Then & Now

Then: The 1933 memorial located in the former burial grounds where soldiers and civilians who died at the historic Fort King during the Seminole Indian War from 1835-42 is shown in this undated photograph. The fort which was originally built in 1827 to the northeast of the burial ground served as the nexus of what would become Marion County. [State Archives of Florida]

Now: The memorial is seen in August and now sits in the shadow of a full-scale replica of the fort which was built on the original site in 2017. The area, now known as Fort King National Historic Landmark, holds educational and family events celebrating Marion County history. The memorial at the burial ground, from which the remains were removed decades ago, was erected by the Ocala Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]