User:Cuchullain/Mayport

Mayport is a neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida, U.S., and a former independent community. Today most of Mayport is occupied by Naval Station Mayport, a major U.S. Navy base. The remaining community, Mayport Village, comprises about 70 homes near the St. Johns River and a waterfront dock district which serves a fleet of about twenty shrimp boats, the Mayport Ferry, and other vessels. Mayport is part of the Jacksonville Beaches, a group of towns and communities along the Atlantic coast.

Due to its location the Mayport area has long been used as both a fishery and a military outpost. Its history begins in the early days of European colonization; the French explorer Jean Ribault landed near the site in 1562, and later the Spanish constructed batteries there, commencing Mayport's long association with the military. The village grew especially following the United States' acquisition of Florida in 1822, as traffic on the St. Johns River increased. Originally known as Hazard, the village was a base for fishermen and river pilots who help larger ship navigate the ever-shifting sand bar at the river's mouth. The name was changed to Mayport Mills around 1847, following the establishment of a sawmill. In the late 19th century Mayport grew as a resort area, especially after the construction of railroads connecting Mayport with nearby communities and with Jacksonville.

In the 1940s, as the United States entered World War II, the United States Navy acquired most of Mayport for use as a base.