While the residents of the newly formed, independent United States of America operated on “training wheels” while learning to live in a democracy, Florida still belonged to Spain. La Florida was considered the new frontier, an opportunity for those willing to leave the Carolinas and Georgia behind.

Two such people were James Cashen and his wife, Susan Kehr Cashen. Cashen was originally from Ireland, but by 1790, he and his family were living in Chatham County, Georgia. Susan was from Pennsylvania and of German descent.  She was also much younger than James. Her father, Daniel Kehr, fought in the Revolution. James became a naturalized U.S. citizen in Dougherty, Georgia, on April 16, 1798.

James Cashen was a sea captain by trade. He specialized in transportation, advertising his services as “the disposal of cargoes, purchases and sale of produce.” He also ran a mercantile to sell those goods. His ship was named The Armada, a vessel captained by Lorenzo Segui himself, a rumored smuggler. At one point, he had a grocery in Burnt Fort Ferry on the Satilla River, but it was raided and destroyed by the Creek Indians.

What was then Florida was located just on the other side of the St. Mary’s River, and the river itself served as an international border between Spanish Florida and the young United States. Seeing the immense opportunities afforded by the Spanish land grant system in Florida, James and Susan Cashen moved to Amelia Island in 1802. They began to apply for land grants and bought land grants from other grantees. One such land grant was located at the northern end of Fleming Island, near Doctors Lake along the St. Johns River. More specifically, this was where the Pace Island community and Creighton Road are now. The land was one of the smaller grants the Cashens claimed, acquired from Andrew Plyem and John Creighton.

Meanwhile, Amelia Island was home to the Cashens’ 1,000-acre grant. The plantation there was called Erin Hall. They had 36 slaves, 100 acres of cotton, 50 acres of corn, and 20 acres of potatoes and peas. This operation supplemented Cashen’s shipping and mercantile business. There was another plantation called Plum Orchard, which was a 700-acre tract on the west side of Amelia Island.

By 1812, James Cashen was the second wealthiest man on Amelia Island. He was the local “juez pedaneo," or magistrate, and the local militia captain. He was described as “wealthy and respectable, owning a large fine house with costly furniture not common in Florida” and as “a liberal gentleman who provided those in want of provisions food.” Susan was described by James as being “born and raised a lady.” Her table was “well furnished with silver and plate."

These finer things made the Cashen properties targets. The Cashen plantations were repeatedly raided by bandittti and by Americans. The War of 1812 brought chaos to northeast Florida. William Cope was a bandit who executed a home invasion at Erin Hall. James Cashen himself was kidnapped by the banditti, and they even pulled the rings right off Susan’s fingers. They stole everything, from the slaves down to the sheets off the beds. James eventually escaped.

In 1814, Erin Hall was raided by Americans. They demolished the buildings by burning them down to ashes. Valuable timber was stolen along with the slaves. That raid caused $16,000 in damages. Ironically, in 1793, James had served as a member of the Georgia Militia, but his fellow Americans did not appreciate his service that day.

James Cashen spent much time and effort trying to recover his stolen slaves and property, but he was never entirely made whole again. He and later Susan, both his widow and sole heir, filed claims for damages, but they were awarded a pittance compared to the requested funds.

Susan's claim was rejected in 1828 when it came time to confirm the Doctors Lake grant with the grant commission. The Cashens had not developed the land adequately.

Today, many of the deeds to property in the area of the former land grant still bear Susan’s name in the legal descriptor that reads “part of the Susan Cashen grant.”

For more information about the land grants mentioned throughout Clay County’s history, don't hesitate to contact the Clay County Archives Center by calling (904) 371-0027 or emailing clayarchives@clayclerk.com. The Archives Center, located at 21 Gration Place in Green Cove Springs, is part of the Historic Triangle site and is open most Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.