History

'Palatka' is a contraction of an Indian word meaning 'cow crossing' or 'cow ford'.   The original was some variation of 'Pilaklikaha' or 'Pilotaikita.' Originally spelled 'PIlatka', the City Charter, approved on January 8, 1853,had the name spelled 'Palatka', sparking a debate as to the "correct" spelling which would last another twenty-two years until the U.  S.  Post Office officially changed the spelling to 'Palatka' on May 24, 1875 so as

not to cause confusion with the town of 'Picolata'.

As early as 1655 the Spanish were developing Palatka, as well as Gainesville and Tallahassee into the state's three principal ranching areas to feed the settlers particularly in the St.  Augustine area where the slaughterhouses were located.  Palatka became the main forging point for the cattle to cross the St.  Johns River on their way to the slaughterhouse.

In 1763 when the British took possession of Florida all Spanish land holdings were declared null and void and the Spanish left the state.

On an expedition in April 1774 William Bartram, a British Botanist, wrote of finding an Indian village on the site of present day Palatka.  The village included a large cultivated orange grove and several hundred acres of corn, potatoes, beans, squash, melons and tobacco.

After the war for Independence broke out Florida became a haven for loyal British subjects and Florida population swelled from 3,000 in 1776 to 17,000 in 1784.  One such immigrant, Joshua Gray, an unmarried mulatto farmer and Indian interpreter received 1,500 acres, which is known as the Palatka Tract today or "Gray's Place".

The 1890s ended Palatka's golden age.  The railroad, while continuing to be of importance, could no longer compete with Jacksonville.  The steamships were reduced to operating only during the tourist season.

The "Great Freezes" of 1894-1895 virtually wiped out Palatka's citrus industry forever.

After the great freeze Palatka expanded industrially expanding the number of industries especially those dependent upon wood or its byproducts.  Wilson Cypress Company became the largest cypress mill in the world producing 80,000 feet of lumber and 60,000 shingles daily.  By 1910 Palatka had become the major industrial center it is today.