John E Ladson III

The Wacissa Slave Canal John E Ladson III

..". the Canal today remains a natural wonder. It has a remoteness and natural ambiance unlike any other water body in the state. Although a physically challenging venture, a paddling trip through the Canal is an almost spiritual experience, especially to anyone aware of its rich history. Anyone knowledgeable of that history wll be impelled to think of paleo-hunters traveling through the area in search of chert for manufacturing weapons as well as game; later use of the surrounding area by Native Americans for camp sites, ceremonial and burial use; the frequent use of the passage by the Tocobaga for transporting produce and other supplies for the Spanish Missions; the backbreaking work performed by slaves during the pre-Civil War era in digging and piling up the huge limestone boulders that now line some of the banks of the canal; and the subsequent use of the area for trade, subsistence fishing and hunting and even ' moonshining'. That rich history can not help but enhance the natural beauty of the passage."