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The Legacy of Big Tree Road

legacy of big tree road

A Historical Daytona Landmark

The 800-year-old tree that earned Big Tree Road its name was the site
of a dance platform three stories high in the branches of South
Daytona’s “Big Tree” a century ago. There, young women in festive
dresses were seen dancing with their beaus to fiddle music. For
many years, both locals and visitors would hike to this ancient
tree, in what was then known as Blake, a rural village.

A Popular Place to Gather

Square dancing was very popular in Big Tree after 1904. That’s when William Williamson built a special wooden dance floor, called a “casino” back then, on top of some stairs. Williamson, who came from Ohio, lived in Blake for a while and grew citrus. Later, a road was named after him: Williamson Boulevard.

The big tree was a landmark for a very long time. Brian McLaughlin, who works for the South Daytona Historical Society, said in his talk that because of its massive size, Native Americans probably used it for special gatherings.

big tree south daytona

The Oak Tree was Essential To Florida

After the American Revolution, a Spanish land grant gave land to John Russell, a British loyalist. his land, where Blake and South Daytona are now, had many live oak trees. These trees were very important for building ships, which were crucial for the country’s defense and trade.

In 1812, while the area was still under Spanish control, Russell bought a small warship called the Barbarita to help the Spanish fight against American ships. However, the Barbarita was captured by an American ship called the Nonesuch.

This shows how important live oak trees were for shipbuilding and trade for both the United States and other countries.

Luckily, the Big Tree of Blake survived.

Nearly 100 years later, the Daytona Daily News reported that older residents used to climb the tree to hunt deer and bears. In 1904, after a special platform was built high in the tree, tourists would visit to enjoy the beautiful view.

By 1905, people could even take car tours from Daytona Beach to see the Big Tree. These tours included stops at a pineapple farm and the ruins of an old sugar mill. The newspaper in 1905 called the Big Tree the largest in the state.

Daytona big tree
Blake Florida

Big Tree Road, which used to be a path for bringing oak trees to the Halifax River, was later lined with fig trees and orange groves. The Big Tree, a huge live oak, stood tall above everything else. It was spared from being cut down for lumber, even when the road was widened for the railroad.

Railroad maps from 1895 and 1897 didn’t show Blake as a train stop, but it appeared on a map in 1898.

Local historians Cheryl Atwell and Vince Clarida say that the Big Tree got sick and was finally destroyed by fire in October 1928.

Daytona Visitors Guide