I live about 23 miles from Palatka, FL. in a small country town. I would drive to and from this town on many occasions, primarily because of the shopping available there that isn’t available in my town. Oddly enough I never gave Palatka much thought with regard to its history until I decided to set a story there. Here are some unique tidbits about the rich history of Palatka: •At one time Palatka was larger than Jacksonville, FL. •Founded in 1821 with a Spanish Treaty to James Marver and two companions, Hine & Woodruff. (I’m assuming these are last names but you can’t be too sure.) •A cypress lumberyard was the second largest sawmill producer •Major hub for supplies going in and out of Florida. •Known as an area for healing for northerners to come in winter months. •Had a major fire burn through a lot of the downtown area in 1884. What made Palatka unique was the St. John’s River which runs from Jacksonville all the way down to the St. John’s Marsh west of Melbourne & Palm Bay, FL. The entire length of the river is 310 miles. At Palatka the deep water ends, and south of Palatka the steamboats could travel, although the large shipping schooners could not. This set Palatka apart as the perfect port for all commerce on the River. In 1880 people could travel from South Carolina or Savannah, GA to Palatka with a round trip ticket for $20. Others traveled from as far away as Boston and New York for their winter vacations. The northern schooners would bring Ice down to Palatka where it would be stored in one of the icehouses for use by the residents. In earlier days, similar to the early railroad days out west, travelers on the steamboats would shoot at the wildlife on shore. This soon became a problem when some passengers on other boats were accidentally shot. The practice was banned. The railroad came through during the later part of the 19th century, forever changing the shipping industry. Other industries in Palatka were cattle, lumber, ship building, turpentine making, orange groves and tourism.
I live about 23 miles from Palatka, FL. in a small country town. I would drive to and from this town on many occasions, primarily because of the shopping available there that isn’t available in my town. Oddly enough I never gave Palatka much thought with regard to its history until I decided to set a story there. Here are some unique tidbits about the rich history of Palatka: •At one time Palatka was larger than Jacksonville, FL. •Founded in 1821 with a Spanish Treaty to James Marver and two companions, Hine & Woodruff. (I’m assuming these are last names but you can’t be too sure.) •A cypress lumberyard was the second largest sawmill producer •Major hub for supplies going in and out of Florida. •Known as an area for healing for northerners to come in winter months. •Had a major fire burn through a lot of the downtown area in 1884. What made Palatka unique was the St. John’s River which runs from Jacksonville all the way down to the St. John’s Marsh west of Melbourne & Palm Bay, FL. The entire length of the river is 310 miles. At Palatka the deep water ends, and south of Palatka the steamboats could travel, although the large shipping schooners could not. This set Palatka apart as the perfect port for all commerce on the River. In 1880 people could travel from South Carolina or Savannah, GA to Palatka with a round trip ticket for $20. Others traveled from as far away as Boston and New York for their winter vacations. The northern schooners would bring Ice down to Palatka where it would be stored in one of the icehouses for use by the residents. In earlier days, similar to the early railroad days out west, travelers on the steamboats would shoot at the wildlife on shore. This soon became a problem when some passengers on other boats were accidentally shot. The practice was banned. The railroad came through during the later part of the 19th century, forever changing the shipping industry. Other industries in Palatka were cattle, lumber, ship building, turpentine making, orange groves and tourism.
I live about 23 miles from Palatka, FL. in a small country town. I would drive to and from this town on many occasions, primarily because of the shopping available there that isn’t available in my town. Oddly enough I never gave Palatka much thought with regard to its history until I decided to set a story there. Here are some unique tidbits about the rich history of Palatka: •At one time Palatka was larger than Jacksonville, FL. •Founded in 1821 with a Spanish Treaty to James Marver and two companions, Hine & Woodruff. (I’m assuming these are last names but you can’t be too sure.) •A cypress lumberyard was the second largest sawmill producer •Major hub for supplies going in and out of Florida. •Known as an area for healing for northerners to come in winter months. •Had a major fire burn through a lot of the downtown area in 1884. What made Palatka unique was the St. John’s River which runs from Jacksonville all the way down to the St. John’s Marsh west of Melbourne & Palm Bay, FL. The entire length of the river is 310 miles. At Palatka the deep water ends, and south of Palatka the steamboats could travel, although the large shipping schooners could not. This set Palatka apart as the perfect port for all commerce on the River. In 1880 people could travel from South Carolina or Savannah, GA to Palatka with a round trip ticket for $20. Others traveled from as far away as Boston and New York for their winter vacations. The northern schooners would bring Ice down to Palatka where it would be stored in one of the icehouses for use by the residents. In earlier days, similar to the early railroad days out west, travelers on the steamboats would shoot at the wildlife on shore. This soon became a problem when some passengers on other boats were accidentally shot. The practice was banned. The railroad came through during the later part of the 19th century, forever changing the shipping industry. Other industries in Palatka were cattle, lumber, ship building, turpentine making, orange groves and tourism.
