Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
St. Lucie County
Photographed by Dean Moss McCracken, April 24, 2015
1. St. Lucie County Marker
St. Lucie County was formed in 1844 and recreated in 1905. Named for St. Lucie of Syracuse, the region's original inhabitants were the Tegesta Indians. Ft. Pierce, the county seat, was named for Major B.K. Pierce, brother of Pres. Franklin Pierce. The fort was the headquarters of the Army of the South under Gen. Jesup during the Seminole Indian wars. A settlement about the fort began soon after its establishment about 1838.
Erected 1961 by Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials. (Marker Number F-60.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Wars, US Indian. A significant historical year for this entry is 1844.
Location. Marker is missing. It was located near 27° 26.77′ N, 80° 19.359′ W. Marker was in Fort Pierce, Florida, in St. Lucie County. It was on South Indian River Drive (County Road 707) north of Boston Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located in front of the Rupert J. Smith Law Library. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 221 South Indian River Drive, Fort Pierce FL 34950, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was on Florida’s Treasure Coast. It was also in the American South. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: A.E. Beanie Backus Studio (approx. 0.4 miles away); A.E. Bean Backus
this page online
Regarding St. Lucie County. The original location of the Second Seminole War fort named Fort Pierce is .7 miles south on S. Indian River Dr. at Old Fort Park.
Also see . . . United States History. For more information on Osceola, General Thomas S. Jesup and Dr. Fredrick Weedon. (Submitted on May 3, 2015, by Dean Moss McCracken of Lakeland, Florida.)
Additional commentary.
1. Early Ft. Pierce
Ft. Pierce was established January 2, 1838 as the easternmost
Photographed by Dean Moss McCracken, April 24, 2015
2. St. Lucie County Marker
View looking south on South Indian River Drive.
Seminole leader Osceola was captured on October 21, 1837. He was eventually imprisoned at Ft. Moultrie on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina. Dr. Fredrick Weedon was a contract surgeon at Ft. Moultrie when Osceola died in his cell on January 30, 1838. Seeking profit from the death of his patient, Weedon removed and embalmed Osceola's head.
After the war, under the Armed Occupation Act of 1842, Weedon was the first to receive a land grant in the area of Fort Pierce in what was then Mosquito County. The land Weedon acquired included the site of Fort Pierce.
In 1968, the National Park Service, excavated and removed Osceola's intact coffin to discover his skeleton minus his skull and first five cervical vertebrae. This exhumation was performed to discredit a claim by a Miami, Florida city commissioner's claim to have robbed Osceola's grave and stolen his bones. Osceola was reinterred and his grave can be visited today at Ft. Moultrie.
Additional sources and recommended reading.
Hatch, Thom. Osceola and the Seminole War: A Struggle for Justice andFreedom.
Photographed by Dean Moss McCracken, April 24, 2015
3. Old Fort Park
Old Fort Park. Site of the original Fort Pierce built in 1838.
Mahon, John K. History of the Second Seminole War: 1835-1842. Rev. Ed. University of Florida Press. Gainesville, 1985.
Roberts, Robert B. Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States. Macmillan Publishing. New York, 1988.
— Submitted May 2, 2015, by Dean Moss McCracken of Lakeland, Florida.
Additional keywords. Second Seminole War
Photographed by Dean Moss McCracken, April 24, 2015
4. Old Fort Park
Plaque at the site of Fort Pierce. Erected 1925.
Photographed by Dean Moss McCracken, April 24, 2015
5. An additional Old Fort Park Marker
Photographed by Dean Moss McCracken, April 24, 2015
6. Old Fort Park
View of Indian River from site of Fort Pierce.
Photographed by Dean Moss McCracken, April 24, 2015
7. Old Fort Park
Old Fort Park. Note oak and palm trees leaning west away from the Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean.
Photographed by Dean Moss McCracken, April 11, 2014
8. Osceola Grave Marker
Gravesite of Osceola at Fort Moultrie, Sullivan's Island, South Carolina.
Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, February 18, 2026
9. St. Lucie County Marker
The marker used to beside the blue law library sign.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 1, 2015, by Dean Moss McCracken of Lakeland, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,019 times since then and 60 times this year. Last updated on February 18, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. Photos: 1. submitted on May 1, 2015, by Dean Moss McCracken of Lakeland, Florida. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on May 2, 2015, by Dean Moss McCracken of Lakeland, Florida. 9. submitted on February 18, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
