Heritage Festival & Historic Ethel Trail launch at Rock Springs run reserve

Monday, March 4, 2024

East Lake Historical Society Hosts 10th Annual Heritage Festival and Historic Ethel Trail Launch at Rock Springs Run State Reserve in Sorrento this Saturday. Enjoy exhibits, crafts, children’s activities, historical displays, food, and music. The VIP ribbon-cutting ceremony will inaugurate the 1.5-mile wheelchair-accessible loop, followed by guided walks and tram rides for the mobility impaired

“We are delighted to partner with the Wekiva Wilderness Trust in launching this exciting historic trail as part of our 10th annual Heritage Festival activities,” said Maureen Miller, president of the East Lake Historical Society.

The Historic Ethel Trail meanders through the center of a post-Civil War township within Rock Springs Run State Reserve, featuring a station, store, post office, cemetery, and one-room school. Along the trail, twelve interpretive panels offer insights into Ethel’s history and the lifestyle of its inhabitants during that era.

Almost nothing was known about Ethel until two headstones were found by accident in a remote pasture,” said Philpott,  President of the Wekiva Wilderness Trust leads the volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the preservation efforts of the Wekiva River Basin State Parks, which encompasses Rock Springs.

“That discovery led to a 10-year research project that has unearthed a treasure trove of information about Ethel which flourished between 1870 and 1920, and the 3,000-acre pre–Civil War Delk Plantation, the largest in central Florida, around present-day Kelly Park,” he said.

Guided tours are offered twice a month, while visitors can also explore the trail independently using a self-guided brochure available at the trailhead.School groups are encouraged to visit and delve into local history.

Plans are underway to reconstruct two homestead cabins, inspired by a photograph of a one-room cabin built in Ethel in 1888. One cabin will serve as a small museum, while the other will be sparsely furnished to reflect the period.

The East Lake Historical Society, a nonprofit based in Sorrento, is dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich history of the East Lake community. Established in 2008, the society has diligently collected, documented, and showcased the area’s history through various events and programs.

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