The fort was constructed during the
Second Seminole War in support of Colonel
Zachary Taylor's expedition that culminated in the
Battle of Okeechobee in 1837. The
Battle of Loxahatchee was fought soon afterwards as the primary engagements on the east coast of Florida during that period. The post was abandoned after the war. It was reopened during the
Third Seminole War. For most of its existence Fort Vinton was simply known as "Post #2" but was renamed in honor of Captain
John Rogers Vinton (1801–1847), who had served in the area during the Second Seminole War and had died in the
Mexican-American War. Fort Vinton, was an outpost of
Fort Capron at Indian River Inlet. == References ==