Fort Capron was a U.S. Army post established in March 1850 by Captain Erastus A. Capron, a U.S. Army officer during the Second Seminole War. Fort Capron was built to replace Fort Pierce which burned down in 1843. During the 3rd Seminole War, the log fort provided housing for the soldiers. The fort remained in existence for 8 years and had three commanders. The first commander was Lieutenant Jonathan Ridley, followed by Lieutenant Ambrose Powell Hill who would go on to serve in the confederacy under Stonewall Jackson. General Jesup used Fort Capron along with a string of other forts to drive the Seminoles into the Everglades. The road used by patrols for the military from Fort Capron to Fort Dallas in Miami is known as Military Trail in Palm Beach County. Captain Abner Doubleday, the last commander of the fort evacuated the post on June 14,1858. The civilians who remained in the area around the fort for protection stayed and formed St. Lucie Village.
A stone monument in St. Lucie Village marks the site of the fort where Chamberlin Rd. meets the Indian River. The marker is not in the exact spot of the fort which was located a short distance away in a southwest direction. The marker was put in place on July 4, 1925 by a chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. read more