Trains Transported Indians?

[Diane Merkel]

A lady from Tennessee would like information about trains that may have passed through or started in DeFuniak Springs during the 1905-1910 period with the express purpose of transporting Indians out of Florida. She said she has been researching this topic for many years but cannot confirm the train stopped or started in DeFuniak Springs. The name associated with many of the Indians is Scarborough, and there apparently is now a large group of Indians named Scarborough in the Pacific Northwest.

I have no information for her other than the suggestion that the transport of Indians happened well before the period she suggests.

Diane




HD#6

[Diane Merkel]

Information from a History Dectective:

For the person who requested the information about railroads departing from DeFuniak, there are several Florida Supreme Court cases which detail information about trains entering/departing from DeFuniak during the period of the inquiry. However, I do not recall any specific details about Indians. The citations of some of the court cases involving DeFuniak are mentioned in James E. Moore's book "Walton Wanderings" available in the Book Store. Additionally, I would suggest the person read the newspapers during that period in question. All of the Walton County newspapers are available in the DeFuniak library starting from the 1890s when the paper was first published in Freeport. These papers contain extremely detailed accounts of the events in the history of the County--often commenting on person who were departing on the trains. The papers are extremely well preserved.