Manatees frolic painting by Christopher Still
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Discover Egmont Key: Annual Event Highlights Ecology, History

The lighthouse at Egmont Key has marked the entrance to Tampa Bay for more than 150 years. Today, a small group of dedicated volunteers is working to make sure the island and its lighthouse continue to welcome visitors from around the world.

Over the years, the island has changed dramatically. Nearly a third of the western shore has eroded away, leaving sections of crumbling remains falling into the water. Instead of hosting hundreds of servicemen who enjoyed a movie theater, bowling alley and tennis courts, Egmont now supports more than 117 species of birds as well as endangered turtles and tortoises. The lighthouse — once the only navigational aid between Key West and Pensacola — is more a symbol of longevity than a life-saving structure in an era where nearly every boat carries electronic equipment that pinpoints its location.

Tampa Bay residents have a special opportunity once a year to learn more about Egmont Key and its role in the region's history — and its future. Discover the Island will be held Nov. 12-13 this year with re-enactments of historic battles, guided tours of remarkable structures, special displays and presentations, as well as games for children.


Photo by Victoria Parsons

Historic buildings are literally falling into the water as Egmont's western shore continues to erode. Supporters are working with local congressional representatives to secure funding to construct a sheet pile wall along a portion of the shore in time to take advantage of the anticipated 2014 widening of the ship's channel. The dredging will create about $10 million worth of beach-quality sand which could be used to renourish Egmont's shoreline.

"Even people who have been to Egmont Key may not realize what an important role in played in the region's history," notes Richard Sanchez, president of the Egmont Key Alliance. Even before Florida joined the United States, several petitions had been filed with the fledgling nation showing the need for a lighthouse to mark the channel into Tampa Bay. The first structure was built in 1848 at a cost of $7580.

In the 1850s, Egmont served as a staging area for Seminole Indians being shipped to Oklahoma in the "Trail of Tears" that largely decimated native American communities across Florida and other southeastern states. Egmont played a pivotal role in the Civil War as part of the Union's successful blockade restricting supplies to Southern states.

Its most well-known historic niche may be the Spanish American War when Teddy Roosevelt and some 66,000 "Rough Riders" embarked from Tampa to fight in Cuba. The bay's strategic location became clear and the federal government built two major forts at its entrance — Fort Dade on Egmont Key and Fort DeSoto on nearby Mullet Island.

Although the island is open every day and accessible by ferry, Discover the Island includes commemorations and exhibits recognizing historic events to give visitors the opportunity to re-live them, Sanchez said. Highlights include:

  • A display of underwater photos taken of the Union tug Narcissus which sank just west of the island in 1886.
  • Re-enactments of Civil War events on the island
  • Costumed volunteers conducting tours of specific areas, including re-enactments of a light-house keeper's days.