Tag Archives: Ferry Fest

On the heels of St. Augustine’s 450th anniversary, Jacksonville historians and civic leaders will recognize an even earlier European presence in the “New World” by the French Huguenots during the 4th annual . A marker dedication ceremony will take place at noon on October 10th to commemorate the massacres which occurred between May 1562 and September 1565 near Mayport Village and the Matanzas Inlet. The Huguenots set sail to this uncolonized portion of the New World in 1562 to escape religious persecution in Western Europe and established La Caroline in June of 1564. The Huguenots shaped early American history with …

When settled with her family on the St. Johns River across from Mayport 17 years ago, she was drawn to the area’s natural beauty and the warmth of the community. Their neighborhood was removed from rush-hour gridlock, commercial development and urban sprawl but, with a quick ferry ride across the , it was easily accessible. “I live about a quarter mile from the ferry landing on the Ft. George side,” King says. “The ferry was one of the reasons why we decided to live there because we just love it. When my kids were little, it was an important part …