Astor: "The Jewel of the St. Johns River"

Astor: "The Jewel of the St. Johns River". Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway. , A wide diversity of people have traversed this spot on the St. Johns River, starting with the ancient tribes and Timucuan and Mayacan Indians. The St. Johns River was named one of fourteen American Heritage Rivers because of its importance to the life, culture and history of the area. , Early Settlers , In 1562 a French Huguenot colony was established at the present site of Astor. The entire colony was wiped out by the Spanish in 1566. , "We found the third village of the savages on the West bank, halfway between a very big lake and a smaller one farther upstream on a likable spot in the shade of formidable trees. The river seems to be full of goodly fish, and the forest inhabited by all kinds of birds and beasts, the meat of which is quite tasty." , Don Pedro Menendez, while Exploring the St. John's River in early 1596, information from Astor Historical Society, Naturalist William Bartram , In 1765, famed botanist William Bartram explored the Astor area, declaring it an Eden in his book Travels, which includes over 70 pages about the Astor area. , The author was said to have worked under the beautiful "Bartram Oak" located in Astor near the trail which is also named for him. , "The Yearling" Connection , Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Yearling, which was based upon her time spent in the Ocala National Forest living with the local families and listening to their stories. , Set in the late 1870s, both Astor and Volusia (the town across the river) factor into the novel's locations. The Baxter family took the ferry across to Volusia to buy goods at the general store. , For more Yearling history, visit the Yearling Trail on the byway. , The Astors , The wealthy Astor family of New York was interested in developing the area which is Astor today, and bought 12,000 acres in 1874. William Backhouse Astor, Jr. first called the town Manhattan and tourists visited his hotel on the St. Johns River by steamboat. , Just up SR 40, Astor Park grew up along the shores of Lake Schermerhorn, which was named for Astor's wife, Caroline Schermerhorn Astor. After William died, the town was renamed Astor. , William's son, John Jacob Astor IV, inherited his father's estate and continued to promote the area. Sadly, he died on the sinking Titanic in 1912, and his descendants sold off family interests, as the steamboat industry was then in decline. , The Jewel of the St. Johns River , Astor is a thriving town along the Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway. The St. Johns River is the heart of the community, which makes boating, fishing, and nature the core of Astor's livelihood.