St. Augustine has a rich maritime history. It was an fishing epicenter in the early days of modern shrimping in the US. The San Sebastian River that runs through the City was once lined with shrimp packing houses, boat builders, and 'log jammed' with rafted boats. Marine Supply and Oil that was started in the 1940s continues to outfit shrimp boats all over the world.
In the late 1990s I was asked by the Florida Preservation Board to research the industry and present at Marine Supply's 50th anniversary. My work revealed to me the importance of shrimping to our city and
how many people worked at these demanding jobs over the years.
Several years ago I was again fortunate to develop an exhibit on shrimping for the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum. They have a done a commendable job of collecting and interpreting shrimping history.
I grabbed these photos with my Iphone this afternoon on the San Sebastian and it brought back a lot of memories. If you have a chance, eat some Florida-caught shrimp... I guarantee you'll be glad you did.
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