The Treasure Coast is a region in the U.S. state of Florida, generally considered to include (from north to south) Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin counties. The area stretches from Hobe Sound in the south to north of Sebastian in the north and includes the cities of Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, and Vero Beach. The Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, based in Stuart, has jurisdiction over the counties of Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin, as well as Palm Beach County.
The Treasure Coast includes two metropolitan statistical areas designated by the Office of Management and Budget and used for statistical purposes by the Census Bureau and other agencies. These are:
| Regional statistics | |
|---|---|
| Composition | |
| Demonym | Treasure Coaster |
| Area - Total |
1786.62 sq mi (4627.3 km²) (Slightly larger than Rhode Island.) |
| Population - Total |
562,135 (2010 est.)[1] (Slightly smaller than Wyoming.) |
| Largest city | Port St. Lucie, Florida (pop. 155,251) |
| Largest Metropolitan Area | Port St. Lucie, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area (pop.400,121 as of 2008 estimate) |
Contents |
The name "Treasure Coast" is derived from a number of ships of Spanish galleons (especially those of the 1715 Spanish treasure fleet) that wrecked off the coast during the 17th and 18th centuries. Artifacts from these ships have been recovered in the past fifty years, by both amateur and professional treasure-hunters. As recently as August 2010, a man diving in shallow water near Jupiter found a gold coin that was minted in Mexico in the mid 1650s.[2]
Present-day Treasure Coast's earliest inhabitants were the Ais people. They settled the area Little is known of the origins of the Ais, or of the affinities of their language. The Ais language has been tentatively assigned by some authors to the Muskogean language family, and by others to the Arawakan language family, but no one really knows the true language of the Ais.
Observations on the appearance, diet and customs of the Ais at the end of the 17th Century are found in Jonathan Dickinson's Journal. The Ais were primarily foragers, hunting, fishing, and gathering for subsistence. As they were in the region of the headwaters of the St. Johns river, where it is only 10 to 15 miles from the coast, they made use of both the freshwater marshes and swamps and the saltwater coastal lagoons. Because they were able to access and abundance of foodstuffs from their immediate environment, they were able to sustain a large number of warriors and a highly developed cultural system. Turkeys, ducks, deer, raccoons, opossums, rabbits and other small game made up about 15% of their diet. At least 80% of their diet consisted of fish, reptiles and shellfish such as oysters and clams. They left behind large midden mounds of shell as well as dirt burial mounds.[3]
Dickinson and his party were shipwrecked, and spent several weeks among the Ais in 1696. By Dickinson's account, the chief of the town of Jece, near present day Vero Beach, was paramount to all of the coastal towns from the Jaega town of Jobe (at Jupiter Inlet) in the south to approximately Cape Canaveral in the north (that is, the length of the River of Ais). The Ais had considerable contact with Europeans by this time, even trading with the Spanish near St. Augustine.[4]
Shortly after 1700 settlers in Carolina started raiding the Ais to capture slaves. By 1743, when the Spanish established a mission among them, the Ais numbers were declining due to slave raids, disease and rum. The Ais were gone from the area by 1760.[5] A burial mound, used by the Ais tribe before they died out around 250 years ago, rises about twenty feet above the base of Old Fort Park, a peaceful place which marks the site of Fort Pierce, built during the Seminole Wars and named after the brother of a future President - Franklin Pierce.
Both Spanish and English explored this region during the late 1600 and early 1700's either by accident (trying to go to St. Augustine for trade or supplies) or by shipwreck. These European settlers were often aided by the Ais people, given food and local clothing. Eventually, they would make their way up to St. Augustine and then leave back to Europe or stay in St. Augustine.[4] On July 31, 1715, seven days after departing from Havana, Cuba, all eleven ships of this fleet were lost in a hurricane near present day Florida. Because the fleet was carrying silver, it is also known as the 1715 Plate Fleet (plata being the Spanish word for silver). Some artifacts and even coins still wash up on Florida beaches from time to time. Thousands of sailors perished while only some survived on lifeboats. Many ships, including pirates, took part in the initial salvage. Initially a privateer, Henry Jennings was first accused of piracy for attacking such salvage ships and claiming their salvages.[6]
The Battle of Lake Okeechobee was one of the major battles of the Second Seminole War. It was fought between 800 troops of the 1st, 4th, and 6th Infantry Regiments and 132 Missouri Volunteers (under the command of Colonel Zachary Taylor) and between 380 and 480 Seminoles led by Billy Bowlegs, Abiaca and Alligator on December 25, 1837. The Seminole were resisting forced relocation to a reservation out west. Though both the Seminoles and Taylor's troops emerged from the battle claiming victory, Taylor was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General as a result, and his nickname of "Old Rough and Ready" came mostly due to this battle.[7] There were a few forts built in southern part of the region, due to the U.S wanting to push the Seminoles even further into South Florida.
