SW101 Pirate and Heritage Festival Features Pre-Seminole Wars Character Reenactors and Crafts

 

To be a pirate it almost goes without saying that one must be flamboyant and charismatic – at least if one is the captain of the swashbuckling enterprise. In the pre-Seminole Wars era, few were as flamboyant as William Augustus Bowles. He was a pirate, a leader, and an organizer. He was a charming con man who earned the ears of leading Seminole and Creek leaders and their bands.

This April 1 and 2 at Three Rivers State Park, the first Pirate and Heritage Festival is being held near the city of Sneads, Florida. To produce this family-friendly spectacle, the park teamed up with the Jackson County Tourist Development Council, the city of Sneads, and Dale and Rachael Cox’s TwoEggTV.

The park overlooks beautiful (and appropriately named) Lake Seminole. Families will learn the fascinating history of pirates in Sneads. Who knew, or even suspected, after all? Then they can witness a boat regatta, stare into an Aux Arc (pronounced Ozark) keel boat, inspect antique firearms and weapons, attend lectures and living history presentations, and see a live living history demonstration. There is even a “dress like a pirate contest” involved. And, of course, the festival brings to life the story of William Augustus Bowles, the loveable rogue with the big ambitions for Seminole and Creek Indians.

Joining us to promote the event and explain the details is historian Dale Cox, author of numerous books on the 1^st Seminole War and the unpleasantness that preceded it in the Florida panhandle region prior to Spanish cessation of the land to the United States in 1819.

 

(Above) William Augustus Bowles was a colorful character. Dale Cox portrays colorful characters at living history events.

 

 

(Above) Darrel Hager being an American from the early 1800s. (Below)  Farris Powell aka Blue Heron portrays Seminole leader Thomas Perryman with Bowles State of Miccosukee flag. 

 

(Above) Rachael Conrad Cox on the Aux Arc (pronounced Ozark) Keelboat with Ed and another friend. 

(Below) Rachael Conrad Cox with Three Rivers State Park officials Jessy Kinnett (Three Rivers Park Service Specialist), Philip Skyckboer (Three Rivers Park Manager) and Sneads City Manager Lee Gardner, who are thrilled to showcase their park at this event. 

Antonio Wright, portrays a member of Bowles' crew. Dale Cox portrays a Native American. (Courtesy photos)

 

Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida. 

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