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Searching for Juan Ponce de Leon
on the west coast of La Florida
En español: En busca de Juan Ponce de León en la costa oeste de La Florida
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By Miguel Pérez
PUNTA GORDA, FL. — On the east coast of Florida, historians may be finished debating the exact landing site where Juan Ponce de Leon discovered and named La Florida in 1513. But here on the west coast, other historians apparently are still debating the site where he was mortally wounded in 1521. In 2013, a group of Hispanic activists challenged St. Augustine's claim as the discovery and landing site, claiming that it happened some 125 miles to the south, in Melbourne Beach. Some prominent historians agreed, the town designated a small beach area as "Juan Ponce de Leon Landing," and the activists erected a new statue there. (Their efforts are detailed in my column, "Marking America's Birthplace)." |
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However, on the west coast of Florida, where Ponce de Leon was mortally wounded when he returned to establish a colony in 1521, the location of his demise is still being debated. Although it was long assumed that in happened Charlotte Harbor and Punta Gorda area, a St. Petersburg historian now claims that it happened much further north, in the Tampa Bay area.
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In his book, "The Maps that Changed Florida's History," published in 2021, historian James MacDougald claims that the settlement Ponce de Leon tried to establish in 1521 was not in Charlotte Harbor, but some 84 miles to the north, in today's Safety Harbor, near the north end of Tampa Bay.
Some background: After reaching Florida's east coast in 1513, Ponce de Leon sailed around the southern end of the peninsula and north along the west coast, reaching as far north as today's Charlotte Harbor before returning to Puerto Rico. "He sailed around La Florida and in May 1513 was the first European to enter Bahia de Carlos (present day Charlotte Harbor) and anchored off Matanca Island (Pine Island)," according to the historical marker next to the Ponce de Leon Monument in Punta Gorda's waterfront Gilchrist Park. "He did not find any gold during the three weeks he spent here, but did encounter unfriendly Calusa Indians. On June 15, 1513 they sailed away, after several clashes with the Indians." |
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With Charlotte Harbor behind him, his impressive statue points inland. So, here in Punta Gorda and Charlotte County is where historians have assumed Ponce de Leon returned and tried to establish a colony when he returned to Florida in 1521. This is where they believe he was mortally wounded by a poisoned arrow during a skirmish with Calusa warriors.
On his second trip to Charlotte Harbor, the historical makers says Ponce de Leon brought "200 men, including priests, farmers and artisans, 50 horses and other domestic animals, and farming implements, to establish a colony. He anchored off a fat point (Punta Gorda) and set up a camp there." But the camp was attacked by "fierce Calusa Indians" who resisted converting to Christianity, forcing the colonists to abandon their camps for their three ships, the maker says. "In his retreat, Juan Ponce de Leon was struck by a poisoned arrow, which could not be dislodged." |
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He was then taken to Havana, Cuba, where he died of his wounds in July of 1521. His remains were later taken to the church of St. Thomas in San Juan, Puerto Rico, until they were moved to a sepulcher in the San Juan Cathedral in 1913. (See photo below).
A historical marker in Punta Gorda quotes the "epitaph to Ponce de Leon" from his Cathedral gravesite in Old San Juan: "Beneath this stone repose the bones of the valiant Lion whose deeds surpassed the greatness of his name." |
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So it all seemed settled. We thought we knew where Ponce de Leon's Florida adventures began and ended — until MacDougald's book, based on ancient maps, introduced a different theory.
MacDougald claims that he found old Spanish maps which describe Tampa Bay as "Bahía de Juan Ponce," and that it could have been named in his honor because that is where he was mortally wounded. He contends that artifacts found in Safety Harbor, long believed to be from a shipwreck, could have been from Ponce de Leon's colony. Of course, that would change early Florida history. If Ponce de Leon was wounded in Tampa Bay, the poisoned arrow that lead to his death would have come from a different tribe, the Tocobaga natives of that area, not the "fierce Calusa Indians" of Charlotte Harbor. Some say they are believers; some say they are skeptical about MacDougald’s theory. The believers say Safety Harbor was more suitable for Ponce de Leon’s settlement, because it had better access to spring water. They say there has never been evidence that the settlement was in Charlotte Harbor, only speculation because Ponce de Leon had been there in 1513. The skeptics, still standing by the shipwreck theory to explain the artifacts found in Safety Harbor, say there are other maps placing “Bahía de Juan Ponce,” further south, closer to the Charlotte Harbor area. They say the proximity of the two bays and the potential inaccuracy of 16th century navigational tools and maps leave a large margin of error. Both sides agree that additional research is necessary to reconsider the location of Ponce de Leon's settlement. In either bay, Curiously, if Ponce de Leon established a settlement anywhere in Florida in 1521, it would predate Pensacola's claim that Tristan de Luna established "America's First Settlement" (although not permanent) there in 1559. Go figure! Apparently, the difference lies on the fact that there is much more evidence of the De Luna settlement than Ponce de Leon's. De Luna's settlement today's Pensacola was called ??? ?? ??? , but we don't even know the name of Ponce de Leon's settlement, exactly how long it survived or where it was located! That would definitely change the course of the history of Punta Gorda, where there are two parks and several monuments honoring Ponce de Leon on the Charlotte Harbor waterfront. Just down the coastline from Gilchrist Park is Ponce de Leon Park, which features three beautifully hand-painted statues of the conquistador.
