The story of the River of Lakes Heritage Corridor (ROLHC) is one of history, culture, and opportunity. It spans the time from the very earliest inhabitants in Florida, as told by its parks and museums, to the founding of its many cities as represented through the historic districts and historic properties that thrive in the region’s communities. Local organizations, through their festivals, keep the memories and traditions alive and engage the community in a celebration of its past. Lastly, it is a story of people seeking new opportunities and adventures.
Native Timucua and Mayaca tribes of indigenous people were the first to interact with early explorers to the region. The Timucua, a historic regional tribe, referred to the St Johns River as the Welaka, which meant “River of Lakes.” The St. Johns River and the series of lakes it connects was the internal lifeline for centuries of tribes, settlers, travelers, and tourists. People as diverse as the Timucua, early Spanish and English settlers, plantation owners, Civil War supply runners, and 1800s steamboat tourists have utilized St Johns and the surrounding region for profit, diversion, and survival. Famed botanist William Bartram wrote about the region in the late 18th Century, as did James Audubon nearly 50 years later. Both described, in their own unique way, the story of this enchanting river.
The St Johns River, designated an American Heritage River in 1998, is the focus of the ROLHC because of its central role in the region’s history. Largely undeveloped though the region, St Johns offers a rare glimpse of how natural, wild Florida looked to the early adventurers.
As residents will tell you and as visitors will learn, the story of the region starts with the river. The early native tribes used St John’s as a food source and as a means of transportation. The river’s banks are strewn with historic shell midden sites generated by these tribes as they ate, lived, and thrived.
Over time river uses evolved. Visitors from the north were transported through the region by paddlewheel boats and steamers. While these visitors were less reliant on the river as a food source, they depended on the river to help them transform their dreams of health, freedom, and wealth into reality. These dreams are at the heart of the byway’s story, with successful ventures and unrealized folly all playing a role.
Today’s explorers can enjoy the byway in many ways. Automobile drivers, cyclists, and motorcyclists ride the corridor throughout the year, enjoying its beauty and partaking in community events that celebrate the region’s heritage. These modern explorers experience connected communities, winding canopied roads, and the off-the-beaten-path experiences that are all part of the region’s personality. And in a way, each of today’s adventurers continues the story of the river. Some still navigate its waters in tour boats and kayaks, fishing, bird watching, or just experiencing the Spanish moss-covered trees, exotic wildlife, and the foundation of the region’s history. Others ride the byway experiencing oak canopied corridors and back road adventures following the path of native tribes, English and Spanish explorers.
Each of today’s adventurers travels in the footsteps of those that have come before them, enjoying the region’s history and heritage as the river continues to wind its way through the heartland of Central Florida to the Cities of Palatka and Jacksonville to the north like it has for thousands of years.
The River of Lakes Heritage Corridor connects travelers to the cities, towns, and the heritage and cultural sites found in this historically significant area. The ROLHC embodies a unique blend of history, sophisticated contemporary culture, and gorgeous natural Florida. For future generations, this byway provides an opportunity to have an experience that brings regional history/heritage, focused on the St Johns River and its communities, to the forefront in a way that is expected of a National Scenic Byway, bringing the story of north-central Florida into national focus.