Florida's American Heritage River: Images from the St. John's Region
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The mighty St. Johns River flows from its headwaters near Lake Okeechobee north through
central Florida to Jacksonville. Its watershed includes three major tributaries—the
Econlochatchee, the Wekiva, and the Ocklawaha—along with the Orange Creek Basin, and
covers an area nearly the size of New Hampshire. Stretching from just west of Vero Beach to
north of Jacksonville, and well into the center of the state, the river and its tributaries have been
part of the cultural landscape of the peninsula for thousands of years. From the Native
Americans who first settled along its banks to the French, Spanish, British, and American
settlers who followed, it has been a source of food, water, transportation, industry, agriculture,
and recreation.
In 1998 the St. Johns was declared an American Heritage River, the only one in Florida
and one of only fourteen in the country to be so designated. It is also on the American Rivers’
list of “Most Endangered Rivers.” Beautiful, historic, mysterious, and romantic, artists have
been drawn to this watery maze for centuries. For the past decade, Mallory O'Connor and Gary
Monroe have been searching for and collecting paintings, sketches, sculpture, photographs,
and material culture from the region.
Looking in antique shops and art galleries, nineteenth-century periodicals and twentieth-
century fish camps, the authors found literally thousands of images of the river. They selected
the best two hundred for this volume, some from the fine art tradition as represented by
Thomas Moran and Martin Johnson Heade; others by self-taught visionaries. The result is a
broad survey that captures and celebrates the beauty, power, and impact of this unique and
vulnerable landscape.
Mallory M. O’Connor is professor emerita of art history at Santa Fe College, the past director of
the Santa Fe College Art Gallery, and the former visual arts coordinator for the Thomas Center
Gallery in Gainesville. She is the author of Lost Cities of the Ancient Southeast.
Gary Monroe, professor of fine arts and photography at Daytona State College, is the author of
numerous best-selling books, including Silver Springs: The Underwater Photography of Bruce
Mozert and The Highwaymen Murals: Al Black's Concrete Dreams.
“Indispensable for anyone seeking to explore Florida beyond the brochures.”—Herbert L.
Hiller, author of Highway A1A: Florida at the Edge
“If you are looking for an elegant way to navigate up the Saint Johns River without leaving your
armchair, allow me to recommend spending time with this book. It is beautifully illustrated and
a wonderful read.”—John Delaney, President, University of North Florida
“Florida’s American Heritage River is more than a history of the great St. Johns River. It
chronicles the stories and art of creative people both known and unknown who were inspired
by the natural beauty of this unique subtropical river and who left to us their vision of paradise.”
—Clay Henderson, environmental policy attorney, Holland & Knight, LLP
University Press of Florida
15 NW 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32603
(352) 392-1351
www.upf.com
ISBN 978-0-8130- 352-5
200 color plates
$44.95
For Immediate Release
Contact: Stephanie Williams
(352) 392-1351 x 243
SW@upf.com
central Florida to Jacksonville. Its watershed includes three major tributaries—the
Econlochatchee, the Wekiva, and the Ocklawaha—along with the Orange Creek Basin, and
covers an area nearly the size of New Hampshire. Stretching from just west of Vero Beach to
north of Jacksonville, and well into the center of the state, the river and its tributaries have been
part of the cultural landscape of the peninsula for thousands of years. From the Native
Americans who first settled along its banks to the French, Spanish, British, and American
settlers who followed, it has been a source of food, water, transportation, industry, agriculture,
and recreation.
In 1998 the St. Johns was declared an American Heritage River, the only one in Florida
and one of only fourteen in the country to be so designated. It is also on the American Rivers’
list of “Most Endangered Rivers.” Beautiful, historic, mysterious, and romantic, artists have
been drawn to this watery maze for centuries. For the past decade, Mallory O'Connor and Gary
Monroe have been searching for and collecting paintings, sketches, sculpture, photographs,
and material culture from the region.
Looking in antique shops and art galleries, nineteenth-century periodicals and twentieth-
century fish camps, the authors found literally thousands of images of the river. They selected
the best two hundred for this volume, some from the fine art tradition as represented by
Thomas Moran and Martin Johnson Heade; others by self-taught visionaries. The result is a
broad survey that captures and celebrates the beauty, power, and impact of this unique and
vulnerable landscape.
Mallory M. O’Connor is professor emerita of art history at Santa Fe College, the past director of
the Santa Fe College Art Gallery, and the former visual arts coordinator for the Thomas Center
Gallery in Gainesville. She is the author of Lost Cities of the Ancient Southeast.
Gary Monroe, professor of fine arts and photography at Daytona State College, is the author of
numerous best-selling books, including Silver Springs: The Underwater Photography of Bruce
Mozert and The Highwaymen Murals: Al Black's Concrete Dreams.
“Indispensable for anyone seeking to explore Florida beyond the brochures.”—Herbert L.
Hiller, author of Highway A1A: Florida at the Edge
“If you are looking for an elegant way to navigate up the Saint Johns River without leaving your
armchair, allow me to recommend spending time with this book. It is beautifully illustrated and
a wonderful read.”—John Delaney, President, University of North Florida
“Florida’s American Heritage River is more than a history of the great St. Johns River. It
chronicles the stories and art of creative people both known and unknown who were inspired
by the natural beauty of this unique subtropical river and who left to us their vision of paradise.”
—Clay Henderson, environmental policy attorney, Holland & Knight, LLP
University Press of Florida
15 NW 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32603
(352) 392-1351
www.upf.com
ISBN 978-0-8130- 352-5
200 color plates
$44.95
For Immediate Release
Contact: Stephanie Williams
(352) 392-1351 x 243
SW@upf.com
A magnificent celebration of the history,
culture and environment of the St. Johns
River region by Mallory McCane O’Connor
and Gary Monroe
With an introduction by Bill Belleville
culture and environment of the St. Johns
River region by Mallory McCane O’Connor
and Gary Monroe
With an introduction by Bill Belleville