Much to my luck and surprise, I arrived at Ponce de Leon Park when the statues were being repainted. It gave me the opportunity to meet and chat with Stephanie Ross, a Punta Gorda resident who takes it upon herself to repaint the statues every year. And she does it as an uninvited volunteer! Ross said she contacted the city asking for permission to repaint the statues. But when she didn't get a response, she went and did it anyway. "Then they sent me a letter thanking me for doing this," she chuckled. So she has been doing it for several years, noting that while she is there, she is often approached by total strangers — as I did — to thank her for a job well done. "It's exciting," she said. "People are aware of who he was and what he meant, his history in this area."
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Other Juan Ponce de Leon monuments
Ponte Vedra Beach
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Miami
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St. Augustine
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St. Augustine
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Melbourne Beach, Fl.
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Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
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Gravesite in San Juan Cathedral
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Yet recently, the location where he was struck by that fatal arrow has been in dispute.
and that it could have been the ??? natives of the Tampa Bay area who shot the poisoned arrow.
and that it could have been the ??? natives of the Tampa Bay area who shot the poisoned arrow.
Punta Gorda's claims and came up with a new theory on the location of Ponce de Leon's downfall.
However, in 2020, a prominent
A main mission was converting the Indians to Christianity. The fierce Calusa Indians resisted, and after a few months the camp was attacked, and the colonists abandoned camp for their ships.
However, in 2020, a prominent
A main mission was converting the Indians to Christianity. The fierce Calusa Indians resisted, and after a few months the camp was attacked, and the colonists abandoned camp for their ships.
in the Charlotte Harbor area, where it was long believed that De Leon was struck by an Indian arrow.
in the thigh
What is clear is that he discovered much more than the current state of Florida. He discovered the U.S. mainland!
in the thigh
What is clear is that he discovered much more than the current state of Florida. He discovered the U.S. mainland!
Miami's Bayfront Park
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El Bayfront Park de Miami celebra las Américas |
Miami's Bayfront Park celebrates almost all the Americas
El Bayfront Park de Miami celebra las Américas
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By Miguel Pérez
You know how we go to parks and museums when we travel and then tend to ignore similar attractions is our own hometown? My friends in Miami tell me that this happens to them. Although I grew up there, I see Miami as a tourist now. This makes me notice things that are overlooked by local folks. Take Miami's Bayfront Park, where I would ride my bicycle as a kid in the 1960s. During my recent visit there, I noticed things I had never noticed before, especially the park's omission of Cuba. I can understand how the political climate of the 1960s could have led to the omission of Cuba, I can even understand it now, if a stronger statement was made, instead of a blank space. I bet most people who go there do not even see the significance of the blank space. But let's say the park very weak way for demonstrating Miami's opposition to communist Cuba. But what about José Martí? Is there any possible reason leaving him out of Bayfront Park? Mind you Martí is all over South Florida. But how does the main downtown park in the city known as the capital of Cuban-Americans leave out José Martí? Did I miss his monument there? In the park and on Biscayne Boulevard, the main avenue bordering the park, I found Christopher Columbus, Juan Ponce de Leon, Simon Bolivar, of Venezuela (twice), Jose G. Artigas, of Uruguay; Admiral Miguel Grau, of Peru; Juan Pablo Duarte, of the Dominican Republic; Ruben Dario, of Nicaragua; General D. Jose de San Martin, of Argentina; Bernardo O'Higgins, of Chile; and Capitán Arturo Prat Chacón, also of Chile. But Martí, the man considered the champion of freedom in the Americas, is nowhere to be seen here. Did I miss something? Was I looking in the wrong area? Besides, nowadays, doesn't Miami also have reason to omit Venezuela and Nicaragua from the list of friends on the Torch of Friendship? Why are they still represented on that wall? So where is Cuba represented here, I kept asking myself. In a city known for its huge Cuban population, why don't I see Cuba recognized among the monuments here? Cuba is not among the nations represented with the coat of arms at its iconic Torch of Friendship monument. And then I found a plaque that seems to be placed there as an afterthought. But they are in alphabetical order, I kept saying as I stood between Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. "Cuba should be here." |
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Key West: So close to Cuba, and yet so far away
En español: Cayo Hueso: Tan cerca de Cuba y, sin embargo, tan lejos
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By Miguel Pérez
