This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Blackwater Heritage Trail, which extends eight miles in historic Milton. On Saturday, Feb. 17, a 2.5-mile run will commemorate the trail and the milestone. Sandra Averhart caught up with Walt Schumann, president of the Blackwater Heritage Trail Citizen Support, otherwise known as Friends of the State Trail.
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Sandra Averhart: Walt, you're celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Blackwater Heritage State Trail. Take us back to the beginning, the history ... how this came about.
Walt Schumann: Well, this was a railroad spur that went up to NAS Whiting Field and it was abandoned and started with our organization to get it transferred to a rails to trails for public use. That happened in about 1989. In 1993, the property was transferred from the Department of the Interior to the state of Florida. And in 1999 we did the dedication of the trail.
Averhart: This trail started in downtown. Talk about how it connects the community.
Schumann: The trail starts originally on Highway 90, and then runs up north past Milton High School, and then proceeds on out of the town. (It) passes Carpenter's Park, which is a beautiful recreational facility that the city has, and goes out into the countryside. We used to talk about it passing the turkey farm and then it goes all the way out to Whiting Field. Beautiful now with the southern extension of it, about 10 miles of trail, now paved 10 feet wide and just beautiful for the activities.
Averhart: Let's talk now about some of the features of, the trail. It's not just the paved ten-foot-wide trail. You've added amenities and much of that due to user feedback, right?
Schumann: Oh, yes. we listen all the time to what people want out here. We now have five different bathrooms. We've got the south-end bathroom. We've got the one on Highway 90. And we've got the visitor center that we're at right now. And we've got more bathrooms all the way out, to where our trail ends and the military heritage trail starts. It goes the rest of the way to the base.
Averhart: And it is staffed by state park individuals. Tell me about staffing.
Schumann: Well, originally, we had just volunteers, but now we've got more employees from the state park system. The trail itself is overseen by Blackwater State Park, over in Holt, and the manager there oversees this trail. And we also get volunteers that come in and stay. We have a camper guest host position here. So we have somebody on-site, usually all the time in the area here. So it's safe. It's nice. And this thing is only one block away from the police station, too.
Averhart: Just briefly talk about how your organization, how Friends of the Blackwater Heritage State trail, supports this effort.
Schumann: We're organized to be the fundraising portion that we can raise funds directly for this trail. Money goes right to it. We don't have any paid employees. We get volunteers for the trail, and we help out any way we can. We've been planting trees for years out here. We organized painting the buildings and buying equipment for the trail.
Averhart: And you mentioned an early expansion, a south-end expansion. What plans do you have for expanding it more?
Schumann: Right now what we're trying to do is connect this trail with other new trails. They're looking at a north public access in, what they call the Wolf Creek project. We were, instrumental in getting the red brick road, otherwise known as Spanish Trail done, which goes down Highway 90 and goes all the way over to the county facilities, the airport, and all that. And that goes all the way out towards the Blackwater State Park. And, we've got connections on dirt trails that come off of this on the south end. We've been working with the city and the county on connecting where people can get through off the trail onto some public sidewalks, and back streets, and be able to get to the antique train station on Canal Street. And, we have access across the tracks to The Butterfly House. And when everything is completed, it'll go all the way and connect the community of Baghdad with the new Mill site park that was built just a few years ago there.
Averhart: Now, Walt, you say you've been involved with this project, the friends group, for many years before the trail was dedicated and open to the public. Talk about your interest in such a trail.
Schumann: I started out heavy bicycling. I toured from Jacksonville to Key West, and I just love bicycling. And I always wanted to live in a place that had something like this. And when I had the opportunity, at the beginning, when this trail was being developed, I was very excited.
Averhart: And some of your favorite stretches of the trail?
Schumann: Oh, I always liked what you were referred to as the turkey farm section of the trail and the bridges, depending on the time of year, you'll see pitcher plants and wildlife. There's one of a slight upgrade, I call it bunny hill because there are always rabbits running across it. You may see deer. It takes you out into the country.
Averhart: Now, let's talk about the big event you are commemorating the 25th anniversary with.
Schumann: A big public celebration, this Saturday the 17th. We're, having a fu, run open to the public. And we're going to have vendors there from the Butterfly House and the train station. We've got forestry people, with different exhibits. It all starts right here at the visitor center at 9 in the morning on Saturday. We're having an early sign-up up to 8:30. We'll have people here from 7 on. And, Truly Spoken Bicycle Shop, which is right on this trail, they're really helping us with this run. We've also invited a group of rollerbladers, that have used it. And you haven't seen anything till you see that conga line of papa bear to baby bear going down the trail.
Averhart: As we close, I wanted to ask your thoughts on the added benefit to quality of life for residents of the county and the city, of course, and just seeing the folks use it. We've had several cyclists going by. We ran into a jogger this morning. Does it warm your heart to see it in use?
Schumann: The whole community is out here. It connects. There are people who just walk to get from point A to point B out here. Or there are people just exercising. This morning — I was surprised — it was a young family with a young daughter. It's just a beautiful park.
More information about the run can be found here.