I live about 23 miles from Palatka, FL. in a small country town. I would drive to and from this town on many occasions, primarily because of the shopping available there that isn’t available in my town. Oddly enough I never gave Palatka much thought with regard to its history until I decided to set a story there. Here are some unique tidbits about the rich history of Palatka: •At one time Palatka was larger than Jacksonville, FL. •Founded in 1821 with a Spanish Treaty to James Marver and two companions, Hine & Woodruff. (I’m assuming these are last names but you can’t be too sure.) •A cypress lumberyard was the second largest sawmill producer •Major hub for supplies going in and out of Florida. •Known as an area for healing for northerners to come in winter months. •Had a major fire burn through a lot of the downtown area in 1884. What made Palatka unique was the St. John’s River which runs from Jacksonville all the way down to the St. John’s Marsh west of Melbourne & Palm Bay, FL. The entire length of the river is 310 miles. At Palatka the deep water ends, and south of Palatka the steamboats could travel, although the large shipping schooners could not. This set Palatka apart as the perfect port for all commerce on the River. In 1880 people could travel from South Carolina or Savannah, GA to Palatka with a round trip ticket for $20. Others traveled from as far away as Boston and New York for their winter vacations. The northern schooners would bring Ice down to Palatka where it would be stored in one of the icehouses for use by the residents. In earlier days, similar to the early railroad days out west, travelers on the steamboats would shoot at the wildlife on shore. This soon became a problem when some passengers on other boats were accidentally shot. The practice was banned. The railroad came through during the later part of the 19th century, forever changing the shipping industry. Other industries in Palatka were cattle, lumber, ship building, turpentine making, orange groves and tourism.
I live about 23 miles from Palatka, FL. in a small country town. I would drive to and from this town on many occasions, primarily because of the shopping available there that isn’t available in my town. Oddly enough I never gave Palatka much thought with regard to its history until I decided to set a story there. Here are some unique tidbits about the rich history of Palatka: •At one time Palatka was larger than Jacksonville, FL. •Founded in 1821 with a Spanish Treaty to James Marver and two companions, Hine & Woodruff. (I’m assuming these are last names but you can’t be too sure.) •A cypress lumberyard was the second largest sawmill producer •Major hub for supplies going in and out of Florida. •Known as an area for healing for northerners to come in winter months. •Had a major fire burn through a lot of the downtown area in 1884. What made Palatka unique was the St. John’s River which runs from Jacksonville all the way down to the St. John’s Marsh west of Melbourne & Palm Bay, FL. The entire length of the river is 310 miles. At Palatka the deep water ends, and south of Palatka the steamboats could travel, although the large shipping schooners could not. This set Palatka apart as the perfect port for all commerce on the River. In 1880 people could travel from South Carolina or Savannah, GA to Palatka with a round trip ticket for $20. Others traveled from as far away as Boston and New York for their winter vacations. The northern schooners would bring Ice down to Palatka where it would be stored in one of the icehouses for use by the residents. In earlier days, similar to the early railroad days out west, travelers on the steamboats would shoot at the wildlife on shore. This soon became a problem when some passengers on other boats were accidentally shot. The practice was banned. The railroad came through during the later part of the 19th century, forever changing the shipping industry. Other industries in Palatka were cattle, lumber, ship building, turpentine making, orange groves and tourism.
