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A regular sized cache located in an area near the Egmont Key Lighthouse. No bushwacking required.
Egmont Key was named after John Perceval, the second Earl of Egmont by British surveyor George Gauld.
Through the years, the island has served as home to two lighthouses, a fort, a movie theater, a cemetery, boat pilots, and a radio beacon. Today, all that remains on the island is a truncated lighthouse, crumbling remains of the fort, a small colony of gopher tortoises, and a park ranger to interpret the island's history.
After Florida attained statehood in 1845, funding was obtained to build the Egmont Key Lighhouse in December of 1846. The contract for the lighthouse and dwelling was $6,250. The contract called for a 40-foot, brick tower, topped with an octagonal lantern that would shelter 13 lamps backed by 21-inch reflectors.
Work began on the lighthouse during the summer of 1847, and the lamps were to be lit by January 1, 1848 according to the contract. However, the supply ship Abbe Baker, ran aground on Orange Key while transporting bricks from New York for the lighthouse. Roughly half of the bricks had to be tossed overboard to re-float the ship. By February of 1848, the tower stood at a height of twenty feet, but work was halted until a new shipment of bricks arrived. The tower was officially certified on April 19, 1848, and shortly thereafter Sherrod Edwards, the first keeper of the Egmont Key Lighthouse, activated the light.
On September 23, 1848 a powerful hurricane covered Egmont Key with several feet of water. Keeper Edwards and his family, according to local legend, survived the storm by seeking refuge in a small boat tethered to a Palmetto tree. Shortly thereafter, Keeper Edwards rowed his family ashore and resigned. It was likely due to Walker’s pile foundation that the tower survived the storm. The lighthouse was subsequently struck by lightning, which opened cracks in the tower. In 1854, a concrete pad was poured around the base of the tower, but by 1856, it was apparent that a replacement tower was necessary.
A new tower, twice as tall as the original, was completed in 1857 near the northern end of Egmont Key, and probably ninety feet inland from the previous tower. A fixed-light produced by a third-order Fresnel lens was exhibited from a focal plane of eighty-six feet starting in 1858.
In 1861, keeper George V. Rickard found himself caught in a struggle for control of the lighthouse. The collector in Key West was loyal to the Union, while the collector at St. Marks sided with the Confederates. Rickard feigned allegiance to Union blockaders near the island, until their absence allowed him to flee the island. After crating up the Fresnel lens, Rickard absconded to Tampa with the lens and as many supplies as he could transport.
The lighthouse soon fell under Union control and was reactivated using a makeshift light. After the war, a fourth-order lens was used until 1893, when it was replaced by a third-order lens with a red sector.
In 1898, during the Spanish-American War, Fort Dade, part of a comprehensive coastal defense system, was constructed on the island. Named for the army commander, who along with his detachment, was killed by Seminole Indians in 1835, the fort, along with Fort DeSoto on Mullet Island to the northeast, stood watch over the entrance to Tampa Bay. The fort was staffed during World War I as well, and by the time it was deactivated in 1923, a movie theater, bowling alley, tennis courts, and miles of brick roads were found on the island.
In 1944, the upper portion of the lighthouse was removed along with the Fresnel lens, and a Double Head DCB-36 Rotating Beacon was placed on top of the capped tower. The remaining keeper’s dwelling was demolished in 1954 and replaced by a one-story barracks. In 1974, Egmont Key became a National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The island was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, due to the lighthouse and remains of Fort Dade. The lighthouse was automated in 1989 when the present optic, a DCB-24 Rotating Beacon was installed, and today the Florida Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service work together to manage the island.
In November of 2008, a celebration was held on the island to commemorate the 150th birthday of the Egmont Key Lighthouse. In preparation for the event, the lighthouse received a new coat of paint thanks to the Tampa Bay Rough Riders and volunteers from the Coast Guard. A new plaque was unveiled at the base of the lighthouse during the festivities, and birthday cake was served to over 200 people. For the past several years, Christmas lights have been placed on the tower by volunteers from the Egmont Key Alliance to bring a little holiday cheer to the island.
This is a regular size cache with an original inventory consisting of:
An alligator clip; Mardi Gras beads; bottle opener; $20 phone card; pen; 2 shells; small coin; pair of dice; squirt ball; 2 Duracell batteries; and a small flashlight.
We have always enjoyed coming to this island and the history that goes with it. When we set the cache, the Grand Illusion crew joined together with Capt’n Steve and arrived via Steve’s sailboat, Tranquility; hence the name of this cache.
Enjoy the island, its history and the wildlife. This cache was placed with permission from the Park Ranger and is located in an area that does not require bushwhacking or disruption of the local wildlife.
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Congratulations to waverunner3 - FTF 04/16/2009
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Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Jura fgnaqvat orgjrra gjb cnyzf, urnq abegujrfg gb gur pnpur.