For more than 100 years, the Kushmers have lived on Adamsville Road in South Hillsborough County. Originally founded by Earl and Rose Adams, Adamsville grew into the Northern Boundary for the Ruskin Tomato and was the birthplace of the tropical fish industry in America.
As one could imagine, it was not an easy life in South Hillsborough County in the early 1900’s. Those that had the ability would travel East to Alderman’s Ford (the only passage over the Alafia River) then back West to Tampa to resupply on provisions. This led to the Kushmer General Store on the corner of Adamsville and U.S. 41.
While I am not the historian, for the family, I am making this post because an End of an Era has come. We all know change is inevitable and that change has been surrounding Adamsville for many years. To our North, land is owned by the County and State, to our South, land is owned by our local power company, and to our East and West, Port Tampa owns the land. And, with last year’s flooding from Hurricane Helene, the time has come to move on.
Today, no longer will a Kushmer own land in this little community. Yes, the last of us, Cally and I along with my cousin James, have sold our homesteads to a company that I believe will improve the land and bring much needed employment. Of course, this is bittersweet, but after last years flooding, I lean more towards the sweet side.
As caretakers of my boyhood home, Cally and I feel we have made my Mom and Dad proud and have placed our love and passion into this property.
While a home is just concrete and lumber and is replaceable, the memories and belongings can be taken with us. But one of our belongings and certainly fond memory will need to find a home.
In the early 80’s my Father found a 4-headed palm tree, he enlisted the help of my Uncle Johnny, Cousin Randy and I to move this rare specimen to the front yard of his home. With much care over the years, this tree grew into 5 heads and has lived a healthy life for many to drive by and marvel at this one-of-a-kind Florida Cabbage Palm.
Again, as caretakers, Cally and I have been on the lookout for a suitable location for what we call our Mutant Cabbage Palm and we are pleased to announce, we have found such home. As many of you know, when Walt Disney World was building the Grand Floridian, they reached out to my Father and offered to purchase the palm. Well, he said no. He just wasn’t ready to part with his tree.
Several years later, while I was visiting him, he took me to the tree and showed me how the once 4-headed palm had become a 5-headed palm, a truly incredible moment. Since my Father’s passing in 2018, we have wondered where this tree may end up. In January of 2020, Universal Studios showed interest when they were beginning construction on a new park in Orlando. Well 3 months later, the pandemic hit and that fell through.
So here we are, we have sold the family homestead and need a home for our Mutant Cabbage Palm. Well, we are both excited and honored to announce we have found a suitable home on a beautiful one-of-a-kind ranch in Central Florida.
Dark Hammock Legacy Ranch will be the new home for our Mutant Cabbage Palm and Cally, and I cannot think of any better place. A little history of this incredible location.
“In the 1800’s before the State had barbed wire fences, cattlemen would drive their cows down the St Johns River and Kissimmee River valleys moving their cattle to the West Coast market. Cattle were loaded and shipped to Cuba. Along the way these pioneer cattlemen would make use of a set of cowpens to overnight their cows. This unheard of and special cowpens allowed the cattlemen to rest without having to take turns watching over the cattle all night long.
The saying was “if we can make it to that hammock by dark then everyone can get good night’s sleep”. Over the years the name morphed into Dark Hammock.
By the early 1900’s the famed Footman Trail was used by numerous Florida cattlemen. Dark Hammock provided a venue for them to rest and water their livestock. State inspectors would inspect their cattle and after being approved the cattle would proceed to the Arcadia Livestock market.
Since those early days, much has changed in our State, but nature, landscape, and natural resources of Dark Hammock Legacy Ranch have changed very little.”
Lastly, Cally and I want to send our love to all our neighbors. While Adamsville has changed, our love for our little road and its people has not. Now, onward and upward.
