Glenn Simmons poling glades skiff he made in Everglades, July 1985. Photo: Bud Lee

Glades Skiffs

A native of Homestead, Glenn Simmons is a master builder of skiffs, the vessels used to navigate the Everglades. At the age of twelve, he made his first skiff of cypress wood, which could be bent to a pointed bow. His skiffs are used today by local builders to make molds for their fiberglass boats. Simmons has hunted and navigated in the Glades since the 1920s, when the area was still a frontier. He has participated in the Florida Folklife/Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program and received the Florida Folk Heritage Award in 1995. Simmons' work is documented in text, slides, and a copy of his book, Gladesmen: Gator Hunters, Moonshiners, and Skiffers, co-written with Laura Ogden. The publications of the apprenticeship program and of the Historical Museum of Southern Florida, both containing articles about Simmons, are also included.

Originally submitted by: Bob Graham, Senator.

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