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What's It Called???

What's the Name

  • square pond

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Bar Pit

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Billy Goat Ridge

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Catfish pond

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0

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blackpowderscout

blackpowderscout

Well-known member
While I was broke down, trying to fix my fuel pump on Saturday, a nice fella and his son stopped to help me (Basketcase was there too). We got to talking and I mentioned that everyone was going to ride to the catfish pond. Well he then wanted to know why the hell people call it Catfish Pond when it's name is Billy Goat Ridge. I didn't have a good answer other than the fact that I've heard a bunch of names for it from a bunch of different old timers. Does anyone know the REAL name or at least a lie about it. Are there any other names for it out there....

I've heard Catfish Pond, Square Pond, Bar Pit, and now Billy Goat Ridge.

Adam
 
I've always called it square pond. Seems much easier to distinguish it from the rest of the marsh that way.
 
We call it the Bar-Pit/ Square pond/ Waterin' Hole.... Those are the names we say ne-way... hell, everyone calls it differnt i think...
 
Well I always called it square pond or catfish pond since the armored catfish moved into it but there is a sign out there that says billy goat ridge hung in a tree over at the short canal letting you know where nto turn.
 
Being somewhat intrigued with the place, and trying to find it on the existing aerial map of the area, I made one of my aerial photo mosiacs of it, ZOOMED IN at a really close level. (I'll post a link to it once it's finished) Interesting terrain. I checked a few topo maps too. Short canal is the long trail that leads from Lake Cypress to North Cove. And then there is "Long Hammock" which is the [relatively] short stretch of of trees along the western edge of that area, south of the road crossing. That place is full of confusing names!

I'll go with Billy Goat Ridge. Since the ridge is a pretty dominant feature. And there is a sign! I missed it too.... But Laura saw it. But Catfish Pond is good too... since it's got some big ones in it! I saw one gulping air. It was BIG.

One other question. Who made it? Obviously man-made. Who? and WHY!??! Oops, that's two other questions.

On the aerial mosiac of the area I've made, and now that I know what to look for, I've found 3 or 4 more just to the south and a little to the west of Billygoat Ridge. What the heck are those pits? When were they dug? Does it have anything to do with why airboaters were banned from out there for so long? Some secret military project? Aliens??!!!?????? Or worse..... College researchers?

matt.
 
You can see it pretty good using Google Earth. I have heard another name, but can't repeat it in public.
 
I saw the sign in the tree that said billy goat ridge----> it's in orange and black letters . might need to cut some of the tree limbs form around the sign.
 
My grandpa used to tell me....
"If you call a dog's tail a leg, how many legs would it have"

and if you answer "5" he'd say "Just because you call it a leg, does NOT make it a leg. The Dog would still have 4 legs" (which is odd because he had a 3 legged dog)

I guess my point is that just because someone put up a sign saying "Billygoat Ridge" does not make it so. But it works for me. I'll still refer to it as "The Square Pond" & "Catfish Pond" (and powershift) because I heard those names first.

I've uploaded my areal map of this area in question. As usual, it's huge. Printed at normal screen resolution, this map would be 45 inches wide and 35 inches tall. (2.3MB filesize) Too big to post here. On the far upper-right corner of the photo, there is the map info, including date photo taken and a pretty accurate scale of distance. (approx 7/8" (on screen/non-reduced) equals about 100 yards)

Take a look....
http://homepage.mac.com/moodfood/.Pictu ... 20pond.jpg

In this photo (due south of Square Pond) there are 3 more of the same ponds with huge piles of dirt on either side. Judging from the dirt, I'm guessing these things are DEEP. In looking at the larger area aerial photos, I've seen at least 7 MORE of these same ponds. (off this photo - to the west) WHAT ARE THEY? Are they test pits from when the Army Corps of Engineers straightened out the river? On one hand, naughty them for not cleaning up their mess and leaving the area like they found it. But on the other hand, it's a really cool place.

Also, in the photo linked above, just to the west of the Square Pond, there is some kind of grid pattern in the grass. WHAT IS THAT? Looks to be surrounded by a road. In the aerials, I've seen several of these places scattered around Gardiners Marsh. Old farms? What was the crop?

Sorry to ask so many questions. I guess it fits with what is painted on the rudders of our boat! I'm a firm believer that if you don't ask, you won't learn. And I like to learn!

I wonder if anyone here knows the answers to these questions.

matt.
 
Matt based on my upbringing I can tell you typically those ponds would have been dug to provide for water for the cows during periods of drought or low water. Sometimes they were needed in a particular area because the cattle would be confined there and not have access to the lake also. As for the crops it could have been anything but often it was tomatoes or watermelons. Many times large ranches would plants field crops of other things for cattle food and dove hunts. They sometimes harvest the sod from them for housing and highway projects. So it could have been any number of things.
 
I would guess they are/were watering holes for cattle when the marsh dries out. It hasn't been too long ago when the marsh was off limits for airboaters and it was controlled by ranchers (Bronson?). I think they called them cattle barons in the old days lol! :D
 
Some of those fields you see are just that, old fields. I know there is an old Tomato field out there. As far as the pits, I don't know. If you look at the map, you'll see a large ditch running from Cypress all the way down to the road. That was originally going to be a canal to Kissimmee back in the day (late 19th/early 20th centuries) when the paddlewheelers were out. They hit bedrock and stopped. Before the new ditch was dug, the old Kissimmee river was Reedy Creek/Dead River from Cypress to Hatchineha and then on the canal to Kissimmee all the oxbows are the the old river (Macnamerra Property/Camp Mack/ Etc.).

On Mrs. Macnamerra's property, there is still an old ferry landing from 1890 something and a little general store type building. The big house is supposedly the oldest original house in Polk County (1880 something). If you go down that way please stay off her land as she is very protective (but nice) and there is a hunting lease there (they are even more protective and not as nice :wink:).

Adam
 
Not to change the thread but I have another one for ya.. Why is the trail about half way down the east side of Cypress Into the marsh called.. the hole in the wall?? I think its the same ditch that BPC said was once going to be a canal to the lake. or is it called something else by others :?:
 
Cntry referred to it as that as well. I took it to mean a hole in the "wall" of the lake's weedline/treeline where you can get out of it.

And yes, at the north end of the same canal that goes down to North Cove.

Thanks everyone for enlightening me (and all of us) about some of the history there. It's really interesting about that little ditch, probably hand dug(?) way back in the days of old. And the pile of dirt left from that digging is still there, we drove over it on our way to the north road crossing... I thought it was a small levee.

And the name for that canal is listed as "Short Canal" on the topo maps. I'll update my own maps that I'm making.

Scout... where is this MacNamerra "old house" you speak of? South of the Hwy 60 lock? I'll heed your advice and stay off any land posted as such (or warned about) but I'd really like to see it. And if the time and "vibe" is right, I'd love to chat with the old woman! Maybe bring her a casserole or something.

Thanks! This history stuff is fascinating!

matt.
 
Mood, NO that property is right near Camp Mack. When you leave Camp Mack and go toward Hatchineha, the last oxbow entrance on your left leads to it. It is a beautiful piece of land but she is understandably upset at the state. Her family lost A LOT of land to the state when they dug the ditch. She's also kinda miffed at KRVSA for some past lawsuits but thats all in the past. I try and look at things from her point of view, that land has been in her family since Christ was a Corporal and everybody's always nipping away at it for one reason or another. Again, for anyone who goes in there, please respect the property owner and stay off the land!! Also, its a no wake zone in the oxbow so keep it slow.

Adam
 
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