Key Biscayne, The Barrier Island

Key Biscayne, The Barrier Island. . , Key Biscayne is a barrier island located at the north end of the reef-strewn Florida Straits. One thousand years before Columbus sailed, the Tequesta inhabited the island. These coastal fishermen navigated dugout canoes between the island and the mainland. The Spanish explorers and missionaries referred to the native people in the area around Biscayne Bay as Vizcaynos. Though this name for them is documented in a 1675 mission report letter from Bishop Calderon of Cuba, and though several tales offer explanations, the true origin of the name which graces Biscayne Bay and Key Biscayne remains a mystery., In 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon sailed from Puerto Rico searching for cities of gold. He landed on this island because of its distinctive location, and the fresh water and firewood found in the area. The island became a prominent landmark for the earliest navigators in American waters. During a twenty year British rule which began in 1763, British Royal Surveyors charted the waters. Florida was returned to Spain in the 1783 Treaty of Paris. Spain ceded Florida to the United States in 1821 and territorial status was granted later that same year. Florida became a state in 1845.