The Mickler family has lived in this area of St. Johns County since the 1820s. They originally lived in an area known as Palm Valley, which got its name around 1901 for the abundance of palms there. In the 1930s, the Micklers and other community members built a 600-foot pier extending into the Atlantic Ocean at the location of the current park. Many Palm Valley residents helped construct it, including Bob and Jack Mier, Flavin and Merlin Mickler, and Desmond Oesterreicher. The pier was built with palm logs and live oak decking, and the best pilings came from the straightest local palms measuring 20 to 45 feet in height. It also had a windmill and pulley system that brought water up to the pier to keep live bait. A hurricane destroyed the pier in the 1940s, but at very low tide the remains of its palm log foundation can still be seen.