The Early History of Fort George Island
Ribault Club (present day)
Fort George Island
The history of Fort George Island is just as rich and immersive as its diverse landscape. If you live near the island, then maybe you’ve gone to the Ribault Club for a fancy wedding. Or maybe you’ve driven by Fort George Island Cultural State Park on your way to the Talbot Islands. And if you’re like me, you’ll be surprised at how much more there is to explore on this island!
Fort George Island borders the mouth of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. Located just three miles south of the Talbot Islands off Highway A1A, it is part of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, 46,000-acres of undisturbed coastal wetlands.
Saturiwa Trail
Saturiwa Trail
Have a couple free hours and want to learn more about Jacksonville’s history?
I would highly recommend the 4.4-mile driving tour around Fort George Island along the Saturiwa Trail (pronounced sa-chur-EE-wa). You can pick up an audio CD at the Little Talbot Island State Park Ranger Station or find the MP3 audio and full transcript here.
Rain or shine, you’ll enjoy the drive, learning more about the island’s robust 5,000-year history in about 2 hours. Follow the loop under lush canopies of sprawling live oak and cedar covered in resurrection fern and Spanish moss. Look out and gaze upon Little Talbot Island in the distance where Heckscher Drive connects Jacksonville to Fernandina. Weather permitting, you may opt to hike, bike, or walk the trail, which begins and ends at the Ribault Club (a 4.4-mile loop).
Deep Creek
Native American Settlements
(1,000 B.C. - 1565)
Fort George Island was originally called Alicamani village, land of a Timucua speaking tribe known as Saturiwa. The Native Americans settled in this area beginning in 1000 B.C. and used the waterway systems and marshes for hunting and fishing. Timucua life is evidenced by large mounds of discarded oyster shells that still remain today, referred to as “middens.”
Jean Ribault circa 1870 (Florida Memory)
European Settlers and Fortification
(late 1500s - 1763)
In the midst of Saturiwa tribes thriving off the land, French explorer Jean Ribault claimed Fort George Island, first encountering the Timucuan Indians in 1562.
In 1587, the Spanish Mission of San Juan del Puerto was founded, and the Saturiwa tribes made peace with the Spaniards. However, the mission was later destroyed during an English raid in 1702.
In 1736, British General James Oglethorpe built wooden Fort St. George for the fight of Florida territory from Spain. The fort was built on the tallest sand dune on the eastern seaboard – Mt. Cornelia. Today, you can hike to this historic site via the Fairway Loop Trail located within the Fort George Island Cultural State Park. The trailhead is accessible adjacent from the Ribault Club.
Fort St. George was later abandoned, but the entire island became known as Fort George Island.
Kingsley Plantation - Kitchen House (present day)
Florida’s Plantation Era
(1763 - 1865)
In the reign of southern plantations, Kingsley Plantation was established in 1791 for large-scale agriculture. More than 60 slaves cultivated sea island cotton, indigo, sugar cane, corn, potatoes, and beans. Zephaniah Kingsley owned Fort George Island, along with Kingsley Plantation, for 25 years. In spite of running a slave plantation, he became an activist for African American civil rights after Fort George Island became a U.S. territory in 1821.
Kingsley Plantation is one of Florida’s oldest plantation-era structures. Governed by the National Park Service and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this waterfront historic site is open for scheduled tours. The barn, kitchen, main house, gardens, and a semi-circle of 25 tabby slave quarters are preserved and open for exploration.
Explore More:
Learn more about the development of Fort George Island:
Travel back in time on a 4-mile hike along the old Fort George Golf Course: