The Park

The area where Fort Lane was located is now Fort Lane Park, owned and operated by the Geneva Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc.  This land was originally donated by W. A. Whitcomb for a park and was sponsored by the Geneva Garden Club from 1934 to 1961.  It was then turned over to the control of the Seminole County Commissioners.  In 1962 the Geneva Historical Society requested and received the park from the commissioners.  It is supported only by donations and the money-raising projects of the Historical Society.  This beautiful park overlooks Lake Harney and the St. Johns River and is open for public use. 

The first Seminole County historical marker was erected at the park.  The Sieg pavilion, donated by the W. L. Sieg family, was dedicated in 1966 and is screened.  There are also restrooms and outside picnic tables on the grounds.  The pavilion can be reserved by contacting the caretaker at the park.  It is an ideal place for family reunions, picnics, primitive camping and outdoor events.  The park can be reached by traveling east on U.S. Hwy 46 from the traffic signal in Geneva, turning left (north) on Jungle Road, then right (east) on Fort Lane Road.  For reservations call at 407-392-3057.

Fort Lane was the first depot in this chain.  It was established on the west shore of Lake Harney on 18 December 1837 by Companies "F" and "K", 2nd United States Infantry, under the command of Major Greenleaf Dearborn of Maine.  Traveling by barges from Fort Mellon, the companies consisted of an average of 125 Florida Militiamen, including a fifer and a drummer, according to Army records (post returns).  One of Jesup’s dispatches from his fort was datelined "Headquarters, Army of the South, Fort Lane, head of Lake Harney".  Only three months later, the post returns indicate that in March of 1838, having completed its assignment, the Fort Lane detachment returned to Fort Mellon.  Other officers at Fort Lane were Major Thomas Steniford, Lieutenant Silas Casey, who was the adjutant, and Lieutenants J. R. D. Bennett, William Alburtis and Hannibal Day.

John Foote Lane, after whom the fort was named,  was born in Kentucky on 21 December 1810.  He was the youngest of 7 children born to Amos Lane and Mary Foote Lane.  He entered West Point at age13 and graduated in 1828, when he was 18.  An engineer and mathematician, Lane taught mathematics and philosophy at West Point for some time and is the inventor of the pontoon boat.

Lane was serving as a Captain in the United States Army 2nd Dragoon Regiment, when on 14 March 1836,  he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and placed in command of the Creek Indian Regiment with 750 Creek Indians under his command.  On 20 September 1836 he departed Alabama for Fort Drane, Florida (northwest of Ocala) with 690 Creek Indians and 90 soldiers for the purpose of engaging the Seminole Indians.  Colonel Lane and his regiment arrived at Fort Drane in early October of 1836.  Soon after arriving at Fort Drane, Colonel Lane came down with "brain fever" (encephalitis).  He went insane, and on 19 October 1836, committed suicide by plunging his sword into his head.

References   

Francke, Arthur E., Jr.  Fort Mellon 1837-42.  Banyan Books, Inc. Miami, FL. 1977.

Konstantin, Phil, September 16th to 22nd in American Indian History. 1997.