New Smyrna is the second
oldest settled city in Florida offering visitors several historical sites and
museums.You can visit the Eldora House, New
Smyrna Museum of History, Sugar Mill Ruins, Turnbull
Ruins and the Turtle Mounds .
Long before Juan
Ponce de Leon sailed Florida's east coast in 1513 searching for a "Fountain of
Youth," Timucuan Indians lived in the New Smyrna Beach area. Nomadic hunters and
gatherers, they inhabited this area 10,000 year ago. But Timucuans disappeared
within 200 years of Ponce de Leon's landing, victims of European infections and
slavery. Only their shell mounds survived. Dr. Amos W. Butler, an Indian archaeologist,
identified 22 mounds between Port Orange and Oak Hill in his "Observations on
Some Shell Mounds on the Eastern Coast of Florida," published in 1917. Nearly
all 22 were destroyed for use as road material.
The Florida State Historical
Society saved Turtle Mound in 1924, purchasing Canaveral National Seashore for
$8,000. Today it is a designated State Historic Memorial. Visible seven miles
out to sea, Turtle Mound has been a navigational aid since the 1500s.
Preparations had been made for about 500 colonists, not 1,200 plus. This made
New Smyrna the largest British attempt at colonization in the New World, nearly
three times larger than Jamestown, Virginia. As an economic enterprise, New Smyrna
succeeded, perhaps the most lucrative of all New World colonies.
The
rich history of Southeast Volusia, especially New Smyrna, makes it Florida's third
most important historical area. The New Smyrna Beach area provides a union of
history and nature. Visitors can explore a mix of historic ruins, waterways, a
national park and landmarks serving as bridges to the past.
TIME
LINE OF NEW SMYRNA'S PAST
BC
15,000 - 500
Pre-Columbian Period - first
evidence of man in the New
Smyrna area
__________________________
AD
1492 Columbus
discovers the New
World
1513 Ponce de Leon discovers "La
Florida"
1565 - 1763 First Spanish Period
1763 Timucuan Indian Period ends
1764 - 1783 British Colonial Period
1768 New Smyrna Founded
1776 The Revolutionary War begins
1777
Turnbull's New Smyrna colony
ends
1784 - 1821 Second Spanish Period
1821 - 1845 Territorial Period
1835
- 1842 Seminole Indian War - New
Smyrna burned by Indians
1845 Florida becomes a state
1861 - 1865 The War Between the States
HISTORICAL SITES
New
Smyrna Museum of History
120 Sams Ave. New Smyrna
Beach, FL 32168 Local Phone: 386-478-0052 New Smyrna Beach the Museum's main exhibit
features the Turnbull Colony with additional exhibits from the Pre-Columbian era,
Spanish Periods, British Period, Seminole Wars, Civil War, Railroad Era and the
20th Century. Built in 1901, The Connor Library originally served as the area's
local library and was donated to the city in 1924. Today, The Connor Library Museum,
the oldest municipal building in New Smyrna Beach, serves as a museum of local
history.
Turtle Mound
Dating back to
2000 BC, the Timucuan Indian civilization created Turtle Mound over a period of
several hundred years. A kitchen midden made up of oyster and shellfish remains,
Turtle Mound is seen seven miles out at sea and resembles the shape of a turtle.
The highest point of elevation in the New Smyrna Beach area, Turtle Mound stands
50 feet tall and covers two acres. Located in Canaveral National Seashore Park,
a trail to its peak leads to a spectacular panoramic view of the Intracoastal
Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. Directions: Located south on A1A in Canaveral
National Seashore.
Turnbull Ruins
This coquina block foundation represents the colonization by Dr. Andrew Turnbull
from 1766-1777. It's believed that he attempted to build his personal mansion
on these coquina remains. Although the origination of the ruins is unknown, it's
theorized that they may be the remnants of a pre-colonial fort or a colonial church.
Sugar Mill Ruins
This once highly functional
sugar mill was built during the uprisings of the Native Americans in the early
1800s. The mill, the sugar plantations and all the buildings in New Smyrna were
destroyed during the war between the Seminole Indians and the United States.
Eldora House
In 1877 property was purchased
for the creation of Eldora, a small community situated on the southern inland
waterway. The exact population of early Eldora was not known, deeds and tax records
indicate 50-75 people. The agricultural community thrived since travel along the
waterway was faster and safer than the ocean. Their Eldora's decline began after
three freezes during the late 1880's and 1890's destroying the citrus crops. After
1900 - After 1910, the Eldora "State" House, a large home on the water's edge
was built. It has a Dutch Colonial design with plain, yet graceful features such
as a gambrel roof and columns surrounding the front porch. The style is open and
airy; they have full use of the attic and a widow's walk. Today, two buildings
remain: the Eldora "State" House and a post office/citrus packinghouse. Directions:
It is located in the North District of Canaveral National Seashore, south of New
Smyrna Beach on A-1A. From the district's Parking #8, a short walk will take park
visitors to the edge of Mosquito Lagoon and remains on the Eldora Community.