Reminiscing

November 22, 2006
By: Dick Hinson

Early on past Thanksgiving mornings, local wives and mothers were busy loading kids, pies, and cakes into vehicles. Destination: "Camp Seclusion," about 20 miles south of Bristol. Their husbands had already been there for several days with their sons who where old enough to be safely left alone on a "deer-drive stand." What sort of place was "Camp Seclusion?" That’s not an easy question to answer…. Do you recall the long running television series "M.A.S.H.?" If so, you have a good idea of the mix of lifestyles and personalities within the members of the organization.

Started around 1960 by three or four Marianna friends, it grew to over 30 during the next 25 years. Like the TV series, most were military veterans. All shared a love and appreciation of the outdoors. Originally organized as a "Deer Hunting Club", the truth is that the taking of a buck deer came to be regarded as an unwelcome interruption of more favored pursuits. One of these enjoyable activities was a marathon friendly card game. A large round table in the dining shack seated eight, and members drifted in and out. Near the table, a C.B. radio base station blared in the background, providing estimated locations of two or three serious hunters, wandering members, and lost deerhounds in the forest. A wide fireplace provided comfort on cold nights. It was also a good spot for long talks and tall tales. The camp complex in Liberty County was on a leased acre. It was Flanked on the West by the Florida River, and the Apalachicola national Forest on the East.

Three crude frame structures had survived from the original use as a logging camp of the 1920’s. The workmen of that era used long cross-cut saws. Teams of oxen pulled the logs. The accommodations would be ranked as "Spartan." The "back-home" occupations of the members ranged from farmer to forester, preachers to physicians, and beekeepers to businessmen. Throw in a master welder, auto mechanic, teacher, public official, and an attorney. Few problems arose where you didn’t have immediate access to "expert advice." You could also become the victim of a sinister practical joke, so you had to be cautious. Back then, very little of the virgin timber on the island area had been harvested. There was no bridge across the Florida River. The area between this small river and the Apalachicola formed an island two miles wide and ten miles long.

The early loggers could only chip at the edges from one of the rivers. Our forester member said that the island contained one of the most impressive stands of mature trees in the country. Many were over 500 years old, living when Columbus landed on Thanksgiving Day, you can imagine how excited the kids were to arrive and be turned loose into this primitive playground! The dinner was bountiful. Venison and pork came with the turkey and dressing. The former oxen pen produced the biggest and best turnip greens ever tasted.

Much of the meat was cooked in our underground brick-lined pit, covered with bay leaves. Green hickory coals filled the pit bottom. Happy diners filled the shack, and spilled out to chairs around the nearby bonfire. It was a good time. There are a hundred stories of camp seclusion, and perhaps we’ll share another at a later date. Meanwhile, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours……