Florida Times-Union

Willie Browne

Willie Browne once said: "People have to work in the cities, they can't live in the woods anymore. But they ought to have a place in the woods they can go to."

The Theodore Roosevelt Area offers visitors the chance to enjoy the solitude of wilderness within the confines of a large metropolitan area. A lot of “Old Florida” has disappeared. William Henry Browne III lived on the land that is today known as the Theodore Roosevelt Area. Willie spent his whole life here, and the foundations of his cabin stand as a testament to the gift he gave to future visitors. Willie gave his property to the Nature Conservancy for preservation. In 1990, this land became a part of the National Park Service.