Page 60 - John Anderson

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sleep in order to succeed in securing a complete list of cattle and
land owners. Once understanding who owned what, John eventually
worked out a more equitable system of taxation.
It is important to understand that John Anderson was preparing
himself for great projects to come in the next 25-years as he explored
the rivers and creeks, met settlers and pioneers alike and listened to
stories about events and circumstances shaping this once embattled
land along the Halifax River. Yes, this territory was rich in history of
early Indian civilizations, Spanish and British plantation periods, and
Seminole Indian relocation efforts leading to plantation destruction
and most recently, Civil War, which certainly had its effects on this
part of the country. With the knowledge of what was being
accomplished with railroad transportation and industrial
advancements throughout America, John Anderson could only
imagine the possibilities for growth and development of this most
sacred land.

Old Kings Road

With the advent of British rule (1763 – 1783), the need for settlers
became acute. As described earlier, Colonel James Grant was
appointed Governor of East Florida in 1764, and immediately began
to consider the construction of a much needed road to unify coastal
settlements and military installations. With “Britain’s New Eden”
concept in mind, it was certainly necessary to provide a conduit for
settlers to repopulate the area and allow for shipping of goods and
citizens to the few ports along the eastern coastline. Lacking
resources for the proposed road construction, the Governor
undertook the task of raising subscriptions to build the road, and
committed his own resources to the task. By 1765, Jonathan Bryan,
a Georgia planter, had completed an initial survey for the northern
portion of the road, from the St. Mary's River to St. Augustine.
Road construction began to the north, from St Augustine, to
eventually connect Colerain, Georgia, on the St. Mary's River, passing
through the settlement of Cowford (now Jacksonville). The southern
route would connect with the new settlement of New Smyrna on the
Florida east coast. The road was constructed by British engineers,
typically following the established trails of indigenous people and

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