A dedication of the restoration and marking of Peacock Cemetery was held in Luraville recently. Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park and Peacock Slough were named after Dr. John Calvin Peacock who is interred in the cemetery near the springs. Over time the cemetery was overrun by nature but thanks to the efforts of many including a couple of Peacock’s great, great grandsons, the grave sites of Peacock and other family members are now clearly marked.

Dr. Peacock came to the area in 1855. Great, great grandson Duane Peacock said the original Peacocks arrived from Scotland in 1789 and settled around Troy and Mt. Gilead, North Carolina. Duane Peacock is a descendant of several ministers from North Carolina and was recently invited to a small church’s 200th anniversary celebration where his forefathers ministered. 

Besides Dr. Peacock, his wife Elizabeth Meredith is buried in the cemetery as well. Duane Peacock said based on evidence they have uncovered, they believe two of their sons are also buried there: Leroy and Avon. 

Dr. Peacock died March 24, 1882. 

According to the Florida State Parks Service, Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park has two major springs, a spring run and six sinkholes, all in near pristine condition. Nearly 33,000 feet of underwater passages at Peacock Springs have been explored and surveyed by cave divers.

The 733-acre state park was renamed Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park in 2010. Skiles was a world-class explorer, diver, cinematographer and photographer who contributed much of his time and expertise at the park. 

The Ceremony

The welcome and opening prayer were performed by Duane Peacock and music was performed on violin by Lloyd Baldwin. Suwannee County Commissioner Ricky Gamble spoke briefly of the Peacock family’s long history in the area. He said when Duane Peacock asked him to attend to the dedication, he jumped at the opportunity. Gamble grew up about a mile and half from the plot and every summer as a young boy he would camp out at Peacock Slough.

“I was telling (Peacock’s great, great grandson Robert Dees) that I used to camp on his property and I don’t think he knew about it,” said Gamble.

He said he had a lot of fond memories of the area, but was unaware of its history.

“I was glad to be a part of this and come out and share,” said Gamble. 

Kelly Jessop, president of the North Florida Springs Alliance (NFSA), spoke at the ceremony and shared information about Peacock Springs. 

“There are people from all over the world who come to this park,” said Jessop. 

He said NFSA was responsible for keeping the area functional and nice. The group constructed a walkway to the springs because the ground became too muddy and eroded. They also had a request to build some changing rooms for folks who desired more than a tree or bush for privacy. He said another project they were proud of was building an interpretive trail.

“Peacock Springs is one of the largest emerged cave systems in the United States,” said Jessop. “It’s very prolific and there are a lot of windows into the system.”

He said the Alliance built a one-mile trail over the cave system and as one travels the trail, there are several kiosks that have information regarding the park and the area.

“One thing we’re proud of is the trail was awarded the 2013 Best Long-term Project in the state of Florida,” said Jessop. “So, the State went as far as saying,‘this is the best thing that they’ve had.’”

He said although there are areas currently which can’t be traveled in the park because of the recent flooding, he encouraged folks to come back at a later time to better enjoy it.

Duane Peacock introduced educational outreach coordinator Sandra Poucher with the National Speleological Society. He said Poucher and a diving team mapped some of the caves in Peacock Springs and published a book, “The Taming of the Slough: A Comprehensive History of Peacock Springs.” The book has been described as, “Sheck Exley’s exciting story of the discovery and mapping of the beloved Peacock Springs Cave System – at that time thought to be the world’s longest underwater cave. His manuscript was incomplete when he met his untimely death in 1994 on a dive in Mexico”.

Poucher said Exley was a world class diver during the 60s and 70s which was the “heyday” of cave diving.

She said Peacock Springs was in the top 10 largest underwater cave systems in the United States and in the top 20 in the world.

Different family members spoke about the area and the history they learned growing up.

The folks in attendance ended the ceremony by reciting a litany of dedication for the grave marker.

Dees, who was instrumental in the project, said the cemetery needed attention for years.

“We have been aware of it for many years. It had been something we’ve wanted to do for a number of years,” said Dees.

Dees said about 40 people were at the ceremony that were relatives from the Peacock side.

“Most of them I had never met,” said Dees. “It was like a family reunion of a family you never knew you had.”