A Sail from Lemon Bay to Punta Gorda over 100 Winters Ago and a Chance Encounter with the Future of Southwest Florida

It's always a delight to watch sailboats navigating our harbor or moored against a deep purple evening sky. It was the harbor that drew us in to Punta Gorda, and while not a sail boater, I love being on one these schooners or just lingering by the shore mesmerized by their dance on the water. It's been the boating and fishing and beauty of Charlotte Harbor and the Islands that has always lured people here.

Researching some history recently, I came upon the account below -- a letter from a grandfather to his two grandsons published in a Kansas Newspaper in March of 1900.    He describes in exhilarating words their voyage, their meal on board, their encounters with porpoises, their anchorage at Matlacha, their harvesting oysters for dinner.  He also mentions passing a pleasant hour on Useppa with a man named John Roche, who told them he was planning to build a sportman's inn on his property for friends.  Well as it turns Mr. Roche, the then owner of Useppa Island was a wealthy streetcar magnet from Chicago who did build that inn - and did invite his friends - one of Roach's guests years after this letter was written was  the legendary New York advertising executive, entrepreneur, and wealthy Florida land owner Barron G. Collier. (More on Useppa History)  Collier eventually developed much of Southwest Florida, and built Tamiami Trail  between Tampa and Miami.


Here's the letter. ( I apologize for the OCR errors.  I corrected some but not all.)

Grove City, Fla:.:March 10, 1900.

To my grandsons, Gilbert and Kelton:

We started last Monday, March 4,

from Lemon bay on a trip to Punta

Gorda, from there to Mangrove point,

thence to Captiva pass .: and thence

home again Wheeler, from Cresco,

Mack Lewis and myself. ' Wind north

east, nearly dead ahead, but having

faith in the staunch sharpie, Ah There,

and confident that we should reach

our various destinations. ; We ran

out of Stump pass about 9 a. m., and

without presumption I may say we

did it well, our friends behind us wav

ing a table cloth and ringing the din

ner bell.

At 11 a. m. we ran into Little Gas-

parilla pass, and after . beating our

way fairly into the sound of that

name, that legend tells us was the re

treat of old Gasparill, the noted pi

rate, and where parties hunt to this

day, hoping by the aid of divining

rods and aguardiente to find - hidden

treasure, dig faithfully, but so far

without success. We laid our course

fairly .down the sound, and with a

smart breeze made Carry flower island

at 1 p. m. This 'island is crescent

shaped, and in a northeast wind makes

a good sheltering anchorage, there

fore we cast anchor, made coffee and

had dinner, Mrs. Wheeler, who wa

to leave us at Punta Gorda, officiat

ing as dispenser of bur sumptuous re

past. . . . .

After dinner we reefed foresail and

mainsail and stood out into Charlotte

harbor, . the sun glinting, the waves

crested with foam, our sailor captain

at the helm and the good boat fairly

dancing with delight as she laid, her

lee-gunwale to. the crested waves and

leaped over the water. We made Cape

Hayes at 4 p. m. and laid our course

for Punta Gorda, sheets well aft, a

rattling breeze and a tumbling sea, our

lady passenger enjoying the sail as

well as the rest of us. We ran up to

the dock at Punta Gorda at 7:30.

Here Mrs. Wheeler left us for Day-

tona and after coffee we took bunks

for the night.

.Tuesday morning we got up "to a

northeast wind and a bright sun. We

had taken our course after the fashion

of seafaring men and now started for

Mangrove point, about seven miles

southwest from Punta Gorda, a very

comfortable breeze at starting and all

sail set, but as we went down the bay

the wind-increased until all around us

was a tumbling mass of foam, wind

on our port quarter, and the good

boat rolled, washing the deck on both

sides of the cabin. She tumbled along

in great glee, Wheeler, of Cresco, at

the helm, Mack Lewis looking large

but saying, little, while I looked on

breathlessly,, hoping, that the masts

would stand the rolling pressure! 

they did until, at about 11 a. m., we

whirled through a narrow passage

and luffed to our anchorage in a little

bay as smooth as if it had never been

I ruffled by a breeze. The captain threw

over the anchor and proceeded to

make things snug. While I drew a

long breath, Wheeler, of Cresco; ejac

ulated: I tell you, did you say . I

wouldn't make a sailor?" We had

come here for duck shooting. The

ducks that we were after were the

. '"Blue Bill" of the New England coast,

known us "Shuttler" on the Potomac

:ind Chesapeake, arid here called the

"Raft duck' on account of . the great

numbers that frequent these waters in

the wintertime. We had passed trreat

shoals of them on our run down from

Punta Gorda. I, anticipating good

sport, put out off a point in this little

bay eighteen decoys and waited for a

darts and so we waited, but no duck,

to giauden our heart and quicken

our' pulses, oame darting to the de

coys. Finally, after about an hour,

we started with the small boat back

for the sharpie and dinner. We had

gone about one-third of the way when

black specks began te show from the

horizon, and the whirring of wings,

as the ducks dashed by, told us that

luck had turned, and so did we. They

pulled down to the pwlnt and left me

looking at the decoys again, while

they went back to to the boat for dinner.

Ah! The whirr of wings, the light

ning swoop over the decoys, the flash

and roar of the gun, the headlong

dash irom dizzy heights, the crump

ling and whirling , ami floating off

with the tide. Why, In time, don't

the boys come and pick up those

ducks? Dear reader, yon have ex

perienced " it all. . May you enjoy it

again as I did; a red-letter day in our

calendar of time. -The boys came

back, brought me a lunch of cold ven

ison and hot coffee, took my place in

the. stand and I got ;into the boat,

pushed off on the placid sea, picked

up ducksand enjoyed my lunch,-while

from behind me came bang! bang!

bang! at one time five running dis

charges ..Wheeler both barrels and

from his Winchester. Af

ter a little while .the 'night became ..

regular and almost stopped. Some

of our duck s had drifted away on the

tide, but we "picked rup twenty-four

and voted .duck ..enough. So we got

back to the sharpie," took supper and

a smoke, thinking, What next? The

Colonel said it was bad to leave such

shooting; hadn't had such fun for a

good while, but the boys out-voted him

and carried for oysters and "Mattlashay" pass. .

After supper, now almost calm, we

slid out onto the. water of Charlotte

harbor and the motion of the boat for

an hour reminded me of Burton's

comic song:

"Wheel about and turn about aud Jump' Jim

' Crow, - -. - - .

And every time you turn about you do J 1st

o."

But after awhile it steadied to the east

again,, and with a V'free sheet and a

flowing? sea we headed 'for Matlasha.

The wind increased .Until "All hands

to windward."". The-.bnat's: lee gun

wale was acain washed v by v the "salt

sea wave.'' Wheeler, .of Cresco, at

the helm. Suddenly the captain called

out: "Luff herl X.uff I" The helms

man puled his tiller toward him and

buried the boat's nose to the cabin in

the sea. "Don't put her away! Luff,

hang it! Shove the tiller to the water

barrel!" . called the captain. The

helmsman, as he shoved the tiller to

ward the water barret and lifted the

boat's nose out of the sea, pulling his

hair with fingers under his hat. ejacu

lated, "Lord, I'll never make a sail

or," No pen of mine can do justice

to Wheeler's grieved, despairing tone,

but on we sailed right merrily over

the turquoise sea1, the crest of the

waves lit by the moon descending to

ward the west. Ah! "Such a night,

and such a sail, and such "good lie

companie." J ;

At 11 o'clock on .Tuesday night we

anchored in Matlasha pass. This

sheet of water lies on the east side of

Charlotte harber, between Pine island

and. the main . land. It is about ten

miles long by two inches width. It is full

of shallows and channels, and every

where dotted with atnall islands cov

ered with mangrove. To keep us go

ing, and from fear of starvation, the

next morning we picked up about ten

bushels of oystersi ,These oysters are

what are called here simples. The meat

of the oyster is in size' about the bulk of

an egg,' one shell -flat, the other from

one to one and one-half inches deep.

