02/26/2026
So excited to be here this weekend and share the history of Florida’s Cracker Horses and Catte!
Writer's Talk - Saturday February 28th 1:30-3:00
At the MKR Historic State Park
Free with paid park admission
Join us in welcoming Carol Matthews Gillen as she discusses her latest book, Cracker Horses and Cattle: A History of Florida’s Heritage Breeds. Carol will read excerpts from her book, which is a galloping romp through the long history of Florida's cracker horses and cattle. This is certain to be a fun and educational experience, which will hopefully encourage you to learn more about this fascinating part of Florida’s history. Carol will have her books for sale, and you will have an opportunity to meet Cazadora, her Florida Cracker Horse.
About the Author:
Carol Matthews taught elementary school for forty years. A graduate of Ohio University, her love of history began at an early age, when she would search for arrowheads after the annual spring plowing of her father’s corn fields. The last seventeen years of her teaching career were spent in a small agricultural town in Florida called Indiantown in western Martin County, where she discovered an unlikely history mentor in the form of a spunky cattle rancher, well known as simply Miss Iris in her circle throughout the state. Carol was Martin County’s Teacher of the Year in 2008 and is a member of the Florida Cracker Horse and Cracker Cattle Associations. Cracker Horses and Cattle: A History of Florida’s Heritage Breeds is her third book on Florida History.
