Florida Friday; Fort Matanzas National Monument

Back in 2013 I visited by Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine and later Fort Matanzas National Monument.

Fort Matanzas was a Spanish Fortification built from 1740 to 1742 on the Mantanzas River in what is now St. Johns County. The instigation for the construction of Fort Matanzas was a British Siege of St. Augustine along the Matanzas River. Fort Matanzas was constructed from Shellstone and was only used once in combat to ward off a British invasion attempt in 1742 as it was nearing completion. Fort Matanzas was abandoned as Florida shifted hands between the Spanish, British, and Americans. Fort Matanzas was restored by the U.S. Department of War before being transferred to the National Park Service in 1933.

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When did people begin to refer to the "Ridge Route" as "The Grapevine?" (former US Route 99 and Interstate 5)

The segment of US Route 99 from Los Angeles north to Bakersfield was traditionally known in State Highway documents as the "Ridge Route." Even as the Ridge Route was transitioning from curvy mountain grade to the facility now occupied by Interstate 5nthe name largely persisted in California Highways & Public Works documents. During modern times the name "Ridge Route" has be usurped in popular lexicon in favor to the nickname known as "The Grapevine." This blog will attempt to decipher the origins of "The Grapevine" and how it came into popular use today. Featured as the blog cover photo is a view of Interstate 5 in Grapevine Canyon and former US Route 99 at Deadman's Curve of the Ridge Route. This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page. For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page Note:

US Route 101 in Benbow, Garberville and Redway

The communities of Benbow, Garberville and Redway can all be found along US Route 101 within southern Humboldt County. The former surface alignment of US Route 101 in Garberville and Redway once crossed the Garberville Bluffs along what is now Redwood Drive via a corridor constructed as part of the Redwood Highway during the 1910s. US Route 101 through Benbow, Garberville and Redway was modernized by 1935. US Route 101 would eventually be upgraded to freeway standards in Benbow, Garberville and Redway by extension of the Redwood Freeway during 1966-68. As the cover photo the original grade of US Route 101 and the Redwood Highway can be seen at the Garberville Bluffs during 1934. US Route 101 can be seen in the communities of Benbow, Garberville and Redway on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Humboldt County . The history of US Route 101 in Benbow, Garberville and Redway Benbow, Garberville and Redway lie on the banks of the South Fork Eel River of southern Humboldt County. D

Ghost Town Tuesday; The Ghost Towns of Lake Okeechobee

The 1928 Lake Okeechobee Hurricane was the second most deadly in U.S. history behind the 1900 Galviston Hurricane. The Category 5 Hurricane first hit Puerto Rico before moving to Florida with winds sustained at 160 MPH. The path of the hurricane took it directly over Lake Okeechobee which is the largest lake in Florida and headwaters of the Everglades. The Lake Okeechobee Hurricane raised the water level by at least 20 feet and wiped out many of the surrounding communities. In total it is estimated that there was at least 2,500 fatalities related to the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane in Florida. A general list of the communities destroyed by the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane include; Port Mayaca, Sand Cut, Canal Point, Pahokee, Belle Glade, South Bay, Okeelanta, Bean City, Ritta Island, Lake Harbor, Chosen, and Kreamer Island. Some communities like Belle Glade eventually were rebuilt but others became ghost towns largely wiped clean. In response to the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane the H

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