Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
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| Edward Binney |
Next week will mark the 100th anniversary of the Fort Pierce inlet. As you probably know the Indian River inlet was north of Pepper Park, but Edward Binney wanted a good inlet at Fort Pierce.
Edwin Binney, creator of Binney & Smith Crayola Crayons was instrumental in the vision of the Fort Pierce Inlet.
Binney was an avid fisherman and yachtsman who had a vision to make Fort Pierce the finest port between Jacksonville and Miami. But the only inlet was a natural opening north of the current Fort Pierce Inlet that often closed with storms.
With Binney leading the effort, initial dredging of the Fort Pierce Inlet began in 1920 and the cut was completed in 1921. Binney also created the Port of Fort Pierce, complete with a refrigerated terminal for holding fruit.
Binney played a key role in shoring up the community as the Depression approached. When the St. Lucie County Bank was close to collapsing in 1929, Binney put up enough of his own money to keep it open. He also donated land along the inlet that is now the Fort Pierce Coast Guard Station and the Pelican Yacht Club, which includes the Sea Scout building. (Insert from Indian River Magazine)
Here is that link.
Fort Pierce 100 Year Anniversary of the Inlet | Treasures of Fort Pierce (treasuresfp.com)
Below are the events beginning on May 8.
100th Anniversary Celebration of the Opening of the New Fort Pierce Inlet
Friday, May 7 Friday Fest and the Cobb Exhibit will be open
Saturday, May 8, 9 AM Opening Ceremonies at Historic Cobb Building honoring the descendants of Settlers who constructed, supported and operated the Inlet/Port 11:30 Blessing of the Fleet and Boat Parade – Museum Pointe Park Picnic at Museum Park sponsored by Freedom Boats
Saturday May 15 1920s Costu
me Party
Saturday, May 22 Fishing Tournament at Little Jim
More Events: Art at Inlet State Park, Sea Chanty singing at Cider Works, Art Walk, Manatee Center, plus other announcements to come
On May 8, 1921, after 6 weeks of dredging, the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian River were joined after a decade of Fort Pierce being land-locked when the old inlet was closed by the hurricane of 1910. We were then largely a fishing village and the families of the men who went to sea for a living suffered mightily until the people of Fort Pierce voted themselves a tax to make an inlet. We take pride in this accomplishment by our early settlers.
To see a Movietone News segment of the Betty Weems coming into our inlet and the parade downtown that celebrated the port go to Facebook: LivingTheFloridaLive/posts.
Visit www. welovetheinlet.com for information on the various events that will be part of the celebration. Follow us on Facebook:Love the Inlet: 100th Anniversary Celebration.
Source: St. Lucie Historical Society | established 1952 (stluciehistoricalsociety.net)
You might also like the following site, which lists the various early settlements of St. Lucie County.
19th & Early 20th Century Communities | St. Lucie Historical Society (stluciehistoricalsociety.net)
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| Bronze Age Pin For Cloak or Robe. Photo credit: MATS HELLGREN/VGREGION Source: See BBC News link below. |
A man surveying a forest for his orienteering club in western Sweden stumbled on a trove of Bronze Age treasure reckoned to be some 2,500 years old.
It includes about 50 items, such as necklaces, bracelets and clothing pins.
The cartographer, Thomas Karlsson, said "I first thought it might be a lamp, but when I looked closer I saw that it was old jewellery"...
Here is the link for more about that.
Bronze Age treasure found in Swedish forest by mapmaker - BBC News
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The tides are getting smaller and the surf remains small.
Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net