It was a typical Florida Summer day with weather that can be best described as “chaotic”. It was rainy, then sunny, and later rainy again. I decided to go with my dad to nearby Pine Island, a place my family and I have frequently gone to for a long scenic drive whether it be to Bokeelia in the north or Saint James City in the south. This time however we decided to go to a place near Bokeelia that carried with it a very interesting history.
Nestled in the small town of Pineland, there lies a site that carries with it the stories of an early Pre-Columbian civilization – that of the Calusa. In the time of the Calusa, Pineland was a town called “Tampa” (not the same as the modern-day city) which happened to be one of the largest of the Calusa towns. I heard that Juan Fernández de Olivera, one of Spanish Florida’s colonial governors, reported in 1612 that the Calusa had dominion over more than 60 towns. 2 others towns of similar size were located in what is today Big Mound Key (in Charlotte County) and Mound Key (in Estero Bay). Now you may ask, what do the Calusa have to do with Spanish history in America?
Well, the Spanish made it to the area in the 16th Century and apparently they did not receive a warm reception from the Calusa. Conquistador Juan Ponce de León had made contact with the Calusa, most probably in the Pine Island area, in 1513, and from what I have heard, they resisted with violence and force which eventually forced the Spanish to leave the area. I also heard that the Calusa knew of the Spanish because they had taken in some Native refugees from Cuba (a Spanish colony at the time) who told them of how they were being killed by them. Ponce de León returned to the area in 1521 attempting to establish a colony in the area, but the Calusa were ready and instantly responded with resistance. In one such encounter, Ponce de León was shot in the thigh with an arrow laced with poisonous sap, which would ultimately claim his life when he returned to Havana. However, this did not mark the end of Spanish presence in the area.
The Spanish began to establish many forts in the Southwest Florida area, and many Jesuit missionaries established missions to try to convert the Calusa to Christianity. One such mission was San Antón de Carlos in the 1560s which was located on Mound Key in Estero Bay. Like the failure of the mission at San Antón de Carlos, these attempts to convert the Calusa to Christianity were unsuccessful. While the Spanish presence in the area was short-lived and not very successful, that is not the last time Pine Island had any contact with Spanish-speaking peoples.
For much of the 18th and 19th Century, there were small groups of fishermen from Cuba in the region who established fishing camps called “ranchos”. In these little “ranchos”, they caught a variety of fish (such as mullet, pompano, sea-trout, redfish and grouper), dried them, salted them, and then exported them to their native Cuba. They were also joined by other native peoples from Georgia, Alabama, and North Florida. After the Adams-Onís Treaty took effect in 1821 wherein Florida became an American territory, the fishing industry of these settlers came to an end around the time of the Seminole Wars. Little remnants of the presence of these Spanish-speaking settlers remain in the area. I recall reading on a map in the area there is an island called Mondongo Island. In Cuba, Mondongo means tripe, so most likely the naming of that island came from these fishermen from Cuba.
While at the site, what I found most amazing were all of the Calusa mounds that I was blessed to see with my very own eyes. I was even able to walk atop the Brown’s Mound where I was able to capture some amazing and majestic views of the area. At one point, I even found myself walking in areas that felt more like a wild jungle which made me feel what the Spanish must have felt when they first walked this area so many centuries ago. I could also feel the presence of the Calusa walking the grounds where not only they walked so long ago but also where they built their lives. I spent around an hour walking as much of the site that I could and I must admit that I left the area feeling amazed. I am definitely planning to come back so I could explore it much more.
If you are ever in the area and you want to learn about the Calusa, please go visit the Randell Research Center in Pineland, Florida and experience the place for yourself. Make sure you come well-hydrated and ready to walk.
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An interesting way of showing treasures hidden in our beautiful Florida.