Mile 499 - Orange Park

As of February 7, 2008 at 8:00 AM
Steps: 1,178,159
Miles: 501.66
Miles to Georgia: 31.34


Doctor's Lake Marina - Gee, that houseboat looks awful familiar!

The Town of Orange Park was founded in 1877 by the Florida Winter Home and Improvement Company, with owners and trustees predominantly from Boston, Massachusetts. As a direct result of hard times following the Civil War, the old “McIntosh” plantation at Laurel Grove was in shambles and changed hands several times. After purchasing several thousand acres of property in the area, the Florida Winter Home and Improvement Company created a new town and called it Orange Park!

The property was subdivided into building lots and small farm tracts, and the present street system was laid out which included Kingsley Avenue, River Road and Plainfield Avenue. To enhance the sale of the property that was marketed up north, many lots were planted in Orange Trees.

A large hotel was built at the foot of Kingsley Avenue, along with a 1200 foot wooden pier which extended well into the river and could accommodate steamboats which attracted the northern tourist (you can guess who by now, I am sure!) trade.

History Source


The Water's Edge

Orange Park was the starting point of a Real World trip.


My Dad, Mom, younger brother and I set sail from Whitney's Marine, Orange Park in the Water's Edge and spent several weeks voyaging up the Intercoastal Waterway to Bates Marina, Town Creek, Oxford, MD. A journey of about 800 miles producing more than thousand memories.


Whitney Marine from Overhead

Whitney Marine is located on the St. John's River where Doctor's Creek flows in to it. The creek flows under the bridge (partially shown in the first picture). The first voyage I took on the Water's Edge was from Whitney Marine to Doctor's Lake Marina under this bridge (a trip of about 400 yards!) to get some gas (probably over a hundred gallons of it!)