Rockledge - Brevard's Oldest City

Shortly after I was married, my wife and myself would find ourselves wandering around and dreaming of different houses in the area, where we would love to live. Our tastes were usually old and always very expensive. Some of the more historical homes in the area that seemed to draw us into a time warp of sorts was the old sections of Rockledge, down near the river's edge. Some of those old wood slatted houses would make us drool with possibilities, and really yearn for that lifestyle. Historically speaking, Rockledge was the beginning of Brevard County. Titusville  has a claim to being the oldest community, but for the rich history that is hidden in this sleepy town on the banks of the Indian River, Rockledge has my vote.

Rockledge started out being the Resort capitol of the County with the construction of two very prominent Hotels. The first hotels started popping up around 1837, in this new area called Rock Ledge. It was called such due to the out cropping if coquina rock that lined the shore. The first post office was built in 1876, but it was the Flagler Railroad that really brought in the people. Rockledge was the southern most end of the Flagler Railroad, and was for many years until Flagler wanted to invest in Rockledge's future of tourism. The residents spoke out against the plan, wanting to keep their community small. So Flagler decided to extend the Railroad south to Key West, which made Miami the Resort Capitol of Florida.

Indian River Hotel

In 1881, among the first Hotels built was the Rockledge House, by A.L. Hatch. In 1884 it burned to the ground, but gave way for the construction of the largest resort in the area. The Indian River Hotel boasted of accommodations for 300 guests, it's own telegraph office, and was the finest hotel between Jacksonville and Key West. It's Motto was"The Tropical Health and Pleasure Resort of America". One of the biggest events to be held at the Hotel, was the visit of President and Mrs. Grover Cleavland in 1888.

In 1910, the hotel was sold to S.F. Travis of Cocoa, and two business men from New Jersey, who did major reconstruction on the old resort. In 1924 they reopened as The New Indian River Resort, with accommodations for 400. The Indian River Club Condominiums is now on the former site of the old hotel.

The Plaza Hotel

Flagler's Railroad was not the only way to make it down to Rockledge, and it's tropical climate, there was the hard way. Visitors could book passage on the one of the steamers cruising up and down the St. John's River, from Stanford Landing to Lake Poinsette Landing. From there they would travel by horse for a cost of $0.50, and that was about a 3 mile ride. The Plaza Hotel was the next largest resort, competing with The Indian River, at 300 accommodations.

The Rockledge Hotel

The Rockledge Hotel apparently was of homier surroundings, but still very lavish. Mr. Adams, a visitor around 1905 wrote this:

"The Rockledge Hotel is managed by D. L. and W. H. Woods, very
fine gentlemen and thorough hotel men. They have made the
Rockledge very popular along the coast. It stands within 100 feet
of Indian River, located among palms and oaks, in the most
extensive orange district in Florida. The lovers of good fishing
patronize it. In front of it, sea bass and sea trout were caught by
the hundreds in January. Some sea bass brought back to the dock
Tuesday weighed 28 to 30 lbs. In Lake Poinsett 3 miles away, the
head of St. Johns River, black bass are caught—two men bringing
in 84 in one day, some of them weighting 12 lbs. each. I visited
last winter every spot of interest along the east coast of Florida. "

"I learn that it will be enlarged for the next season. Steamers
running from Datona [sic] to Palm Beach stop at the dock here
twice a week. Rockledge Hotel is 1 ½ miles south of Cocoa and no
more beautiful walk can be found than the one between the places."

Indian River Shoreline

Bears at The Indian River Hotel

Rockledge seemed to have the proverbial "Tiger by the Tail" in the early days. Fishing was excellent, the weather for the newly found "snow bird" was not to be beat, and the accommodations were first class.

Boat Racing on the Indian River

 Rockledge was beginning to change after the first World War. The economy was starting to change from a tourist base to an agricultural. Oranges were starting to become the northern favorite, and Indian River Citrus was one of the finest and is still today considered one of the best. Rockledge became the sleepy small town that it's residents wanted. It became just a stop on US1 on the way to Miami and all points south. In the 50's when the Space Program came to the area, the sleepy Indian River Orange Grove town was discovered again by the few coming to take advantage of the jobs.

Today, Rockledge remains the small town, not really changing with the times, but in it's own time warp where progress is slow. The residents that live along the river can still enjoy the warm breezes and old view that rarely changes, except for what they can see on the other side. They are the privileged few. For the rest of us we can keep dreaming, and visiting the past through the eyes of the ones that shaped the area.