Fernandina's Many Flags

by Mike Miller
(Naples, Florida)

Way up in the far northeastern corner of Florida is one of its most interesting and historic towns, Fernandina Beach. It is one of the oldest little cities in the state, dating back to the days even before Florida became one of these United States. The state became a territory of the country in 1821, and Andrew Jackson was the first territorial governor.

This quaint little city is on Amelia Island. More countries, pirates and rebels have owned Amelia Island than any other place in the United States. Eight flags have flown over Amelia in the last five plus centuries. French, Spanish, British, Spanish (again), Patriots of Amelia Island, Green Cross of Florida, Mexican Rebel, Confederate States of America, and United States of America.

Fernandina reminds me a little bit of Ferndale in northern California near Eureka. Both towns are kind of locked in a Victorian era because they were passed by due to their remote locations. Fernandina is one of the few east coast towns in the state that was passed over when Henry Flagler extended his Florida East Coast Railway south, snaking eventually all the way to Key West.

Lots of shrimping goes on in the town, and lots of paper making. A large pulp mill west of town on the St. Mary's River sends oderous wafts of smoke into the village when the

wind is just right. At least that used to be the case a few years ago when I last visited. The Palace Saloon is probably Florida's oldest drinking establishment and was still serving brews when I last visited.

When I first visited Amelia Island in 1960, I saw American Beach.

This was the oceanfront destination for African Americans who wanted to vacation and swim on the Atlantic. They were not allowed to use Florida's "whites only" beaches in those bad old days of Jim Crow segregation.

It was developed in the 1930's by the owners of Afro-American Life Insurance Company. Many famous black people from around the country visited American Beach up until the era of segregation ended in the mid 1960's.

Just south of American Beach on the island is Amelia Island Plantation. This is one of the earliest and finest examples of developing in harmony with nature. The effort was led by Charles Fraser in the early 1970's, who also had great success a few years earlier developing Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island.

He and his team took great care to preserve as much of the natural vegetation and wetlands as possible. As with most visionary developers, Fraser went broke on the project and subsequent owners made the real money.

Charles Fraser died a few years ago in a boating accident in the Caribbean.