New Jacksonville historical marker reveals Cow Ford war secrets

Cow Ford, frequently spelled Cowford, is the original historical name for present-day Jacksonville and was more than a narrow point in the St. Johns River where cows could be herded through the water from one side to the other.

It was also more than a ferry crossing that "helped shape early settlement and trade in the region," according to the Fort San Nicholas Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.The Cow Ford also played a critical role in the Revolutionary War, which has been commemorated by a historical marker recently unveiled on the Northbank Riverwalk.

The new sign replaces an earlier version that was near the old Duval County Courthouse but was damaged when the building was demolished, said Carol Garner, the local DAR committee member who researched the history in the National Archives, among other sources. The DAR chapter received a $15,000 grant from the state Division of Arts and Culture America 250 program to assist in the unveiling.

Garner spent two years on the project, including writing 25 versions of the marker's text and obtaining endorsements of the National DAR, Mayor Donna Deegan and state historical marker program coordinator Jeremy Heiker and his state committee, which included descendants of the Seminole Indian tribe that was in the Northeast Florida at the time.

She discovered documents written by American patriots that showed the ferry was used for artillery and munitions transport by the British based in the St Augustine area. The weaponry was needed to fight the American patriots in the southern portions of the colonies. Meanwhile, the patriots tried to gain control of the ferry from the British and from the Native Indians who were loyal to the British, she said.

The earlier sign did not mention the patriots' ferry involvement, Garner said.

The patriots commandeered the ferry from British soldiers, who stood out in their red uniforms, by "jumping out of the bushes" and attacking them, Garner said. They even stole those same uniforms to disguise themselves to ambush other loyalists, she said.

The Cow Ford ferry led to Kings Road, a major transportation route of the day. Over the years, the two-word name evolved into one word - Cowford ― according to Roberta Thomas, another local DAR member involved in the project.

Alan Bliss, CEO of the Jacksonville History Center, said the St. Johns was as important then as it is now, but It was far wider and shallower, and moved slowly through what is now downtown.

"Where depths reach 70 feet or more at the Main Street bridge, 250 years ago depths were no more than around 16 feet at the most," he said. "The banks of the river were gradual slopes that reached further out on either side. That helps explain how it was feasible for cattle drivers to wade and swim cows across the river here, where such a practice would today be far too dangerous."

So much has changed over the past 2½ centuries in Jacksonville, and particularly around the river, Bliss said.

The river and city, he said, "belong to us now, and we belong to them. In glancing back at the past, let's keep the future in mind, and imagine how we can be people whose legacy is sustainable for all those who will come after us."

Finally seeing the marker in place was rewarding, Garner said.

"Pleased as punch," she said. "So proud."

Here's the text on the marker, which is in Corkscrew Park near the CSX Corp. building:

"After Spaniards introduced cattle, the narrow, shallow bend in the St. Johns River was called 'Wacca Pilatka (Where Cows Splash Out) by Seminole cattlemen who drove cows across the river here for generations. In 1763, after the British took control of Florida, they built Kings Road connecting St. Augustine to St. Marys River. On that road, British sailors operated a ferry at the crossing they renamed 'Cow Ford.' During the American Revolution, British forces used the ferry to move artillery, supplies and troops, making it a target. In June 1776, American soldiers attempted to cross Cow Ford but were driven back by Seminole scouts allied with the British. Later Patriot expeditions toward Cow Ford led to defeats in the battles of Thomas Creek and Alligator Creek Bridge. Unofficial raids on Cow Ford deterred British advances by land until the Siege of Savannah October 1779. After the war, the British returned Florida to Spain, which ceded Florida to the United States in the 1819 Adams-Onis treaty. On June 15, 1822, residents of Cow Ford petitioned to establish their town as a U.S. Port of Entry, naming it Jacksonville after General Andrew Jackson."

bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: New Jacksonville historical marker reveals Cow Ford war secrets

Reporting by Beth Reese Cravey, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union

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This story was originally published June 25, 2026 at 12:43 PM.