Juan Ponce de Leon
Posted by: 
Markerman62
N 24° 53.368 W 080° 40.566
17R E 532713 N 2752747
Located at the southern end of Indian Key Fill
Waymark Code: WMXWP5
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 03/08/2018
Views: 6
Juan Ponce de Leon was born in San Servas, Spain in 1460. He had served in the Spanish army and had accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage in 1491. He was appointed Governor of Haiti in 1511 and Governor of Puerto Rico in 1512.
His wife and daughters lived in a beautiful home in Puerto Rico called Casa Blanca.
To be governor of any new land he would find north and west of Haiti, he was required to furnish three ships, the crews and supplies. He set sail Mar. 13, 1513 and on April 3rd, he planted the Spanish flag near St. Augustine and named it La Florida.
On May 5, 1513 he sailed through the Florida Keys calling them Los Martires. That Sunday he collected fire wood and filled the ships casks with water from the wells on Achecombie (Lower Matecumbe). He stopped at Matanca (Indian Key) on his way back to Puerto Rico.
In 1521 during his second voyage he was shot by an arrow and returned to Cuba where he died.
Marker Number: None
Date: None
County: Monroe
Marker Type: Plaque
Sponsored or placed by: Matecumbe Historical Trust
Website: Not listed
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