Martin County, Florida
The story of Stuart
Everything below is a single verifiable claim with a citation attached. Where the record is a local legend rather than a document, it says so.
- 1895Renamed Stuart
- 1914Incorporated
- 1957Adopts Sailfish Capital of the World
founding
How it started
- 1895
Known as Potsdam from 1893, the town was renamed Stuart in 1895, incorporated in 1914, and chartered as a city in 1925 when it became the seat of the newly created Martin County.
etymology
How it got its name
- 1895
Renamed in 1895 for Homer Hine Stuart Jr., a local landowner who held 160 acres around the railway station.
industry
What it lived on
-
The Florida East Coast Railway arrived between 1892 and 1896 and made the town; the water did the rest, at the meeting of the St. Lucie River, the Indian River Lagoon and the Atlantic.
claim to fame
What it is known for
- 1957
Stuart formally adopted the slogan Sailfish Capital of the World in 1957.
landmark
What still stands
-
The Lyric Theatre in the historic downtown.
-
The St. Lucie River, where it meets the Indian River Lagoon.