Little River, Big History

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In 1870, Civil War veteran William Henry Jackson chartered the steamboat Cleo to explore the St. Sebastian River. This famous photograph now hangs on the walls of the Sebastian Historical Museum.

He just keeps rollin’ along”—that’s what the St. Sebastian River does year after year like the Mississippi in Ol’ Man River, the unforgettable theme song from Show Boat.

Like its mighty brother, the St. Sebastian “don’t say nothin,” shrugging off slights and blunders at the careless hands of man and an occasional curve ball from the fates. The river has endured numerous name changes, demotion to creek status, an earthquake, Indian wars, the Civil War, pollution, muck, mud and a bloody visit from the notorious Ashley Gang.

Blue and sparkling, the river rolls right into the Indian River Lagoon on its way to the Atlantic. It is lined on both sides with the fine riverside homes of people who value its beauty, and the biggest town on the river honors it by bearing its name: Sebastian.

 Read the entire article in the January 2007 issue

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