A counselor at the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital, Eloah Rocha oversees the youth activity center, including setting up the daily activity schedules and monitoring staff members. In her spare time, Eloah Rocha enjoys exploring nature in Florida, and she counts Big Talbot Island among her favorite places to visit.

1. A BRIEF HISTORY
OF BIG TALBOT
ISLAND IN
FLORIDA
E LO A H R O C H A

2. INTRODUCTION
• A counselor at the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital, Eloah Rocha oversees the youth activity
center, including setting up the daily activity schedules and monitoring staff members. In
her spare time, Eloah Rocha enjoys exploring nature in Florida, and she counts Big Talbot
Island among her favorite places to visit.
A natural preserve, Big Talbot Island State Park is located in North Jacksonville, Florida, and
welcomes visitors to study nature, take photographs, and experience bird-watching. Human
beings have enjoyed Big Talbot Island for thousands of years. It was once home to the
Timucua, Florida's most ancient people. The Timucua lived on the island when the first
Europeans arrived during the 16th century. Due to unfortunate factors, the Timucua
population had mostly perished by the second half of the 18th century. Today, Timucua
artifacts remain, including what is left of entire villages, and students from the University of
North Florida are currently studying them to learn more about how the Timucua lived.
European settlers went on to name Big Talbot Island and its neighboring islands after
Charles Baron Talbot, who was Lord High Chancellor of England. They also established
plantations on Big Talbot. The island became a park in 1984.