Names of the St. Johns River

Four centuries of history are reflected in the changing names of the St. Johns river. From earliest times the leaping surf on the bar which marked the entrance was noticed by coastal explorers. The great volume of water coming from the river was obstructed by a shallow bar which caused a turbulent appearance and earned the river its first name, Rio de Corrientes (River of Currents). This name appears on the earliest known map of the De Soto expedition. Here the southern region and its coast from Cape Hatteras around Florida and beyond the Rio Grande is remarkably accurate in general outline