In Bosque Bello history unfolds . . .

By Cindy Jackson
Reporter
December 14, 2018 10:00 a.m.

The City of Fernandina, in cooperation and collaboration with the Florida Public Archaeology Network’s Northeast Region and a recently formed volunteer-based organization known as the Friends of Bosque Bello are united in their interest and dedication to preserving Fernandina Beach’s historic Bosque Bello Cemetery.

Bosque Bello has been in existence since 1798 with the first burial occurring in 1813, according to many sources.

With several meetings under their belt, the work to be undertaken by this ad hoc collective of historians and preservationists is huge.

A workshop was held last month at which time a manual was distributed — a link to which is provided by clicking here.

Emily Jane Murray, who works as a Public Archaeology Coordinator with the Florida Public Archaeology Network’s Northeast Region was at that November meeting and explains in a follow-up email the mission of her organization that is “to help protect and promote Florida’s buried past.”

Ms. Murray goes on to say, “Historic cemeteries are an important but fragile historic resource in Florida. They can teach us a lot about the people from the past – both those buried there but also their family and friends who laid them to rest and shaped the look and feel of the cemetery.”

As to Florida’s “buried past,” many of the headstones at Bosque Bella are in fact a direct reflection of a rich history – a rich history that is distinctly Fernandina Beach.

Long hailed as the birthplace of the modern shrimping industry, many a family moved to Fernandina Beach and helped to shape shrimping industry. Names like the Salvadors, the Polis, and the Versaggis. Those families spent years trying to perfect the shrimp haul. Then came Sahlman Seafoods that started during the Great Depression and also the Tringali family and in more recent years, Fernandina is proud to be home to the Burbank family who continue to craft fishing nets used by shrimpers the world over.

A guided walk through the Bosque Bello yields stories from families who helped shape the shrimping industry and its impact on the prosperity of this Nassau County “back in the day.” One such family burial plot is that of the Tringali Family. Many of the family headstones are engraved with an image of a shrimping boat – including the markers of Sebastiano, Angelo T. and Salvatore P. Tringali.

An obituary for Sebastiano Tringali from the Jacksonville Times Union gives even more detail about the man, his family and the Tringali family’s impact on the local shrimping business.

Sebastiano John Tringali, 89, Fernandina Beach, passed away Thursday, January 10, 2002 in Jacksonville, FL. A native of Augusta, Sicily, Italy, he was the son of the late Salvatore & Francesca Caruso Tringali, and had resided in Nassau County since 1920. Mr. Tringali was a partner in the Tringali Brothers Seafood Company, and was a retired shrimp boat captain who owned the Nancy. He was a member of St. Michaels Catholic Church and served his country during World War II with the U.S. Army in Europe.

The Tringali Brothers Seafood Company once occupied the space at 105 N. Front Street.

In addition to The Nancy referenced in the obituary, the Tringali family also operated other shrimp boats including the Peace III and the Saint Pat.

As Ms. Murray so eloquently states, “The monuments reflect ideas and beliefs of the communities that created them but also give us insights into socioeconomics, demographics, cultural practices, access to resources, and more.”

The Amelia Island Genealogical Society has put together an intensive and very comprehensive listing of gravesites with pictures included, copies of marriage records and oftentimes even listings of funeral attendees.

The Ferreiras, the Higginbothams, the Pages, the Halls, and the Hardees . . . all of these are family names with a lot of history in Fernandina Beach.

Another name with a long and distinguished history of service to the community is the surname O’Hagan.

Engraved on the headstone of one Thomas John O’Hagan are the words Keeper, Amelia Island Light. It seems the O’Hagan family – first with family patriarch Thomas Patrick followed by son John were Amelia Island lighthouse keepers for nearly half a century — from 1905 through 1954. Grandaughter of Thomas Patrick, Mrs. Helen Morse is also buried in Bosque Bello circa 1958.

There are so many stories that can be told, and so much history that can be gleaned from just a casual stroll through Bosque Bello Cemetery – a site so very worthy of careful preservation as witnessed by the incredible interest shown by residents and visitors alike.

According to Salvatore Cumella, Historic Preservation Planner for the City of Fernandina, “We have a Cemetery Resource Protection Training (CRPT) training scheduled for Saturday March 2, 2019. Completion at one of these trainings is required for those members of the Friends of Bosque Bello members who wish to participate in workdays at the cemetery. We hope to start holding a few workdays in the early spring. “