Stuart, Florida
Roughly sixteen thousand multicultural people live in Stuart, Florida in Martin County. Situated on the St. Lucie River and the Atlantic Ocean on Florida’s Treasure Coast, Stuart is known as the Sailfish Capital of the World. The area was once known as Potsdam.
About the Community
In 1895 the city was renamed Stuart in honor of Samuel C. Stuart, telegraph operator and railroad station agent or perhaps Homer Stuart for his hospitality and business acumen. The coast is the site of several shipwrecks and in 1875, a U. S. Lifesaving Station was established on Hutchinson Island. It still stands today as Gilbert’s Bar House of Refuge and is listed on the National Register for Preservation of Historic Places.
The area boomed with the pineapple industry in the 1880s and in 1894, when the FEC railroad track reached Stuart, the city prospered. Citrus and pineapples were exported by rail and tourists arrived here, seeking sunshine. The railroad station became a popular meeting place of the town. The city was incorporated in 1914 and when Martin County was formed in 1925, Stuart became the county seat.
Over the years, tourism in Stuart has bloomed, particularly attracting numerous sports-fishermen looking to catch the coveted sailfish and other sport fish in local waters. It is a yachtsman’s paradise, but you can enjoy a range of boating experiences when you go paddling a kayak, or a canoe, or on a motor yacht or sailing vessel. The Stuart Sailfish Club is one of the oldest sport-fishing clubs in the U.S. The Stuart Beaches offer fishing, surfing, swimming, shelling and snorkeling. The causeways are a popular spot for wind surfers and jet skiers. The Maritime and Yachting Museum of the Treasure Coast is located here.
Nothing is quite as exciting as casting light tackle or fly-fishing for tarpon, redfish or trout along the upper reaches of the St. Lucie River. The lovely restored downtown of Stuart is worth a visit. Fine restaurants accessible by boat are everywhere and offer fine Florida seafood. They have the most interesting ways to prepare the sea’s delights, especially the popular grilled and blackened fish. You can overlook the Atlantic Ocean while dining high atop a hotel, enjoy a view of the St. Lucie Rivers in picturesque settings, or people watch at sidewalk cafes and downtown bistros.
Important Links
Vicinity of Stuart
Additional Details
The Stuart Golf Club is very popular and another local attraction is the Elliott Museum. Martin Memorial Medical Center looks after the residents’ health. Many south Florida residents seeking a more tranquil environment relocate to Stuart. Jonathan Dickinson State Park is located just south of Stuart. It is a nature lover’s delight with wildlife in thirteen natural communities, including sand pine scrub, pine Flatwoods, mangroves, and river swamps.
The Loxahatchee River, Florida’s first federally designated Wild and Scenic River runs through the park. Boating, canoeing, and kayaking along the river are also great ways to see the park. Anglers can catch freshwater fish along the riverbank or from a boat. Paved and off-road biking, equestrian, and hiking trails abound here. . Enjoy a ranger-guided tour of the 1930s pioneer homestead of Trapper Nelson.