SITE OF COW FORD

After Spaniards introduced cattle, the narrow, shallow bend in the St. Johns River was called “Wacca Pilatka” (Where Cows Splash Out) by Seminole cattlemen who drove cows across the river here for generations. In 1763, after the British took control of Florida, they built Kings Road connecting St. Augustine to the St. Marys River. On that road, British settlers operated a ferry at the crossing they renamed “Cow Ford.” During the American Revolution, British forces used the ferry to move artillery, supplies and troops, making it a target. In June 1776, American soldiers attempted to cross Cow Ford but were driven back by Seminole scouts allied with the British. Later patriot expeditions toward Cow Ford led to defeats in the battles of Thomas Creek and Alligator Creek Bridge. Unofficial raids at Cow Ford detered British advances by land until the Siege of Savannah Oct. 1779. After the war, the British returned Florida to Spain, which ceded Florida to the United States in 1819 Adams-Onis Treaty. On June 15, 1822, residents of Cow Ford petitioned to establish their town as a U.S. port of entry, naming it “Jacksonville” after General Andrew Jackson.