In the 1800’s, communication, supply delivery, and trade between the Indian Agencies, Seminole, and U.S. Army forts were challenging because no clear road connected outlying coastal areas with the state’s interior across forests, difficult or impassable terrain, and waterways. In 1825, Congress authorized construction of a road from Tampa Bay through central Florida and present-day Ocala into South Georgia, resulting in the Fort King Road, also known as the Military Road. Its construction was a logistical and tactical necessity that reduced communication time with Washington D.C. from months to days and helped the U.S. Army move supplies and people through the region. As the only major road running through the interior of the state, it was heavily used by troops moving between areas and was necessary for providing supplies and resources to forts throughout the state. The Seminole also used the road to track military movements and hunt soldiers or settlers traveling through the region. The road was rough, sixteen feet wide with trees cut to ground level and stumps left in place; low-lying flooded areas were bridged with logs laid across like planks, and other stretches were raised with grass covered by dirt to form causeways. Travel along it, especially by supply wagons, was not easy. The Fort King Road became an important part of Florida’s battlefield landscape during the Second Seminole War, including several major battles along its route, most notably the Dade Massacre. Today, portions of the road are covered by U.S. 301, and one portion can still be traveled at Fort King.
