The Oldest City in North America
The guy at the bike shop could have been a bit more tactful. He wanted to know what "fool" had torqued the headset so tight that it was barely functional. Matt had to sheepishly admit that he was the culprit. The mechanics at the shop in D.C. had told him to tighten up on the adjusting bolt when he heard it creaking, and since it was creaking most of the time, he dutifully complied. He had wondered if there was such a thing as "too tight", but it didn't seem to do any harm giving it a torque or two every now and then, and besides, the noise had dissipated. Fortunately, the final verdict was that while the bearings may have been tweaked a "tad" too much, the headset was still functional and would get us through the rest of the trip. Which was a good thing, being that replacing a headset can be an all day affair. The mechanic patiently explained that "creaking" happens, and at this point, live with it. While Olga didn't get the full "spa" treatment, at least her head pains were gone, and the steering felt firm and accurate again. All was well with the world. Tongue lashing aside, the fellows at the bike shop were most accommodating, dropping everything on short notice to help us get safely back on the road. Dutifully chastised, Matt swore an oath never to touch the headset again, and we spent the rest of the day exploring historic St. Augustine, which was founded forty-two years before the English colony at Jamestown, Virginia, and fifty-five years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts - making it the oldest permanent European settlement on the North American continent.
St. Augustine has become a major tourist town. Trolley's and horse drawn carriages give visitors an open-air tour of the city and all its attractions. The old part of the city has some interesting back alleys and historic buildings, but in some ways it's a bit too much. We opted not to visit the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum, and somehow didn't get to the Alligator Farm, Wax Museum, or spend time in the shops along the pedestrian mall. Instead, we focused our attention on the rich and varied history of the city, and it’s importance to the settling of the New World.
Between 1513 and 1563 the government of Spain launched six expeditions to settle Florida, but all failed. The French succeeded in establishing a fort and colony on the St. Johns River in 1564 and, in doing so, threatened Spain's treasure fleets which sailed along Florida's shoreline returning to Spain. As a result of this incursion into Florida, King Phillip II named Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Spain's most experienced admiral, as governor of Florida, instructing him to explore and to colonize the territory. Menendez was also instructed to drive out any pirates or settlers from other nations, should they be found there. When Menendez arrived off the coast of Florida, it was August 28, 1565, the Feast Day of St. Augustine. Eleven days later, he and his 600 soldiers and settlers came ashore at the site of the Timucuan Indian village of Seloy with banners flying and trumpets sounding. He hastily fortified the fledgling village and named it St. Augustine. Menedez proved to be a shrewd tactician, destroying the French garrison on the St. John's river. This battle had a rather gruesome outcome. The 245 defeated French Huguenots were given the option of either become converts to Catholicism or face certain death. The area of their garrison is now maintained by the National Park Service and is called Fort Matanzas, which translated from the Spanish is "slaughter". The Spaniards took no prisoners that day.
Yet St. Augustine was far from secure, as it would be subject to attacks over the next two hundred years. In 1586, English corsair Sir Francis Drake burned the town. Then in 1668, the pirate Captain John Davis plundered the town, killing sixty inhabitants. Finally, after the British established colonies in Georgia and the Carolinas, Spain authorized the building of a stone fort to protect St. Augustine as assaults from the north became more frequent. The Castillo de San
Marcos took twenty-three years to build but, once in place, stood as the town's stalwart defender. Amazingly, the Castillo, although attacked, was never taken by force. Since the beginning of its construction in 1672, the Castillo has played an important role as a strategic military post in the New World, and its‘ history is interwoven with that of Florida. Many flags have flown here during its illustrious history as an active military fortification, including the Spanish, the British , the Spanish again , the United States of America ,the Confederate States of America ,and finally the United States of America again. The Castillo was not the first fort built by the Spanish but was in fact the tenth, with the previous nine forts being built of wood. Following a pirate attack on St. Augustine in 1668, the Queen Regent Mariana made the commitment to have a masonry fortification built to defend the city and port. The founding of Charles Town (Charleston) in 1670 by the British less than two-day's sail from St. Augustine further emphasized the need for a stronger fort. Construction of the fortress that would become the Castillo de San Marcos was begun in October 1672.
