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Photo courtesy of FloridasHistoricCoast.com
First Coast Throwback:
Historical Sites and Museums The First Coast is a beautiful area filled with the perfect flora and fauna for a prosperous life. For more than 1,000 years, Northeast Florida was originally occupied by the Timucuan people who lived in various communities along the waterways. More than 35 different tribes lived in North and Central Florida, as well as southeastern Georgia. It appeared as if the culture was unchanged until the Europeans arrived. By 1800, the tribe disappeared due to settlers moving into their land.
Two centuries later, the Spanish
as South Carolina. The colony they
Augustine, which was originally the
there was a place in the St. Johns
conquistador, Juan Ponce de León,
established was not prosperous and
site of the Timucuan village, Seloy.
River that was both shallow and
landed on the banks of Northeast
failed. Ribault’s second-in-command,
The city was rebuilt several times
narrow enough for cattle to cross.
Florida and claimed the land he
René Goulaine de Laudonnière, took
after being attacked during wars. To
Eventually, the British colonists who
found for Spain. Motivated by the
settlers from South Carolina back
keep the city of Havana, Spain gave
settled the city changed the name to
lush landscape, Ponce de León
to Florida. In 1564, he founded Fort
a majority of their Florida territory
Jacksonville after Andrew Jackson,
named the area La Florida. Led by
Caroline, but the next year the fort was
to the British at the end of the Seven
who would go on to become the
French explorer, Jean Ribault, the
destroyed by orders of the Spanish
Years’ War.
seventh president of the United
French Huguenots claimed the land
Governor of Florida, Pedro Menéndez
Starting in the late 18th century, the
States. With a booming population
near the St. Johns River and traveled
de Avilés. These disasters led up
downtown area of Jacksonville was
of 17,201 in 1890, Jacksonville
north to what is presently known
to the celebration of a new city, St.
known as Cowford, mainly because
continued to be a popular city with www.heritagepublishinginc.com
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