Tag Archives: Timucua Indian

It was 462 years ago (1562) that  Captain  and a group of French explorers sailed west on the Atlantic Ocean and into the mouth of the St. Johns River. Ribault named this river that runs north the River of May (thus, ), and he and his men met and exchanged gifts with the indigenous Timucua Indian tribes, who had lived here for thousands of years. According to maritime journals, Ribault and the French explorers set a large stone pillar carved toward the top with three fleur-de-lis firmly into the ground by the water’s edge and claimed this beautiful, pristine land …

Did you know that in 2014, Jacksonville has a date of special significance in the world history calendar? On May 1, 1562, French Huguenot  and three French ships under his command landed at the mouth of the St. Johns River, naming it the River of May. He claimed this bountiful and pristine land for France and named it New France, which subsequently appeared on maps of the time. According to his maritime journal, he met and exchanged gifts with the indigenous  tribes on the north and south banks of the river. On May 3rd, Ribault and his three ships, one …