Julington Creek
{{Short description|Stream in Saint John County, Florida}}
{{distinguish|Julington Creek Plantation, Florida}}
Julington Creek is a waterway in Duval County, Florida{{cite gnis|308002|Julington Creek|September 9, 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HiYsAQAAIAAJ&dq=julington+creek&pg=PA1250|title=The National Gazetteer of the United States of America: Florida 1992|date=June 13, 1992|publisher=The Survey|via=Google Books}} widening out into the St. Johns River in the southern part of Jacksonville. Durbin Creek is a tributary. Julington Creek feeds into the St Johns River widening out into Old Bull Bay by the border of Duval and St. Johns County, Florida. It is navigable by paddlecraft{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-bwFUtsfAEMC&dq=julington+creek&pg=PA110|title=St. Johns River Guidebook|first=Kevin M.|last=McCarthy|date=June 13, 2008|publisher=Pineapple Press Inc|isbn=9781561644353|via=Google Books}} and there are boat launches and a marina.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tXIDNqOgVdkC&dq=julington+creek&pg=PA122|title=Cruising Guide to Eastern Florida: 5th Edition|first=Young|last=Claiborne|publisher=Pelican Publishing|isbn=9781455603152|via=Google Books}}
Formerly known as Julianton Creek, land surrounding it in the area of the Julianton Plantation was granted by British Governor of East Florida Patrick Tonyn to John Christian Ross.https://history.domains.unf.edu/floridahistoryonline/projects-proj-b-p-html/projects-plantations-html/hierarchy-of-plantation-pages/sweetwater-branch-and-julington-creek/ Ross was Scottish and part of a prominent family. He had two daughters with one of his slaves. He freed her and moved from Florida to Dominica in 1784, but died within the year. Their two daughters were sent to Edinburgh to live with his father John Ross of Arnage, Aberdeenshire, the "deaf and dumb laird".https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/facing-our-past-at-fyvie-castlehttps://digital.nls.uk/publications-by-scottish-clubs/archive/82218706?mode=transcription Arnage Castle was home to family members.
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote about her visits to the creek while she was living in Mandarin, Florida, in Palmetto Leaves (1873).{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I3foZ-c4kAUC&dq=julington+creek&pg=PA28|title=At Home on this Earth: Two Centuries of U.S. Women's Nature Writing|first1=Lorraine|last1=Anderson|first2=Thomas S.|last2=Edwards|date=June 13, 2002|publisher=UPNE|isbn=9781584651932|via=Google Books}}
History
Land along the Julington Creek was subject to claims in the late 18th century.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QfA1AQAAMAAJ&dq=julington+creek&pg=PA115|title=American State Papers: Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States|first=United States|last=Congress|date=June 13, 1860|publisher=Gales and Seaton|via=Google Books}}
An account of Florida from 1837 describes settlements in an area of Julington Creek.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-C0lAAAAMAAJ&dq=julington+creek&pg=PA137|title=The Territory of Florida: Or Sketches of the Topography, Civil and Natural History, of the Country, the Climate, and the Indian Tribes, from the First Discovery to the Present Time|first=John Lee|last=Williams|date=June 17, 1837|publisher=A. T. Goodrich|via=Google Books}} There was a ferry across the Julington Creek.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6D4TAAAAYAAJ&q=julington+creek|title=The Florida Historical Quarterly|date=June 17, 1956|publisher=Florida Historical Society|via=Google Books}}
Geography
The Bartram Canoe Trail runs from Durbin Creek to Julington Creek.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K2eJF1cAC0wC&dq=julington+creek&pg=PA138|title=An Outdoor Guide to Bartram's Travels|first1=Charles D.|last1=Spornick|first2=Alan|last2=Cattier|first3=Robert J.|last3=Greene|date=June 13, 2003|publisher=University of Georgia Press|isbn=9780820324388|via=Google Books}} Florida State Road 13 (the William Bartram Scenic and Historic Highway) has a bridge over the Julington Creek.https://paddlingmag.com/trips/autauga-creek-trip-3/https://bartramcanoetrail.blogspot.com/?m=1
Julington-Durbin Creek Preserve includes the peninsula formed where Julington Creek and Durbin Creek meet before Julington Creek flows towards Old Bull Bay.https://www.jacksonville.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation-and-community-programming/parks/julington-durbin-creek-preserve There is also a Julington Creek Elementary School and the community of Julington Creek Plantation in St. Johns County.
File:Julington Durbin Creek Preserve, Jacksonville, United States (Unsplash).jpg
Also along Julington Creek are the Hood Landing Public Kayak Launch and Tommy Hazouri Sr. Park (formerly known as Mandarin Park) and includes the Mandarin Park Boat Ramphttps://www.jacksonville.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation-and-community-programming/parks/tommy-hazouri-park-647 in Jacksonville's Mandarin neighborhood.
The Cormorant Branch stream flows into Julington Creek.
Big Davis Creek is another tributary to Julington Creek. Palmetto Leaves Regional Park is along it. The south entrance has a canoe/ kayak launch.https://www.jacksonville.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation-and-community-programming/parks/palmetto-leaves-regional-park
See also
- Palmetto Leaves, an 1873 memoir and travel guide written by Harriet Beecher Stowe about her winters in the town of Mandarin
- List of parks in Jacksonville, Florida
References
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{{coord|30.1261|-81.6415|format=dms|type:river_region:US-FL|display=title}}