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What's  In a Name?

Where did "Sawgrass" come from? The sawgrass, of course, but many other names were considered. The original developer, James R. Stockton Jr., looked for names and discovered the original maps called the area "Diego Plains" after Fort San Diego, which guarded the headwaters of the Tolomato River. The name came from Diego Espinosa, who owned a large cattle ranch in the area. That name was rejected as not being suitable for a beach resort. Stockton and his development team considered many names but nothing appealed to them.

According to Maurice Robinson's "Hidden History of Ponte Vedra", Stockton called the suggestions "clitches... like Sea Spray Ocean Wilds, Dune Village, junk like that." Like many good ideas, this one came at night. "As I was trying to go to sleep one night, churning and tossing over a tangle of names I almost gave up. It's growing wild, I said to myself, like all that sawgrass on the property." The naming team met again and Stockton announced his decision. That's how a lowly plant with little use became an International name.

What is sawgrass? It's a plant in the Cladium genus found in tropical and temperate regions. The Indians use it to cut things. Alligators use it to build nests, That's about it, although research continues to see it it can be a source for ethanol. But the word "Sawgrass" has world wide recognition. And not because of a plant.

Neighborhoods

  • Lake Julia: Named for one of Jimmy Stockton's daughters.
  • Kathryn Oaks: Named for the mother of developer Randy Brown.
  • Fisherman's Cove: Named by Arvida when condos were built.
  • Tifton Way: Name for a type of bermudagrass that grew in that area.
  • Preston Trail: Named for Jimmy Stockton's sister Preston.
  • Deer Run: Named in memory of a doe found dead on the property.
  • Rough Creek: It's between the rough on No. 1 East and wetlands. Built in 1974 as the first development.
  • Old Barn Island: Named for a barn that was on the property.
  • Lake Caroline: Named for one of Jimmy Stockton's daughters.
  • The Preserve: In developer maps of the '70,s this referred to as "The Wildlife Preserve"
  • Lake Elizabeth: Named for one of Jimmy Stockton's daughters.
  • Lake Kathryn: Name after Randy Brown's daughter

Roads

  • Portsmouth Ct.: An Arvida name. No one can recall its origin.
  • Troon Trace: Named by Arvida, unboubtedly taken from the famed Scottish course.
  • Preston Trail: See above.
  • Osprey Point and Circle: an osprey nest was in a tree on this tract.
  • Tifton Way: It was developed by a builder from Atlanta, and the name may have been in honor of his birthplace, Tifton, Ga.
  • Deer Run: See above.
  • Village Walk Lane: Named by Arvida.
  • Oak Hammock Dr.: A "hammock" is a high piece of ground in a swamp.
  • Old Barn Ct.: Named after a structure on The Farm, which was James Stockton Sr.'s name for the land.
  • Sea Island Drive: Named for the resort in Southeast Georgia.
  • Duck Hook: Named after an errant drive with a sharp "hook"