These were white, firm and delicious.

a

We waded about and others took a

swim. The sea water was clear as

crystal. . ... .. ...

A little after noon we pulled anchor

and started for Captiva Pa, jroiug

out into Charlotte Harbor, and on

down through Pine Island sound, As

we sailed along a pile of -duck on duck

and sacks of oysters on board, not to

I remark about roast venison not yet

consumed, we .begun to. discuss the

! chances forsuunet. Said the;aotaiti:

r 1 don't want venison, ducks I de

spise and oysters Well I dont want

oysters. If I only had a pompano

now maybe I could eat something."

I suspect that we saw two fishing boats

half a mile ahead. At any rate, as

we came up to them he. called: '"What

are you catching?" The reply was:

"Pompano.? VCan we get some?"

Yes.' ." for a

quarter got three large ones, and we

discovered that the -captain could eat

pompano. : did you ever eat

a pompano, a fish- weighing from

one to six pounds, flesh white sweet

and delicious, and just out of the

water? Yes, the captain got a square

meal and has been good natured ever

since.

Running among the islands, we came

to Useppa, where a gentleman named

Roche has a cottage, good wharf,

windmill, etc. He was from Chicago,

had been a Rocky Mountain man in

years gone by, a pleasant gentleman,

and on his veranda, enjoying the hos

pitality of fine cigars, we passed a

pleasant hour. He told us that be in

tended, to build a club house for his

friends. The scenery and the sea air,

glistening waters and islands green,

with 'fishing for tarpon and grupers",

make it a sportsman's paradise.

"After replenishing our water keg.

just as the sun went down, we started

for Captiva pass. A beautiful night

and a pleasant sail. Wheeler, who

had sailed the boat until late the night

before, went to his ; bunk for a nap.

Hearing a noise something between a

whistls and a blow, I asked the cap

tain: "Is that Wheeler?" "No! That's

a porpoise."

At 10 o'clock we cast anchor in a

little basin just east of Captiva pass.

Here is an old Spanish fishing camp.

In the morning we went ashore to get

some bait, but it didn't catch fish.

After breakfast we sailed out to the

pasB, luffed up, and Wheeler, before

the boat had hardly lost her headway,

commenced . to pull and .ejaculate:

Ha! Got him! No sneak, this fellow!

Lord, - but he is a whale!" The cap

tain and Wheeler" ware fishing with

rod and reel, t had a hand line;

Wheeler in the bow, I in the middle,,

the captain in the stern. Dash went a

gleam of silver past the side of the

boat. "Hi I" yelled the captain; "keep

your hsh at home!" "Can't,- con

found himl" and after a fifteen min

utes tussle he lauded a black gruper,

fifteen pounds, and as he pulled him

in the captain swung over the side

into the cockpit a red fish ' at fourteen

and a half pounds. So we fish with

varying success until we had taken

something more than 200 pounds.

Well," said the captain, "one more

drift and then for home." We ran

down the pass to the gulf and hove

to, the tide setting in strong. We

cast out our lines and in less than a

minute all three were pulling hard,

each wi'h a bur fish. Said I. "Mv

fish is tne largest of the lot." "Take

you the cigars it isn't!" sung out the

captain, while Wheeler hollered,

"Take you a bottle of water he ainV

"I'll take you both," and over the

side came three black grupers, the

captain's fourteen" pounds, Wheel

er's fourteen and a half, but alas for

the insecurity of bets, mine pulled

down at nineteen and a half pounds,

the largest black gruper that either of

us had ever seen. Sadly, as the sun

sank in the west, we started for home,

content with four  of the most enjoy

able days still lingering in our mem

ory. J. M. L.

P. S. Time occupied in Captiva

pass about two hours. So says

Wheeler, of Cresco, aud what he says goes.

