Mineral City was one of the earliest towns established in this area of St. Johns County. In 1912, mining engineers George Anson Pritchard and Henry Holland Buckman discovered valuable minerals in the sands of northeast St. Johns County and established a mining operation that later evolved into Mineral City. The town had employee housing, a commissary, and a post office where Pritchard served as postman. During World War I, workers removed ilmenite, rutile, and zircon from the sands to make weapons. In 1920, Buckman and Pritchard sold their company to the National Lead Company of Pittsburgh. After World War II, the minerals were used in products including steel, paint, linoleum, automobile tires, and sparkplugs. In 1928, Mineral City's name was changed to Ponte Vedra Beach.