I live about 23 miles from Palatka, FL. in a small country town. I would drive to and from this town on many occasions, primarily because of the shopping available there that isn’t available in my town. Oddly enough I never gave Palatka much thought with regard to its history until I decided to set a story there. Here are some unique tidbits about the rich history of Palatka: •At one time Palatka was larger than Jacksonville, FL. •Founded in 1821 with a Spanish Treaty to James Marver and two companions, Hine & Woodruff. (I’m assuming these are last names but you can’t be too sure.) •A cypress lumberyard was the second largest sawmill producer •Major hub for supplies going in and out of Florida. •Known as an area for healing for northerners to come in winter months. •Had a major fire burn through a lot of the downtown area in 1884. What made Palatka unique was the St. John’s River which runs from Jacksonville all the way down to the St. John’s Marsh west of Melbourne & Palm Bay, FL. The entire length of the river is 310 miles. At Palatka the deep water ends, and south of Palatka the steamboats could travel, although the large shipping schooners could not. This set Palatka apart as the perfect port for all commerce on the River. In 1880 people could travel from South Carolina or Savannah, GA to Palatka with a round trip ticket for $20. Others traveled from as far away as Boston and New York for their winter vacations. The northern schooners would bring Ice down to Palatka where it would be stored in one of the icehouses for use by the residents. In earlier days, similar to the early railroad days out west, travelers on the steamboats would shoot at the wildlife on shore. This soon became a problem when some passengers on other boats were accidentally shot. The practice was banned. The railroad came through during the later part of the 19th century, forever changing the shipping industry. Other industries in Palatka were cattle, lumber, ship building, turpentine making, orange groves and tourism.
I live about 23 miles from Palatka, FL. in a small country town. I would drive to and from this town on many occasions, primarily because of the shopping available there that isn’t available in my town. Oddly enough I never gave Palatka much thought with regard to its history until I decided to set a story there. Here are some unique tidbits about the rich history of Palatka: •At one time Palatka was larger than Jacksonville, FL. •Founded in 1821 with a Spanish Treaty to James Marver and two companions, Hine & Woodruff. (I’m assuming these are last names but you can’t be too sure.) •A cypress lumberyard was the second largest sawmill producer •Major hub for supplies going in and out of Florida. •Known as an area for healing for northerners to come in winter months. •Had a major fire burn through a lot of the downtown area in 1884. What made Palatka unique was the St. John’s River which runs from Jacksonville all the way down to the St. John’s Marsh west of Melbourne & Palm Bay, FL. The entire length of the river is 310 miles. At Palatka the deep water ends, and south of Palatka the steamboats could travel, although the large shipping schooners could not. This set Palatka apart as the perfect port for all commerce on the River. In 1880 people could travel from South Carolina or Savannah, GA to Palatka with a round trip ticket for $20. Others traveled from as far away as Boston and New York for their winter vacations. The northern schooners would bring Ice down to Palatka where it would be stored in one of the icehouses for use by the residents. In earlier days, similar to the early railroad days out west, travelers on the steamboats would shoot at the wildlife on shore. This soon became a problem when some passengers on other boats were accidentally shot. The practice was banned. The railroad came through during the later part of the 19th century, forever changing the shipping industry. Other industries in Palatka were cattle, lumber, ship building, turpentine making, orange groves and tourism.
Heading to Florida for the weekend? Be sure to visit Palatka then! The city is situated on the western bank of the picturesque St. John's River. With a population of approximately 10,500, Palatka, Florida, is located between Jacksonville on the northeast and Orlando on the south. This small town has a super interesting history and will definitely surprise you. Below we have compiled a list of must-see places - so read on and find out what Plataka offers!
For sale: $149,000. This grand and stately home is just waiting to be restored to the elegance of years gone by. The home is solid with many of the upgrades started or completed, still some work to be done. The first floor has Formal living room, dining room, den or family room, bath, kitchen laundry and potting room, with 5 bedrooms upstairs and a large bath. There is a full attic with tons of storage or could be made into one or two more rooms. Enjoy the relaxation of the wrap around porch and large yard. So much potential!
St. Mary's Episcopal Church in downtown Palatka, nice little Carpenter Gothic Church.
Photographed by J. G. Mangold, a Palatka based photographer. Due to him, Palatka has a rich photographic history. He also shot in 3-D for stereo views. Many of his photos can be found in the state's historical archives. Reverse.
Perhaps nothing symbolizes Florida in the popular imagination more than the American Alligator. From the earliest Native American and European explorers to the present day, visitors have maintained a fascination with the cold-blooded, freshwater reptile. With a name derived from the Spanish word legarto (the lizard), alligators can grow to an average of 13 to