Punta Gorda Pioneers Return to Indian Springs Cemetery

Next to a winding stream shaded by cascading pines and palms with the ominous name of Alligator Creek, rests Indian Spring Cemetery, Charlotte County's 2nd oldest cemetery and gift to Punta Gorda from one of its first city councilmen, James Sandlin (1858-1903).  The cemetery which was platted by Governor Albert Gilchrist in 1880 is quite appropriately his final resting place, and the burial ground of 49 of Punta Gorda's 95 early settlers.

On October 29 the ghosts of many of these historic figures as well as others from Charlotte County history roamed through the hallowed grounds.  The Governor (played by Paul Stamolis) was there standing above his tomb,  as was Sally Jones, educator for whom our middle school was named.  Perhaps most amusingly Big Six Miss OllieBracket, owner of a bawdy house at the end of West Marion Ave. made an appearance.  Virginia Taylor quietly played chess by her grave, and poor Marshall Bowman (Frank Desquin recreated the role), who was murdered at his home on Taylor Street returned streaked with blood.  Here is a photo montage of the visitation through the reenacting talents of the Charlotte County Historical Society. The reenactors are living historians of the Charlotte County Historical Center Docent team.

Quednau Hindman House Begins its Journey to the History Park in Punta Gorda

Wandering down Goldstein Street in the historic district  of Punta Gorda today, we came upon movers  starting to  lift the historic Quendnau Hindman house from its foundation on Goldstein Street in preparation for its journey to the History Park on Saturday morning.  For months now Louie Desquin of the History Society of Punta Gorda, who manages the History Park, has been championing an effort to move the house -- a yard or even a foot at a time.  We wrote more on the history of the house in an earlier post.  This Saturday starting at 8 a.m. the dream of having a Youth Center at the Park within the house will roll closer to reality.

Here are a few more shots we took of the house's initial steps:

 

For more information on contributing to this project, visit the History Society.

Moving the Historic House on Goldstein Street a Yard or even a Few Inches at a Time

Fritz Quednau moved to Punta Gorda from Germany in the late 1800s and opened a cigar factory on Marion Avenue – the town’s first. He and his wife had three sons, one of whom, Fred, was born in 1892 in a modest cottage at 220 Goldstein Street. When young Fred was four years old, his father died and his mother had to go out and work to feed her family. Among those she worked for was Mrs. Issac Trabue, the founder of Punta Gorda.

Young Fred and his brothers left school at an early age to work on the run boats, which carried goods south as far south as the Smallwood Trading Post. At 17, Captain Fred Quednau was the youngest captain to sail the waters around Charlotte Harbor. After a long courtship, he married Belle McBean (he and Belle were the second couple to be married in the new Charlotte County). Belle often joined Fred on his sailing trips, along with their daughter Henryetta “Tosie”.

After Fred gave up his sailing, he ran a restaurant on Marian Avenue and later became Sheriff of Charlotte County. Tosie grew up here, and frequently played in the halls of the old Punta Gorda Hotel. She married Jack Hindman, with whom she had two children. Tosie Quednau Hindman was Supervisor of Elections for over twenty years and well-known and respected in Punta Gorda. She died in 2009 in the house on Goldstein Street where her father, Fred, was born.

The house is a true Cracker ‍house with one huge middle room and smaller rooms off to the side. Its layout and history makes it ideal for the goal the Punta Gorda Historical Society has lined up for it — to move it to the History Park on Shreve and make it into a new youth museum.

The Hindman’s two sons have agreed to give the Historical Society an opportunity to save the historical building. The issue is a tight time table -- the house has to be moved before the eagles return to their nest in the Park about October 1. According to Louie Desquin of the Historical Society, who is heading up the project along with Gussie Baker and other members of the Society, “If we don’t raise the money and get the ‍house moved by then, it will be sold and likely torn down.”

The goal is to raise $150,000 to move and then renovate the house, some of which has already been raised through donations and the Florida Cracker Dinner a few weeks back.