After the Second Seminole War ended in 1842, Florida became the land of opportunity. With the new Armed Occupation Act, a head of a family could homestead up to 160 acres of land south of Cedar Key and Palatka. Criteria for the land specified the settler must erect a structure and live in it for at least five years, could not be within two miles of a military post, put at least five acres of land under cultivation and be able to bear arms and defend the land against the Seminoles. Most of the original settlers to the Treasure Coast, settled here under a claim for this act. However, an Indian scare in 1849 led many of these original colonists to abandon their claim. The group of original settlers known as the Indian River Colony was the first to try their luck with the pineapple crop.[8]
Also, many of the Treasure Coast's areas were settled by people who wanted to make a substantial profit off of snook, redfish, speckled sea trout, sheephead, flounder, tarpon, and sand perch, sailfish, dolphin, kingfish, permit, grouper, amberjack, cobia, and snapper. All of these catches further made the region famous for fishing, and thus the incorporation of many coastal towns in the region were under way from the late 1800's to early 1900's.
The land and real estate boom of the 1920's and 1950's made this region for families, retiree's and future businesses. Most of the towns and cities were mainly fishing villages before the turn of the century. What was the populace in the 100,000 or so for the entire region nearly doubled by the end of the century. Many citrus growers came here to develop what is now known as the Indian River Citrus strain of citrus fruits, which is very popular in the U.S. Many tourism, medical and technological (especially in the late 1980's to 1990's) sprung into existence.
The region has seen substantial growth from all over Florida, the U.S and the world in the past 11 years. Port St. Lucie (at #4)[9] remains one of the country's top growing cities. Sebastian remains one of Florida's top growing cities in the first decade of the 21st century. Many nontraditional (not related to government, agriculture, fishing, tourism or ecology) businesses have flocked here to establish this region into a more high tech area, such as Digital Domain in Port. St. Lucie under Wymcrest Holdings (an animation studio made famous in California).[10] Biotechnology is an emerging field in Florida, and especially within the Treasure Coast, creating more jobs and wealth. It would also create more revenue for the state and lower the unemployment rate.[11]
All of the Treasure coast is shielded from the Atlantic Ocean by narrow sandbars and barrier islands that protect the shallow lagoons, rivers, and bays. Immediately inland, pine and palmetto flatlands are abundantly found.[12] Numbers of Lakes and rivers run through the Treasure Coast, especially the famous Indian River which is a part of the Indian River Lagoon system. At certain seasons of the year, bridges have tended to impede the flow of red drift algae, resulting in a odor of hydrogen sulfide in the area.[13]
The Indian River Lagoon is North America’s most diverse estuary with more than 2,200 different species of animals and 2,100 species of plants.[14] The Lagoon varies in width from .5 to 5 miles (0.80 to 8.0 km) and averages 3 feet (0.91 m) in depth. It serves as a spawning and nursery ground for many different species of oceanic and lagoon fish and shellfish. The lagoon also has one of the most diverse bird populations anywhere in America. Nearly 1/3 of the nation’s manatee population lives here or migrates through the Lagoon seasonally. In addition, its ocean beaches provide one of the densest sea turtle nesting areas found in the Western Hemisphere.[15]
The climate in northern and central part of the region is humid subtropical and the southern part a true tropical climate.[16] There is a defined rainy season from June through September, which are the months most at risk of landfalling tropical cyclones. The average amount of rain fall in the region is between 50 to 60 inches per year. Thunderstorms, through lightning, lead to several deaths per year statewide. Florida is one of the most tornado-prone states in the United States.[17]
Between October and May, fronts regularly sweep through the state which keeps conditions dry, particularly over the peninsula.Due to the lack of the secondary maximum across the peninsula, a distinct dry season is seen in the averages from winter through spring, causing brush fires to become more common.
During the summer months, the average wind pattern implies a surface ridge axis normally lies across central Florida, with easterly winds from Tampa southward and southwest winds across northern Florida, once Orlando is not considered for the distribution.
