.
.
A 50-foot long, historic canoe, officially recorded as the Apalachicola Traders’ Canoe, was discovered last spring in the waters of the Apalachicola River. After several months, this unique watercraft has finally received a home.
On November 22, 2006 the Apalachicola Traders' Canoe was transported from its temporary location in Carrabelle to downtown Apalachicola. The Apalachicola Bay & River Keeper Inc., a nonprofit foundation, is stewarding the canoe in its newly restored facility on Water Street. This brick warehouse was built in 1836 to serve as a cotton exchange. The facility will soon open as a museum, which will house and display historic artifacts from the Apalachicola area including the traders' canoe.
Events leading up to the canoe's exhibit began earlier in the year. In May, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that a logger had recovered a dugout canoe measuring over 50 feet from the Apalachicola River. State archaeology staff visited the canoe, which had been moved to a sawmill in East Point. It was then moved to a safe location where it slowly dried and underwent basic conservation.
Marks on the boat indicate that it was made using metal tools, and the shape suggests that it may have been a trading canoe that plied the river sometime between 1750 and 1850. Recent analysis of the canoe's wood using radiocarbon dating corroborates this assessment. Dugout canoes represent an ancient American Indian technology that was adapted and modified to meet the needs of the Spanish, British, and Americans who occupied Florida. Over the years the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research (BAR) has worked with many canoes, and over 300 are documented in our files. The Apalachicola Traders' Canoe is the longest that has ever been recorded. Further research should help in understanding how the canoe was designed and used.
Dugout canoes and other historical artifacts should be left where they are found. Wooden artifacts degrade quickly once they are removed from lake and river bottoms and can require expensive and lengthy conservation. Report discoveries of dugout canoes to the Bureau of Archaeological Research at (850) 245-6444.
The Bureau of Archaeological Research would like to thank the various organizations that have contributed to the protection and conservation of the traders' canoe. These include the Department of State General Counsel, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Franklin County Sheriff's Office and Board of County Commissioners. Special thanks are extended to Tate's Hell State Forest for helping us initially move and store the canoe, and to the Apalachicola Bay & River Keeper Inc., for relocating and stewarding it and providing the public the opportunity to appreciate it.
