St. Johns River History
FLORIDA’S MAGNIFICENT ST. JOHNS RIVER

The twisting amber-colored St. Johns River holds historic distinction as having the longest written record of any geographic feature in North America. Added to this, the St. Johns is one of only two larger rivers of the world which runs “backward”, flowing from south to north. The full 300-miles are within Florida. The other river flowing this same direction is the Nile.

The St. Johns was discovered by Europeans in1562, 43 years before the English landed at what would become Jamestown, Virginia. A company of French Huguenots under Admiral Jean Ribaut came ashore at the river mouth on May Day. From this, the waterway gained its first European name, the River of May. A reminder of this lives on today in the name of Mayport, a fishing village near Admiral Ribaut’s historic landing site.

It is believed that the river gained its present name from San Juan del Puerto, “ St. John of the harbor”, an early Spanish mission near the river mouth.

The river’s headwaters lie scattered throughout the vast marshland west of the Fort Pierce area. Only as it flows from Lake Monroe in at Sanford on its journey north does the St. Johns take on the appearance of a well-defined river. From Sanford to Palatka 88 miles down stream, the St. Johns averages 100 to 300 yards wide, with a channel depth of approximately 15 feet.

Along its 300-mile course, the St. Johns passes through nine major lakes & many smaller bodies of water. One of these is a pond near the river’s marshland source. As the story is told, an early Floridian was once asked where the St. Johns begins. “Oh, down that way, somewhere beyond Hell and blazes” was the reply. To this day, Lake Helen Blazes can be found on Florida maps.

The richness and diversity of wildlife on the St. Johns is part of its special appeal. Visitors are treated to the sight of cormorants, egrets, ospreys, heron and many other bird species, including the great American bald eagle. Alligators and turtles occasionally can be seen sunning themselves on a lot or grassy area. Florida’s famous manatees, the so-called “sea cows”, frequent the river, especially during the winter. Surprisingly to tourists are the number of cattle that can be seen wading into the river’s edge.

The shoreline is heavily wooded in most areas, consisting largely of pine and cypress. The tannic acid which seeps slowly from the cypress trees gives the St. Johns and other southern rivers their distinctive, dark coffee color. The water is fresh despite its color.

The river widens from its midpoint northward. It flows through the heart of Jacksonville before abruptly turning eastward to the sea. Twenty-three miles distant, the St. Johns enters the Atlantic ocean at Mayport, adjacent to the current Mayport Naval Station.