Amateur sleuths discover Seminole Indian War fort in Florida Everglades

Three amateur historians believe they have discovered the exact site of a lost Seminole Indian War fort in the Florida Everglades, solving an approximately 170-year-old mystery lost to time and the remoteness of its location.

The search for Fort Harrell, constructed in 1837 and last seen by engineers of the Tamiami Trail in 1917, had consumed outdoorsmen Shawn Beightol, a high school chemistry teacher; Chris Harris, a computer engineer; and Tony Pernas, a National Park Service employee; for about a year.

They said they found evidence of Fort Harrell on an overnight expedition June 26-27, The Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Saturday.