All photos and memories expressed are those of Irene Ivory, whose ancestors were some of the early pioneers of Homosassa.
This was written in 1990 as I watched the snow falling around my home in Illinois
The River was calling me back home, so I sat down and wrote "Homesick"
By Irene (Esnard) Ivory
I remember the smell of the early morning dew on the cedar boughs along the banks of the river. The chanting of the red-winged blackbirds as they fly overhead announcing my arrival. It's a smell and sound that when I bring it to mind it's as if I were standing there today. I can still hear the last croaks of the bullfrogs as they burrow themselves beneath the mud and the tall marsh grass to sleep as the early morning sun fills the horizon with its shimmering light.
At the end of the day they will arise again to sing their River serenade. I can see the small streaked head turtle as he climbs upon the old cabbage palm lying in the water to catch those early morning rays on his shell. He stretches out one flipper, then another, then settles down for his morning snooze.

The cormorant pops its long neck out of the water with a small trout speared on his "spear-like" beak swallows him down and then flies up to a high branch to dry his wings. It's mating time on the Homosassa and the old male gator bellows so loud that he can be heard for a good mile on any windless morning. The sound remains in my mind. I've never heard the like since. But someday, I will hear it again as I quietly retrace my old haunts and the haunts of my father and grandfather. Those mornings were picture perfect for this River Gal. The oyster bars, the bright stars on a dark but moonlight night is a sight that I long for and someday soon, there I'll be.


Irene Esnard Ivory -8th grade Homosassa Elementary School


Daniel and Edna Esnard with daughter Irene, approximately 1945-1946 This photo of my Daddy and Mother was taken in front of a purple fig tree on Shiver's island. I was not a happy little girl in this photo as my mother had taken the braids out of my hair and made me wear a dress.



My Grandpa George Shiver was a builder of oars and small boats, a fisherman, a farmer. He built his second home just off the Little Homosassa River. My Grandma Emmie belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ in Homosassa. She would drive herself (by motorboat) to Church sometimes at night and always on Sunday.



Grandpa Shiver worked on two orange groves on the main river. The photo shows grandpa polling his boat filled full of crated oranges picked from the orange and lemon grove. The oranges were taken to a nearby island where there was a conveyor belt under a boat house where the oranges were sorted and repacked for sale.


Grandpa would make a trip with his boat "the gopher" to MacRae's mercantile store for supplies several times a month.


Grandpa arrived with his parents as a infant in 1876. As my mom told me, they arrived in a wagon filled with all of their belongings from Georgia. The wagon was pulled by ox down the crooked road (currently known as Yulee Drive). Grandpa's parents settled (homesteaded) on Shivers Bay. My grandpa died of natural causes at the age of 88.



Dame Kirkland (Irene's half brother), Cleo Arnette (friend), Clara Kirkland (Irene's half sister), Vaughn Ciel (Irene's cousin). Front row Irene Esnard (approximately 4-6 yrs of age). This photo was taken on Shiver's island at the corner of Grandpa's cracker house.


A man is loading his fishing nets (which have been drying) onto his skiff. This skiff is located right before the entrance to Otter Creek. (Across from current day Gasparilla Cay)


Clyde Head , Daniel Esnard and George Shiver (Irene's father is Daniel, grandfather is George) The trusty skiffs and "The Gopher" waits just outside the mouth of the main Homosassa river (note St. Martin's Key in background) for sea turtles to get caught in the nets. Turtles were a main staple food item for river folks. Turtles were often kept alive in a underwater pen (turtle krawl) until needed.



Fishhouse row-Homosassa River (Approximate location is where CEDAR KEY fishhouse stands today)



CW Croft Store on the left (next to the Jiffy store in Old Homosassa house still stands currently Mike's Sunshine River Tour in building) also served as a bus station for Old Homosassa



Old School (uncertain of location and time period)


Mrs. Ivy Hutchinson (Retired School Boat Driver). I took this picture of Ivy Hutchinson on her back porch in Old Homosassa. When I look at this picture I think of the first time I remember seeing Mrs. Ivy, the Homosassa school boat driver. I wasn't of school age but I remember seeing a small woman with black hair pulled into a tight knot on the back of her head. That day I only saw one passenger, a girl with hair that if the wind had let it be would have hung to her waist. The passenger was her daughter, Mary Francis. They must have left late for school because Mrs. Ivy was braiding that long hair as the wind whipped it around while still steering the boat before docking it at MacRae's. Mrs. Ivy and her family also lived down the river, not too far from where I was born. Her son Joseph rowed a boat up to MacRae's to bring the doctor to delivery me. Mrs. Ivy was there to help my mother after my birth.



Back Row (left to right): Carlis Harmon, Fred Lyles, Arthur Oliver, Clayton Huggins, Leslie (?), Mrs. Katie Lashley (Teacher)
2nd Row (left to right): Glen Lashley, Irene Esnard, Patricia (?), Kay Locklear, Fay Locklear, Anna Fay Thompson, Dolly (?), Joanne Stevens, Gayle (?), (Lname only) Fullford
3rd Row (left to right): Girl with smile?, next girl with mouth open?, Betty Jean Stevens, Sarah Oliver, Phyllis Spires, Annette Trotter, (Lname only) Harris
Front Row (left to right): Ken Laymon, Billy Trotter, Joe Byrd, (Lname only) Locklear, Charles Harmon



The Rendevous Hotel (sits approximately where Riverhaven Marina is today)