Florida Roots

Scott & his Great Uncle Robert Meares

What comes to mind when you think of the state of Florida? For many, maybe it's Orlando offering Universal Studios and Disney World attractions. Sandy beaches, sunshine, golf courses and seafood might resonate with others. How about alligators, citrus groves, air boats, swamps and fresh water springs? The latter is closer to the Florida I came to know and hold near and dear. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my time on the beautiful beaches, but the older and bit more wilderness of Florida is still the nostalgic allure for me. It must be in my blood, because you see, I have family Florida roots that are tied to the Pinellas County area which includes Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Largo and Indian Rocks Beach.

Great Uncle Paul & Aunt Margaret Meares

When I was a young boy my parents would put me on a plane in Atlanta and send me to Largo, Florida to stay with my Great Aunt's during the summer months. That trip was always one of the most anticipated activities of my year. These trips took place during the early 1970's when Florida was a much different place than it is today. I am fond of the many memories I made during those hot summer months as I learned to enjoy and absorb the Florida life. An older generation of family taught me to salt water fish, throw a cast net, catch crabs using chicken necks, pick oranges and grapefruits, dig for clams, cook seafood, locate alligators and enjoy the beach life to the max. The Meares were on my mothers side of the family. My grandmother had 8 siblings and they all grew up native Floridians during the early 1900's. I certainly enjoyed listening to all their amazing stories that were acquired from living in a very unpopulated, wilderness region of Florida. Most of my Great Uncles were amazing fishermen and spent a lot of time on the sea. My Uncle Roy was even the sheriff of Pinellas County at one time during the 1930's. Oranges and grapefruits were the main industry for the Meares and a primary source of income in those days.

Meares Orange Groves early 1900's - Photo courtesy of Nancy Meares Miller

During my summer visits I would often stay at my grandmother's sister's home. Aunt Margaret Jerele was known for taking in family and she had an elderly woman living with her. Aunt Vena, who was 104 years old at the time was related in some way. As a young boy, I was intrigued by the old and faded photos that graced her dresser, and I would often sit and listen to her life stories about growing up in the Tampa Bay area in the late 1800's. It blows my mind to think how that in 2023, at age 57, I am personally connected with someone who was a young girl in the 1880's. Aunt Vena grew up in the St. Petersburg area which was quite uninhabited at that time. Needed supplies from the nearest town of

Tampa would require a horse drawn wagon trip around Tampa Bay. There was no bridge across the bay at that time so the trip would require an overnight stay at a halfway point somewhere in the middle of the forest of pines, oaks and palm trees filled with plenty of native Florida wildlife. If you've ever crossed Tampa Bay by car and looked across that bay you understand what a long trip that would be on horseback.

Aunt Vena recalled that as a young girl her father would send her to get those needed supplies from Tampa. Talk about a hardy and brave girl. She was only 12 years old when she made her first trip... ALONE! Aunt Vena would climb up on to the wagon with her rifle and away she'd go. She described her journeys as exciting, hot, lonely and sometimes a bit scary. She told me that the scariest part of her journey was listening to the panthers scream in the night as she kept her campfire burning bright to ward off the big cats. At that time, the Florida panther was very common and a normal part of the wildlife population.

Florida Panther

Aunt Vena told me that there were even some black panthers which moved unseen under the cover of darkness. The campfire was vital to keep them away as she tried to rest under the open air. She once said, "they would climb out on the limbs of nearby trees and their screams sounded just like a woman being murdered". That sound would haunt her for her entire life, yet she spoke proudly of having managed herself as a young girl navigating a very wild Florida habitat. I would sit in Aunt Vena's room for at least an hour a day during my visits as I listened to her incredible stories of growing up with panthers, alligators, pit vipers and other dangers found in the swamps of Florida. As I later returned to Florida on a regular basis during my waterskiing days, I was always drawn to the rural areas that still provided a little bit of the wild Florida that I had heard so much about. I enjoyed time on swamp boats, finding backwood grills that served up gator bites, exploring river banks that were shaded by huge oak trees covered in Spanish moss and catching small alligators just for fun and maybe a photo.

Scott - Cast Netting for Mullet

Eventually, all of my great aunts and uncles passed away leaving me with only fond memories from my childhood and the many stories they told. I will be forever grateful for the time my family spent with me as a young boy teaching me their Florida ways. It's nostalgic for me to pick a grapefruit from a tree, slice into it with a knife as I was taught as a child, and then take a bite of the most delicious tasting citrus fruit ever. They don't taste quite like that from the grocery store. Only true Floridians can understand the tasty reward of catching your own crabs and boiling them fresh. Restaurants can't come close to offering the succulent taste of those fresh crabs. Catching mullet with a cast net as the tide rolls in takes knowhow and practice. I was blessed to have my Great Uncle Robert teach me how it was done. Watching the nuances of alligator behavior allowed me to understand how to catch the little fellows as I got older. Learning to read the ocean with it's tides, wave patterns, rip tides and the color of the water were also passed down to me from my Florida family. I've used that knowledge my entire life to better enjoy and relax while swimming in the ocean. All of their wisdom has helped me enjoy my time in Florida to the max.

Scott at Indian Rocks Beach 1973

The next time you take a trip to sunny Florida, I hope you'll consider taking a detour from the theme parks and tourist traps and travel into some small towns, kayak down one of the beautiful rivers, or try your hand at catching your own seafood. Take in the beautiful oak trees with draping Spanish moss. Sit quietly and look for a gator to break the glass water on an early morning. Who knows, the old and wild Florida just might win your heart too.