History of Ulumay

The Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary in Merritt Island was the site of several Native American villages from the Ais Tribe, that was mapped first in 1605, when the Spanish Governor Pedro de Ybarra sent Lt. Alvaro Mexia on a diplomatic mission.  Ulumay was documented as a village of the Ais Indians who disappeared around 1720.  The name Ulumay has survived as the name of the Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary, named by naturalist and local historian Johnnie Johnson.
 
The first residence on Merritt Island, Sams House, was moved from Eau Gallie and occupied in 1878.  This property is located approximately ten miles North of Ulumay, near the entrance to Kennedy Space Center.  The population of Merritt Island grew slowly from 1878 until the 1950s when the space program began. 
   
No records indicate that humans have occupied the Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary since the departure of the Native Americans.  However, the population of the surrounding areas grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s with the strong influence of the space program.
  
Ulumay was once considered Brevard County's biggest mosquito producing property.  In the 1950s, the county began managing the mosquito through diking and water control efforts.   In the early sixties, horizontal canals were cut to aid mosquito control efforts.  In 1992, a Port Authority mitigation project brought restoration to the wetlands, with the installation of thirty-six culverts through the dikes to reconnect the wetlands to the lagoon system.
 
The rookery or nesting area for the endangered wood stork was observed at Ulumay until it was destroyed by the 1985 freeze.   Wood storks are frequently seen at Ulumay now, but no nesting activity has been reported.

Notes:
Brevard County Parks and Recreation provides more information on the history of the Ulumay area at Historic Feature: Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary.
If you have additional information regarding the history of Ulumay or some old photos, please contact us.