A Rookery Bay Trip Down Memory Lane at Horr’s Island

A few Rookery Bay staff members joined Resource Management Specialist Steven Bertone once again for a historic site visit. This time to Horr's Island where they learned about thousands of years of history preserved beneath their feet.   

Long before Southwest Florida's roads and neighborhoods existed, Horr's Island was home to indigenous people during the Archaic Period from approximately 10,000 to 3,000 years ago. The island contains one of the oldest known human burial mounds in the southeastern United States. It dates back nearly 4,700 years!    

The trip also included a bit more recent history with a visit to the site of Captain John F. Horr's plantation home. Built in 1877, the homestead was once part of a bustling island community known for its pineapple plantations and early settlers. Along the way, Steve explained how early settlers used a building material called tabby. Very durable, tabby is made from shells, sand and water. It was commonly used to construct homes and other structures throughout coastal Florida. Large walls and other remaining remnants of Captain Horr’s house are testament to the strength of this natural substance.  

Horr's Island serves as a reminder that conservation isn't just about protecting wildlife and habitats, it's also about preserving the stories of the people who lived here hundreds and even thousands of years before us.