Topographical Survey in Port Salerno, FL

In the 1920s, a small settlement was created in the southern shores of St. Lucie river inlet. It was named “Salerno” because of its visual resemblance to the Italian city of Salerno as observed by an early visitor. Early settlers were fisherman who lived along the banks of the Manatee Pocket, a small natural bay in the St. Lucie River. Some decedents of these original settlers remain in the area with some owning family land for over 100 years.

The area increased in population and importance after World War II, with many people from the northeastern United States moving to Florida. In 1960, the name was changed to Port Salerno, in order to differentiate it from that of the Italian city.

The 1967 film Gentle Giant was partially filmed in and around Port Salerno. The only grocery store in town was P.O. Smith’s Grocery, which was housed in a small wooden building at the intersection of Snake Rd (later renamed Salerno Rd) and A1A. This grocery store was featured in the production in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, but had been transformed into a saloon before being filmed. This was because the grocery store had swinging “saloon style” doors.