Chocachatti
Chocochatti is one of the earliest settlements in Hernando County. Known alternately as Chocochatti Hammock and Chocochatti Prairie it has been spelled many different ways in many different publications. Some of the variations are: Chukochatty, Chicuchaty, Chicuchate, Chihuchaty, Chichuchate, Chichichate, Chicuhatte, Chocochattee, and Chocochatee, and Chocachatti. It is from the Seminole who were the first settlers of the Chocochatti and they called it Chukochatty. According to the Seminoles it was establishd in 1767. Chocachatti is the commonly accepted present day spelling and the Chocachatti Settlement was near present day Brooksville, just east of the present day town starting approximately just east of the Brooksville Cemetery on East Jefferson St. and the Chocachatti Hammock runs from there east and south to Sumter and Pasco Counties where it is bordered by the Green Swamp.
The 1842 Armed Occupation Act brought the first white settlers to the Chocachatti. The oldest grave in the Brooskville Cemetery is that of Charlotte Crum, wife of Richard R. Crum. She was killed by Indians on September 12, 1842 while riding in a wagon between present day Brooksville and Dade City (Pasco County). She may well have been the first white woman killed in Hernando County. Several others were in the party with her, but there were no other fatalities. Cypriot T. Jenkins has described it as the first Indian outrage in this county.
In the 1850 census the following families were found to be living in Chocachatti: The Harn's, Garrison's, Robles, Patterson's, Crum's, Hope's, Cray's, Crichton's, Harville's, Boyet's, Selph's, McLendon's, and Hammock's to name a few. Many of these families are still here in Hernando County today. In fact I am one of them, being the 3rd great granddaughter of Jackson Hammock who was enumerated in the 1850 Census. |
Couper
Couper is found on an 1885 map of Hernando County, just South of the present day Citrus County line at approximately US 41 and the county line. At first I thought perhaps it was a misspelling of Ft. Cooper, but lookingabit further north on the same map, Ft. Cooper is depicted. Other than its appearance on thatmap, I have no other knowledge of this settlement. Thatt particular area is today a part of the Withlacoochee State Forest Wildlife Area. |