A mile east of here, rugged terrain remains from a ship canal dug during the Great Depression, when some 8,000 men shoveled tons of sand and dirt onto mule-drawn carts and trucks in sweltering heat while swatting mosquitoes. Heaps of excavated dirt formed a man-made ridge, and the canal left a great gash in the earth that stretches for miles and is more than 20 feet deep. During construction, this area resembled an open mine as workers cleared the land and burned vegetation. The project was abandoned because of funding issues and the start of World War II, and native plants soon reclaimed the land. The Florida Park Service now manages this area for wildlife and recreation as part of the Cross Florida Greenway.