Port Saint Lucie Florida
The Spanish are responsible for the name “St. Lucia.” According to historians, the Spanish began construction of a fort on December 13th. This day is traditionally known as the feast day for Roman Catholic Saint Lucia. Because of this, they deemed this area “St. Lucie.”
Old Spanish maps confirm that when the “Santa Lucia” colony was first established in 1567 it was between Vero Beach and Stuart. The Spanish have a long history in Florida and even held Florida from 1783-1819. After the Spanish left the Seminoles or Creek Indians from Alabama and Georgia began to settle on today’s Treasure Coast, St. Lucie area (runaway slaves also inhabited the area). The anglo-saxon “St. Lucie,” began to be used to identify the area in the 1900s.
Later ranching became a lucrative business in the area and covered what is now known as Port St. Lucie or PSL. Some of the earliest and most successful ranchers in St. Lucie County were Alto “Bud” Adams Jr. and his father Judge Alto Adams. In an interview in 2015, the City Councilwoman, Michelle Berger was able to speak with Bud Adams and Bud’s son Robbie. They were asked about how the Adams Ranch affected the St. Lucie area. Adams specifically remembers his cattle grazing on the Port Saint Lucie grass. Although the Adams Ranch was not purchased to be a part of the official Port Saint Lucie it still is a nostalgic memory of how Port St. Lucie came to be and what it was like prior to becoming PSL. St. Lucie is a beautiful place with a very rich history. By working together, agricultural and urban interests can make a very special place even more incredible.