BY THE OFFICERS AND BOARD OF THE WMS/LSSAS
The City of North Port and our community are facing difficult times regarding WMS, the preservation of the historic buildings, the degree of appropriate development, and recent changes in the direction to the WMS Master Plan. As part of our mission of historic preservation and education, and our namesake, we offer this Proclamation:
Whereas, Warm Mineral Springs contains multiple levels of significance regarding its Geology, Geothermal Hydrology, Archaeology, Paleontology, History, Architecture, and traditional historic use as a wellness spa; as well as the significance of the outflow creek, which provides critical habitat for endangered manatees in the winter when they are most vulnerable, Whereas, Warm Mineral Springs is an internationally renowned archeological site and historic property, listed on the National Register of Historic Places for evidence of some of Florida’s earliest inhabitants (listed in 1976), and for its historic 1959 mid-century modern buildings, designed by renowned architect Jack West, of the Sarasota School of Architecture (listed in 2019 by the city of North Port). And, eligible as a Traditional Cultural Property that has a strong association with the beliefs and identities of a particular culture,
Whereas, Warm Mineral Springs is a natural and cultural resource owned by the City of North Port, providing a steady income stream for profitability and sustainability to the City,
Whereas, the protection of this natural and cultural wonder is in the best interest of the public; the citizens of North Port, Sarasota County, Florida, and the nation,
Whereas, as stewards of this publicly-owned, one-of-a-kind natural and cultural resource, the City of North Port has a responsibility to see that all levels of significance noted above are taken into consideration and protected to the highest degree possible; and to protect the site and surrounding landscape that serves as a natural protective buffer, from commercial overexploitation at the expense of the resources they are responsible to protect,
Whereas, the current private/public partnership plan as outlined in Option 4 of the new development proposal for a hotel and condominiums goes against those preservation principles that were decided upon during numerous public meetings in 2019; of which its impacts are without scientific study, and could have an adverse effect on the natural and cultural significance on the National Register-listed site,
Therefore, we, the Board of the Warm Mineral Spring/Little Salt Spring Archaeological Society would like to see no development more intrusive than what was publicly agreed upon in 2019; and to prioritize stabilization and restoration of the historic buildings not contingent on development approval as currently proposed under Option 4; and approval of any development on the property and adjacent properties should have appropriate cultural sensitivity and monitoring observed during any construction. And to, protect the integrity of the geology of this karstic feature, a ceiling collapsed sinkhole which contains the only natural geothermal vent in Florida and which has been geological feature on the landscape for a minimum of 20,000 years.
On this Day 27 April 2023
Warm Mineral Springs/Little Salt Spring Archeological Society
a 501 (c)(3) not for profit corporation and Chapter of the Florida Anthropological Society
Officers and Board of Directors:
President, Kathy Gerace; Vice President, Steve Koski;
Treasurer, Marion Pierce; Secretary, Lisa Shavers;
Directors: Bill Goetz, Michelle Calhoun, Amy Dwyer,
Thalia Lewis, Joan San Lwin, Linda Massey, and Betty Nugent
THE MILL COVE COMPLEX: DAILY LIFE, FEASTING, AND FARAWAY CONNECTIONS
CENTURY: A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF CHARLOTTE COUNTY
Lightning whelk is a fairly common sight on our southwest Florida, Gulf coast beaches. In fact, eastern Gulf of Mexico lightning whelk population studies show that 82% can be found between Charlotte Harbor and Ten Thousand Islands. Interestingly, the shells of this particular mollusk were sought out in vast quantities starting around 8,000-10,000 years ago, formed into various forms of what are known as gorgets, and were interred with Native Peoples as far north as Canada.
Dive into the legend of the infamous pirate Gasparilla and the lasting impact it's made on southwest Florida’s coast. While exploring the local origins of the legend, we'll uncover the historical background of how a "big fish" story captured a railroad tycoon and made its mark on our coast forever.
The sedimentary sequence in Florida began in the Eocene during the Cenozoic period, which is Earth’s current geological era. The Pleistocene era, commonly known as “The Ice Age,” began approximately 2.6 million years ago and lasted until approximately 12,000 years ago, with megafauna, described as those species over 100 lbs., existing across the peninsula. Prior to the Pleistocene, volcanic activity created a series of islands between North and South America, which eventually coalesced to form the Isthmus of Panama, enabling travel between the continents during what has been termed the Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI).