So Louie is asking the community to help move the house a few inches, a foot or yards at a time by donating $25 to move it 6 inches, $50 to move it a foot, or $100 to move it a yard. Many long-time Punta Gordans remember the old youth museum on Retta Esplanade and envision that this new museum will serve and benefit the current youth of the community much in a way the old museum benefited them – it will give them a place to learn more about the history of the area and participate in art and other classes.

For more information on donating to this project, contact the Punta Gorda Historical Society. 

Sources:

Angie Larkin, "In Old Punta Gorda" for information on the Quednaus.  

Punta Gorda Historic Timeline -- Part 2 1905-1925

And here is the second installment of John Bate's Punta Gorda timeline:  

- 1905 - Cigar making begins- P.G. cigar Manuf. Co.

- 1907 - Railroad extended to Boca Grande

 - 1908 - City Wharf constructed at foot of Sullivan St.

 - 1908 - Gilchrist elected Governor of Florida 1909-1913

 - 1912 - Merchants Bank chartered (The Old First National Bank of Punta Gorda (also known as the Old Merchants Bank of Punta Gorda) is a historic bank in Punta Gorda, Florida, United States. It is located at 133 West Marion Avenue. On March 14, 1991, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.)

 - 1914 - 1st central water system

 - 1917 - Teddy Roosevelt visits Punta Gorda on a
                manta ray harpooning trip

- 1919 - “ Punta Gorda, where life is worth living”
                  brochure is published

 - 1920 - 1st golf course opens


 - 1921 - Charlotte Harbor bridge opens

- 1924 - Vanderbilt and Collier buy the Punta Gorda
                Hotel. Change name to Hotel Charlotte
                Harbor

 - 1925 - Brick streets installed

 - 1925 - Punta Gorda Women’s Club founded

Punta Gorda -- An Historic Timeline 1513 to 1887

Next year Punta Gorda will celebrate the 125th anniversary of its incorporation.  Local and friend, John Bates, has an intense interest in the history of our city and recently began preparing a timeline of Punta Gorda history.    Here is the timeline to Punta Gorda's incorporation in 1887.

Timeline of Punta Gorda History, Prepared by John Bates  

  -  1513 and 1521- Ponce De Leon visits

  - 1775 - Bernard Romans, a Dutch navigator names
                 Charlotte Harbor after English Queen  (old map of Charlotte Harbor)

  -  1855-1858 - Kennedy from Tampa establishes a
                           Trading post- Burned by Seminoles,
                           it is still called Burnt Store

  - 1861-1865 - S.W. Florida becomes large beef supplier
                           to confederate army

  - 1879 - First house is built in Punta Gorda. Built of logs            
                  by James Lanier, a hunter (sign showing location is in front of Best Western)

  - 1885 - Isaac Trabue [1829-1907] moves to land now Punta    
                  Gorda
 - 1885 - Trabue (now Punta Gorda) is part of Manatee County
 
  - 1886 - Railroad comes in. (First train arrives in Trabue -- now Punta Gorda) It’s the southernmost       stop  in the U.S.

 - 1886 - Post Office is established

  - 1887 - Punta Gorda is incorporated
                  Manatee County is divided into Manatee and Desota  

Over the new weeks we will be publishing more of John's timeline on the blog, and more Punta Gorda history leading up to the 125th anniversary of the City's  incorporation.            

Some Highlights from Winter Wonderland Ending Tonight at the History Park in Punta Gorda

It was actually "cold" (for Florida)  the night I went to see Winter Wonderland at the History Park.  So much so that when the fabricated snow starting fluttering as I walked under the blue lit canopy leading to the recently opened Price House, I thought for a flash of a moment -- hey it snowing -- but for real.  The ladies and gentlemen who were guiding visitors through the absolutely beautiful exhibit were bundled up for the unseasonable weather -- I really felt sorry for them -- for despite the lovely attraction,  few people with their thin Florida blood were willing to come out that night. It gave me a bit of advantage as I had more time to view the exhibit and talk to our local historians.

