SPRUCE BLUFF
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SPRUCE BLUFF |
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NAME: Spruce Bluff COUNTY: Saint Lucie ROADS: 2WD GRID: 3 CLIMATE: hot in summer, warm to moderate the rest of the year BEST TIME TO VISIT: anytime from sun-up to sundown |
COMMENTS:
The townsite of Spruce Bluff is now a small park in Port Saint Lucie. From I-95 or the Turnpike, take SR 716 east to Bayshore Blvd, south to Oakridge Blvd, east to Southbend Blvd, south to Peru Street. Take Peru Street to Dar Lane, that leads to Spruce Bluff Park. A walking trail inside the park leads visitors around the former town area. REMAINS: Spruce Bluff cemetery |
| Spruce Bluff was founded in 1889 by John Enos Fultz, Jr, a pioneer from South Carolina. Other early settlers included Curt Schroeder, Jim Nailor, Ed Winter, Captain Charles Blakeslee, and Harry Hill. The town was based on pineapple and citrus farming. The residents lived off the land, utilizing the various trees and flowers for medicines, spices, and seasonings. A sawmill was built to meet the lumber needs of the new community, and the town grew to have a school and post office. With the arrival of Henry Flagler's railroad in 1894 the South Florida east coast was beginning to boom. However, this was shortlived, as the "Big Freeze" in the winter of 1894-95 killed most of the pineapples and citrus in the area. With the town's crops destroyed, most of the residents moved away. By 1905 all of the original settlers had left, and what remained of their families in the area followed shortly thereafter. Today the town cemetery is all that remains. A monument identifies six of the seven Spruce Bluff residents buried there. Submitted by: Jim Pike |
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