When Spaniards first arrived, the Calusa, a fishing people, were the most powerful native society in Florida. We now have evidence from Mound Key of mound-building, monumental architecture, large-scale food processing, watercourt use and construction, and the sixteenth-century Spanish fort and mission of San Antón de Carlos. These new findings allow us to refine our understanding of Calusa history and describe how their complex society developed. During A.D.500-1500, periods of overall prosperity were dampened by times of uncertainty when short-term climate changes diminished resources in the shallow estuaries and bays on which the Calusa depended. Involvement in long-distance trade, and competition with the Tocobaga, were factors in Calusa political developments. The Spanish invasion in the early 1500s stimulated further adjustments in Calusa political economy, leading them to become a tribute-based state. 
Although rare, fossil shark teeth from outside of Ohio have been recovered from Ohio archaeological sites and as surface finds throughout much of the state. The source of these fossil shark teeth has been the subject of debate since first published by Squier and Davis in 1848. This debate has centered on the Hopewell culture and its acquisition of shark teeth as “exotic” mortuary items. Through a combination of age, species distribution, frequency of occurrence, and preservation characteristics, southwestern Florida is believed to be the source of most of the Ohio Hopewell teeth, including those from the well-known Scioto River valley Hopewell sites. Recent data indicate that fossil shark teeth were utilized in Ohio prior to and after the Hopewell time frame and from sites outside of the large Ohio Hopewell centers. For these sites, multiple sources of fossil shark teeth appear to have been utilized.
The lightning whelk is a sinistral (left)-coiling mollusk which can be found along the North American continental shelf from Cape Cod to the Yucatan peninsula. Whelk have morphological differences in their shells depending on their region of origin: Yucatan, the western Gulf of Mexico, the Florida Gulf coast, and the Atlantic. These differences and their implications on sourcing methods will be discussed.
Miller's topic will follow the title of his new book, The Palmetto, Histories and Mysteries of the Cabbage Palm. In his discussion, Jono will address some basic questions about our state tree, basically, everything you always wanted to know about our state tree, such as: Are cabbage palm trees? How long do they live? What is their natural range? How did early Europeans use the cabbage palm and how did Florida Indians and other Southeast Native American groups use cabbage palm? A charred cabbage frond fragment was found on the 27 m ledge at Little Salt Spring in 2008, which dated to 12,300 rcybp, which is almost 14,000 years old! And they go back tens, if not hundreds of millennia.
Florida excavations in 1895 by a pioneering archaeologist produced famous finds of prehistoric art, and an early recognition of a forgotten weapon, the atlatl or spear thrower. We know a lot more about atlatls today, and re-examining Cushing's finds shows some of the problems and promises of reconstruction and experimental archaeology. John Whittaker teaches anthropology and archaeology at Grinnell College in Iowa. Much of his work has been in the American Southwest, but experiments with prehistoric technology are a favorite source of archaeological information, contact with the public, and fun. He is the author of two books on making and understanding stone tools and modern flintknappers, and coaches the Grinnell College Raging Cows, the world's first collegiate atlatl team. 
Archaeologists are depicted as searching for lost cities and mystical artifacts in news reports, television, video games, and in movies like Indiana Jones or The Mummy. This fantastical image has little to do with day-to-day science, yet it is deeply connected to why people are fascinated by the ancient past. Exploring the development of archaeology helps us understand what archaeology is and why it matters. The trail of clues leading us into spooky territory includes famous archaeologists, self- proclaimed explorers, haunted museums, mysterious hieroglyphic inscriptions, of a lost continent that never existed, the origin of ideas about ancient extraterrestrials, and even a Scotland Yard investigation into magic, murder, and witchcraft.
We welcome Dr. Thompson, to our September 14 Zoom meeting. His topic is of local and familiar interest, the Calusa of Mound Key, Charlotte Harbor, and the bays and estuaries of southwest Florida. 
Rosewood was a prosperous African American community hard-won from the swampy hammocks of north Florida. Although the town was destroyed in 1923, the community continued, scattered across the state of Florida and beyond. Now, nearly 100 years after this tragic event the story of Rosewood remains shrouded from public view. Those who have heard of Rosewood are rarely aware of the community’s deeper history, or its relation to other places across the state. Dr. González-Tennant will discuss the role of archaeology and geospatial sciences in unearthing Rosewood’s complex history. In addition to describing how digital technologies aid traditional archaeological methods, he’ll discuss the importance of outreach and its ability to support a public conversation on racial reconciliation.