Panel #1 - Hernando de Soto

Hernando DeSoto was born in 1500 to a respectable family in Spain. As a young man he sailed to Panama and learned sailing skills there. He soon became known as the “child of the sun”, because of his dawn raids on unsuspecting villages. He would capture the chief and then extort the citizens for the return of their chief. His trademark became vicious dogs, fast horses, and extortion. He signed on with Pizarro to conquer South America with his own personal army in 1532. Spectacular brutality earned DeSoto large Inca ransoms. He became one of the richest men in the world before leaving Peru in 1536. DeSoto returned  to Spain, married Isabel de   Bobadilla whose family held power in the Court of Spain, and was appointed Governor of Cuba and given a 4 year commission to colonize and hold La Florida. DeSoto landed in Charlotte Harbor, Florida on June 1^st, 1539.

DeSoto had at least 500 head of livestock with him, including 237 horses. After traveling through Florida, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, as far as Chicago in Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas, he died on May 21, 1542. His weighted body was put in the Mississippi River and his Army fled to Mexico. 

 Panel #2 -Ponce de Leon

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. 

Panel #3 – The Landing

This scene depicts the landing of DeSoto’s men on the east side of the end of the Myakka River, near the top of Charlotte Harbor, where they started their long march hunting for gold and slaves.

Dean's South Of The Border

130 N. Tamiami Trail

Dedicated July 17, 2008