Southern Camping Trip 2024 / Day 36

Koreshan State Park

Estero, Florida

Wednesday, March 6, 2024     

Orchid cultivated by the Koreshan Unity

Marc-  Today our friends Fred and Emily Lewis drove down from Venice to take a Park Tour with us.  The tour was fantastic and included a history of the Koreshan movement and successes here in Florida.  Included in the tour were seeing many of the plant species introduced by this group.  Bamboo was brought here by Thomas Edison, a friend of the Koreshan people.  

Fred and Emily Lewis on right.

Orchid tree.

Mango trees (we just missed seeing them flower)

Pink Trumpet tree.

Bamboo trees.

Flamevine, aka Orange Trumpet.

Later in the tour we went over to the Power Plant Building and the Machine Shop.  Both buildings were  fully staffed by Park Rangers and volunteers who operate all of the equipment including the Fairbanks Morse diesel generator and the Fairbanks Morse gasoline engine that powers the Machine shop through a series of belts and pulleys.  

Fairbanks Morse diesel starts with compressed air (super quiet diesel with underground exhaust before exiting through straight vertical pipes outside).

Power Room.

Lathe

Drill Press and Table Saw.

Various wood saws.