What's it all about?
In 1811, two events took place in Old Town Fernandina that
were milestones in the development of today's City of Fernandina Beach. On
January 1, the name of the Spanish Amelia Island
Military Post and the town that had grown up around it was renamed Fernandina.
The decree, issued by Enrique White, the Spanish Governor of the Spanish Province
of East Florida, was issued on December 24,
1810, and named the town for Spain's
King Ferdinand VII.
On May 11, 1811 Jose Estrada, White's successor as Governor instructed his
Surveyor-General George F Clarke to plat the town according to the Spanish Law
of the Indies. Other US cities have used the same plan include Albuquerque,
Santa Fe, and Los Angeles. Fernandina was the last to be so
platted, and according to the University of Florida "the Old Town grid
remains as one of the last and purest examples of the Law of the Indies
planning Edict of 1573".
In 1811, Old Fernandina was booming as it profited from being close to the United States,
but not subject to its laws. Smuggling and Slave-Trading were the mainstays of
its economy. As the US grew
in international stature, it became increasingly obvious that Washington
could not allow Amelia
Island and Fernandina to
remain in foreign hands. The next 10 years saw much of Fernandina's colorful
history as five of the island's eight flags were raised and lowered, but in
1821, when Florida became a US Territory much of this "economic
stimulus" was removed.
The City of Fernandina
was first chartered on this site by an Act of the Territorial Legislature of
Florida, but by most accounts the area was in economic decline until the coming
of the railroad in the 1850's.
Sen. David Yulee established the eastern terminus of his railroad about one
mile south of Old Fernandina, and a new
city began to grow in what we now call Downtown
Fernandina. A new charter in 1854 established a larger Fernandina with
boundaries that included Old Fernandina and which extended to the Atlantic
coast on the east, and Pine Street
on the south. The rest is history ...
Celebrate these two important events of 1811, and be prepared to celebrate
further bicentenaries in the coming 15 years:
- 2012 - Patriot War – (1812)
- 2017 - Gregor McGregor –
(1817)
- 2017 - Irwin/Hubbard –
(1817)
- 2017 - Luis Aury – (1817)
- 2017 - US
intervention – (1817)
- 2021 - Florida becomes US
Territory – (1821)
- 2025 - First charter incorporating
the "City of Fernandina"
– (1825)
Want to get involved?
There are a number of things you can do:
- Encourage your organization
or club to arrange an event. Relevant events may tie-in to Spain or
things Spanish.
- Organize your own activity or
event through the year.
- We need volunteers for all of
the activities on April 2, as well as for general duties as Guides,
Traffic Control, etc. Contact mike@oldtownfernandina.org
It is great to have an excuse to celebrate, and this is a
'once in 200 years' reason!
mh 03112011