History
No other location on the East Coast of the United States enjoys the international reputation for guiding ships throughout the centuries, as does the area now known as Jupiter. This location protrudes further out into the Atlantic Ocean than any other point along the Florida coast. For this reason it has guided ships of all kinds since approximately 1550 to the present. Today, as was done by early New World explorers, ships consider this an important point when planning their routes to Central and South America. The old maps found in Latin American seaports contain this "Punta" or point clearly marked. This unique geographical location has played a historical role throughout the centuries.
Jupiter, How Jupiter Got Its Name
Jupiter is rich in history with the earliest known records of the Jupiter Inlet dating to 1565. When Spanish explorers first arrived in this area, they found the Jega Indians living along the banks of the inlet and Loxahatchee River. The Indians called themselves the Jobe, so the visitors named the river running into the inlet the Jobe River, after the tribe. When English settlers found the area around 1763, Jobe sounded to them like the mythological god Jove, or Jupiter, and the name Jupiter remains today.
Dickinson Founders
The Jupiter area first came to widespread public attention when Jonathan Dickinson, the namesake of Jonathan Dickinson State Park, was shipwrecked on the shore of Jupiter and narrowly escaped death at the hands of hostile Indians. In his journal Dickinson chronicled his family's ordeal with the Jega Indians and his 230-mile trek to safety in St. Augustine. Today, the DuBois Museum in DuBois Park stands atop the Indian mound described by Dickinson as the place where his family was held captive.
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse
In the 1800's Jupiter's most identifiable landmark, the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, was erected. The lighthouse stands 108 feet tall with 105 steps to climb. The land that is now Lighthouse Park was once a part of Fort Jupiter, a military installation that was formed during the Seminole Indian Wars. The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse was renovated in 2000 and painted its original brick-red color.
Tequesta, Tequesta Indians
In 1955 a bridge tender was asked by Charles Martyn to describe the area that is now the Village of Tequesta. His reply was, "it's just a jungle." Inspired by the bridge tender's description, Martyn asked for a tour of the area. As the two men traveled the inlet and Intracoastal by boat, Martyn was intrigued by the beauty and potential of the area. He bought 86 acres on Jupiter Island where he developed the Jupiter Inlet Colony. While excavating the site, Martyn's crew unearthed an Indian mound filled with artifacts. Martyn's interest in Indian history led him to research the mound's contents. Later speculation was that the mound belonged to an encampment of Tequesta Indians encroaching on the native Jega Indians. Martyn was convinced of this and named an area he was developing west of the Intracoastal after the Tequesta tribe. That development, now known as the Tequesta Country Club, was later incorporated as the Village of Tequesta.
A Great Place to Call Home
Tequesta started as one man's vision and has now become a thriving village with miles of waterfront property. From the serene Loxahatchee River to the breath-taking oceanfront homes, residents are drawn to Tequesta by natural beauty. A mix of quiet single-family neighborhoods and gated condominium complexes attract families, working professionals and retirees to the Village. Tequesta also has a wealth of cultural and recreational activities for every age. The Village is home to the Lighthouse Gallery and School of Art. There are plenty of shops, stores and service businesses located in Tequesta along with churches of various faiths. New residents and visitors are greeted with a strong sense of community and a genuine, hometown friendliness.
Juno Beach, Celestial Railroad
Back when Dade County covered 7,200 square miles, from north of Jupiter to south of Biscayne Bay, the tiny Village of Juno, located between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, was the county seat. From 1890 - 1900 Juno served all of Dade County, including its 720 residents, as courthouse and county government. As the southern most stop on the Celestial Railroad - named for its stops at Juno, Venus, Mars and Jupiter - Juno was Dade's link to Northern Florida. Juno's short-lived notability ended when the Celestial Railway was sold at auction in 1896, and Miami later reclaimed the county seat in 1900. But the beautiful little town by the sea would see a rebirth as a resort and seaside community when Henry M. Flagler fulfilled his mission to connect Key West and the U.S. mainland with his Florida East Coast Railway.
Today, the Town of Juno Beach, incorporated in 1953, has become an ideal vacation and retirement retreat. With a year-round residency of about 2,200, Juno Beach's population swells to almost three times that size in the winter months.
Cradled between the majestic and sparkling Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, Juno Beach has spawned a mixture of single-family homes and high-rise condominium complexes. Within its 1.6 square-mile town limits are Juno Beach Park, with a 300-foot guarded beach and Loggerhead Park with an oceanside nature trail, Marinelife Center, bike path, tennis courts and a 290-foot fishing pier. The town's close proximity to U.S. Highway One and Interstate 95 provides residents and visitors easy access to area shopping and cultural activities.
Life Along the Loxahatchee River and Jupiter Inlet - Yesterday and Today Until 1929, when the Intracoastal Waterway was deepened, the Jupiter Inlet went through natural cycles of opening and closing. On several occasions, when the inlet was blocked, area residents took their shovels and dug small channels to get the water flowing again. On one occasion in 1844, Captain Davis, a mail carrier, took several men and dug a four-inch deep channel into the Inlet before camping for the night. Several hours later the Captain and his men were awakened by water seeping into their camp. By the next day the Inlet was nearly a quarter mile wide.
In the early 20th century, pine and cypress logging, fishing, as well as pineapple, flower and citrus farming were staples of the local economy. The river provided access to the steamboats and railcars that would ship these goods throughout the country.
Until the early 1900's, it was common to see the Jupiter School boat cruising the river, picking up early settlers' children and delivering them to the town dock for the walk to school. After school these children could be found playing in the river or collecting oysters from the many oyster beds.
Early pioneer life revolved around the Loxahatchee River and the Jupiter Inlet in a very different way than it does today. Early settlers relied on the bounty of the Loxahatchee River and access to the Atlantic to provide their living, while it is tourism, boating and sportfishing that attract residents and visitors to these bodies of water today.