The Dark History of Florida’s Turpentine Industry

The turpentine industry began in the mid-Atlantic region in the mid-1800s and moved south reaching north Florida by around 1900. Turpentine was used to seal the ropes and wood used to build ships in order to combat leaks and turpentine products became known as “naval stores.” As was typical of labor-intensive industries of this era, the majority of the labor was provided by disenfranchised poor and…