Cattle Ranching

During the First Spanish Period from 1565 to 1763, cattle ranching was one of the principal economic activities. Beginning in the middle of the 17th century, Spanish governors issued large tracts of land to prominent families to encourage the development of a Florida-based agricultural and livestock economy. In St. Johns County, two principal ranching areas developed between 1655 and 1702: the Diego Plains along the Tolomato River and an area along the banks of the St. Johns River. Expansion of the cattle industry beyond the country's boundaries largely ended with Governor Moore's invasion in 1702, but cattle raising remained an important part of the economy in St. Johns County, and the land now called Nocatee was considered good grazing land during Spanish occupation.

Nocatee, Florida · United States