Bagdad Mill Site Park

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This unidentified
shipwreck is called the Snapper Wreck. Local informants say the vessel was
involved in Pensacola's red snapper fishery and recent archaeological
investigations have confirmed this information. The Snapper Wreck was likely
constructed in the northeastern U.S. sometime between 1890 and 1905. The
vessel was employed in the halibut or cod fisheries of New England until sold
to a Pensacola fish house for use in the red snapper fishery. Sometime after
1920, the vessel was brought to the Blackwater River, probably to be
mothballed at the foot of the abandoned Ollinger and Bruce Shipyard pier. It
eventually sank and was forgotten beneath the river’s cold and tannic waters.</span><br>

The Tampa Landing or Oyster Pile Boat Ramp is the largest Boat Ramp in Bagdad and has public parking and covered picnic tables.<br>

<span><a href="http://pulsegulfcoast.com/2016/05/bagdad-mill-site-park-opens-public" target="" rel="">http://pulsegulfcoast.com/2016/05/bagdad-mill-site-park-opens-public</a>
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Located at the confluence of Pond Creek and Blackwater River, the Bagdad
Millsite Memorial Park was once the location of the Bagdad Land and Lumber
Company mill.<br>
1826-Mill founded by Joseph Forsyth at nearby Arcadia on Pond Creek. This
was the first industrial site in Florida and the water-powered mill shared
its location with a bucket factory, fabric mill, stone quarry, and silk-worm
operation.<br>
1840-Mill moves to a 22-acre site at the confluence of Pond Creek and
Blackwater River. Steam power is introduced to power the mill. <br>
1863-Mill burned by retreating Confederate troops and remains inactive
until after the war. <br>
1865-Mill reopens under new owners, the Simpson brothers, and rapidly grows
prosperous, becoming the largest producer of yellow pine lumber in the
country. <br>
1939-Due to clear-cutting all available pine trees and never replanting,
the mill closes after 111 years of operation, leaving most workers without
means of employment.<br>
1940-With the ramp-up to WW II, formerly empty houses are again filled with
workers of the defense industry. <br>
1970s- Industry returns to Bagdad in the form of a concrete plant, followed
by an asphalt plant, on the old mill site. <br>
2005-Santa Rosa County subleases the site from the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection Office of Greenways and Trails. <br>
2007-The newly formed Bagdad Waterfronts Florida Partnership adopts the
22-acre site as a focal project for Bagdad Millsite Memorial Park.<br>
2008-Local residents begin a visioning process to set priorities as they
approach the project, creating a Master Plan to incorporate community input.
Locations of such elements as the fishing pier, boat docks, pavilion, picnic
areas, and the connection of the Bagdad Heritage Trail to the Blackwater
Heritage Trail are developed. <br>
2009-The Partnership volunteers plant 81 large native trees throughout the
park and install an irrigation system. More volunteer hours were logged by
the Partnership than by any other Office of Greenways and Trails park in the
state.<br>
2012-Santa Rosa County begins to clear the property by removing derelict
buildings and debris. <br>
2014-The County begins extensive land clearing and storm water control
projects. The fishing pier is constructed, with other components of the park
following.<br>
2015-Park Opening and Dedication and the 1st Annual Bagdad Riverfront
Festival. <br>
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If you would like to become involved in the exciting future of Bagdad and
learn more about its history, you can join the Bagdad Waterfronts Florida
Partnership by contacting us at P.O. Box 801, Bagdad, FL 32530 or
BagdadWaterfronts@gmail.com&nbsp;</span><span><br><br></span><br>