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Indigenous peoples known as the Mayaca inhabited this land for over 6,000 years. Pedro Menendez, the founder of St. Augustine in 1565, was the first to encounter the Mayaca near Lake George in 1566. In the late 1500s, Spanish missions were established in the region.
Between 1763 and 1783, Florida was under English control, but this particular area remained unoccupied. Spain regained authority in 1783 and granted land to U.S. citizens, starting with William Williams who owned 2,020 acres here and also had the first enslaved Africans. He named his estate Spring Garden Plantation.
Successive owners expanded the plantation, cultivating cotton and sugarcane. In 1832, renowned naturalist John James Audubon visited the plantation, navigating the waterways and painting the limpkin.
The first water-driven sugar mill in Florida was constructed here in 1832 – remnants of the brickwork and machinery are preserved behind the eatery. In 1835, Seminole Indians raided the plantation, demolishing the mill and abducting slaves and livestock. General Zachary Taylor’s troops eventually expelled the Seminoles two years later. The mill was reconstructed in 1849 and continued to produce cotton and sugar, employing up to 100 enslaved individuals.
During the Civil War, in April 1864, Union forces, upon learning that the owner was aiding the Confederate Army, razed the plantation. This event became known as Birney’s Raid.
By the late 1800s, Spring Garden evolved into a popular destination with steamboat and railway connections. To entice visitors, locals renamed the area from Spring Garden to Ponce de Leon Springs and promoted the spring as the Fountain of Youth.
The Ponce de Leon Springs Hotel and Casino was erected in 1925 (the term “casino” referred to a grand hall for gatherings and dining, not gambling). Boasting only 14 rooms, it appealed to affluent Northern guests. Upon its debut as Ponce de Leon Springs in 1953, the site joined over 100 other roadside attractions in the state. It featured lush gardens, a jungle cruise, tram tours, and even a water-skiing elephant! However, the advent of interstate highways and air travel contributed to its closure after roughly 16 years.
Subsequently, the grounds operated as a private recreational site until 1982 when the state of Florida and Volusia County acquired 55 acres that would become De Leon Springs State Park. Additional acquisitions were made to safeguard the spring, resulting in the park’s present expanse of 625 acres.
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