The Search for Old King's Road

The First Route Into Florida

By: William Ryan

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Florida's Old King's Road ran from Georgia south of Jacksonville (once called Cow Ford), to St. Augustine, thru what is now Flagler County Florida and ended in New Symrna on Florida's Atlantic Coast. It was built in the British Colonial period just prior to the American Revolution. Most of it has vanished underneath developments and new roads. This is the history of Old King's. It covers historian Bill Ryan's effort to record and find existing pieces of this historic road. Here are the events along Old Kings including the great slave rebellion of the Second Seminole War, the Minorcans, large Plantations, and the many events that happened from 1783 to 1914 along this roadway once called "The most important civil engineering project in America." The rich early history of Florida is linked to this road. The Search for Old Kings road tells the little known story. Saving portions of this historic treasure is the objective of this search. Slave rebellion, anxious refugees, British soldiers, planters, and seekers of a new life in Florida all used Old King's Road. Old Kings even helped to feed the Confederate Army with herds of Florida beef and salt during the Civil War. There are many stories along this historic route. Most important are new efforts such as rebuilding a section at the Florida Agricultural Museum, and recognition of the Osceola capture site south of St. Augustine. Three major books resulted from this study including: "Osceola His Catpure and Seminole Legends" "I am Grey Eyes" "Bulow Gold" all cover events on this colonial era highway built prior to the American Revolution.