WEST VOLUSIA AND THE ST. JOHNS RIVER
- A 15,000-YEAR LOVE AFFAIR -

      Then another European conflict, known either as the Seven Years’ War or the French and Indian War, spilled over to the New World. Britain, her American colonists and Indian allies won the fight. As a spoil of the war, England got West Florida from the Spanish in 1763.

     Among the natives who allied themselves with Britain was the Creeks, and Indian nation in what is now Georgia and Alabama. Creeks and British troops invaded Florida and raided Spanish plantations. Some of the Creeks liked what they saw here, so, after the war, they came back with their families. These were the first Seminoles.

     Some of the early Seminoles settled in the West Volusia area. They rounded up wild cattle that had strayed from the Spanish settlements and lived peacefully with British whites who were developing plantations in the area. Two of the British plantations -- one by Lake Beresford southwest of what is now DeLand and another in what now is DeLeon Springs -- were in West Volusia. The planters grew sugar cane and indigo (a plant used to make a dark blue dye).

     Life was good for these colonists. Great Britain supported them with supplies and protected them with troops while leaders in the 13 colonies north of Florida were becoming disenchanted with English rule. When those other colonies rebelled, Florida remained loyal to the crown.

     Other colonists, called Tories, who were loyal to Britain, ran from or were run out of the 13 rebellious colonies. They found haven here and allies in the Seminoles. Raiding parties of both whites and Seminoles hit Georgia and the Carolinas. Georgians and Carolinians raided back.

     Florida became a battleground for a vicious guerrilla war. The Revolution ended in 1783 and Spain took Florida back from the British. Trying to get residents into the territory, Spain offered large land grants to settlers. A few Americans were enticed into West Volusia and one of them tried to re-start the DeLeon Springs plantation.

     Probably the most successful development at this time was an Indian trading post where the St. Johns narrows just before entering Lake George, about 10 miles north of DeLeon Springs. The post became known as Volusia Landing.

     Nobody knows for sure why the post got that name or what the word "Volusia" means. Historians say "Volusia" probably comes from the name of a settler. Whatever the origin of the name, it got applied to the settlement that grew up around the trading post and, eventually, to the entire county.