LIVING HISTORY
This view from the Indian River shows the low-lying area of Old Fort Park increasing in elevation toward private property, where archaeologists believe
much of the original Fort Pierce was located.
believes much of the fort site has collapsed on the riverbank.
“It must have been hell because of the mosquitoes and the
tremendous heat,” Neiman said, of life at the fort.
NO FORT EVIDENCE
Today, the site is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places and salvaging is illegal. Carr’s 2003 report conducted for
the city could not confirm the park was the actual fort grounds.
“There was no physical evidence uncovered in this assessment
to indicate that any fort structures actually occur within
the Old Fort Park,” the report said. “However, archival
maps suggest that the fort hospital and another structure
may have been on the east side of the park near the bluff.”
The journal of Motte, the surgeon in the original party
arriving at Fort Pierce, says that the fort was perpendicular to
the river and was located on the highest part of the bluff. That
would support evidence that the fort would have been located
farther north because the park, which still has a freshwater
stream running underground through a system of modernday
pipes, dips in that part of Indian River Drive.
Former Mayor William R. Dannahower, who lives two
houses north of Old Fort Park on a lot with relatively high
elevation, said various small items, such as buttons, musket
balls and broken pottery, have been found on his property.
Dannahower recalled that about 25 or 30 years ago an
amateur archaeologist — he believes it was the late John
Durham — made a find on the lot between his house and
Old Fort Park. “He was digging next-door there, when there
was no building there, and he uncovered, right on the line
between the two properties, a timber that was very large,
probably 12 by 6,” Dannahower said. “It appeared to be part
of a foundation of a building. I don’t believe they ever dug it
up. That to me seemed pretty strong evidence that at least a
part of the fort was right there. Beyond that, I can’t say we
have any evidence that the fort was up here.”
Dannahower, Bert Bittan and several others raised
money to buy a collection of artifacts from the site, and
donated it to the St. Lucie County Historical Museum,
where it is on display today, said Bittan.
HUMAN BONES
Besides artifacts recovered from the 1950s and 1960s, many
old-timers can recall fellow classmates bringing in artifacts
retrieved from the site.
“Beginning with bored soldiers stationed at the fort during
the Second Seminole War, the mound was dug extensively
by local residents until its recent protection as a public park,”
Carr’s report said. “As a result, many burials have been disturbed
and much human bone, probably mostly skulls, has
been removed from the mound. However, the large size and
unstable sand matrix of the mound have probably prevented
the disturbance of any deep burials.”
Much of the mound itself remains intact, Carr’s report
said. “Our testing revealed that the mound, although altered
34
>>
Want to know more?
To view excerpts from the archaeological survey of Fort
Pierce and the site’s nomination to the National Register of
Historic Places, visit indianrivermag.com and click on this
story in the Fort Pierce Magazine section. To learn more
about the site, visit the St. Lucie County Historical
Museum at 414 Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce. The museum
features a diorama of the fort and related exhibits that discuss
the history of conflict and survival among Seminoles,
settlers and soldiers. Old Fort Park, a mile south of the
Citrus Avenue Overpass on South Indian River Drive, is
open to visitors during daylight hours.
/indianrivermag.com
