Once, the expanse of Florida was covered with 27 million acres of untouched forest, but now that area has greatly diminished. Since the early 1800s, Florida has relied on the forestry trade. As settlers made Florida their home, they began to realize the abundance of natural resources surrounding them.

Many towns in northern Florida were established based on sawmill activities. The initial cargo of the earliest railways in the state comprised logs, lumber, railway ties, and other forest-related goods. The introduction of circular sawmills initiated a century-long period of logging.

The majestic slash and longleaf pines, sprawling live oaks, and giant cypress trees were all harvested in the subsequent centuries for various purposes, from furniture to ships. By the early 1900s, the turpentine industry flourished as producers found that resin extracted from Florida’s slash and longleaf pine trees could be used to create pitch for sealing ships and for other products like paints, medicines, and cosmetics. The maritime sector heavily relied on this industry until the 1920s, when lumber became more profitable than resin once again.

In 1965, Congressman Don Fuqua declared Taylor County, with its vast expanse of over 525,000 forested acres, as the “Tree Capital of the South.” To honor this distinction, Forest Capital Museum State Park was inaugurated in 1968. The museum celebrates the region’s longleaf pines by showcasing nearly 5,000 pine-derived products. In 1972, the Gibson family donated their cracker homestead to the park, further enriching the collection of cultural exhibits.

Forest Capital Museum State Park boasts a rich and captivating history intertwined with the forestry trade’s fluctuations. Present-day visitors can explore an authentic cracker homestead and a museum brimming with artifacts and narratives from the industry’s past.