Indian Village Achuse
N 30° 15.104 W 087° 48.937
16R E 421533 N 3346961
Located on Ft. Morgan Road in front of Shell Banks Baptist Church near Gulf Shores.
Waymark Code: WMDDJA
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 12/30/2011
Views: 16
The tiny Shell Banks Baptist Church rests near the location of the first Indian Village in America visited by a white man. This was the Indian Village of "Achuse" visited by Admiral Maldonado who was one of DeSoto's officers. He scouted the Florida and Alabama coast from Tampa Bay and entered the port of "Achuse" before DeSoto started from Tampa Bay on the longest, strangest, boldest adventure in the history of the world. This was in 1539, 81 years before the colony landed at Jamestown. The name of this village, "Achuse" is shown at this location on the official map made by the U.S. DeSoto Expedition Commission created by Congress in 1936. On an old crude Spanish map made of the Gulf Coast region in the 16th century, the Indian Village of "Achuse" shows on this map near the same location now occupied by the Shell Banks Baptist Church.
This marked is presented by: Addison and Dorothy Mauldin and Milton and Ruth Ewing. In loving memory of their parents, Charles and Sena Ewing. Written by Hatchett Chandler, December 22, 1968.
Marker Name: Indian Village Achuse
Marker Type: Rural Roadside
Addtional Information::
About half way between Ft. Morgan and Gulf Shores and located at Shell Banks Baptist Church.
Date Dedicated / Placed: Not listed
Marker Number: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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