The guides at the decorated houses all of whom were extremely knowledgable not only provided insights into the houses themselves but very intriguing tidbits about Punta Gorda history. I'll save much of this forfuture blogs, other than noting that walking through the Price house was a journey on a path back to a time that should never be lost.  Thanks to these wonderful people who keep these homes alive you can experience it.  The work they did to make the park and the historical homes within it reflect Punta Gorda Christmas past speaks for itself in this brief slideshow I created.    But if at all possible, if you haven't already, see this tonight.

The Savannah Connection to Punta Gorda

On a recent trip to Savannah I took a picture of the plaque above little realizing it's connection to my home town, Punta Gorda, Florida.  The sign commemorates the first steam ship to across the Atlantic to Europe from the U.S.  It left the port of Savannah on May 22, 1819.  It was Virginia Taylor Trabue's (the town's founder -- and why we have Virginia and Taylor streets in Punta Gorda) grandfather, who found the steamship company and originated this crossing.

The grandfather of Virginia Taylor Trabue, William Scarborough, was a visionary of sort .  He entertained President James Monroe in his home, and took him on a cruise aboard his ship, Savannah. Monroe agreed that if Scarborough's ship successfully sailed by steam to Liverpool he would purchase the ship for the Navy. The Savannah sailed to Liverpool, where it was refused entry due to fears that the pine- knot fire of the steamship would destroy shipping. On reaching St. Petersburg, they were royally received by the Czar.

Scarborough's granddaughter married Issac Trabue, founder of Punta Gorda.  Thus, the connection of Punta Gorda to Savannah..

Punta Gorda Historic Mural Society plans to Recreate Hotel Charlotte Harbor Mural

The Punta Gorda Historic Mural Society has received a $7,500 matching grant from the Charlotte Community Foundation to re-create its first Mural, "Hotel Charlotte Harbor."  According to Bob Armstrong, PGHMS President, PGHMS plans to have the mural repainted on the south walls of the Charlevoi Condominiums, located on Charlotte Harbor.  They are looking to raise $7,500 in matching funds, to complete the project.

The original mural, a section of which is depicted above,  was installed in 1995 on the wall of the old Punta Gorda Mall on the harbor. It was destroyed along with the mall in 2004 during Hurricane Charly

The Hotel Charlotte Harbor (originally the Hotel Punta Gorda) was frequently mentioned during early Team Punta Gorda sessions after Hurricane Charley.  While many of us were not here when it stood on the Harbor, we realized it represented a grander era in Punta Gorda, which those participating in the master planning effort for the new Punta Gorda hoped to recreate.  Old-time Punta Gordans, who did remember the hotel,  reflected on it with great fondness.

Originally called the Hotel Punta Gorda, it opened with great fanfare in 1888, and became a beacon for the city sitting majestically on the Harbor. One of Punta Gorda's first major buildings, during its first  season, the Hotel Punta Gorda welcomed over 3000 guests.  All of the hotel's 150 rooms covering three floors had views of the magnificent harbor.  Built in the Queen Anne style, with  gables, a wrap-around veranda, clapboard siding, and a hipped roof,  the hotel, despite being in what was then a remote part of Florida,  had many of the  modern conveniences of the time such as gas lighting, electric bells, steam heat and open fireplaces.  Roses draped over the railings of the veranda, and the grounds were extensively landscaped with camphor trees and palms.

The hotel attracted many notables of the day from around the world including Thomas Edison, John Wanamaker, W. K. Vanderbilt, the Samuel Colt family and many others.  After a period of decline, the Hotel Punta Gorda was bought by Barron Collier, who changed the name to the Hotel Charlotte Harbor, remodeled it to a more Mediterranean style, extended the grounds, and added a swimming pool, tennis courts and a boat basin. The hotel flourished again for a time, but then fell on hard times.  It was finally destroyed in a fire in August of 1959.

