Fluidr / 1coffeelady's "Chipola River WMA & Bellamy (Ghost) Bridge Trail ~ Marianna, Florida" set

"Sweet Chipola River Sign" Chipola River Water Management Area & The Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail ~ Marianna, Florida

A Canon PowerShot S95 — 1/60s ƒ/2 ISO 80 at 6 mm

N 0 B 116 C 0 E Dec 29, 2016 F Apr 11, 2020

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The Chipola River is a tributary of the Apalachicola River in western Florida. It is part of the ACF River Basin watershed.
The 92.5-mile-long (148.9 km) river crosses present-day Jackson, Calhoun and Gulf counties.
The river flows through what is now preserved as the Dead Lakes State Recreation Area just before reaching its mouth at the confluence with the Apalachicola. The Dead Lakes were formed when the Apalachicola deposited sand bars blocking the mouth of the Chipola.
The Chipola River flows for several miles south from the Dead Lakes, parallel to the Apalachicola River, before reaching its confluence with the larger river.

Tags: chipola river water management area marianna florida chipola river WMA marianna florida chipola river ACF river basin watershed Jackson county florida natural trails calhoun florida natural trails calhoun county florida chipola river jackson county florida chipola river The Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail florida historic Bellamy Bridge florida Northwest Florida Water Management Jackson County Parks & Recycling Friends of bellamy bridge Upper Chipola River floodplain florida jackson county florida upper chipola floodplains jackson county florida second oldest steel-frame bridge jackson county florida “Florida’s Most Haunted Bridge jackson county florida Elizabeth Jane Bellamy jackson county florida Samuel C.Bellamy jackson county florida spanish Marcos Delgado jackson county florida expedition of Marcos Delgado jackson county florida Spanish soldiers and Apalachee Indians Jackson County florida Spanish Heritage Trail jackson county florida floodplains florida landscapes florida scenery florida historic sites florida's historic landmarks jackson county florida historic sites jackson county florida historic landmarks jackson county florida floodplains area jackson county florida & the chipola river Battle of the Upper Chipola jackson county florida Battle of the Upper Chipola First Seminole War & the upper chipola river jackson county florida McIntosh Creek Indian chief from Coweta jackson county florida Seminole and Red Stick Creek Indians jackson county florida Creek warriors & war of 1817 jackson county florida & Econchattimico's camp

"Floodplains" Chipola River Water Management Area & The Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail ~ Marianna, Florida

A Canon PowerShot S95 — 1/60s ƒ/2 ISO 80 at 6 mm

N 0 B 59 C 0 E Dec 29, 2016 F Apr 11, 2020

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The trail offers a great opportunity to see the magnificent plant and animal life of the Upper Chipola River floodplain and is popular not just for those interested in the ghost story, but with people of all ages who enjoy scenic natural beauty.

Spanish Explorers Chipola River Water Management Area & The Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail ~ Marianna, Florida

A Canon PowerShot S95 — 1/60s ƒ/4 ISO 160 at 6 mm

N 0 B 212 C 0 E Dec 29, 2016 F Apr 11, 2020

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The earliest recorded use of the Bellamy Bridge vicinity as a
place for crossing the Chipola River dates from the 1686
expedition of Marcos Delgado.

Appointed by the governor of Florida to investigate reports of
French intrusion on the Mississippi River, Delgado led a small
force of Spanish soldiers and Apalachee Indians west from
Mission San Luis at present-day Tallahassee.

Reaching Mission San Luis near Sneads, Delgado turned
slightly to the northwest and crossed what is now eastern
Jackson County to Blue Springs, which the Spanish called
"Calistople Spring." Until the time of the 1686 expedition, they
believed it was the head of the Chipola or Calistoble River.

From Blue Spring, the Spanish expedition turned north around
the head of Baltzell Spring and across the site of today's
Marianna Municipal Airport before turning back west again.
Encountering no other streams or obstacles, they soon
reached the Chipola River:

...[T]here is a clayey swamp and in its center a stream which has
36 feet of width and a depth of 6 feet and the swamp itself has
half a league of breadth. It is thick and it was necessary to cut
the path.

