Memories of Palatka. By the mid-1800s, the historic town of Palatka was a transportation hub for steamboat traffic. In the early 20th century, it became a battleground against the Ku Klux Klan. In 1933, Ravine Gardens State Park became a WPA project. Beginning in the 1970s, The Florida School of the Arts provided performers for "Cross and Sword," the official state play of Florida.