In 1833, August Park was born in Danzig, Germany. After immigrating to the United States, he traveled to New York, and later moved to Fort Pierce, Florida. Park settled in the Sebastian area in 1865, the first permanent resident of European descent. He purchased 43 acres in the Sebastian area, where he lived for 30 years. Park married Polly Anna Gore from Washington, North Carolina, and the couple had seven children. As a testament to his generous nature, Park opened his family’s home to other settlers coming to Sebastian. Park would let settlers reside with him until they found a permanent place to live. Park allowed other settlers to use his land for burial, starting with a father whose son had died. After Park’s death in 1895, his family donated the burial land to the town of Sebastian, creating the Sebastian Municipal Cemetery. Since then, the burials have eclipsed Park’s family and neighbors. Interred there are veterans from the Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, and Korean War. One notable burial is Paul Kroegel, the manager of the first national wildlife refuge. Kroegel was instrumental in establishing Pelican Island, the first federal bird reservation.
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.