ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Fifth stop:
​When Florida reached South Carolina, St. Helena was an important town

By Miguel Pérez

Near the southeastern tip of Parris Island, which is mostly a U.S. Marine Corps recruitment and training facility in South Carolina, there is a treasure trove of what I call Hidden Hispanic Heritage.

It's not easy to get there. First, you have to pass through a gate were Marine police check your IDs "to make sure you don't have a criminal record." But once they wave you in, and you drive to the fathest tip of the island, you find a sign that says, "Aqui Estuvo España" -- "Spain Was Here."

And then you find a series of markers that let you know that you are in Santa Elena, the site of a 1566-1587 Spanish settlement, and two Spanish Forts, San Felipe and San Marcos.

This place has a lot of Spanish history. This was "the northernmost known bastion of Spanish Florida" -- back when Florida reached all the way up to South Carolina. After St. Augustine, this was the second major settlement established by Pedro Menendez de Aviles and the point of Spanish conflicts with Indians and French and British explorers.

There is a great column to be written about Santa Elena! But for now, we must keep moving south. So, where should we go next? Stay tuned!​

En español: ​​Quinta parada: ​Cuando Florida llegaba hasta Carolina del Sur, Santa Helena era un pueblo importante