Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: As Florida's population increased after the Civil War, the state's southern wetlands attracted the attention of potential settlers. Settlement was hindered, however, by inadequate drainage, and years of public and private attempts at reclamation ended in failure. In 1905, Florida established the Everglades Drainage District. Governor Napoleon B. Broward opened the project on July 4, 1906, and dredge "Everglades" began work on the North New River Canal. The resulting network of canals and locks opened thousands of acres of virgin land to settlement and cultivation. Fish from Lake Okeechobee and produce from remote farms were carried through the North New River Canal to Fort Lauderdale, where they were shipped by rail to northern markets. small passenger steamers plied the canal network en route to Fort Myers. Although boat traffic is now restricted, the canal system continues to serve South Florida in maintaining an ecological balance in the Everglades and protecting coastal urban areas from floods.