For this new fort the engineers chose to use a local stone called "coquina". The name means "little shells" and that is exactly what the stone is made of-- little shellfish that died long ago, and their shells have now become bonded together to form the rock, a type of limestone. The coquina rock was quarried from Anastasia Island across the bay from the Castillo, and after rough shaping had been done, was ferried across to the construction site. The mortar to bond the blocks to each other was made on the construction site by baking oyster shells in kilns until they fell apart to a fine white powder called lime. The lime was then mixed with sand and fresh water to produce the mortar that still holds the Castillo together today. After 23 years of work, the Castillo was declared completed in 1695. It had its first test when British forces laid siege to the city in early November, 1702. At the start of the siege the people of St. Augustine crowded into the Castillo to take shelter. Over 1200 civilians and 300 soldiers of the city would remain within the walls for almost two months as the British troops occupied the town. The British cannon had virtual no effect upon the soft coquina walls, which merely absorbed the shock of the hits with little damage. The siege was finally broken by the arrival of a relief fleet from Havana that trapped the British ships within St. Augustine's harbor and forced the British to burn their ships to prevent their capture by the Spanish. As they withdrew from the area, the British put the city to the torch just as their countryman Sir Francis Drake had when he burned the city in 1586. After the 1702 Siege, it was decided to improve the Castillo and fortifications of the city of St. Augustine itself. With these improvements to the city, coupled with those to the Castillo, St. Augustine became a far more difficult city to attempt to take. In 1740 General James Edward Oglethorpe laid siege to St. Augustine from the newly established English Colony (in disputed territory) of Georgia. Oglethorpe placed troops and cannon batteries on Anastasia Island to fire on the city and the Castillo. He hoped that a sustained bombardment and blockade of St. Augustine would cause the Governor of Florida, to surrender the city and fortress to the British. The English guns fired on the Castillo, but were unable to breech the walls and Oglethorpe was unable to organize an assault on the Castillo. With the dawn of the 38th day of the siege, the citizens of St. Augustine saw that the British had withdrawn from the area.
It was not until 1763 that Spain ceded Florida to England in order to regain the capital of Cuba, ushering in twenty years of British rule in Florida. This period coincided with the American Revolution, during which Florida remained loyal to the Crown. In 1783, under the Treaty of Paris, Florida was returned to Spanish rule for a period of thirty-seven years. The Spanish departed for the last time when Spain sold Florida to the United States of America. At a colorful military ceremony on July 10, 1821, US troops took possession of the territory and Spain relinquished control of Florida forever. In 1845, Florida became the twenty-seventh state admitted to the Union. The Castillo de San Marcos was renamed Fort Marion in honor of a Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion (The Swamp Fox), and the capital of East Florida was moved from St. Augustine to become part of the state capital in the new town of Tallahassee.
The town had finally begun to prosper when the American Civil War broke out in 1861. Although Florida had seceded with the rest of the Confederacy, St. Augustine was occupied by Union troops throughout most of the conflict. When the war ended in 1865, the town was three centuries old. The wars end brought speculators and land developers to Florida along with the beginnings of the visitor industry. The arrival of Henry Flagler in 1885 marked the beginning of a golden era for St. Augustine that extended through 1914. Enticed by the city's temperate climate and unique ambiance, Flagler saw great potential for St. Augustine as a popular winter resort and playground for rich Northerners. A co-founder of the Standard Oil Company with John D. Rockefeller, he immediately put his vast fortune to work building his dream. He constructed two lavish hotels, the beautiful Alcazar, and his masterpiece-the Ponce de Leon. These hotels allowed St. Augustine to accommodate the wealthiest of travelers with luxurious lodgings and a fine array of leisure activities. His Florida East Coast Railway ensured a transportation link between New York and St. Augustine, and he built a two-story depot to properly receive arriving guests. Flagler was also responsible for building the town's hospital, city hall, and several churches. Flagler expanded his dream south toward Palm Beach when he moved there in the early 1900's, but had given St. Augustine an era of prestige and prosperity - the effects of which are still evident today.