My Favorite Punta Gorda Mural -- The Cattle Drive Down Marion Ave., 1903

Standing in front of the stunning mural on Mike Rooney's, a local Punta Gorda attorney, office building gives you the uncanny sensation of being caught in the path of charging cattle being driven rapidly in your direction. At once somewhat frightening and at the same time awesomely beautiful.

This mural, more so than any other of the historical murals in Punta Gorda, brings the old town as it was over hundred years ago alive to me. I guess it's why when asked recently by a twitter follower which mural was my favorite, without hesitation, I named this one.

The theme alone is intrinsically linked with Punta Gorda's frontier history. It pays tribute to the Cracker Cattle (actually Andalusian/Caribbean cattle), a breed still raised by today’s Florida cattle ranchers. Florida's Andalusian/Caribbean cattle were the first in the United States. Some scholars believe that these cattle were brought by the expeditions of Ponce de Leon in 1521 and Don Diego de Maldonado in 1540, which escaped and survived in the wild. The mural covers the entire process of the cow hunt from drive to market. In the main scene, Cow Hunters are driving cattle out West Marion Avenue in about 1903. Two oval cameo scenes show the cattle held in pens and finally being moved through a single chute to be loaded on schooners (later steamboats) where they later were shipped to Cuba .

The mural also brings a focus on the Cow Hunters, so called because they actually had to find cows scattered throughout the woodlands, and the breed of horses and dogs they used in hunting, rounding up and managing the cattle. The rugged Florida-style cowboys were known to be independent, and while not well educated, very cunning, and not surprisingly unkempt. They kept the herd together by cracking whips next to the ears of the cows. It is said that this may be the source of the native Floridian name “Cracker.” Five well-know Florida Cow Hunters have been immortalized on the wall, their head shapes placed in the clouds. From left to right they were: Belford Goff, Corrie Guess, Rob Walker, Pat Johnson, and Charlie Slaughter.

In the end it's the detail of the mural that draws you in -- I could gaze at it for hours. It's really many paintings in one. Look at the cattle, the dogs and the costumes of the Cow Hunters, note the figures on the side of the street watching the parade of men and beast, the dust of the street. Overall I marvel at the artistic skills that it took to capture such a wondrous scene on this immense larger-than-life canvas for all who live and visit Punta Gorda to enjoy.

"The Cattle Drive Down Marion Ave., 1903" was painted by Michael Vires, and dedicated in 2007. For more information, go to the Punta Gorda Mural Society Website.

If you go, take Olympia from downtown Punta Gorda to Wood St. The Mural is on the northwest side of the intersection there. And look for the ghost riders in the sky.

Florida Frontier Days this weekend a Celebration of Florida's Cracker History in Charlotte Harbor

In a time before air conditioning, lanai screens, and pest control, earlier settlers to what today's newer residents would consider less than paradise etched out a life in Charlotte County. Much like the old west, Florida in the 1800s was one of America's frontiers. And also like the West, it was cattle country.... with yes "cowboys."

Supposedly first brought to Florida by Ponce de Leon in 1521, cattle became a leading export of America, and Florida the leading exporter. Organized ranching began in St. Augustine in 1565, where wild herds, owned by the Spanish and Indians, roamed the open ranges and prairies. Eventually Spanish colonists began exporting cattle to Cuba. By 1700, Florida contained about 34 ranches and 20,000 head of cattle. After Indian raids in 1702 and 1704 brought an end to Spanish domination of the Florida cattle industry, Indians became the primary cattle barons in Florida. Many had large herds of wild cattle and stock acquired from the Spanish. The Seminoles stayed as Florida's major livestock producers throughout most of the 1700s, until white settlers began arriving in the 1800s and ultimately drove most of the Seminoles from Florida by the mid-1850s.

When the U.S. took possession of Florida in 1821, it was described as a "vast, untamed wilderness, plentifully stocked with wild cattle. As new settlers came they mingled some original herds with breeds imported from northern Europe resulting in the Florida Cracker cattle. "Cracker" has more than one attribution: one from the sound of the bullwhips used by Florida cattlemen or cowboys used to drive the cattle another from a term used in Scotland for sheep herders.

