Turnbull Bay in New Smyrna Beach, Florida is named for a colonial settlement begun by Scottish physician Andrew Turnbull in 1768. Through a grant from the British government in 1768, Turnbull established “New Smyrna”, a colony of indentured and enslaved laborers for the production of indigo, hemp and sugarcane. After 5 years, a majority of the laborers had perished or escaped, but a remaining few of the indentured laborers fled to St. Augustine and sued Turnbull in court for abuse and breach of contract. Today the estuary, which flooded homes on its banks during hurricane Ian in 2015, is a recreation area in the midst of transition as water levels continue to rise.
