Covering 173,000 acres of clear water and dozens of islands off the tip of Florida, Biscayne National Park features many unusual species of plants. Today, the park is a refuge for sea turtles, manatees, and alligators. In the 1960s, though, land developers saw commercial potential for the area. Some wanted to build an oil refinery. [A] Others, because of Biscayne Bay's natural beauty, wanted beach resorts. However, Lancelot Jones, one of two year-round residents, of the islands wanted to preserve the bay.
[2]
Porgy Key had always been home for Jones, a small island in Biscayne Bay. His father had purchased the land for $300 in 1897, and Jones grew up there, cultivating pineapples and Key limes. Therefore, in 1935, Jones began guiding fishing trips; his knowledge of fishing earned him the reputation for being the area's best fishing guide. [B] Among his clientele were several US presidents, including: Hoover, Kennedy, and Nixon.
[3]
[1] In 1961, fourteen of the eighteen landowners came to Biscayne Bay and voted to found a city on the bay's islands to expedite commercial development of the land. [2] Jones abstained from voting. [3] He refused to sell his land because he wanted the area to be conserved. (38)
[4]
Jones wasn't alone, some Florida residents, and frequent visitors sought to preserve Biscayne Bay by turning it into a national park. Their efforts were furthered by Miami Herald reporter Juanita Greene, whose articles helped sway public opinion. [C] Finally, in 1968, President Johnson signed a bill that put the bay under federal protection. (40)
[5]
First to sell their land to the National Park Service was Lancelot Jones, who was permitted to remain on Porgy Key. Since he still led fishing trips, and he taught schoolchildren about the environment of Biscayne Bay. [D] In exchange for teaching each class, he asked only for a Key lime pie in return for the class. Jones lived alone, but he said, "When you have plenty of interests, like the water and the woods, the birds and the fish, you don't get lonely."