Agricultural Commerce, Business Development and Marketing

By 1618 Florida's Spanish Governors were seriously expanding cattle production on local ranchos. The Spanish herds, as well as those kept by the Indians and many cattle running wild, flourished on the immense prairies and rangeland of Florida. The result of this herd increase was that Spanish Cattlemen in Florida began to ship cattle to the large trading center of Cuba. This was the first industry to develop in the New World and trade with Cuba would continue for the next three hundred years.

By 1700 there were over 30 privately owned ranchos in Florida. A census ordered by Spanish tax collectors reported over 20,000 cattle on the ranchos. Mission herds were exempt from reporting, cattle owned by individual chiefs and those running wild would not have been counted. Persons born in Florida to Spanish parents were known as Criollas. Many Criolla men worked as vacuaros on the ranchos of Florida. Vacuaros and natives clashed during the Indian revolt of 1647. These were probably the first fights between cowboys and Indians in North America.

In the early 1700s, Britain, France and Spain were all vying for control of the peninsula state. James Moore, British Governor of South Carolina led a raid into Florida and took back several thousand cattle and horses to sell to Carolina and Georgia settlers. Raids of this type continued for many years. Because of their speed and endurance, these horses were in great demand by soldiers, officials and stockmen.

In the early 1800s, many individuals, including Andrew Jackson, bought cattle from the Indians of Florida and drove them back to Tennessee, Kentucky and other states to crossbreed with their European type herds. As time passed, British, Spanish and French in Florida mingled and fought, separated and fought, traded and fought until the Spanish and French mostly left. The influence of Spanish Occupation remains in Florida in the bloodlines of our livestock and the names of many landmarks.

During the War Between the States, Florida was the leading supplier of beef for troops on both sides. The Spanish horses were highly prized for transportation. These sturdy horses could travel in Florida's rough conditions where other horses failed. After the war Florida was one of the first states to establish a viable economy. This economy was built by pioneer families who were exporting cattle to Cuba. The cow men, who had been left with worthless Confederate dollars, insisted on being paid in gold coin. The Cuban trade became a lucrative enterprise for such early pioneer families as the Roberts, the Carltons, the Lykes, the Summerlins, the McKays, the Hendrys, the Aldermans, the Wells and many others. During reconstruction, millions of Spanish gold doubloons poured into Florida's post war economy as a result of this trade. Thousands of "cracker" cattle were shipped from the docks of Tampa, Manatee and Punta Rassa. Records show that in one 10-year period (1868-1878) 1.6 million head of cattle were loaded on ships bound for Cuba, Nassau and Key West. Most of these went to Havana. At this time Florida was America's leading exporter. It would be impossible to overstate the importance of this financial boom to the state. This was the foundation of Florida's vast agricultural economy. Many of Florida's oldest and largest business began as cattle ranching operations.

In the late 1800s, purebred beef and dairy breeds of northern European origin began to be imported into Florida. These cattle would have influenced the genetic makeup of what we now know as Florida cracker cattle due to their being crossed with the Spanish cattle of the Florida range. The importation of Brahman and Brahman crossbred bulls in the 1930's and later significantly changed the genetic makeup of herds where they were introduced. The Florida Fence Law, advances in veterinary medicine, and improved insect control techniques made it possible for these new breeds to survive in the Sunshine State. Crossing the hardy cracker cows with other breeds, especially Brahman, became very popular. Pure cracker cattle were quietly, almost without notice, being bred out of existence.

By the late 1960s there were only a handful of pure cracker cattle left. They were old and scattered across the state on the ranches of families that had been stubborn and smart enough to hang onto some of the old stock. Members of the Florida Cattlemen's Association discussed the threat of losing this breed with the Commissioner of Agriculture and decided to take action.

In 1970 Mrs. Zona Bass and Mrs. Zetta Hunt, daughters of pioneer cattleman James Durrance, donated five heifers and a bull -- descendants of their father's original herd -- to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on behalf of the Florida Cattlemen's Association. The old cracker cattle of this ranch were regarded by many in the industry as the purest of the pure. With this small herd, the Department was intrusted with the preservation of the breed.

The Department used these donated cattle to begin building a herd. The cattle were kept at the Agricultural Complex in Tallahassee and as numbers increased, a herd was established at the Withlacoochee State Forest near Brooksville in 1979. Herd of cracker cattle was established by the Department of Natural Resources on the Lake Kissimmee State Park and the Paines Prairie State Preserve during the 1970s. The Lake Kissimmee herd was established from cattle of Durrance bloodlines and cattle obtained from the Chaires family of Old Town. The Paines Prairie herd was established with animals from the herd of Woody Tilton in addition to cattle transferred from Lake Kissimmee. Also, a few small privately owned herds were being maintained. The Department used bulls from other cracker herds to broaden the genetic base of its herd and avoid inbreeding.

In 1984 the family of Mr. John Law Ayers donated a small herd of cracker horses to the Department. Mr. Ayers had maintained a herd of pure old cracker stock and resisted temptations to cross them with other breeds. From this stock, horse herds were established at the Agricultural Complex in Tallahassee and on the Withlacoochee State Forest near Brooksville. The Ayers family and others such as the Bronsons, Boals, Partins, and Sassers continued to maintain small herds of cracker horses.

Beginning in 1985 attention was focused on the herds. A selection and screening program was developed and all cattle that did not meet strict breed criteria were culled from the herd. The Department has maintained the Ayers line of cracker horses. Surplus animals have been made available for sale to interested parties. In recent years, horses have been transferred between the herds to avoid inbreeding. Stallions, of the Ayers line, have been added from other herds to broaden the genetic base.

Through efforts of the Department, the Florida Cracker Cattle Association (FCCA) and the Florida Cracker Horse Association (FCHA) were formed in 1988. The associations have grown steadily. The associations adopted breed standards and appointed evaluation committees to select cattle and horses to be registered as foundation stock for the preservation of the breeds.

In 1989 the historic first annual FCCA Cracker Gatherin' was held at the Withlacoochee State Forest. This event was hosted by the Department and the FCCA. Since 1990 the annual Gatherin's have included a sale of cracker cattle and horses to allow interested parties to purchase animals and join the preservation effort. Cattle and horses from private and state herds are included in these sales. Those wishing to own a "living link" to Florida's past can purchase animals. These are public auctions and all are welcome to participate or just to come and watch the auction action. The Florida cracker cattle are prized as living, tangible links to our history. The Florida cracker horses enjoy widespread popularity as they can be trained for all riding disciplines.

The Florida Cracker Cattle Association Annual Gatherin' and Sale is held during the fall each year. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services coordinates and hosts this event each year. Show less text