You’ll find the ghost town of Spruce Bluff along Winter Creek in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where John Enos Fultz established a pioneering settlement in 1891. The community thrived with a sawmill, school, and pineapple farms until the devastating Big Freeze of 1894-1895, when temperatures plunged to 7°F. Today, the 97-acre Spruce Bluff Preserve protects both pioneer ruins and an 18-foot Native American mound dating back to 300 B.C. The site’s historical trails reveal untold stories of Florida’s earliest settlers.
Key Takeaways
- Spruce Bluff became a ghost town after the devastating Big Freeze of 1894-1895 forced settlers to abandon their properties.
- Founded in 1891 by John Enos Fultz, the settlement thrived briefly as Florida’s first non-Native American community.
- The town’s main industry was pineapple farming, supported by a sawmill, school, and post office along Winter Creek.
- Land values crashed from $1,000 to $10 per acre following the freeze, leading to mass exodus of settlers.
- The abandoned settlement is now preserved within the 97-acre Spruce Bluff Preserve, featuring original roadways and pioneer cemetery.
The Rise of Florida’s First Port St. Lucie Settlement
In 1891, John Enos Fultz established Spruce Bluff as the first non-Native American settlement in what would become Port St. Lucie. As a widower seeking a fresh start, he homesteaded 160 acres along Winter Creek, now known as Blakeslee Creek, and quickly established pioneering agriculture focused on pineapple cultivation in the area’s sandy soil.
You’ll find the settlement’s early transportation centered around the St. Lucie River, with John Calhoun steering a 20-foot schooner-rigged boat to deliver mail from Sewell’s Point. The self-guided trails now allow visitors to explore the historic settlement areas in under three hours.
The community grew steadily as families arrived, drawn by the promise of fertile farmland. Essential infrastructure soon followed, including a sawmill, school, and post office. The Methodist Church served as a vital gathering place for the growing settlement.
Progress marched forward as pioneers built the foundations of civilization: sawmills hummed, children learned, and mail arrived at last.
The settlement’s success relied heavily on its pineapple crops, with homes and farms strategically positioned near the river’s edge for easy access to water transportation.
Native American Legacy and Ancient Mounds
Long before settlers established Spruce Bluff, Native Americans created an impressive 18-foot-tall earthen mound that still stands as evidence of their sophisticated civilization.
Built between 100 and 300 B.C., this 190-foot-diameter mound holds profound significance as a ceremonial center and burial ground. While the Ais Indians weren’t the original mound builders, the site served multiple indigenous rituals over centuries.
You’ll find evidence of complex social structures through artifacts like pottery and shell debris discovered within the mound’s layers. The Timucuan natives inhabited and used this sacred site during the time of European contact.
Originally part of a three-mound complex near the St. Lucie River, it’s now the last remaining structure after two were destroyed for road fill.
Today, you can explore this ancient landmark at the 97-acre Spruce Bluff Preserve, where self-guided trails reveal the rich heritage of Florida’s native peoples. Land surveyors first documented these remarkable mound formations during their explorations in the 1800s.
Pioneer Life Along Winter Creek
Settling along Winter Creek in 1891, John Enos Fultz established Spruce Bluff by homesteading 160 acres near the St. Lucie River.
You’ll find the remnants of a vibrant pioneer community that carved out an independent life from Florida’s wilderness. The settlers quickly built essential infrastructure including a sawmill, post office, and one-room schoolhouse where pioneer education took root. Today, visitors can explore these historical sites along two interpretive trails.
Early agriculture centered on pineapple farming, with evidence of the settlers’ determination still visible in misshapen fruit trees that survived decades later.
Pineapple crops marked the settlers’ enduring spirit, leaving twisted fruit trees as silent witnesses to their agricultural legacy.
The community relied on John Calhoun’s 20-foot schooner to deliver mail from Sewell’s Point, maintaining crucial connections to the outside world.
Together, these hardy pioneers created a self-sufficient settlement that balanced riverside living with the challenges of Florida’s untamed environment.
The Big Freeze and Settlement Abandonment
Despite initial agricultural success, the devastating Big Freeze of 1894-1895 struck a fatal blow to Spruce Bluff’s pioneer settlement. On December 29, 1894, temperatures plummeted to as low as 7 degrees Fahrenheit, destroying the season’s citrus crop.
A second, harsher freeze in February 1895 killed the trees themselves, leading to a complete agricultural failure. The economic impact lasted over a decade, devastating small growers across Florida.
You’ll find that this citrus collapse devastated the local economy, causing land values to plunge from $1,000 to just $10 per acre. Today, the pioneer cemetery remains as a silent testament to this once-thriving settlement.
Unable to recover from their losses, most settlers, including founder John Enos Fultz, abandoned their properties and relocated to Fort Pierce.
Preserving a Lost Community’s Heritage
While the settlement of Spruce Bluff may have vanished, its rich historical legacy endures through dedicated preservation efforts. Since 1995, when St. Lucie County purchased the 97-acre site, heritage conservation initiatives have protected both pioneer and Native American historical elements, including an 18-foot-tall Indian mound dating to 100-300 B.C. The site features remnants of a pioneer community that once included a schoolhouse and post office.
Community memory lives on through interpretive trails that follow original pioneer roadways, leading visitors to significant sites that tell the story of John Enos Fultz Jr.’s 1890s settlement.
- Visit the preserved pioneer cemetery with its commemorative monument to seven original residents
- Explore hiking trails that trace the settlement’s original roadways
- Examine the ancient Indian mound, standing 190 feet in diameter
- Learn about the pineapple farming era through educational signage and guided tours
Frequently Asked Questions
Are There Any Supernatural Legends or Ghost Stories Associated With Spruce Bluff?
You won’t find documented supernatural sightings or ghostly encounters here – historical records and visitor accounts focus purely on the area’s natural beauty and cultural significance rather than paranormal activity.
What Happened to John Enos Fultz’s First Wife Before Settling Here?
You’ll find Sarah Elizabeth Ballentine, Fultz’s first wife, died sometime between leaving South Carolina in 1885 and his 1891 Florida homesteading. The exact details of her passing remain mysteriously unrecorded.
How Many Original Settlers’ Descendants Still Live in Port St. Lucie?
You can’t find exact numbers of settler ancestry in Port St. Lucie today due to population decline after the 1894-95 freeze, when most original families left. No census tracks these descendants specifically.
What Crops Besides Pineapples Did the Pioneers Attempt to Grow?
You’ll find pioneers planted citrus crops, oranges, and grapefruit as their main alternatives. They also experimented with native plants and likely grew vegetables, though agricultural challenges from the 1894-1895 freeze devastated their crop diversity.
Were There Any Documented Conflicts Between Settlers and Native Americans?
By the time you’d see settlers arrive in the 1890s, native relations were largely peaceful, as documented conflicts had ended with the Third Seminole War in 1858, decades before settlement began.
References
- https://pslhistory.org/psl-tales
- https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34580-d2647159-Reviews-Spruce_Bluff_Preserve-Port_Saint_Lucie_Florida.html
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-q0BSaYC4Y
- https://stluciehistoricalsociety.net/19th-early-20th-century-communities/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjCLwSUOvLI
- https://treasurecoast.com/spruce-bluff-preserve/
- https://www.stlucieco.gov/departments-and-services/environmental-resources/county-preserves/spruce-bluff-preserve
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spruce_Creek_Mound_Complex
- https://www.visitflorida.com/travel-ideas/articles/arts-history-shell-mound-florida/
- https://www.fnps.org/natives/interpretive-trail/spruce_bluff_st_lucie
