He moved to Florida for health reasons in 1837, and brought his wife and two children in August 1839. They originally settled in Garey's Ferry,[1] near Jacksonville.
With the Armed Occupation Act, he filed a claim to settle in the area now known as Ankona, just south of present-day Fort Pierce, which was then called Susanna. He introduced pineapple cultivation, which would later prove to be a significant crop for the area.
He was the first sheriff of what was then St. Lucia County in 1847.
In order to supplement his income, he purchased a schooner, which he named "The Josephine" which he used to become a commercial fisherman. He harvested green sea turtles, and sold them in Charleston. He took good care of his cargo during shipping, and developed a reputation for quality goods. Burnham also raised sheep.
After hostilities with natives, in August 1849, the Burnham's and most of the other settlers left the colony and fled to safety in St. Augustine.[1] He and his family which now included three more daughters, moved to Canaveral, in 1853. He was the keeper of the Cape Canaveral Light for 30 years beginning in 1853.[4]