Early Florida cattlemen had more to contend with then their western counterparts. They battled panthers, wolves, bears, in addition to cattle rustlers and Indian raids. They spent weeks or months on cattle drives across marshes and dense scrub woods. They had to struggle with all-consuming heat, intense rains and lightning, and hurricanes winds. From central Florida they drove cattle as far as Jacksonville, Savannah, and Charleston. Then when the cattlemen re-established trade with Cuba in the 1830s, the drives were shortened and Punta Gorda and Charlotte Harbor became an important focus for the Florida cattle industry. In fact, during the Civil War, Jacob Summerlin smuggled beef to the Confederates by shipping it out of present day Charlotte Harbor.

You only have to drive the roads to the east of Punta Gorda to witness what remains of Charlotte's  large cattle lands or visit Babcock Ranch to get a sense of the Florida Frontier experience.  This coming weekend that Frontier Heritage will be celebrated at Bayshore Live Oak Park on Thursday and Friday, March 25 and 26 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM, and Saturday, March 27 10 AM to 4 PM.  There will be   exhibitions of  frontier trades and crafts and lots of fun activities for the kids.  For more information:   http://charlottecountyfl.com/Historical/FloridaFrontierDays/2010FFDflyer.pdf

A Page Out of Punta Gorda History Literally

Doing a search today I discovered a page  from the Punta Gorda Herald from the beginning of the 20th century that in itself revealed something about names familiar to Punta Gordans today in the second decade of the 21st century.

The page was from a January 10, 1902 Punta Gorda Herald Page.

On  the page, A.C. Freeman was selling hardwood furniture.  This is the same A.C. Freeman of the A.C. Freeman House that sits on the corner of Tamiami Trail and Retta Esplanade -- the Victorian you see as you first enter Punta Gorda from the southbound bridge.   Freeman, in addition to selling hardware and furniture, was also the mayor of Punta Gorda at the time (note his designation in the directory in the first column of the page.

Moving along the page, you'll spot the Punta Gorda Ice and Power Company -- now the home of a favorite local watering hole -- the Punta Gorda Ice House.  We can thank the building's owners  for restoring this all but destroyed historic building that had it's  roof torn off and major wall collapse during  Hurricane Charley. The owners refused to demolish this South Florida landmark pledging to rebuild it which they did into a marvelous pub.

As you look down the column of professional service cards, a number of names will resonant not the least of which is Issac H. Trabue, Attorney at Law.   It's said that Trabue, founder of Punta Gorda, returned to Kentucky in 1907 (apparently he kept an ad running here though unless he had a son with the same name.) Another name, J. (James) L.. Sandlin, is the same who built, with his wife, the house on the corner of Retta Esplanade and Harvey Street now referred to as the "Sandlin House" despite many owners since.  Sandlin's card says "real estate."  He made his fortune in many businesses though including real estate, cattle, citrus growing and merchandising.  Albert Gilchrist, Governor of Florida at the time* ,  who lived in Punta Gorda, and is memorialized by "Gilchrist Park," also appears in the column selling all kinds of land.

Another name Punta Gorda residents  will recognize on the page is E. Wotiztky mentioned as selling shoes, hats, gent's furnishings and other merchandize.  Jacob Wotitzky, a push-cart peddler from Czechoslovakia , came to Florida as an innovating frontier marketer  carrying merchandise to prospective customers by schooner.  When the railroad came to Punta Gorda, he opened a store here, which is now commemorated on the wall of the Prudential real estate building on north Tamiami Trail.  The family name remains prominent in Punta Gorda  through the Wotitzky Law firm with its attractive new building on Olympia in downtown Punta Gorda. 


*This edition of the Punta Gorda Herald incorrectly carries Jennings as Governor.  He was Governor of Florida until 1905 when he was succeeded by Broward, who was succeeded by Gilchrist in 1909.