Delgado's description of the stream he encountered matches
the Bellamy Bridge vicinity very well. Since he would have
encountered a much wider swamp and other streams or even
multiple river channels blocking his way if he had crossed
either to the north or south, the area right around Bellamy
Bridge is the only real geographic match for his crossing point.

The location is supported by the earliest Jackson County land
surveys, which show an old trail leading northwest from Blue
Springs, around the head of Baltzell Spring and to the Chipola
River at today's Bellamy Bridge site. Since the trail was there
before the first American settlers moved into the area, it likely
was the one followed by Marcos Delgado.

After crossing the Chipola, the explorers moved on to the vicinity
of Waddell's Mill Pond in western Jackson County where they
first saw buffalo (American bison). Delgado eventually reached
the towns of the Upper Creek Indians around today's city of
Montgomery, Alabama, but never made it to the Mississippi.

His crossing of the Chipola River in the vicinity has led to
Bellamy Bridge being included on the new Jackson County
Spanish Heritage Trail, a driving tour of historic Spanish
colonial sites.

"Seminole Native Americans" Chipola River Water Management Area & The Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail ~ Marianna, Florida

N 0 B 291 C 0 E Oct 21, 2017 F Apr 11, 2020

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One of the largest actions of the First Seminole War took place
on the upper Chipola River in March 1818.

While the exact site of the Battle of the Upper Chipola has never
been identified, the reports of Brig. Gen. William McIntosh
indicate it was fought somewhere in the vicinity of the Bellamy
Bridge Heritage Trail.

McIntosh was a Creek Indian chief from Coweta, a town near
present-day Columbus. He had served alongside Andrew
Jackson during the Creek War of 1813-1814 and when war
erupted between the U.S. and an alliance of Seminole and Red
Stick Creek Indians in 1817, Jackson again called on him to
join the fight.

Organizing a brigade of Creek warriors who were willing to fight
on the side of the United States, McIntosh marched south down
the Chattahoochee River in March 1818. His initial objective
was the large force under Econchattimico ("Red Ground King").

The Creek force under General McIntosh swept in and
destroyed Econchattimico's town of Ekanachattee ("Red
Ground") at present-day Neal's Landing in Jackson County
early during the second week of March 1818. The chief and
warriors of the town, however, were away herding cattle at a
camp on the upper Chipola River.

Turning west on the old Pensacola to St. Augustine Road,
which generally followed the route of SR 2 through northern
Jackson County, McIntosh marched past the site of present-day
Malone to the Forks of the Creek Swamp. Leaving behind his
baggage, he and his men waded into the swamp with just their
arms, ammunition and horses. The crossing was six miles
long and the water was running high.

Once across to the west side of the creeks, which form the
Chipola River just north of Bellamy Bridge, the Creek force
turned south and marched 4 miles before attacking
Econchattimico's camp.

The resulting action is remembered today as the Battle of the
Upper Chipola. Econchattimico and most of his men escaped,
but ten of his warriors were killed and others undoubtedly
wounded. McIntosh also captured a number of horses and
cows.

The battle broke up one of the largest warring bands west of
the Chattahoochee and Apalachicola Rivers, allowing the main
U.S. Army under Jackson to concentrate on the towns and
forces to the east. The total loss for Econchattiico's group in the
raid was 10 men killed along with 53 men and 130 women and
children captured.

The site of Econchattimico's camp on the Chipola has never
been identified, but it must have been somewhere in the vicinity
of today's Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail. McIntosh reported that
it was on the west side of the river and four miles south of the
route by which he crossed the Forks of the Creek Swamp.
Bellamy Bridge is roughly that distance south of the original
route of the old Pensacola to St. Augustine Road.

"Floodplains" Chipola River Water Management Area & The Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail ~ Marianna, Florida

A samsung SM-G935V — 1/50s ƒ/1.7 ISO 125 at 4.2 mm

N 0 B 49 C 0 E Dec 29, 2016 F Apr 11, 2020

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