During Florida's British Colonial period from 1763 to 1783, Doctor Andrew Turnbull established at this site the largest colony in North America. Approximately 1300 Minorcans, Greeks, and Italians made up the colony, which was named after Smyrna in Asia Minor, the birthplace of Dr. Turnbull's wife. The colony successfully produced indigo dye, rice, hemp, and other crops for shipment to England, and its people built buildings, wharfs, and a canal system that are still visible today. Despite these successes, the colony failed after nine years, and approximately 600 survivors relocated to St. Augustine, where many of their descendants reside.