Fort Capron

On their trip north to Titusville, Ingraham and party passed Old Fort Capron, which evidently was functioning as the St. Lucie post office at the time. Fort Capron was built in 1850 to replace Fort Pierce, which had burnt down in 1843 after being decommissioned. It was named after Captain Erastus Capron, a U.S. Army officer during the Second Seminole War. The fort was abandoned in 1858, and civilians remained in and around the fort after it was decommissioned; this settlement became known as St. Lucie. An 1887 description of the St. Lucie Village states: "St. Lucie is a pleasantly located village on the west bank of Indian River, 3 miles south of the inlet, and 1 mile south of Old Fort Capron, and 45 miles north of Jupiter. It has a post-office, a store, and a first-class hotel, and a school of 30 pupils." Nothing remains of the fort today, but its location is remembered with a monument in the St. Lucie Village Historic District.

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For other topics referenced in the Expedition texts, please refer to the Index to Subjects and Names.
1892 Everglades Exploration Expedition : Three Digital Texts, 2015