THE COVER
Fort Matanzas, like its elder companion Fort Marion, 16 miles away at
St. Augustine, is a venerable coquina stronghold built on the Matanzas
River to protect the interests of Spain during the dramatic period of
international rivalry for possession of sunny Florida. Matanzas means
bloody and the fearsome name was derived from the slaughter of
some 300 French Huguenots in the vicinity of 1565. The 40-foot-square
fortress, situated on Rattlesnake Island to guard the south inlet of
the river, became a national monument by presidential proclamation of
October 15, 1924. It is pictured on the cover by Samuel O. Smart,
Assistant Landscape Architect.
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