Transportation: Cross Florida Barge Canal
To cut a path across Florida to get ships through has been kicked around for centuries. The Cross Florida Barge Canal was as close as it got. You can read more here and in an article Sandra wrote about the Cross Florida Greenway’s history. It was eventually halted due to the hard work of many. Most specifically by Florida resident and environmental activist, Bill Partington. Bill’s efforts got President Richard Nixon to cancel the project despite efforts by Florida politicans and businessmen.
Above is from the 1960 publication ‘Florida, Today and Tomorrow’ by C.M. Gay. Obviously the reason this project ended is that it would have split the state in two (Though, those in North Florida might welcome that now). The dream was to get ships to have faster and cheaper access to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. The problem was having what would had to have become Panama Canal type structures cutting through the limestone rock of our foundation across the state and the likely damage to our underground water supply.