by Donna DiGennaro, Clermont Historical Society
The Clermont Historical Society invites you to the Historic Village to see the newest item on display. Special thanks go to Donald Pitts, the owner of the anchor, for sharing it with those visiting the village. The anchor was found in the Ocklawaha River several years ago.
Most people today are unaware that steamboat travel along the Ocklawaha was once very popular. Many tourists from northern states would come south in the winter and were looking for adventure. A multi-day trip through the wilds of Florida was just what they were looking for! They could fish and hunt directly from the boat as it moved slowly through the uninhabited areas surrounding the Ocklawaha. One very popular activity was shining lanterns on the water and into the woods at night and shooting at the alligators and animals whose eyes reflected at them.
But there were also people on the riverboats who were simply looking at the beauty that surrounded them. One such person was Maud Powell, who wrote a poem about her riverboat trip entitled, “Up the Ocklawaha.” The poem was so beautiful that it inspired Marion Bauer, a world-famous concert violinist, to write a piece based on it even though she had never seen the river. Her composition, also called “Up the Ocklawaha,” was praised for its “weird strangeness of Ocklawaha River Country.”
When the anchor was lent to the Historical Society, Mr. Pitts had no idea of the name of the boat it came from. After one of the Society’s members did some research, we have a possible name to put with it. There were several companies offering riverboat rides on the Ocklawaha but one company operated by Edward Lucas had a steamer, the Metamora, that sank in the Ocklawaha. We believe there is a very real possibility the anchor is from that boat.
The anchor is on display outside on the grounds of the Village, so you can see it any time but if you come on a Saturday or Sunday between 1:00 pm & 4:00 pm, you will be able to tour all the buildings at the Village as well! Admission to the Village is on a donation basis. We request $5.00 per person 12 and over. The Village is located at 490 West Avenue on the shores of beautiful Lake Minneola and not far from all the lovely shops and restaurants in historic downtown Clermont. See you soon!
