• Cracker Trail drives traveled just north of Lake Placid on what is now Route 98
• Cattle were lean and would lose 200 to 300 pounds on a drive
• Registered brands you see on the cattle all belong to Highlands County cattlemen

Listen to the yips, moos and thunder as the Cowmen drive a herd of cattle through the Lake Placid area on their way to market.  It was a two to three week trip and full of danger.  Only the strongest would survive.  Storms took their toll on cowmen as well as the cattle.  They feared these storms because, not only could it stampede a herd, but also the lightening could kill.  Often these cattle were driven to a deep-water port, and shipped to Cuba where cattlemen received gold.  The cattle were lean, as it was not uncommon for them to lose 200 to 300 pounds during the drive.  At that time there were no roads across the state and it was just a trail.  The life of the Florida cowmen was not easy as they battled the heat, insects and storms.

The name "cracker" comes from the cracking of the whips the cowmen carried to keep the herd together.  The registered brands you see all belong to Highlands County cattlemen.  Highlands County ranks high in the production of beef cattle in the eastern United States.