 The first Collector was James Seagrove.During the antebellum period, Archibald Clark served as the U.S. Customs Collector from 1807 until his death in 1848.After the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves took effect in 1808, St. Marys became, along with Spanish Amelia Island, a center for smuggling, especially during the period between 1812-1819 when various rebel groups held Amelia Island.