By William L. Tilson
E.C.”Clinch” Kavanaugh
April 25, 2022
The Amelia Island Museum of History (AIMH), in cooperation with the University of Florida Center for Landscape Conservation Planning, has produced an engaging digital “History of the Fernandina Waterfront” using historical maps, images, and documents to illustrate the complex history of Fernandina’s Waterfront. Generations of Indigenous peoples, French, Spanish, English, and Americans have transformed the waterfront. These changes are the foundation of Fernandina, Amelia Island, and the Region that you see today.
The study area for the project is the waterfront from Oldtown, the original Spanish settlement in the north to Rayonier Advanced Materials plant in the south and inland to the Courthouse at Centre and 5th Streets. The project can be viewed in the new exhibitions in the Amelia Island Museum of History at 233 S. Third Street, Fernandina Beach and online at https://arcg.is/1zWiyP0. The online version is optimized for a computer or tablet not cellphones.
Kudos to Clinch and Bill, and the Amelia Island Museum of History!! This is a wonderful way to learn about our island home from pre-history to the future. Easy to navigate and featuring some of the amazing historic photos that are part of the AIMH Archive. I hope to send this link to many of my history-loving friends. Thank you to all who worked so hard to create a resource for all of us.