Leaving the fort behind, we crossed the St. Johns River and camped at Anastasia State Park. Florida has an outstanding state park system. The facilities are clean, well maintained, and offer a welcome oasis to for weary travelers such as us. We spent a good deal of time walking along the beach, learning about the sea turtle habitat, manatees and enjoying another splendid sunset. The wind was beginning to pick up, and we were told that a cold front was heading our way. We naively assumed that it would mean a bit of morning chill and some clouds. Imagine our surprise the next day when we awoke to winds gusting to over 40 miles an hour and threatening skies. Fortunately it was a north west wind, and we were heading south. If it didn’t rain, it was going to be one fast day down the coast.
St. Augustine has become a major tourist town. Trolley's and horse drawn carriages give visitors an open-air tour of the city and all its attractions. The old part of the city has some interesting back alleys and historic buildings, but in some ways it's a bit too much. We opted not to visit the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum, and somehow didn't get to the Alligator Farm, Wax Museum, or spend time in the shops along the pedestrian mall. Instead, we focused our attention on the rich and varied history of the city, and it’s importance to the settling of the New World.
Between 1513 and 1563 the government of Spain launched six expeditions to settle Florida, but all failed. The French succeeded in establishing a fort and colony on the St. Johns River in 1564 and, in doing so, threatened Spain's treasure fleets which sailed along Florida's shoreline returning to Spain. As a result of this incursion into Florida, King Phillip II named Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Spain's most experienced admiral, as governor of Florida, instructing him to explore and to colonize the territory. Menendez was also instructed to drive out any pirates or settlers from other nations, should they be found there. When Menendez arrived off the coast of Florida, it was August 28, 1565, the Feast Day of St. Augustine. Eleven days later, he and his 600 soldiers and settlers came ashore at the site of the Timucuan Indian village of Seloy with banners flying and trumpets sounding. He hastily fortified the fledgling village and named it St. Augustine. Menedez proved to be a shrewd tactician, destroying the French garrison on the St. John's river. This battle had a rather gruesome outcome. The 245 defeated French Huguenots were given the option of either become converts to Catholicism or face certain death. The area of their garrison is now maintained by the National Park Service and is called Fort Matanzas, which translated from the Spanish is "slaughter". The Spaniards took no prisoners that day.
Yet St. Augustine was far from secure, as it would be subject to attacks over the next two hundred years. In 1586, English corsair Sir Francis Drake burned the town. Then in 1668, the pirate Captain John Davis plundered the town, killing sixty inhabitants. Finally, after the British established colonies in Georgia and the Carolinas, Spain authorized the building of a stone fort to protect St. Augustine as assaults from the north became more frequent. The Castillo de San
Marcos took twenty-three years to build but, once in place, stood as the town's stalwart defender. Amazingly, the Castillo, although attacked, was never taken by force. Since the beginning of its construction in 1672, the Castillo has played an important role as a strategic military post in the New World, and its‘ history is interwoven with that of Florida. Many flags have flown here during its illustrious history as an active military fortification, including the Spanish, the British , the Spanish again , the United States of America ,the Confederate States of America ,and finally the United States of America again. The Castillo was not the first fort built by the Spanish but was in fact the tenth, with the previous nine forts being built of wood. Following a pirate attack on St. Augustine in 1668, the Queen Regent Mariana made the commitment to have a masonry fortification built to defend the city and port. The founding of Charles Town (Charleston) in 1670 by the British less than two-day's sail from St. Augustine further emphasized the need for a stronger fort. Construction of the fortress that would become the Castillo de San Marcos was begun in October 1672.For this new fort the engineers chose to use a local stone called "coquina". The name means "little shells" and that is exactly what the stone is made of-- little shellfish that died long ago, and their shells have now become bonded together to form the rock, a type of limestone. The coquina rock was quarried from Anastasia Island across the bay from the Castillo, and after rough shaping had been done, was ferried across to the construction site. The mortar to bond the blocks to each other was made on the construction site by baking oyster shells in kilns until they fell apart to a fine white powder called lime. The lime was then mixed with sand and fresh water to produce the mortar that still holds the