With the exception of the Tampa Bay area, many people wouldn’t associate Southwest Florida to be connected with any type of Spanish history. However, I have some news for many of you – there is indeed Spanish history in the area. In fact, Conquistador Juan Ponce de León attempted to establish a colony in the Southwest Florida area twice only to be met with much resistance by the Calusa who inhabited the area. In follow-up to my previous visit to the Pineland Archaeological Site, today we are talking about another major Calusa settlement in the Southwest Florida area and the epic tale associated with it.
Mound Key, situated in the Estero Bay, was the site of an early Spanish expedition that carries with it a story of bloodshed, intrigue, betrayal and heartbreak. In 1566, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés arrived on the island with his men. They came to the island because they heard Spanish shipwreck survivors were being held there by the Cacique, or Chief of the Calusa. After coming across one of the survivors there, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés met with the Chief (named Caalus), and formed an initial alliance with him with Menéndez, in return, marrying the Chief’s sister, who was renamed “Antonia” after her baptism. On Mound Key, the Calusa had their ceremonial capital village called Calos, which was confirmed a few years ago by Florida archaeologists who conducted excavations on the island.
In October, Pedro Menéndez ordered a fort to be established on the site named “San Antón de Carlos” after Saint Anthony, the saint they prayed to for aid in finding the missing shipwreck survivors. In 1567, a Jesuit mission was built on the San Antón de Carlos with a chapel being built on the site for mass. One of the leaders of the mission was Juan Rogel, who studied the many Indian languages of La Florida. Relations with the Calusa, however, turned violent not only because Pedro Menéndez did not love Antonia, but his ambitions clashed with those of Chief Caalus. In 1567, the Spanish authorities killed Chief Caalus who was succeeded by his cousin, Felipe, who despised him.
Chief Felipe became a Christian and initially allied himself with the Spanish authorities. This wouldn’t last long, however, as disagreements between the Chief and the Spaniards regarding rejecting Calusa traditions turned Felipe against them. After discovering the Chief’s plots to kill the Spanish, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés sent his nephew, Pedro Menéndez Márquez to kill the chief. In 1569, Menéndez Márquez followed his orders and beheaded Chief Felipe. The Calusa then burnt the village and fled the island. The Spanish, left with no laborers and Indians to convert, subsequently followed abandoning their fort and mission at San Antón de Carlos in June 1569.
If you ever have a chance to walk the trails of this beautiful island, you will definitely feel the ghosts of the Calusa and of the Spanish. Please be respectful of the island, and be aware that there are no remains of the Spanish fort and mission. There are displays around the island explaining more about the Calusa and the island’s history. I also wanted to give Captain Kelly 5/5 stars for the amazing trip. Mound Key can be reached by kayak, but if you want to take a trip there by private charter, I highly recommend you contact Captain Kelly with the FMBeautiful Bay Company. Feel free to contact her at her website https://www.fmbeautiful.com/
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