When the first settlers arrived in this area, Indians were still living here, the deep pine forests were rich with game, and the nearby Myakka River supplied fish. Pioneers felled tall trees to build their cabins and barns. Following the Civil War, the Homestead Act and the burgeoning railroad industry opened vast sections of the country, including this part of Florida, to more settlers. One half mile south once stood a log structure where circuit-riding preachers held church services and that served as a school during the week. William Rawls and A.M. “Gus” Wilson each donated land for what is now the church and cemetery, and in 1886 the church was built as graves of some early settlers came to dot the small cemetery. Gus Wilson later served as State Senator from this area and played a prominent part in state and local government. One fourth mile northwest on Wilson Road stands the site of the one-room school built in 1914 and now used as a community meeting house. Evidence of the Pine Level Trail leading to the county seat can still be seen at the nearby Crowley Nature Center, where John J. Crowley built the first blacksmith shop.