Castillo together today. After 23 years of work, the Castillo was declared completed in 1695. It had its first test when British forces laid siege to the city in early November, 1702. At the start of the siege the people of St. Augustine crowded into the Castillo to take shelter. Over 1200 civilians and 300 soldiers of the city would remain within the walls for almost two months as the British troops occupied the town. The British cannon had virtual no effect upon the soft coquina walls, which merely absorbed the shock of the hits with little damage. The siege was finally broken by the arrival of a relief fleet from Havana that trapped the British ships within St. Augustine's harbor and forced the British to burn their ships to prevent their capture by the Spanish. As they withdrew from the area, the British put the city to the torch just as their countryman Sir Francis Drake had when he burned the city in 1586. After the 1702 Siege, it was decided to improve the Castillo and fortifications of the city of St. Augustine itself. With these improvements to the city, coupled with those to the Castillo, St. Augustine became a far more difficult city to attempt to take. In 1740 General James Edward Oglethorpe laid siege to St. Augustine from the newly established English Colony (in disputed territory) of Georgia. Oglethorpe placed troops and cannon batteries on Anastasia Island to fire on the city and the Castillo. He hoped that a sustained bombardment and blockade of St. Augustine would cause the Governor of Florida, to surrender the city and fortress to the British. The English guns fired on the Castillo, but were unable to breech the walls and Oglethorpe was unable to organize an assault on the Castillo. With the dawn of the 38th day of the siege, the citizens of St. Augustine saw that the British had withdrawn from the area.
It was not until 1763 that Spain ceded Florida to England in order to regain the capital of Cuba, ushering in twenty years of British rule in Florida. This period coincided with the American Revolution, during which Florida remained loyal to the Crown. In 1783, under the Treaty of Paris, Florida was returned to Spanish rule for a period of thirty-seven years. The Spanish departed for the last time when Spain sold Florida to the United States of America. At a colorful military ceremony on July 10, 1821, US troops took possession of the territory and Spain relinquished control of Florida forever. In 1845, Florida became the twenty-seventh state admitted to the Union. The Castillo de San Marcos was renamed Fort Marion in honor of a Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion (The Swamp Fox), and the capital of East Florida was moved from St. Augustine to become part of the state capital in the new town of Tallahassee.
The town had finally begun to prosper when the American Civil War broke out in 1861. Although Florida had seceded with the rest of the Confederacy, St. Augustine was occupied by Union troops throughout most of the conflict. When the war ended in 1865, the town was three centuries old. The wars end brought speculators and land developers to Florida along with the beginnings of the visitor industry. The arrival of Henry Flagler in 1885 marked the beginning of a golden era for St. Augustine that extended through 1914. Enticed by the city's temperate climate and unique ambiance, Flagler saw great potential for St. Augustine as a popular winter resort and playground for rich Northerners. A co-founder of the Standard Oil Company with John D. Rockefeller, he immediately put his vast fortune to work building his dream. He constructed two lavish hotels, the beautiful Alcazar, and his masterpiece-the Ponce de Leon. These hotels allowed St. Augustine to accommodate the wealthiest of travelers with luxurious lodgings and a fine array of leisure activities. His Florida East Coast Railway ensured a transportation link between New York and St. Augustine, and he built a two-story depot to properly receive arriving guests. Flagler was also responsible for building the town's hospital, city hall, and several churches. Flagler expanded his dream south toward Palm Beach when he moved there in the early 1900's, but had given St. Augustine an era of prestige and prosperity - the effects of which are still evident today.
Leaving the fort behind, we crossed the St. Johns River and camped at Anastasia State Park. Florida has an outstanding state park system. The facilities are clean, well maintained, and offer a welcome oasis to for weary travelers such as us. We spent a good deal of time walking along the beach, learning about the sea turtle habitat, manatees and enjoying another splendid sunset. The wind was beginning to pick up, and we were told that a cold front was heading our way. We naively assumed that it would mean a bit of morning chill and some clouds. Imagine our surprise the next day when we awoke to winds gusting to over 40 miles an hour and threatening skies. Fortunately it was a north west wind, and we were heading south. If it didn’t rain, it was going to be one fast day down the coast.
posted by Matt and Mary Ellen | 5:45 PM
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