Woodham Woods Trail - Oswald Indigo Bridge Traditional Cache

The Woodham Woods Trail on the scenic Ormond Beach Loop is a 1.10 mile paved pathway. The trail has endpoints on North Beach Street, near Inglesa Avenue and, at the other end, across from Tomoka State Park.There is limited parking at either end of the trail. Please be courtous of the residents living near the trail.  

This cache is midway on the trail and is accessible by foot or bike. It is a micro so you will need to BYOP.

This cache is located at the site of an Oswald Indigo Ditch. According to the signage near the cache:

The Mount Oswald Plantation was established in 1776 by English entrepreneur, Richard Oswald. It was located on 400 acres along the Halifax and Tomoka Riversat present-day Tomoka state park. Indigo was the major cash crop of the plantation.

The Oswald Indigo Ditch was dug to improve indigo production. The ditch was to believed to be completely dug by hand. The South side is higher than the North side and appears to contain the spoil from the initial from the initail escavation. The ditch runs in an completly straight line.

The Oswald Indigo Ditch is not large enough to have been useds as a canal or a defensive feature. It is believed the ditch was dug to keep the caterpillars out of the indigo fields. The caterpillars would die for lack of water trying to cross the barren area of the ditch.

(courtesy of Steven Mickel Jr., Eagle Project 2016, Three Rivers District)

Permission to place this cache was received from the park manager