Fort Pierce, city (2020 pop. 47,297),
seat of St. Lucie co., SE Fla., on Indian River (a lagoon; part of the
Intracoastal Waterway); settled in the 1860s around a fort; inc. 1901 as a
city. With harbor and rail facilities, it is a distribution center for a
cattle and farm area yielding citrus fruits and vegetables. Other industries
are commercial fishing and tourism. Two bridges connect the city with its
ocean beach resorts. Tales of a 16th-century Spanish galleon believed to
have sunk off the coast have brought interested visitors; actual gold and
silver coins and other artifacts have been found. Fort Pierce has two
museums.
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