Discover Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce's name comes from a military post established nearby in 1838 during the Second Seminole War. The post honored Benjamin Kendrick Pierce, a career Army officer; the later municipality incorporated in 1901. The fort and city therefore represent different stages of the area's history.
More about Fort Pierce
Literary history provides another important connection. Zora Neale Hurston spent the final two years of her life in Fort Pierce and is buried there. The county's Hurston Branch Library serves as a starting point for the Dust Tracks Heritage Trail and houses Ade Rossman's artwork interpreting her life, commissioned in 2006. The trail connects the writer's legacy to actual community places rather than treating it only as a name attached to a building.
The Highwaymen Heritage Trail follows a related but distinct cultural story. These Black landscape painters developed their work in and around Fort Pierce, creating images of Florida's environment while finding ways to sell outside established gallery channels. The city's trail includes the former studio of A. E. Backus, whose mentorship forms part of the account.
Together, the municipal history, library and artists' trail reveal a city shaped by more than its shoreline. Military naming, literature and visual art leave different kinds of evidence, each helping explain its wider cultural importance.
Sources
- City of Fort Pierce: History of Leadership: https://www.cityoffortpierce.com/1047/History-of-Leadership
- St. Lucie County: Hurston Branch: https://www.stlucieco.gov/departments-and-services/library/locations-and-hours/hurston-branch
- City of Fort Pierce: Highwaymen Heritage Trail: https://cityoffortpierce.com/534/About-the-Highwaymen-Heritage-Trail
