Post by Chuck McCue on Jan 6, 2023 8:03:44 GMT -5
"459 years ago today, French Huguenot Capt. Jean Ribault landed at the tip of what is now the St. John’s River. Because it was May 1st, he named it the River of May- which is where “Mayport” comes from. He didn’t stay in the area, but his presence is significant and had the Spanish not massacred the French- who later settled in the area at Fort Caroline- at Matanzas (Spanish for “killings”) Bay in 1565, Jax would be the oldest city in the USA.
This painting was done by well-known Jacksonville wildlife painter Lee Adams in 1959. It’s 33 feet long and hangs in the library downtown." -Barth