Jensen Beach

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	Martin County Growth Management > Community Redevelopment > Jensen Beach


	The original inhabitants of Jensen Beach were the Ais Indians, whose lifestyle revolved around the river and ocean. In 1565, the Spaniards built a fort somewhere in this vicinity, naming it for the patron saint of that day, St. Lucie. James Hutchinson obtained a land grant from the Spanish governor in 1807, for land on the west bank of the Indian River to raise hogs. This endeavor proved unsuccessful. After the Seminole Indians occupied the area, under the Armed Occupation Act of 1842, settlers homesteaded land from Sewall�s Point (south of Jensen Beach) northward to the Sebastian River (40 miles north of Jensen Beach) and grew pineapples. John Lawrence Jensen was an immigrant from Denmark via West Virginia. In 1881, he qualified for a Homestead Certificate for the land that now bears his name. In 1895, Jensen was called �The Pineapple Capital of the World�, and included a pineapple-canning factory. In the mid 1890�s, commercial fishing became another big industry. In 1925, Jensen joined with Stuart and its southern neighbors to form Martin County (the area previously included parts of Martin, St. Lucie and Palm Beach Counties). That same year, the village was incorporated as Jensen Beach and a mile long wooden bridge was built to Hutchinson Island. During the 1960�s financial institutions returned to the historic Jensen Village area of Jensen Beach and new businesses opened. As the village entered its second century, community leaders joined forces to improve the area while retaining the traditional small-town atmosphere that has always been enhanced by and intertwined with the Indian River Lagoon. In 2002, the Martin County Board of County Commissioners adopted the Jensen Beach Community Redevelopment Plan. Jensen Beach continues to evolve into a residential, commerical and tourist location along the St. Lucie River. To learn more about the Jensen Beach CRA click on the links provided on the right hand column.