Spanish explorers navigating Florida’s east coast in the 16th and 17th centuries encountered native populations and mapped the waterways, though few lasting settlements were established in what is now Port St. Lucie. Instead, the area remained largely untouched, its swamps and hammocks serving as a barrier to large-scale European colonization.
Yet the aura of treasure and mystery surrounding the coastline created a mythology that endures, shaping the cultural identity of St. Lucie County and its neighboring communities.
A Land of Swamps, Cattle, and Pioneers
During the 19th century, Florida’s east coast began to see waves of pioneer settlement. Ranchers, hunters, and small-scale farmers occasionally ventured into the Port St. Lucie area, though conditions were harsh. Mosquitoes, seasonal flooding, and dense vegetation discouraged permanent settlement.
Some cattle herders drove their stock across the region, while hunters and fishermen exploited its natural abundance. After the Second Seminole War (1835–1842), Florida became more open to settlement, but Port St. Lucie’s lands remained remote. Unlike other towns along the Indian River Lagoon, Port St. Lucie developed very slowly, overshadowed by nearby Fort Pierce and Stuart.
By the early 20th century, the region was still a wilderness, with only a few scattered homesteads and a reputation as an inhospitable yet beautiful stretch of land. shutdown123