McKissack Ponds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids McKissack Ponds |
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 McKissack Ponds
Location in Florida
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| Location | Carrabelle, Florida |
| Coordinates | 29°50′33″N 84°41′5″W / 29.84250°N 84.68472°W (center) |
| Max. length | Largest pond is .32 kilometres (0.20 mi) long |
| Surface elevation | 3 feet (1 m) |
The McKissack Ponds are five small ponds located in Carrabelle, Florida. This city is in Franklin County, Florida, which is part of Florida. These ponds are found west of the Carrabelle–Thompson Airport. They are on both the north and south sides of Airport Road. Franklin County owns all the McKissack Ponds.
Exploring McKissack Ponds
Where are the Ponds?
Carrabelle, Florida is a small town right on the coast. It is next to St. George Sound, which is part of Apalachee Bay. This area is on the northeastern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. People sometimes call this part of Florida the "Forgotten Coast".
The ponds are south of the Carrabelle River. They are also west of U.S. Route 98. This area is known as Carrabelle Beach. Before World War II, it was called McKissack Beach. The ponds are about 3.4 kilometers (2.1 miles) north of the southern tip of Dog Island.
- The pond furthest north is the second largest. It is sometimes called Lake Pristine. You can find it inside Lake Pristine Circle, which is a road in a neighborhood.
- The biggest pond is south of Lake Pristine. People sometimes call it Big Lake McKissack. It is located south of McKissack Lane and north of Airport Road.
Official Recognition
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a government agency. Its Board on Geographic Names (BGN) helps name and standardize places. On December 8, 1977, the BGN officially recognized the McKissack Ponds.
According to the USGS, the largest McKissack Pond is about 2.1 kilometers (1.3 miles) southwest of the center of Carrabelle, Florida.
Who are the Ponds Named After?
The McKissack Ponds are named after the McKissack family. This family has lived in the area for a long time. The first family member to live in Florida was William Crawford McKissack. He was born in Shorterville, Alabama, in 1878 and passed away in 1958.
William Crawford McKissack was a pharmacist and also developed real estate. He moved to Carrabelle in 1903 with his wife, Mae Pickett. She was born in Apalachicola, Florida, in 1879 and passed away in 1925.
For over 50 years, William Crawford McKissack ran a drugstore in Carrabelle. It was called "The W.C. McKissack Drug Store." People often called him "Doc" McKissack, even though he was not a medical doctor. He bought about 3,000 acres of land in the Carrabelle area.
One of his grandsons was Luke McKissack (1937–2010). He became a well-known civil rights lawyer in Los Angeles. Luke's daughter, Lana McKissack (born 1984), is a film actress and producer. Since 2012, she has been married to Nathan John Moore, Jr., who is also an actor and producer.
