Jupiter Inlet

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Jupiter Inlet in 2016. The mouth of the inlet can be seen in to the right of the image with the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse to the left. -TravelTuesday with My Public Lands - 24939098563.jpg
Jupiter Inlet in 2016. The mouth of the inlet can be seen in to the right of the image with the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse to the left.
Aerial view of Jupiter Inlet Jupiter Florida Loxahatchee River photo D Ramey Logan.jpg
Aerial view of Jupiter Inlet

The Jupiter Inlet is a natural opening through the barrier islands of Martin and Palm Beach counties in Jupiter, Florida, that connects the south end of the Indian River Lagoon and the Loxahatchee River to the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the six inlets into the Indian River Lagoon System. Its approximate location is 26°56′38″N80°04′18″W / 26.9440°N 80.0716°W / 26.9440; -80.0716 .

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North of the inlet is Jupiter Inlet Colony, the southern tip of Jupiter Island, which serves as the inlet's north jetty. The inlet’s south jetty consists of the Dubois Park and the town’s natural beachfront extending 3.4 miles south along the county's coastline. [1] It contains the popular tourist site of Jupiter Inlet Light to the north side of the inlet.

History

Jupiter Inlet Life-Saving Station c., 1890 Jupiter Inlet Life-Saving Station (1890).jpg
Jupiter Inlet Life-Saving Station c., 1890

The region known as Rio de la Cruz by the Spanish, is first encountered by Juan Ponce de Leon in the spring of 1519. [2] When Ponce de Leon arrived in April of this year accompanied by the galleons Santa Maria de la Consolacion and Santiago, a violent engagement between his crew and the indigenous Jeaga people occurred. [3]

The Jupiter Inlet first appeared on maps dating back to 1671. At the time, it was the only outlet for the diversion of flowing waters from the Loxahatchee River, Lake Worth Creek, and the Jupiter Sound portion of the St. Lucie and Indian River flows. [4] [5] The Inlet was once several hundred yards larger than it is today, however, the artificial development of the St. Lucie Inlet altered the river sources' hydrodynamics and called for the reduction of the inlet’s shoals in order to maintain a more navigable channel. [6]

In 1921, the Jupiter Inlet District was established as an independent special district by the Florida State Legislature in order to maintain the inlet as a safe entry for vessels. [7] The inlets north and south jetties were implemented a year later in 1922 by Chief Engineer of Lake Worth, J.C. Wagen. The jetties were initially constructed each over 300 feet in length and 300 feet apart. In 1929, the north jetty was extended 200 feet while the south jetty was extended by 75 feet. By the early 1930s, a rock ballast had been constructed at the inlets north side to provide stability. [8] In 1942, the inlet was closed due to threats of German U-boats off the coast of Florida during WWII. It remained closed until 1947. [9]

The famous Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse was designed by Lieutenant George Gordon Meade and was chosen to be erected on a hill once thought to be an Indian shell mound or midden in 1853 to the north side of the inlet. [10] [11] Construction was completed in 1860 and remains active as of 2024. [12]

See also

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The South Lake Worth Inlet, also known as the Boynton Inlet, is an artificial cut through a barrier beach connecting the south end of the Lake Worth Lagoon in Palm Beach County, Florida with the Atlantic Ocean. The inlet is 130 feet (40 m) wide and 6 to 12 feet deep.

Palm Beach County is a county in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. Its history dates back to about 12,000 years ago, shortly after when Native Americans migrated into Florida. Juan Ponce de León became the first European in the area, landing at the Jupiter Inlet in 1513. Diseases from Europe, enslavement, and warfare significantly diminished the indigenous population of Florida over the next few centuries. During the Second Seminole War, the Battles of the Loxahatchee occurred west of modern-day Jupiter in 1838. The Jupiter Lighthouse, the county's oldest surviving structure, was completed in 1860. The first homestead claims were filed around Lake Worth in 1873. The county's first hotel, schoolhouse, and railway, the Celestial Railroad, began operating in the 1880s, while the first settlers of modern-day Lake Worth Beach arrived in 1885. During the 1890s, Henry Flagler and his workers constructed the Royal Poinciana Hotel and The Breakers in Palm Beach and extended the Florida East Coast Railway southward to the area. They also developed a separate city for hotel workers, which in 1894 became West Palm Beach, the county's oldest incorporated municipality. Major Nathan Boynton, Congressman William S. Linton, and railroad surveyor Thomas Rickards also arrived in the 1890s and developed communities that became Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and Boca Raton, respectively.

References

  1. Engineers. Jacksonville District, United States. Army. Corps of (1966). Survey Report on Jupiter Inlet, Florida (Digitized ed.). Cornell University: U.S. Army Engineer District, Jacksonville, Corps of Engineers. pp. 1–74.
  2. David (2023-10-15). "The Jeaga – Palm Beach County's Indigenous Tribe". WestPalmBeach.com. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  3. David (2023-10-15). "The Jeaga – Palm Beach County's Indigenous Tribe". WestPalmBeach.com. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  4. Minnesota, University of (1971). Public Works for Water and Power Development and Atomic Energy Commission Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1972: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate, Ninety-second Congress, First Session (Digitized ed.). University of Minnesota: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 1909.
  5. Drake, White, Lynn Lasseter, William Carlin (2003). Jupiter. Arcadia. pp. 9–95. ISBN   9780738515786.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. "History". Jupiter Inlet District. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  7. Corps of Engineers, United States. Army (1996). Coast of Florida Erosion and Storm Effects Study, Region III, Palm Beach County: Environmental Impact Statement (Digitized ed.). Northwestern University: United States. Army Corps of Engineers. pp. 11–21.
  8. University, Northwestern (1988). Martin County Beach Erosion Control Study: Environmental Impact Statement (Digitized ed.). Northwestern University: Northwestern University. pp. 3–23.
  9. Gillis, Marconi, Murray, Susan, Richard A., Debi (June 22, 2015). Palm Beach County During World War II. Arcadia (published 2015). p. 33. ISBN   9781439652053.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. "Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum". Trail of Florida's Indian Heritage. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  11. "Lighthouse History - Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum". 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  12. "Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area | Bureau of Land Management". www.blm.gov. Retrieved 2024-08-29.