Missionary expeditions traveled upriver to convert native populations, and Spanish maps and journals occasionally mention springs and tributaries that may correspond to Blue Spring. Still, the dense forests and swampy terrain meant this area remained largely undisturbed by colonial development until centuries later.
By the late 1700s, Florida would briefly change hands—first to Britain (1763–1783), then back to Spain, and eventually to the United States in 1821. As political tides shifted, the St. Johns River became a key artery for settlement and transportation in the newly forming state.
American Expansion and the Thursby Legacy
The most transformative moment in Blue Spring’s settler history came with the arrival of Louis P. Thursby, a New York native who moved to Florida in the mid-19th century.
Settlement in the 1850s
In 1856, Louis Thursby acquired land around Blue Spring and built a large log cabin overlooking the spring run. This would later be replaced by the iconic Thursby House, constructed in 1872 using lumber milled on-site. The house still stands today and is open to the public as a museum and interpretive center.
Thursby established a steamboat landing on the St. Johns River, connecting his property to Jacksonville and other river towns. Blue Spring became a commercial and transportation hub, attracting settlers, tourists, and citrus growers.
Citrus, Tourism, and Decline
During the Florida citrus boom of the late 19th century, the Thursby family cultivated oranges and shipped them by steamboat. However, devastating freezes in the 1890s and the rise of railroads led to a decline in river commerce. By the early 20th century, Blue Spring had become a quiet retreat, its commercial days fading into memory. shutdown123