From Florida History Online

   Fort Picolata was built and garrisoned by the Spanish to guard the river crossing at the ferry landing for the road they used to carry goods to and from Mission San Luis, near today's Tallahassee. Fort Pupo was built across the St. Johns River from Picolata to protect the river crossing on that side of the river.

   William Bartram in 1774 described Fort Picolata as "very ancient, and was built by the Spaniards. It is a square tower thirty feet high, invested with a high wall, without bastions, about breast high, pierced with loop holes and surrounded with a deep ditch. The upper story is open on each side, with battlements, supporting a cupola or roof: these battlements were formerly mounted with eight four pounders, two on each side.

    "The works are constructed with heavy stone, cemented with lime. The stone was cut out of quarries, on St. Anastasia Island, opposite St. Augustine: it is of a pale reddish brick colour, and a testaceous composition, consisting of small fragments of sea'shells and fine sand. It is well adapted to the constructing of fortifications. It lies in horizontal masses in the quarry, and constitutes the foundation of that island. The castle at St. Augustine, and most of the buldings of the town, are of this stone."

   The incoming British recognized its utility and continued to fortify and garrison it. In 1765 and 1767 Picolata was the setting for important meetings between the leading Creek and Seminole chiefs and Governor James Grant and other British colonial officials. Soon after those meetings a number of farms and plantations were created in the vicinity of Fort Picolata.

   On the 18th of November, 1765, the Creek headmen met with Governor James Grant and Superintendent John Stuart outside Fort Picolata. An open pavilion of pine logs covered by pine boughs had been prepared, essentially "two poles...wraped round with blankets for ye indian chiefs to sit upon." Grant and Stuart were seated at a table which faced the Chiefs and the open end of the pavilion.

   The Creek Chiefs, "about 50 in number," gathered in the plain between the river and the fort before advancing in columns of six, with two men marching on one side carrying dressed deerskins. Two others carried "A pipe dressed with eagle feathers by which ye interpreter marched & a rattle box.

The Creeks had proposed a treaty ceding "ye lands up ye rivers as far as ye tide ran, but that gave ye english no satisfaction." 

   On the second day, Grant and Stuart made alternate proposals. They finally agreed upon "A fine concession of above 25 mile deep, from above fort barrington cross St. Mary's to a point of St. Johns 60 miles above Picolata, several hundred miles in length, as much or more than ye governour expected."

   The signing was then concluded and the governor and the headmen "smoked in ye pipe of friendship. Ye indian chiefs according to their dignity each [were given] a fine silver medal, some as big as ye palm of my hand, others bigger than a dollar, hung in a fine silk ribon two yards long, which ye governour hung about each chiefs neck while ye drums beat & ye guns fired from ye fort & vesail."           The Picolata Congress concluded November 19th, as presents of guns, kettles and blankets were distributed to the Creek headmen.