FL-1008 Historic Fort King Trail

Marker text: HISTORIC FORT KING TRAIL

The Old Military Road connecting Ft. Brooke (Tampa) and Ft. King (Ocala) ran through this vicinity. On Dec. 23, 1835, Maj. Francis L. Dade set out over the Trail with a detachment of 109 soldiers to reinforce the small garrison of Ft. King.

On the morning of Dec. 28, 1835, Chief Alligator, leading the Seminoles and Maroons, ambushed the Dade Expedition near Bushnell. Only three survived. The Dade Massacre, planned by the fiery Osceola marked the beginning of the Second Seminole War.

Erected by Castellano & Pizzo Food Importers, 1961.