Fort Pierce is defined by its waterways, location, favorable subtropical climate and its people. The city marks its 125th anniversary in 2026. Fifty-three of 66 registered voters voted to incorporate on Feb. 2, 1901, naming the new town Fort Pierce after the Second Seminole War military fort located about a mile south of the present-day courthouse on Indian River Drive.

It all began with a simple notice posted on Dec. 29, 1901, at Davis Hall, the community’s main gathering place. The message was clear: all registered voters were asked to return to that same spot on Feb. 2, 1901.

The European invasion of mainland North America, by the 19th century, had forced the decimated Native American population into scattered defensive outposts. It was the prevailing opinion that the European newcomers and the indigenous residents could not coexist.

Discover a timeline that stretches back thousands of years, tracing Fort Pierce’s story from its earliest inhabitants to the milestones that defined the community.