State approves $50,000 for Chattahoochee's River Landing Park

Major Archaeology Project to Begin Soon.

by Rachael Conrad

Historical Markers and the large temple mound
at Chattahoochee's River Landing Park.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the state legislature have approved a $50,000 grant for River Landing Park in Chattahoochee, Florida. It is the second year in a row that the park has received significant funding through the state Division of Historical Resources.

The park is the location of noted multi-cultural archaeological and historical sites. Among these are Native American mounds, a War of 1812 fort, the battlefield where the first U.S. defeat of the Seminole Wars took place, wrecks of 19th and early 20th-century paddlewheel steamboats, historic Victory Bridge, and even an original section of the 17th-century Old Spanish Trail.

Historian and author Dale Cox, who wrote the grant application for free as a donation to the community, said that the money will fund the most significant archaeological research project in the history of the Chattahoochee Landing site.

River Landing Park as seen from the air.

"These dollars, which the community is so blessed to receive in a year when the Governor was forced to cut over $1 billion in spending from the state budget, shows just how important this site is to Chattahoochee, our area, and the state as a whole," he said.

The grant is available immediately and will be used to better determine the specific sites of archaeological and historical features at the park so they can be preserved while clearing the way for future development and improvements.

"This project is really unique," Cox said, "because it provides a chance to preserve the past while assuring the future. The City of Chattahoochee wants to add a canoe launch and make other improvements to the park. This will help move that project forward while, at the same time, it will save the prehistoric mounds from further erosion and protect precious parts of the past."

The grant was submitted in early 2019 by Chattahoochee Main Street. A previous grant, also for $50,000, funded a new interpretive trail that will be installed at River Landing Park later this month. Combined, the two projects provide a total investment of $100,000 in the cultural resources at the park.

Enjoy this video to learn more about the history of River Landing Park: