Folkway #3 - Family

So, what was family structure like among Central Florida's pioneers?

The idealized household consisted of a married man and woman with as many children as their economic circumstances would allow.

But, as with anything, reality did not always match the ideal.  An examination of the 1885 state census for Pine Castle proves it in this case.  According to the enumeration:

Just 62% of households matched that ideal description: husband and wife with children.  The overwhelming majority had 3 or fewer children.  None had more than 6, which contradicts the mythical image of hyperfertility many have of this era and locale.  While many pioneers did have many children, a sadly large proportion did not survive infancy.

7% consisted of married couples with no children.  This number includes empty-nesters and newlyweds in addition to the infertile.

6% were headed by single fathers.  Only 3% were headed by single mothers.  Neither divorce nor unwed parenthood were the source of this demographic.  Rahter, the statistics reflect the difficulties associated with childbirth.  Pioneer women were far more likely to die as the result of a pregnancy than their modern counterparts.

19% had non-traditional living arrangements.  These included people who lived in boarding houses and hotels--most were temporary laborers at turpentine distilleries and railroad section hands.

Just 2% lived by themselves.  Frontier life could be arduous, even for the heartiest pioneer.  It just made more sense to band together and pool your resources.

To learn more about our area's pioneer families and how they tamed the frontier, consider attending Pine Castle Pioneer Days on February 21st & 22nd at Cypress Grove Park, 290 Holden Avenue, Orlando, FL 32809.  More info at this web site: www.pinecastlepioneerdays.org