Jim, Phil and all, Aspalaga is a Native American word. The Franciscans in North Florida generally used a Saint's name in Spanish to identify the name of their church or mission, while using an accompanying Apalachee word to specify the orignal name of the village where it was located. For example, the original mission of San Juan de Aspalaga really meant Saint John of Aspalaga. As Phil noted, the original mission was one of the Apalachee missions which centered on San Luis de Talimali at present day Tallahassee. Locals, by the way, still pronounce the word as "Aspalagi," which indicates to me that it probably is a derivative of the Muskogean word "Tsalagi" (= "Chalagi" or "Cherokee"). This does NOT mean, however, that the inhabitants of the original village were what we today would know as Cherokees. In some of the original Muskogean dialacts, Tsalagi was used to refer to people who were "different" or from another place (this is how it came to be applied to the Cherokee). How the name came to be applied to the bluff on the Apalachicola is anyone's guess, although a chief named Tsalagilichee ("Cherokee Killer") lived further upstream during the early 1700s.. It may have been the point where a trail leading to the original Aspalaga crossed the river, or the name may originate from a later time. Aspalaga (speaking of the one on the river now) had been well-known to Native Americans for thousands of years. One of Florida's most spectacular archaeological sites, the Aspalaga mounds and village, are located at the bluff. Dating from the Weeden Island period, the mounds here have produced highly artistic ceremonial pottery, etc., dating back perhaps 1,500 years. At the time of the War of 1812 and First Seminole War (1817-1818), no one was reported as living at the bluff by the military expeditions that passed through the area. Aspalaga took on new significance during the early 1820s, however, when it was selected as a crossing point for the original Pensacola to St. Augustine or Bellamy Road (the first major roadway constructed in Florida after the cession of the territory from Spain to the United States). As a result, a ferry landing grew here along with a store, homes, etc. The arrival of steamboats on the river during that same decade also played a sigifnicant part in the growth of the small town. As might be expected, Aspalaga became a point of some strategic importance during the Second Seminole War (1835-1842). Troops camped there from time to time, but no permanent installations were established until May 16, 1841, when the Army constructed Fort Barbour at Aspalaga following a series of raids by small groups of warriors on both sides of the Apalachicola. Probably not much more than a small log stockade, the fort was occupied for less than a year. Aspalaga remained an important riverboat landing until traffic ended in the mid-20th century. It remains an important crossing point today, since Interstate 10 spans the river near the bluff. Much of the original site, including the town site, landing and the Aspalaga mounds are now protected. The land was purchased within the last decade by the Nature Conservancy and now belongs to the State of Florida. The site has been added to Torreya State Park and is protected, but other than a boat landing no facilities exist in that section of the park. Best, Dale Cox Jwebbj@aol.com wrote: In a message dated 1/7/2007 10:09:40 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, pstover@portolangroup.com writes: Aspalaga was a major center of the area. It no longer exists. Someone needs to write the definitive history of the town.... Phil, Many thanks for your excellent article. According to family hearsay, my g/g/gf William James McKeown owned a general store in/at Aspalaga Landing. A ship carrying tourist up the Apalichicola River was force to seek refuge during a bad storm and docked at Aspalaga. One of the passengers was Katrina Brinchman from Hagstette, Oldenburg, Germany. William and Katrina fell in love and eventually married on January 31, 1871 in Gadsden County. There was one child from this marriage, Joshua Lee McKeown, born January 17, 1873. My guess is Aspalaga is an Indian Name. I am interested in learning more about the Aspalaga Community, and how it got its name. Jim Webb - Jacksonville, Florida ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to FLJACKSO-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message