The Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway tells the story of the ambitious Cross Florida Barge Canal project. Despite its unfinished state, this colossal endeavor holds a significant place in history.

If completed, the Cross Florida Barge Canal would have connected various waterways across Central Florida, enabling inland passage through rivers, canals, and lakes. The idea of such a route dates back to 1567, proposed by the founder of Spanish St. Augustine, Pedro Menendez de Aviles.

Throughout European colonization, navigating around the perilous Florida cape was a daunting task. The risks of pirates, rough currents, hurricanes, and shallow waters hampered many voyages along the lengthy journey. 

The concept of the canal took shape in the 19th century, gaining support from traders and business owners who saw the potential economic benefits in facilitating the transport of goods like timber and cotton between the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico ports.

Despite multiple studies conducted between 1826 and 1911 that deemed the canal unfeasible, the project gained momentum with Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal program in the 1930s. However, funding was short-lived, and concerns over environmental impact and financial sustainability led to its halt.

Revived interest during World War II saw the project transforming into a lock and dam shallow-draft canal. Subsequent environmental and financial challenges, coupled with public opposition, eventually led to the cancellation of the canal in 1971.

Activists like Marjorie Harris Carr played a crucial role in halting the project, paving the way for the transformation of the incomplete canal land into what is now known as the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway.

A symbol of environmental activism and preservation, the greenway stands as a testament to a vision that never materialized, turning a once controversial project into a cherished public resource.