History

Betsy Purdum Florida Longhorn

Triple N Ranch Wildlife Management Area was part of the last large open range in the United States. At the beginning of the twentieth century Florida south of Orlando was the only place east of the Mississippi where the population density was less than two persons per square mile. Open range ranching continued in Florida until 1949, when the Florida Legislature passed a law requiring all cattle to be fenced. The central Florida palmetto prairie was home to the Florida cow, a small, bony, long-horned descendant of Spanish cattle that was able to survive heat, bugs, and poor forage.

Betsy Purdum Remains of Homestead

Throughout Triple N Ranch are hammocks where homesteads once stood. Portions of the Triple N Ranch property were acquired in November 1994. Another portion was acquired in August 1996. Prior to state acquisition the land was used as a cattle ranch and as a hunting preserve for family and friends of the owners. Since 1997, FWC has acquired the McNamara, Equitable, and Yates tracts.