The winter of 1894-95 devastated the citrus groves in the areas around Inverness Florida. The financial hopes of this rural community were closely linked to the success of the citrus industry and the failure of that industry spelled doom and poverty for many. But before the financial impact of the freeze was truly felt, mineral surveyors discovered thick deposits of rock phosphate at several locations south of Inverness. A shortage of phosphate elsewhere and easy access to the deposits in the soft florida soil made phosphate the ideal replacement for the now defuct citrus.
The mines opened and the population of Citrus County soared to over 10,000 people. Mining had changed from small crews with picks and shovels to massive steamshovels and heavy equipment. Over the next few years, towns sprung up from the dead groves and people moved in from as far away as Georgia and South Carolina. Men and their machines changed the face of the land in search of phosphate, wealth and prosperity. The onset of World War I stopped shipments of phosphate from reaching European markets and by 1917, the mines had fallen silent.
As you approach the cache, you will descend a series of dirt and gravel bluffs -- these are the remains of the mining excavations. When they mined the phosphate, the ecosystem and topography of this area was completely destroyed. Every living thing you see on the approach to the cache has grown back slowly in the century since the mines closed.
The cache container is a 1 gallon screw-top pretzel jug painted in earthtone camo colors. It contains many of the best happy meal toys available from down home in Orlando. Please be sure to put the cache back and camoflage it appropriately so others can enjoy the hunt. If you bring kids (or kids at heart) with you on the hunt, be sure to check out the rope swing hanging from a huge oak tree on the bluff to the south of the cache location.