So there I was, standing in line to get to the buoy/marker designating the southernmost point in the continental United States, only 90 miles away from Cuba. It's a huge tourist attraction, but the lady in front of me would not stop complaining. "It's just a gimmick," she kept repeating to her companion. "I don't see why we are doing this. It means nothing." I was directly behind them, practically over their shoulders. And she would casually look back to see if I supported her diatribe. I tried to smile, but it was hard. "Can you keep your voice down? her friend said, pointing to me and a number of people who had accumulated in line behind us. "Obviously, there are other people here who don't agree with you." Of course, I did not know them and I was not about to intrude in their argument. But I had to bite my tongue several times. I still can't believe that I was able to control myself. LOL I knew exactly what I wanted to say, although it could have been a little rude: "Lady, I agree, you shouldn't be here. Why don't you step out of the line so I can get to that 'gimmick' a little sooner?" The 90-mile to Cuba buoy/maker may not mean anything to her, but to a Cuban who has been away from home for 62 years, standing only miles away means a lot, more than words can say. Obviously, some tourists appreciate Key West's history and geography less than others. For Cuban-Americans, there is a lot to see here. And perhaps because of the proximity to Cuba, there is a lot to feel. This is hard to explain, but I felt it, as if your entire body recognizes that you are close to home. Since you can hear Cuban radio stations here, I kept thinking that my body had some sort of radio antennas. LOL But it was the streets, the old homes, the monuments, the lighthouse, even the cemetery that made me feel like I was in Cuba. In Key West, you can visit an impressive José Martí monument, honoring the apostle of Cuban independence from Spain who came to Key West in the 1890s to organize a revolution. You can spend some very educational time at the San Carlos Institute, now a museum, where Martí met with other revolutionaries. You can even visit the home where Martí stayed, now a restaurant, and the balconies from where he spoke to his followers. The Key West Cemetery has a section devoted to the U.S.S. Maine Plot, for those who died in the battleship U.S.S. Maine which mysteriously blew up in Havana Harbor, killing 266 of its 354 crew members on Feb. 15, 1898, sparking the Spanish-American War. It also has a section for "Los Martinez de Cuba," for those who fought for independence from Spain. Mind you, I came to Key West on the Overseas Highway and over the Seven-Miles-Bridge. But when Martí came here in the early 1890s, there was no overseas highway and no bridge. Not even a railroad! Oil millionaire Henry Flagler did not complete the overseas railway to Key West until 1912. Martí came directly from Tampa — on a steamship! His destination? The San Carlos Institute, which is our destination too. Are you coming? |
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Key West — 1. downtown, southernmost point, lighthouse, Key West Museum of Art and History, Key West cemetery Marti Statue.
In addition to these defined areas, African Americans, Cubans and Americans, rich and poor, are interred throughout.
a historic Catholic section, a Jewish section,
Of course, there are various Cuban restaurants there, amid the "margaritaville...
In addition to these defined areas, African Americans, Cubans and Americans, rich and poor, are interred throughout.
a historic Catholic section, a Jewish section,
Of course, there are various Cuban restaurants there, amid the "margaritaville...
San Carlos Institute:
A treasure chest of Cuban-American History
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Miami — Ermita, Varela, Miami High, Little Havana, Jose Marti Park, Florida Cultural Heritage Center
St. Augustine — 1. Fountain of Youth
2. Older Schoolhouse
3. Add to Father Pedro Camps Monument
4. Add to Cathedral of St. Augustine
5. Add to Varela Statue
6. Add to Downtown — Ponce De Leon statue, Government House Museum,
Plaza de la Constitution, Historic homes, Columbia Restaurant
Georgia — Fort Carolina National Memorial
Two Jamestowns
Baltimore — Marti Monument
Philadelphia — Don Quixote Plaza,
Puerto Rican Migration Garita.
St. Augustine — 1. Fountain of Youth
2. Older Schoolhouse
3. Add to Father Pedro Camps Monument
4. Add to Cathedral of St. Augustine
5. Add to Varela Statue
6. Add to Downtown — Ponce De Leon statue, Government House Museum,
Plaza de la Constitution, Historic homes, Columbia Restaurant
Georgia — Fort Carolina National Memorial
Two Jamestowns
Baltimore — Marti Monument
Philadelphia — Don Quixote Plaza,
Puerto Rican Migration Garita.
there are cannons, statues, historical parks
recognizing the site where Spain
— "unable to stem the tide of American expansionism," according to the Wentworth exhibit — formally transferred Florida to the United States for a measly $5 million in 1821. Heavily in debt and at the risk of losing Florida without compensation, Spain had no choice but to accept the deal.
recognizing the site where Spain
— "unable to stem the tide of American expansionism," according to the Wentworth exhibit — formally transferred Florida to the United States for a measly $5 million in 1821. Heavily in debt and at the risk of losing Florida without compensation, Spain had no choice but to accept the deal.
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The Pensacola Museum of History also covers other parts of Spanish Florida, from the founding of St. Augustine to the numerous Spanish missions established all other northern Florida and present-day Georgia from 1565 to 1763.
Here you see a diorama of conquistador Pedro Menendez de Aviles and his men as they arrived at a Native American village in 1565, on their way to establishing St. Augustine a little further north and that "they were greeted by the all, handsome, Native American Timucans." You learn that the Timucans were friendly to the Spaniards and that "Chief Seloy gave them permission to use the large circular village council house as their temporary fort." |
Diorama of Pedro Menendez de Aviles arriving at Native American village
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Tallahassee
De Soto Winter encampment??
De Soto Winter encampment??
There are few living descendants of the mission Indian populations
