Drayton Island is a privately owned heavily wooded island at the northern end of Lake George on the west side of the Saint Johns River's main channel in

Putnam County, Florida Putnam County is a county located in the northern part of the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 73,321. Its county seat is Palatka. Putnam County comprises the Palatka, FL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is inc ...

, United States. Drayton Island, during the steamboat period on the St. Johns River, was a scheduled stop for tourists and boasted a hotel built in 1875 that burned in 1878. A small subdivision was established and several homes that still exist were built. During the Plantation slavery period, prior to 1865, cotton and other export crops were grown on the island. Between freezes, orange groves produced prize fruit that brought a premium price in northern markets. The Archaic Indian Mounds, on the north end of the island are owned by The Archaeology Conservancy, Albuquerque, NM. The St. Johns River is navigable from Sanford, Florida to Jacksonville, Florida. Lake George is about south of Jacksonville. The lake is long and about wide. Drayton Island is situated in the north end of the lake. Hog Island, a smaller island is west of Drayton Island. The island is located across the river from a marina in Georgetown. A small public ferry, one of three left on the river, holds two cars at a time and serves the small island's population. Current toll on ferry is $25.00.

History

The island was developed as a

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

when William Drayton Sr, a migrant from South Carolina, bought it along with other properties in Florida. It was named after him. He served as chief justice of the Province of East Florida during colonial years and the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

(1765-1780). The ferry that connects the island to the mainland carries a $10 toll. In 2001 it was run by Edward Babbitt, who had operated the ferry for over 40 years.

References

* Belleville, Bill ''River of Lakes: A Journey on Florida's St. John's River. University of Georgia Press, 2001, p. 115.

External links

Tour and History of the St. Johns River
University of North Florida
"Drayton Island, Florida"
Putnam County Islands maps, Hometown Locator St. Johns River Drayton family River islands of Florida Islands of Putnam County, Florida Islands of Florida Private islands of Florida {{PutnamCountyFL-geo-stub

History

See also

References

External links