The degree of comfort will vary with the individual and with the time and season of the hike, so you need to make the determination using your best judgment. If you hike the trail, you accept all risks involved.
Much of what is now a state preserve was formed through the settling of the land as the underlying limestone dissolved. On top is now marsh and wet prairie vegetation, with some open water.
The area was the home of prehistoric Indians and a seventeenth century Spanish cattle ranch. In 1774, William Bartram called it the "Alachua Savannah". It is named after Seminole Chief King Payne.
The area is open to the public, including an observation tower and visitor center with natural and cultural exhibits.
Moses E. Levy and Frederick S. Warberg brought settlers here to establish the community of Oak Ridge. They started this cemetery in 1854, and legend says that the first two burials were of victims of an Indian raid on this site. The land was donated by Madison Starke Perry. Originally, the road passed east of the cemetery, so the older graves are in the portion furthest from CR 234.
This is the final resting place of many of the early pioneers of Alachua County, including Perry. He was born in South Carolina in 1814, moved to this county in 1847, and acquired a large plantation near Rochelle. He served in the state house of representatives in 1849, the state senate in 1850, and was the governor from 1857 to 1861. His accomplishments as governor included the encouragement of railroad construction, land development, and the settlement of a border dispute with Georgia. Perry led the withdrawal of Florida from the Union in 1861, and served as a colonel in the Confederate army.
Another famous person buried here is Rev. William Edwards, who attended the 16th Methodist Conference in Micanopy in the winter of 1859-60. He died in the pneumonia epidemic in early 1860.
In 1849, the Zetrouers and their 13 children arrived in Alachua County. One of them, Dan M. Zetrouer, lived in a log house nearby with his wife, Mary Fester, until this home was completed in 1887. It has a parlor, a room for the parents, one for the boys and one for the girls. The first kitchen was attached to the house by a porch (since removed), and the present kitchen was added in 1949.
This congregation was founded in 1887 by Albert Hall. This sanctuary was rebuilt in 1948.
A church was built here in the early 1890s before the freezes that decimated the citrus industry and resulted in the decline of the town. An early minister was Benjamin Turner Rape, who served here from 1909 to 1911.
This land was donated for school use in 1885 by Sallie Perry, daughter of Madison Starke Perry. The school was named the Martha Perry Institute after her mother. It was a public school for white children until 1935.
The Italianate style building has two classrooms on the first floor, along with a center hall and cloak room. On the second floor was one large room. Above the doorway of three panelled double doors is a classic pediment carried on brackets. After it ceased serving as a school, it was converted to a community center.
This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 2, 1973.
This was the home of Mr. Jolly, who worked as a section hand for the railroad.
The town was originally called Perry Junction, for Madison Starke Perry who owned most of the land in the area. It was then named Gruelle after a railroad surveyor. During the mid-1880s, it had about 175 residents and a hotel, two churches, two schools, plus a cotton and grist mill. By 1888, 24 trains passed through daily.
One of the 13 Zetrouer children, John Robert Zetrouer, and his wife, Minna Pardee, had this home built in about 1885. He died in 1916 and she died in 1938. Their son, Edward, then moved in. Later, after a period of nine years of vacancy, the house was acquired by Tom Jenkins, who added plumbing and electricity.
Georgia Zetrouer, born in 1836, was another of the 13 Zetrouer children. In 1884, she married John Collins. In 1893, they moved into this home. She died in 1916. Later, the home was owned by Harry Jenkins.
A Guide to National Register Sites in Florida, (Florida Department of State 1984)
Alachua County, Florida Historical Tour Series: Rochelle, Cross Creek, Island Grove, Hawthorne, Campville, Windsor, by Alachua County Historical Commission (1984)
Florida's History Through Its Places: Properties in the National Register of Historic Places, by Morton D. Winsberg (Florida State University 1988)
Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture, (University of Florida Press 1989)
History of Alachua County 1824-1969, by Jess G. Davis (Alachua County Historical Commission 1969)
History of the Micanopy Methodist Church (Phase 1), by Daughters of the American Revolution (1972)