Lake Region Of DeSoto County, Florida

By Capt. J. J. Singleton

Transcribed by Spessard Stone from The Tampa Morning Tribune, Sunday, January 10, 1909


To the casual observer, passing through that section of DeSoto county known as the sand hills, the land would appear to possess little value in an agricultural way.

There are high sandhills dotted with many lakes. The sand on the surface is coarse and white and a farmer who loves black dirt would shake his head and pass on.

But the fact is, this soil is rich in fertility, but the rains here washed the top of the soil and carried the coloring matter down several inches through the coarse sand.

Taking the subsoil analysis shows it to be possessed of more available plant food than can be found in the best of the pine land and especially adapted [for] orange culture.

The hills vary in height from twenty-five feet above the surface of the lakes to one hundred feet above. The lakes form an area of several acres across to twelve miles across. These lakes are very deep and are supplied by underground streams; are always warm and in a cold snap of several days duration will so temper the surrounding conditions as to make a killing frost almost impossible.

These lakes are more properly large pools [and], as stated above, are supplied by underground streams and in process of forming the basins the water was under such pressure as to build up high sand ridges all round a center, the water overflowing the edges and gradually building up until the pressure inside burst through the side walls and leaving the basin like a huge, rather irregular horse shoe.

This water like an artesian well in passing through various stratas absorbed and carried also mechanically something of whatever it came in contact with. One of these stratas was red clay and the sand hills have a great percentage of this after getting some inches below the surface.

The fertility of the soil is evidenced by the fact that everything that bears fruit loads heavily every year.

The flavor of all vegetables and fruits is good and quality sound.

The sand being loose irrigation is needed, which is an easy problem.

Fish of the finest quality are abundant and game is plentiful, but the dense oak and hickory hammocks are a safe retreat for deer and turkey , and in most cases the hunter who gets his deer earns his supper.

While this section does not seem to be wholly exempt from malaria, cases of it are very rare and no local cause for sickness can be found.

It is the health resort for the entire country south of Bartow and is being rapidly dotted with homes. Some orange groves are just beginning to bear and the fruit shows to be fine quality.

Pineapples and guavas do well.

It is especially fine for poultry raising.

Parties who have settled here think a good deal of their places and nearly all are improving them and expect to make permanent homes.

Messrs. Lastinger, Johnson, Boyd, Towns and Singleton are the oldest settlers, locating in the order named, and they can tell some rich experiences of pioneer life, as well as some thrilling adventures with wild cats, bears and panthers. Rattlesnakes are rarely ever seen, but the few found are very large.

Many birds of bright plumage are found and are a delight to those who love the beautiful in all forms.

A sanitarium is spoken of and no doubt will be located here in the near future.

This article was published in The Herald-Advocate (Wauchula, Fla.), 2A, June 30, 2005.