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 Ponce de Leon - The Conquistadors mural - Punta Gorda, FL Posted by:  rogueblack
N 26° 56.181 W 082° 03.016
17R E 395735 N 2979818
Panel 2 of this three-panel mural is dedicated to Ponce de Leon and his exploration of Charlotte Harbor, Florida.
Waymark Code: WM4VXD
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 10/03/2008
Views: 30
The mural was painted in the summer of 2008 by artist Charles Peck on the exterior walls of Dean's South of the Border Mexican food restaurant in historic downtown Punta Gorda near the banks of the Peace River.
The Punta Gorda Murals website states about the panel:
Ponce de Leon was most likely born in 1460 in San Teruas de Campos, Spain, although there are no official records. In 1493 he sailed with Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas. He was a Military Commander and Deputy Governor of Hispaniola. (Dominican Republic) In 1506 Ponce found gold in Puerto Rico and became Governor for 2 years, until replaced by Columbus’s son. Hurt by the Kings action he set sail again and landed at St. Augustine in late March of 1513, after looking for gold and the Fountain of Youth in the Bahamas and Bimini. He named the place La Florida. He continued to explore the Florida coast, and finally found Charlotte Harbor and the Calusa Indians. Due to the ferocity of the Calusa, he returned to Puerto Rico in 1521. He returned to Charlotte Harbor with 200 settlers, horses, tools and seed to colonize the area. They landed on the gulf beaches between Charlotte Harbor and Estero Bay. As they tried to move inland for water and land to start a colony, they found the Calusa did not agree with their plans. Ponce was shot with a Calusa arrow and died upon returning to Havana, Cuba.
Website: [Web Link]
Responsible Entity: Dean's South of the Border and The Royal Order of Ponce de Leon
Admission Fee: Not Listed
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Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the tribute. A waymarker and/or GPSr is not required to be in the image but it doesn’t hurt.
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