Good Day to all! Did you know steam powered dredges vastly improved phosphate production on the Peace River? Dredges typically consisted of a barge and 60 horsepower steam engine with an 8-inch centrifugal pump. Phosphate pebbles and sand were sucked from the river bottom, passed over a screen to separate the pebbles, and the remainder returned to the river. Pebbles were then diverted to barges alongside the dredge, transported to a drying facility for washing, and placed in raised bins. Once dry, the ore was reloaded to barges or train cars for transport to Punta Gorda.
Mining reached such a peak that a railroad was built to haul processed ore from Hull to deeper water a few miles south at Liverpool. A spur line connected with the Florida Southern Railway system. At one point, eight companies mined the lower river; DeSoto Phosphate Mining Company, Arcadia Phosphate Company, Peace River Phosphate Company, Charlotte Harbor Phosphate Company, Gulf Phosphate Company, National Peace River Company, U. S. Phosphate Company, and Boca Grande Phosphate Company. Being the time of so-called “robber barons”, such as John Rockefeller, J. P. Morgan, and Cornelius Vanderbilt though, it wasn’t long before someone realized the benefits of consolidating the fertilizer business.
Peter B. Bradley, president of Bradley Fertilizer Works out of Massachusetts, obtained controlling interest in the Peace River Phosphate Company in December 1894. Included in the $1,700,000 package were over 24,000 acres, dwellings, bins, dredges, barges, and a railroad. The corporate name was changed to the Peace River Phosphate Mining Company and land along the river was purchased as far north as Bowling Green. In 1899, Bradley consolidated 22 mining companies and formed the American Agricultural Chemical Company (AACC).
In early 1902, a fire destroyed Hull’s drying bins and 7,000 tons of phosphate ore. Although new bins were built at Liverpool, managers realized the harbor’s depth prohibited large freighters, giving companies shipping out of Tampa a competitive edge. That caused AACC to cast its eyes on the Alafia, Manatee, and Gulf Coast Railroad (AM&G), which had proposed, but failed, to lay track from Lakeland to Gasparilla Island.
The AACC purchased AM&G’s charter, changed the railroad’s name to the Charlotte Harbor and Northern, better known to locals as “the cold, hungry, and naked”, and completed a line from Liverpool to Boca Grande by mid-1907. Shipment of phosphate though, did not begin until late 1909, after loading equipment was installed and the line extended north to Mulberry. Once the railroad was completed, Bradley and his stockholders decided to build a resort hotel.
Albert Gilchrist, Punta Gorda’s “favorite son”, owned 6 blocks of Gasparilla Island’s highest land. Bradley formed the Boca Grande Land Company, purchased Gilchrist’s land with stock in the Peace River Phosphate Mining Company and by September 1911 had completed the 20 room Gasparilla Inn. By then though, Peace River phosphate deposits were depleted and the industry moved north, ending Punta Gorda’s days as the world’s leading phosphate port.
Visit Charlotte County’s website to view phosphate related photographs. Select “Community Services”, then “Libraries and History”. Click on “Physical Items”, then “Archive Search”. Enter the subject of your search on the “Search” line. Photographs can also be viewed on the Punta Gorda History Center’s website. Select “Online Collection”, then “Keyword Search” and enter the search criteria.
Check out History Services’ yearlong project, “Telling Your Stories: History in the Parks”. It began in January 2021 with placement of the first interpretive sign “Charlotte Harbor Spa” at South County Regional Park. The last was dedicated December 15, 2021 at Centennial Park featuring Florida postcards. All dedicated signs can be viewed at online library resources. Select “Programs and Services”, then “History Services” and “Virtual Programs”.
Visit the same site to access recently released oral histories featuring 40 local folks. Select “History Services” and scroll down, or phone 941-629-7278, to find out what history related programs and videos are available.
“Did You Know” appears, typically, every other Wednesday, courtesy of this newspaper and the Charlotte County Historical Society. The Society’s mission is to help promote and preserve Charlotte County’s rich history. We are also always looking for volunteers and interested individuals to serve as board members. If you believe our area’s history is as important as we do, please visit Charlotte County Historical Society on-line at https://cchistoricalsociety.com/, or call 941- 769-1270 for more information.
October 25 column
