Logging the Swamp: A Brief History of the Lumber Industry in the Big Cypress

As the depression loomed in the wake of the Tamiami Trail’s completion, a new industry arose in the hardwood hammocks of the Everglades City area. Sawmills sprang up throughout the swamp and lumber companies became the region’s primary employers — logging thousands of acres of massive mature bald cypress trees. Museum Manager Thomas Lockyear will discuss the rise and fall of the local lumber industry and how it affected the local economy and environment.