Paynes Creek State Historic State Park in Hardee County, Florida, near the town of Bowling Green, contains within its boundaries several sites of historical interest. Payne's Creek, a tributary of the Peace River, was the site of the Payne-Whidden Massacre on July 17, 1849, in which two traders were killed by a small group of vigilante Seminole Indians, an event which helped to precipitated the Third Seminole War (1855-1858). Fort Chokonikla was built near the site of the trading post shortly after the massacre for the ostensible reason of protecting the frontier towns and settlers against Indian incursions into their territories. The fort was abandoned by July of 1850 and no trace of it is visible above ground today. In the 1980's, archaeologists excavated a likely site for the fort and verified that such a structure once existed there. Below are photographs of the site of the former Fort Chokonikla, as well as of Payne and Whidden's memorial marker and the natural surroundings common to South/Central Florida. For further historical information see Spessard Stone's article on Fort Chokonikla at his website ("Cracker Barrel")

Pine trees and palmetto scrub.

Site where Fort Chokonikla once stood.

Another angle of the Fort Chokonikla site.

One of the trails leading away from the Fort Chokonikla site.

A tree killed by lightning.

Suspension bridge spanning Payne's Creek.

View of the creek through the trees from the bridge.

View from the banks of Payne's Creek.

View of Payne's Creek.

View of Payne's Creek (up the bank in the open, sunny area is where the trading post stood at which the Payne-Whidden massacre occurred.)

View of Payne's Creek.

View of Payne's Creek.

View of the suspension bridge from the banks of the creek.

Payne and Whidden's memorial marker from behind.

Close-up of explanation of Payne and Whidden's memorial marker.

Payne and Whidden's memorial marker.

Close-up of Payne and Whidden's memorial marker.