Day 5 of our 2025 RVing Adventure with Historical & Musical Interludes

For day 5 of our 2025 summer adventure, we drove through Palatka again on our way to our home for the next two nights, St Augustine. This morning I lingered a bit at the springs. I was lucky to capture two blue crabs as they meandered in the water. Its amazing that in just a few hours this peaceful serene scene will be full of people in the water and all the wildlife tucked safe away until the people leave again.

Palatka was established as a trading post in 1821. The name comes from the Timucuan Indian word Pilotakata, meaning "crossing." The original settlement was burned during the Semionole War of 1836. In 1838, the US government constructed Fort Shannon, which served as a garrison, supply depot, and hospital for the forts in the area. During the American Civil War, Federal troops occupied the city. During the postwar period, riverboats plied the St Johns River to points south and Palatka became the gateway to the interior of Florida. Palatka became known as the "Gem of the St Johns" and boasted several world-class hotels that included the Arlington, Saratoga, La Fayette, and the Putnam House, with accommodations to host 6,000 visitors. Palatka prospered in the late 1800s as an enormous resource for timber and citrus and had a reputation for natural beauty that attracted many visitors. A devastating fire in downtown Palatka in 1884 destroyed many of the grand hotels and deep freezes in 1894 and 1895 devastated the area's citrus industry, causing a decline in the area's visitation and industry.

On the side of the Riverfront Nutrition building is one of the twenty murals that adorn downtown Palatka. This one is a nod to the annual "Mug Race Weekend". Yachters gather together here in Palatka and spend the day sailing up to Jacksonville. Of course, since the river flows north, they are actually sailing down river. The artist was Carolyn Stevens and the sponsor of the painting on this mural was the Palatka Yacht Club.

Separating Palatka and East Palatka is the St John’s River. Visualized in 1921 at an estimated cost of $375,000, the Memorial Bridge spanning the St. John’s River was completed six years later. The bridge was considered at that time to represent the highest type of modern architectural style and construction methods. The final cost of the construction was $1.25 million leaving city leaders scrambling for a way to recoup their funds. Thus the bridge was initially set up as a toll bridge, and the fee to cross ranged from five cents to a dollar depending on the means of crossing. Tolls were to be eliminated when the bond issues used to pay for it were retired. The bridge would only last fifty years, and the new Memorial Bridge you drive on today was completed in the spring of 1977.

Four life-like copper statues, commemorating the soldiers who served, stand at both ends of the Memorial Bridge. They are affectionately known as World War I Doughboy Statues. The statues guard the base of the bridge on both sides. They were erected on the site by nationally known artist E.M. Viguesney of Spencer, Indiana. The statues have been given national publicity and nearly one hundred other statues like them have been erected to date. The “Spirit of the American Doughboy” is the only statue in the world that has the endorsement of the American Legion as being 100 percent perfect. It never was; in fact (endorsed by the American Legion), Viquesney was forced by legal action in 1936 to cease such claims.

St. Augustine's history is evident in its well-preserved historic district, which is a National Historic Landmark. The city's architecture, cultural institutions, and vibrant arts scene reflect its rich and diverse past. St. Augustine continues to be a popular tourist destination and a reminder of the early days of European colonization in North America.

St. Augustine became part of the United States and later Florida State, facing development and cultural changes. The arrival of Henry Flagler in the late 19th century transformed the city into a popular tourist destination, with grand hotels and new architectural styles.

We will talk more about St Augustine later. We are spending the next two nights at the Elks lodge. We enjoyed talking to fellow Elk members at the bar and it was Taco Tuesday, so no cooking for me! Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!