Tropical cyclones have affected Florida in every month of the year but January and March. Nearly one-third of the cyclones affected the state in September, and nearly three-fourths of the storms affected the state between August and October, which coincides with the peak of the hurricane season. During the 2004 Hurricane season, a number of storms thrashed the region, costing billions of dollars worth of cleanup efforts.[18]
The region, as with most of Florida receives between 2,800 and 3,200 hours of sunlight annually.[19]
Several Florida State Parks are located in the Treasure Coast:
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, a federally-protected National Wildlife Refuge, is also located on the Treasure Coast. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt designated the area as the nation's first National Wildlife Refuge in order protect brown pelicans and other native birds nesting on the island. It started out as a 5.6 acre protection area, but since spread to 5,375 acres due to the efforts of concerned citizens. In 1963, Pelican Island was designated a National Historic Landmark and Sebastian hosted a commemoration ceremony. Various dignitaries attended to honor the nation's first wildlife refuge and its first warden, Paul Kroegel. After this, the Indian River Preservation League quietly disbanded and another organization, the Pelican Island Audubon Society, was formed to become the conservation voice of Indian River County.[20] There are over 100 bird species in the refuge.[21]
Treasure Coasters are known for being treasure hunters, considering there is a long standing tradition that has been apparent for a few hundred years concerning the treasure fleets over the years. You can often see people scouring the beach with metal detectors seeking treasure, especially after a large storms roll through the area.
Various events, including fine art shows, nature events and food festivals, are held throughout the year in the region:[22]
Several colleges and universities as well as other educational institutions are located in the area:
The St. Lucie Mets, a High-A minor league baseball team affiliated with the New York Mets, are based at Digital Domain Park in Port St. Lucie. The park opened in 1988 and seats 7,347 fans. The team has won the Florida State League Championship five times (1988, 1996, 1998, 2003, and 2006). Ike Davis, who played for the St. Lucie Mets in 2009, is now the first baseman for the parent New York Mets.
The now defunct Vero Beach Dodgers were affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who become the Vero Beach Devil Rays in 2006 and in 2008 moved their spring training location to Arizona. On August 25, 2008, it was announced that the Vero Beach franchise was sold to Ripken Baseball, which resulted in a relocation of the franchise to Port Charlotte, Florida to become the Charlotte Stone Crabs.
The Treasure Coast Bucs is one of 20 amateur football teams of the Southeast Football League, a Central and South Florida-based amateur league. Its name and logo is based on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and its home city is Fort Pierce. Games are played from early February to late April.
The Treasure Coast Galleons is a professional soccer team a part of the FESL (Florida Elite Soccer League, which can match up against international teams as well as professional teams). They were formed in 2006 and went on to win the 2007 FESL Champions. They have yet to win another championship, but in the 2011 season, standings are unknown as of now.
The area is known for its Indian River oranges The state has some 561,324 acres (227,160 ha) of orange groves, the most in the country; about one-third of that acreage is located on the Treasure Coast.[24] From the early 20th century onward, the region underwent a long period of urbanization. In the mid-to-late 20th century, agriculture became less dominant as education, health services, government and in the 21st century high technology (including computer engineering, computer animation, and computer manufacturing) grew in importance. Agriculture and the fishing industry still plays an essential role in the region, but not as much as previous decades.
Exports consist of mainly citrus, fish (more than 20 species are harvested), beef, computer machinery, and other goods. The service industry, including tourism, education, financial and insurance services, and architectural, building, and construction services are also important
The Treasure Coast as home to a significant number of wealthy inhabitants. Jupiter Island has the second-highest per capita income in the country.
Among Florida's 67 counties, Martin County has the second-highest per capita income, Indian River the sixth-highest, and St. Lucie the 26th-highest.
There are a number of historic places on the Treasure Coast, some spanning from the 1600's all the way to the early 1900's. Below is just a sample of the historic landmarks dotting the Treasure Coast.
The historic Jensen Beach Arch, which once marked the dividing line between Jensen and Stuart. It is located in Jensen Beach.
The Old Indian River County Courthouse is a historic courthouse in Vero Beach, Florida. The structure was built by James T. Vocelle after he sought federal funding during 1933 and 1934 from the Public Works Administration to build the newly formed county a courthouse which was built in 1936 and completed the year after.
Burn Brae Plantation--Krueger House was built in the later part of the 1870's.
Old Fort Pierce Park was a military installation constructed by the U.S. Army in 1838 with the purpose of being a main supply depot for the army during the Second Seminole War. The modern town of Fort Pierce derives its name from this installation.
The Sunrise Theatre is a historic theater in Fort Pierce. The theatre earned its reputation for becoming the cultural center of the city of Fort Pierce as well as being the greatest and biggest cultural institution in Florida at the time. The theater closed in 1983 after it had fallen into disrepair. It later reopened in 1999 after a $750,000 grant was awarded to renovate and restore the structure to its former condition.
The Survivors' and Salvagers’ Camp - 1715 Fleet is a historic site in Orchid Island. Survivors of the destroyed 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet established a camp at this location while awaiting rescue.
The region is served by Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers, the Jupiter Courier, and the Sebastian Sun.
Television local news stations include:
A list of major cities in the Treasure Coast and their estimated 2004 population: