The Search For Old King's Road: The First Route Into Florida

The Search for Old Kings Road

British engineers built it before the American Revolution. This remarkable road ran from the Florida border at the St. Mary’s river south to what would become the settlement of New Smyrna. It was intended to bring settlers into then almost unpopulated Florida.

From 1774 it became the main route into Florida. It existed right up into the 20th century.

Here were the battles, the famous men, refugees, the rich plantation economy, a huge slave revolt, and one of our country’s worst wars, one that lasted seven years. Florida’s Old King’s road was important in its rich early history. The early highway has vanished, its stories untold, it is blocked by new construction often now existing in name only.

This is William (Bill) Ryan’s search for the history of this old highway and some it’s stories. They resulted in four other books that tell of events along Old Kings, once called “An American Engineering Treasure.” Some small pieces of the original roadway still exist. They are vanishing unmarked into the Florida brush. By connection of the dots he found on old maps and early accounts a story evolves of this early American roadway along which much of Florida’s history occurred.

Author William P. (Bill) Ryan is a director of the Flagler County Historical Society. He retired to Florida from a career in high technology photographic equipment, was internet webmaster for Flagler County Public Library’s Florida memories group, and is a frequent speaker to Florida history groups. His first person writing style brings history alive.

Five Old Kings Road series books include:

• The Search for Old Kings Road
• I am Grey Eyes a story of old Florida
• Osceola His Capture and Seminole Legends
• Bulow Gold
• Florida’s Door to Time

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