A New Capital
Vignoles
The Charleston Daily Courier, January 11, 1821
Another influence on Simmons was Charles Vignoles, who he may have met in Charleston. Charles Vignoles born in 1793 in Ireland, arrived in Charleston in 1817 where he took a job as Assistant to the South Carolina Surveyor General. Vignoles established a surveying office in Charleston which was located at the corner of Anson and Guignard streets. Vignoles ran regular advertisements for his business in The Charleston Daily Courier and was appointed assistant to the South Carolina Surveyor General.
Whether Simmons met Vignoles in Charleston or not, he did meet Vignoles in St. Augustine for in July of 1821 Vignoles arrived in St. Augustine aboard the Schoner Florida and immediately set up an office.
The St. Augustine, Florida Gazette. July 28, 1821
Simmons says in his book Notices of East Florida,
Mr. Vignoles, also, a surveyor of the Province, a gentleman of talents and science, guided chiefly by an enlightened curiosity, made an excursion into the interior of the country, as soon as it transfer to the American authority, rendered it safe to do so, and collected much geographical information, which he embodied in a short description, that appeared in some of our daily gazettes.
In 1822 Vignoles made two expeditions surveying and exploring Florida. The first expedition began in February 1822 where he surveyed the east and southwest coasts, including the Florida Keys. The second quickly followed in which he mapped the interior. Vignoles provides only brief notes of Alachua saying,
The great Alachua savanna is the most considerable, being but seldom entirely free from water. Many curious stories are circulated among the Indians respecting a whirlpool, where a subterraneous discharge of water is said to take place; but the author has not been able to ascertain the fact.
Vignoles does not mention visiting Wantons, but he does mention Micanopy saying,
The paths through this portion of Florida are numerous: the main routes from the Suwanee meet in the centre of the Alachua at the town of Micanopy, on the northern bank of Taskawilla [Tuskawilla] lake; from hence which was the antient capital of the Indian nation, the tracts diverge in all directions to Black creek, Picolati, Vibrilia and Buffalo bluff on the central parts of St. John’s river: routes also go down to Tampa bay through the chain of Indian villages and settlements, and to the lower crossing places over the Ocklawaha by way of lake Ware [Weir], and hence a path leads to Volusia on the St. John’s above lake George.
The paths from Micanopy are shown on Vignoles map. After returning north, Vignoles published his map and associated book Observations upon the Floridas (March 1823) which included a chapter on the native Indians.
While Vignoles’ map had not yet been published when Simmons set off in February of 1822, he had been in communication with Vignoles in St. Augustine and perhaps Vignoles had shown Simmons his map in progress or at least discussed routes to Alachua.[1]
[1] R66,p23, Simmons says “By means of the communications of the persons abovementioned,” referring to Charles Vignoles and Horatio Dexter.
Updated: 2026-08-07