Moncrief Springs: Are French Crown Jewels in Jacksonville

[Metro Jacksonville]

Moncrief Springs: Crown Jewels of Jacksonville



A story of blood and diamonds... Rolling back the clock to 1770's, one of the more colorful and credible tales of Jacksonville's past leaps from the pages of history. To the north of Florida, the birthing enterprise of a new nation was sealed in blood, no small part of which was French. King Louie XVI of France, wasn't exactly royal material.

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http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/898

[BridgeTroll]

I see mysterious holes being dug throughout the area...

[David]

mun-CREEEFFFF!

cool story!

[Jason]

Great story Ock, very well done!

Are those images of the actual spring?

[Ocklawaha]

It's the actual creek, as for the spring the land is much changed from the 1790's and no one knows where it is today. The maps even USGS, don't agree. Some say under the highway, others here or there, my own thinking on it puts it in the green triangle on our map, perhaps toward the west center. That is where the mud seep was photographed. It does have some flow, as the ditch has water, then remains wet to the creek, (water under the surface mud). In any case if found, the spring is probably going to look like that mud hole.

OCKLAWAHA

[tashi]

WOW what great information! I have been looking for information on the spring for a while!
This really was informative!

Keep up the good work! 

[stug]

I want to find the treasure!

[I-10east]

Great stuff as always MetroJax. I wonder what the are gonna do wit' those abandoned projects (Palm Terrace; the cement buildings) on the other side of the tracks? Palm Terrace has existing projects that's in use on the Eartha White side of the tracks.

[Johnny]

very nice!

[Ocklawaha]

Treasure Hunters BE AWARE: Moncrief Creek is highly polluted with Fecal Coliform. Walking over it, or around it is something of a hazard because you are touching things the flood waters have touched. Use common sense and caution if you go out to this site.  I doubt the spring, if it could be found is as damaged as the creek, though it is probably filled with many dozens of feet of questionable mud and litter. You can read the pollution report at: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/tmdl/docs/tmdls/draft/gp2/MoncriefCreek_2228.pdf

OCKLAWAHA

[gatorback]

I agree. Very nice. I'll take a small 50 carat ruby should one surface.   Fecal Coliform-Encrusted or not.

[Dog Walker]

Bob,  I didn't know that they were rowing across the Atlantic in those days. Galley?

[sheclown]

Fantastic story!!  Thank you so much for sharing this with us.  I would have never guessed at Moncrief's elegant past. 

Can you imagine finding that spring after all this time?  Surely it could be found with hi-tech equipment, couldn't it?

[Ocklawaha]

I think it could be located, but the depth, and size of this dig should require the assets of a major treasure corp. and the aid of a couple of institutions:

Federal Government
Government of France
State of Florida
University from Florida Archeology and History dept.
University from France Archeology and History dept.

Believe me, from the stuff I've read on this, if anything like the treasure is supposed to be is ever found, you could pay them all off in spades and still come out as one of the richest people on earth. Then the curse would strike and you'd die of some exotic disease found in the stinking polluted site.

OCKLAWAHA

[sheclown]

Even if we couldn't find the treasure, it would be really exciting to find the spring.