Fort Pierce, located near Indian River Lagoon, sits along Florida's Treasure Coast in St. Lucie County. Early Spanish settlers from St. Augustine first came down the Indian River in 1565 and tried to establish homes in the area. But battles with local Indians, sickness, and hunger forced them to return to St. Augustine. In 1838, during the Second Seminole War, soldiers under the command of Colonel Benjamin K. Pierce erected a fort near the Indian River Inlet, which they named Fort Pierce in his honor. After the war ended in 1842, the army abandoned the fort but settlers remained.

Even though a fire destroyed all the buildings in the fledgling community one year later, the settlers persevered. The Indian River provided a large variety of fish and oysters, which they traded for needed items. When Captain Thomas E. Richards introduced pineapple cuttings from the Florida Keys in the late nineteenth century, a new local industry was born. Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad brought more activity to the area, and in 1901 residents incorporated their community as Fort Pierce.

During the "Florida boom" of the 1920s, workers dredged a path from the Indian River Inlet to the Atlantic Ocean, creating a new port. In 1943, the United States Navy commissioned an Amphibious Training Base, bringing the Navy Seals to Florida. Today Ft. Pierce is home to the "National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum."

The town is also part of the Zora Neale Hurston "Dust Tracks Heritage Trail." Hurston wrote short stories and plays, captured folklore, and recorded the life stories of Floridians. The acclaimed author spent the last years of her life in St. Lucie County, becoming a reporter for the Fort Pierce Chronicle, an African American weekly newspaper. She died in 1960. Her life is celebrated each March in "Zora Fest," during which the Zora Neale Hurston House is open for tours.

Home to several other museums, art galleries, and marine exhibits that highlight the rich history and unique ecology of the area, Fort Pierce provides something for visitors of all ages and interests. Historic preservation efforts offer many opportunities to explore a part of Florida's past in the historic downtown district, Old City Hall, and other beautifully restored buildings.

This podcast made possible through a grant from the Florida Humanities Council. Script written by Naomi Williams. Narrated by Jonathon Heide.