In 1827, Andrew Jackson appointed his good friend, ex-governor of Georgia, John Clark to be "Keeper of the Trees". John Clark and his family settled in St. Andrew. This area was called Old Town, St. Andrew. The trees were about 300 feet tall, both pine and oak. The U.S. Navy needed this timber for ship building. This was a new territory and had much to offer: fertile land, timber, and fishing. It was through Governor Clark's selection of St. Andrew as a home that other prominent and influential settlers came to the area.