Mickler's Landing

Mickler's Landing. . The Mickler family (pronounced MIKE-LER) has lived in this area of St. Johns County since the 1820s. The Micklers originally lived in an area known as Palm Valley, which got its name around 1901 and was named for the abundance of palms in the area. In the 1930s, the Micklers, along with other members of the community, built a 600-ft pier that extended into the Atlantic Ocean in the location of the current park. Many Palm Valley residents helped in the construction, including Bob and Jack Mier, Flavin and Merlin Mickler, and Desmond Oesterreicher. The pier with was constructed with palm logs and live oak decking. The best logs for the fishing pier pilings came from the straightest palms that were 20 to 45 feet in height and were harvested from around the area. The pier had a windmill that allowed water to be brought up to the pier through a pulley system to keep live bait. In the 1940s, the pier was destroyed by a hurricane. While the majority of the pier no longer exists, at very low tide the remains of the palm log foundation can be seen.