- Upon seeing the river for the first time the Spanish name the lagoon, “Rio de Ais” after the Ais Indians who inhabited the area during that time. As time progressed, it simply became The Indian River.
- The Ais Indians lived along the Lagoon from Cape Canaveral to about where the Ft. Pierce Inlet is until about the 1700s.
- It wasn’t until after 1803 that the Louisiana Purchase spurred the desire to explore that Westerners begin to settle Central Florida Coastline.
- In 1821 the U.S. purchased Florida from Spain.
- In 1830 Capt. Douglas D. Dummitt established a citrus grove on Merritt Island. Indian River Fruit became known as the finest fruit in America.
- Many made their way past the Indian River Lagoon as they traveled south to Miami and the Keys on the Florida East Coast Highway built by Henry Flagler.
- During the 1940s a real estate boom brought many people to live on Florida Central Coast.
- July 1, 1962 the Kennedy Space Center opened on the shores of the Indian River, and the area became known as the Space Coast.
Boat Club Tour Guide Training
Having a 321 Boat Club membership gives you hundreds of chances every year to get out on the water and explore your surroundings. Once you know all the secret fishing spots, what time of year the manatees are the most active, and how to stand up on a wake board you’ll probably worry about what to do next. The obvious answer is, become a tour guide.
Taking friends and family out onto the Lagoon and touring them around with interesting facts and tidbits can be a great way to share your knowledge of the lagoon all while enjoying the freedom your boat club membership affords you. Here are just a few extra bits of information you can add to your extensive cache of insider information.