Pilaklikaha/Abraham's Town

Pilaklikaha/Abraham's Town (HM25Q2)

Location: Center Hill, FL 33514 Sumter County
Buy Florida State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 28° 39.881', W 82° 3.226'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 846 views
Inscription
(side 1)
Pilaklikaha

One mile east of here is the site of the town of Pilaklikaha, established in 1813 by Black Seminoles. Meaning "many ponds" in the Mikasuki language, Pilaklikaha was the largest and most prosperous Black Seminole town in Florida, with a population of 100 men, women, and children. Many Black Seminoles were formerly enslaved peoples of African descent who fled bondage to Spanish Florida following the American Revolution. Driven into the Alachua and Suwannee regions by Georgia and Tennessee militias, they joined and mingled with the native Seminoles. Black Seminoles, though not formally adopted into the Seminole Tribe, formed a relationship with the native Seminoles who protected them from slave catchers in exchange for military aid and a portion of their crops as tribute. At its peak, Pilaklikaha contained timber, thatch-and-daub homes, corn cribs, and fences. Residents may have accumulated few possessions beyond simple dishes, arms, beads, and hand-made brushed pottery. During the 1820s, the settlement was visited by two American officials, Horatio Dexter and Lt. George McCall, who reported herds of cattle and horses along with fields of rice, beans, melons, pumpkins, and peanuts.

(side 2)
Abraham's Town

Pilaklikaha was also known as "Abraham's



Old Town," named after Abraham, who came to the area after escaping slavery in Pensacola around 1826. Abraham served as a skilled interpreter and the voice of the Seminoles during treaty negotiations with the United States government. He rose to prominence as the counselor for Chief Micanopy, even accompanying him on a diplomatic trip to Washington, D.C. Abraham was later released from service in appreciation for his work. Assuming a connection to the Dade Massacre in 1835, United States Army soldiers, under the command of Brigadier General Abraham Eustis, burned Pilaklikaha to the ground on March 30, 1836, during the second escalation of the Seminole War. All the residents of Abraham's town escaped weeks before its destruction. During the conflict, many native Seminoles and some Black Seminoles, including Abraham, were forcibly relocated to Indian Territory, in present-day Oklahoma, as part of the "Trail of Tears." Abraham died in Indian Territory sometime after 1870.
Details
HM NumberHM25Q2
Tags
Year Placed2017
Placed ByThe Sumter County Historical Society, Dade Battlefield Society, Seminole Wars Historic Foundation, Scenic Sumter Heritage Byway, Explore Sumter County, and the Florida Department of State
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, February 28th, 2018 at 10:02am PST -08:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17R E 397030 N 3171290
Decimal Degrees28.66468333, -82.05376667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 28° 39.881', W 82° 3.226'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds28° 39' 52.86" N, 82° 3' 13.56" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)352
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling East
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 3001-5499 Co Rd 567, Center Hill FL 33514, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?