Pioneer Park (Hardee County, Florida) facts for kids
Pioneer Park is a fun place located in Zolfo Springs, Florida. Hardee County, Florida owns and runs this park. You can find it where two main roads, US 17 and Florida Highway 64, meet. The park also sits next to the Peace River on its north and west sides. About half of the park, the northern part, is covered with trees.
This park has many cool things to see and do! On August 13, 2004, a big storm called Hurricane Charley caused some damage, but the park has been repaired. On the west side of the park, there's a lake called Pioneer Park Lake. It's a lake made by people and is about 8.5 acres big. You can go fishing in the lake and along the Peace River. People also enjoy canoeing on the Peace River. There are special areas in the park where you can go camping.
Discover the Cracker Trail Museum
Two special parts of Pioneer Park are the Cracker Trail Museum and the Pioneer Village. The museum first opened on June 24, 1967. It was called the Pioneer Park Museum back then. The Peace River Valley Historical Society started it. Over the years, people living nearby gave many old items to display in the museum.
In June 1988, the Historical Society stopped running the museum, and it closed for a short time. But then, Hardee County reopened the museum in September 1988. They changed its name to the Cracker Trail Museum. The next year, the museum closed again because it didn't have enough money. Luckily, Cargill Fertilizer helped out with a $50,000 donation! Half of this money was used to build a new part of the museum because it needed more space. The bigger museum opened again in 1991.
When Hurricane Charley hit in 2004, it damaged part of the museum's roof. Some of the old items inside were also harmed. But amazing volunteers helped fix the museum and repair all the damaged artifacts.
Explore Pioneer Village
The Pioneer Village started soon after the museum opened. The first building put up was a shed for grinding sugar cane. Later, a train from 1914 was given to the park. An open shed was built to protect this old locomotive. Next, a blacksmith shop from 1897 was moved and put back together in the park.
In 1979, a very old cabin, the Hart Cabin, was moved to the park. It was 100 years old! Wendell M. Smith, who was the great-grandson of W.H. Hart, donated it. The cabin was built in 1879 and is one of the last parts of the original home where W.H. and Mary Jane Hart raised their six children. Many of the furniture pieces inside the cabin were made by Mr. Hart himself.
After the cabin, a smokehouse was built. Two old wagons from the 1880s were also placed in Pioneer Village. An old post office from 1886 and an outhouse were also added to the village.
Hurricane Charley also caused trouble in Pioneer Village. The outhouse was destroyed, and the post office was damaged. But just like with the museum, volunteers came to the rescue and repaired both buildings.
