Cracker Trail Museum

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A visit to the Cracker Trail Museum in Zolfo Springs sounded like a "shouldn't miss" for someone exploring the Cracker Trail. I stopped by for a look, and was impressed with the wide variety of items on display. Plenty of info about the origins of the cattle industry, and the Trail itself. An explanation of the Trail Association – a group that annually re-enacts the cowboys' return trip east along the Trail, headed home after delivering their herds (the equestrian-centred event is happening at the end of February, I believe, if you're interested!). Lots of local history is around for browsing, along with paintings and photographs to admire, and there's a large collection of "natural" objects: minerals, fossils, rocks, sharks' teeth, taxidermied animals, an 11' gator hide/pelt/skin 😮 Not bad at all for a $2-donation-appreciated museum, and there's an entire outside village section that I'll post next, to boot! • • Oh, and why were the cowboys around here called Crackers, you might be asking…well, they're named for the sound their rawhide whips made. When flailed (forcefully), the "cracks", actually small sonic booms, could be heard for miles, and were often used as a form of communication. The long whips could also see off troublesome rattlesnakes by snapping off their heads from a safe distance, and even kill small animals for dinner. (There are some references to the name coming from the cracked corn that the early pioneers used to make moonshine, but that isn't nearly as interesting 😉) • • @visithardee #pioneerpark #crackertrailmuseum #localhistory #floridacracker #LoveFL #museum #floridacrackertrail @visitflorida

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