Apalachicola Area Historical Society Presents Turpentine Industry in the Apalachicola Area

The Apalachicola Area Historical Society (AAHS) will be presenting a program on the turpentine industry in the Apalachicola area by Kermit Brown as part of their Spring Speaker Series on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 4:00 pm at the Raney Carriage House, 126 Market Street, Apalachicola, FL.

This presentation will explore the turpentine industry in the Apalachicola area—its history, significance, and the methods used to extract the many valuable products of the pine tree. Kermit will also discuss the lives of the people who worked in this trade, many of whom were trapped by harsh conditions and restrictive laws. Commonly known as the Naval Stores industry or simply Turpentining, this trade was Florida’s largest industry for many years.

Kermit Brown is a native Floridian whose mother’s ancestors arrived in Florida in the late 1700s and his father’s in the 1840s. He enjoyed a long career in Florida museums – first at the Florida Museum of Natural History; then, the Museum of Florida History. Since his retirement in 1994, Kermit has continued to promote appreciation for the state’s natural and cultural history through writing, outdoor endeavors and storytelling. Kermit has published a few short stories and several articles including some on Florida history. In 2016, a book containing 12 of his short stories, My Life in North Florida, was published. In 2020, a second book, Stories from North Florida, was published. He continues to lecture on many subjects; but, his favorite is Florida’s history. In his past, he has raced hydroplanes, bicycles, and crewed on ocean racing sailing yachts. He was a certified scuba diver, and a skilled aerobatics pilot. He competed in shooting target pistols and won many awards. Since 2011, he has been competing in barebow recurve archery winning 16 gold medals, including six state championships, and a bronze medal from the 2015 National Senior Olympics.

These Speakers events are part of a well-established and popular series by the Apalachicola Area Historical Society with speakers January through May on Saturdays, mid-month, at 4pm in the Raney House Carriage House. Previous programs have covered Apalachicola’s predominantly African American North Side, Territorial City St Joseph, Early Maps of the area, Niles Register Florida History, the ice delivery industry, Cemetery Preservation, Apalachicola Historic Squares and more.

Seating is limited so come early for a spot. For details, email to AAHS.Raney@gmail.com, leave a message at (850) 653-1700, or go to www.apalachicolahistoricalsociety.org. The Raney House Museum is located at 128 Market St. at the corner of Avenue F in downtown Apalachicola and is open from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday. Funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.