| The debate regarding land use in Florida's Everglades is one of the leading issues on the environmental agenda of the 1990s. Indeed, their size, proximity to a major population concentration, and mystique justify the title "Great American Wetland." In spite of all the technical literature on the "Glades," nobody fully understands this ecosystem. Unfortunately, we know much less about humanity's historic relationship with the Everglades.; This study is an examination of people's perception of the Glades from the late 19th century to 1930. Politicians engaged in a tremendous effort to drain South Florida's interior wetlands during this period, and it is commonly assumed that most people of the time heartily endorsed Everglades reclamation. Yet evidence presented in this study suggests that many people questioned Florida's drainage program.; The physical geography of the late 19th and early 20th century Everglades is reconstructed using climate data, soil surveys, topographic maps, historical photographs, and literature from early 20th century botanists who explored the region. Next, archival materials such as government documents, travel accounts, newspapers, and promotional material from early 20th century Everglades real estate companies are used to piece together past perceptions of the Glades. These sources of information are used in conjunction with correspondence from the papers of Thomas Will, an early Everglades settler and promoter. Will's large collection of papers is important because he communicated with a variety of people: pioneers, government officials, residents of Florida's southeast coast, and northern investors in Everglades property.; Finally, it is suggested that the Everglades and other wetlands are part of a larger category of "flatlands" that have been vulnerable to over-development. On one hand, mountainous areas are clearly vulnerable to development pressure because development can cause severe soil erosion. On the other hand, the threat to wetlands and many other flatlands is more subtle, and this causes people to overlook their vulnerability to development pressure. |
