Why go
The island’s changing names and allegiances add substance to a northeast Florida coastal visit. Fernandina Beach and Amelia City sit within the same island landscape, while Old Town near Egan’s Creek connects to eighteenth-century development. The familiar eight-flags tradition is a useful entry into this history, rather than a simple sequence of peaceful transfers.
What to look for
- Fernandina Beach and Amelia City are both communities on the island.
- Old Town sits by Egan’s Creek near the Amelia River.
The full story
Timucua-associated peoples called the island Napoyca and lived there before European arrival. French explorer Jean Ribault visited in 1562 and named it Île de Mai. Spanish Franciscans later established the Santa María de Sena mission, and the island became known as Isla de Santa María. These changes were tied to conflict and displacement. Indigenous communities moved to the island as settlements elsewhere were disrupted, and the missions were abandoned after the invasion led by South Carolina’s governor James Moore in 1702. James Oglethorpe later renamed the island for Princess Amelia, daughter of George II, while it was still a Spanish possession. During British rule, it was also known as Egmont Isle. Lord Egmont’s estate development and Stephen Egan’s indigo cultivation connect that period to the area around present-day Old Town. The eight-flags tradition condenses this complicated history of colonial claims and contested control into a familiar local symbol.
Useful to know
- Use Fernandina Beach and Old Town as anchors for an island-focused outing.