Other Second Seminole War forts: Fort White was on the Santa Fe River. There is a modern town of the same name on the other side of the river. This shows how towns tend to "migrate" or move over time.

The town of Fanning Springs has a small population and sits on the boarder of two counties, Levy & Gilchrist. The fort site is on the Gilchrist side.  This area of Florida is called the nature coast, and it is one of my favorite in the state.

For a long time we wondered where the site of Fort Fanning was; if it was in the fence line of Fanning Springs State Park, under the highway, or elsewhere.  Well some minor archaeological work has settled that question, and a park is now open on the site.

Colonel Alexander C. W. Fanning, who Fort Fanning was named after, was one of those officers during the Second Seminole War who seems to have been right in the middle of all the action. He was present at the Battle of the Withlacoochee, during Coacoochee's attack on Camp Monroe (Fort Mellon, Seminole County), and the capture of Osceola (St. Johns County), just to name a few.

Fort Fanning's history shows that it was typical of many of the forts built during the war. It became headquarters of the Wacassassa district, and the Suwannee River location had easy access to the Gulf of Mexico. In March 1842, Col. Worth downgraded the status of the fort as no longer needed as a supply depot. The post was probably evacuated soon after, because a report the next month indicated that the Seminoles had burned it down. (The fort was burned at least twice during the war.) The final order to deactivate the post was dated February 22, 1843; and the military reservation abandoned on March 23, 1849.

Fort Fanning was no paradise, as noted in a letter by Army Officer R. Archer on January 6, 1839:

"I reached here on the 1st Inst. from Black Creek, whence I was escorted by 10 Dragoons to the Suwannee River [Fort Fanning]. I found this Fort garrisoned by but 12 men in the midst of Indians. Why they were not cut off is a miracle, as there were no defenses of any kind, the work having been burned last summer. I immediately took command of it and set about enclosing it with strong pickets 12 feet high, so that when I left there it was in a state to resist any attack that could be made against it. From what I have seen, I do not believe the Indians are disposed to act offensively; they are in small parties all over the country, and would be very well satisfied to abide the child's bargain. If they have odds in their favor they will attack, not otherwise. On the very day of my arrival at Fort Fanning one of my men who had gone about a mile down the river fishing was fired on by a party of them and wounded in the thigh."

A medical report printed in 1843 indicates that conditions at the fort did not improve with new fortification:

"In the command at Fort Fanning, composed of two companies of one hundred and ten men together, and sixty laborers in the quartermaster's department, from the spring of 1841 to that of 1842, there were actually more than three hundred and fifty cases of fever; that many had from three to six successive attacks; that this occurred with the troops mainly in garrison; that of five officers but one escaped, and of the whole command but five or six individuals [got by without being stricken]; that this command became so utterly enervated by the repeated ravages of disease that it was of the last importance to relieve it in August, and the troops were afterwards relieved monthly; and further, that the disease was not confined to soldiers, but extended to laborers and citizens indiscriminately." (Historic quotes from "Lafayette County History and Heritage, An Anthology, Special Bicentennial Edition," by Holmes Melton Jr.)

The book "Romantic and Historic Levy County," by Ruth Verrill describes the last remains of Fort Fanning:

"The fine, square gateposts at old Fort Fanning may still be standing for they were built of apparently hand selected field stones set in very hard cement. Passing between these massive, artfully constructed columns, and keeping somewhat to the right for a few yards, one comes to two underground water cisterns. These are bottle shaped, lined with well-smoothed mortar and may be nine feet or more in depth. Probably to provide water for the fort were it under siege."

The gateposts are not standing, but one is sitting on its side in the park--probably moved there several years ago by an attempt at developing the property.  Study has determined that it was indeed constructed in the 1830s.

Today the park entrance has a recreated gateway of the fort with stone pillars by the parking area.  Right here is an open field with some benches along a split-rail cypress fence where you can sit overlooking the Suwannee River.  The two ends of this park will connect two rails-to-trails parks, the Nature Coast Trail, and the Suwannee Trail.  A bridge will be connected under the highway on the edge of the river so you can walk over the Fanning Springs.

Directly east of the gate posts and across a small street you will see one of the original gate posts on its side.  Past there is an amphitheater where programs will be held.  Further down across the field is a small, former church building that will be converted to a visitor center.  There is a chickee somewhere on the park, and plans are to recreate a Seminole village.

The park was dedicated by Mayor Carol McQueen on October 24th, 2006, and her husband and former Mayor Roy McQueen.  They are descendants of Peter McQueen's Creek Indian clan who settled in this area of Florida, whom Osceola came from.
 

Location: Along Hwy 19 in the town of Fanning Springs on the east side of the Suwannee River (border of Gilchrist and Levy County).

Also here right here on the south side of Hwy 19-98 is a nice roadside rest area.  Good place for a rest room break and walking out to the river.  A floating dock along the river is one of the highlights worth seeing here.  Also on display is the former bridge that used to cross the river.

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(c) 1998, 2002, 2006 Chris Kimball
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