The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-03-28
ST AUGUSTINE, OLDEST
CITY IN U. S., WILL BE
400 IN APRIL, 1919.

81. Augustine, Fla, March 2S.-In
eommemoration of the 4OOth anniver-
sary OF the settling OF Florida, an ex-
position viii be held at st. Augustine
IN April, 1913 II will be given under
the direction OF the state ana national
governments.
Old Spanish landmarks, marvellous
treasures of architectural beauty. ro-
mantle scenery and an Incompatible
climate are now conceded sufficient
reasons by thousands of Americans for
visiting the nations oldest city. The
exposition Will be an added incentive.
and its promoters. the people of Flor
ida, hope 10 gain thousands OF perma-
Hent residents for their state.
-Four centuries ago an Indian town
known as Seloy stood on the site of
what is now st. Augustine. on Eas-
ter Sunday, 1912. Ponce de Leon. Span
ish explorer, landed there in search
Of the Fountain of Youth" After he
and his men had noundered through
the sandy swamps of the Vicinity and
tramped among the scrub palmetto,
bathing in every stream, pool and
mudhole they came across. without
success. they re-emharked and the In
dian village remained unmolested by
white men for more than fifty years.
colony of French Huguenots land
ed az the same point in 1864. but
soon moved on TO the ST. Johns river.
The news OF their arrival reached
Philip II of Spain and upon realizing
the fun import of the message-that
colony of Protestants was settling
in his New wotld domain-he dis
patched Pedro Menendez to extermin-
ate them.
This second group of invading Span
iards landed at the same Indian village
On Aug. %, 1866. and because that was
st Augustines day upon the church
calendar they gave the place it's
present name. ST. Augustine Is conse-
quently the oldest permanent settle
ment of Europeans within the terri.
tory of the United States The HUI
guenot settlement was not permanent.
for the reason that Menendez and his
men destroyed their fort and mas
sacred the inhabitants.
The frs fort was built i'm octagonlal
fern and was constructed OF the
trunks OF pine trees. II was named
San Juan de los PinOs est. John Of
the Pines). An engraving Of the fort
shows Il was in this shape when Sir
Francis Drake attacked St Augustine
in 1886. The fort was again attacked
in 1865 by John Davis. freebooter and
buccaneer The people ned to the
woods while Davis pillaged the town.
Later the fort was rebuilt and named
Fort Marion. now the property of the
federal government and maintained
chiefly as an interesting antiquity
Thousands Of persons visit IL annu-
ally.
In it's early life st. Augustine was
the most cosmopolitan city in the
land and all because of it's mixed col.
ony of Mnorcans. Italians. Greeks and
natives OF southern European cOun-
tries brought 10 the state in 1869 ~
laborers for an indigo plantation own
ed BY English capitalists. They set
Tel IN new NutNIndt WNl hooU TtD'Il-
ed against their English employers.
That probably was the first organized
labor strike in North America.
Moving to st. Augustine, where they
were allotted land and given protec-
ton, the indigo plantation workers
inteimarricd with the Spanish ana
English residents and their descend
ants form a large proportion of the
population of the present city
In 1921 the United States paid spain
$4,000. 900 for the territory of F'lOrida
and Gen Andrew Jackson became les
first governor
Indian. pirate Spaniad, British in
vader-each in turn has scourged tho
town, but after the passing Of each
il has arisen better than before,
charged. but each time improved In
character.
There are two persons to the
square mile throughout Carada and