In May 1894, Anna Maria Island's first modern-day pioneer -- George Emerson Bean -- took up a homestead, signed by President Wm. McKinley, that embraced the island's entire north point. Other daring settlers, such as Samuel C. Cobb and John R. . . . — — Map (db m72419) HM
Building a home on Anna Maria Island in the 1920s was expensive. Building materials had to be shipped in by boat. The resourceful islanders re-used and re-purposed as much as possible. When a large storm washed Belle Haven cottage into the bay, . . . — — Map (db m295007) HM
In 1911, with dreams of founding..."the place destined to be the greatest year-round resort in Florida," the Anna Maria Beach Company built the Anna Maria City Dock (later called Pier).
The dock, extending 776 feet into the waters of Tampa . . . — — Map (db m242279) HM
The Anna Maria Development Company built this pier and wharf in 1911-1912 to provide dockage for ships from St. Petersburg and Tampa. It has since withstood hurricanes and lesser storms too numerous to mention. Although parts were damaged by . . . — — Map (db m242411) HM
Less than a mile to the north lies Passage Key, marking the southerly entrance into Tampa Bay. Since Ponce de Leon explored this coast in 1513, this island has served to guide ships into the great bay beyond, called by early Spanish explorers . . . — — Map (db m72420) HM
Built in 1911, the Anna Maria City Pier welcomed visitors and residents to the island city arriving by steamship. The 776-foot-long pier accommodated paddle wheelers such as the Favorite and the Mistletoe prior to the construction of . . . — — Map (db m72421) HM
The Historical Society of Anna Maria Island Museum
Built in 1920 as an ice house on 402 Pine Avenue, the building was subsequently used as city hall, the police department, a firehouse and the Turtle House before the Society renovated . . . — — Map (db m72447) HM
In 1911, a group of businessmen from Anna Maria Island and St. Petersburg founded the Anna Maria Beach Company to develop the island into a resort community. The company cleared land, laid out streets and sidewalks, dug wells and laid water . . . — — Map (db m241303) HM
Early Islanders relied on small boats to bring supplies and to transport visitors. As more people discovered the island, a new transportation solution was needed. In 1911, developers built a 776-foot-long pier to accommodate larger boats and to . . . — — Map (db m241304) HM
The Island Playhouse is one of the oldest buildings on Anna Maria Island. The simple frame vernacular building was once the home of William H. Gillett and was originally located in the Town of Parrish in Manatee County. In 1912, it was barged down . . . — — Map (db m72446) HM
In 1927, a particularly rowdy tavern and dance hall on the beach near Spring Avenue rapidly disturbed the quiet town of Anna Maria. Town mayor Mitch Davis built a jail to lock up the offenders. The jail was unique. With only bars on the windows, . . . — — Map (db m131307) HM
At this location over Wares Creek once stood one of the oldest concrete arch deck bridges in the State of Florida. Designed by noted local civil engineer Freeman H. Horton, the former 9th Avenue West bridge was constructed during World War II by the . . . — — Map (db m100899) HM
The De Soto expedition carved a devastating trail through what is now the southeastern United States. Although it spanned only four years, its legacy reverberates today.
Some of the expedition's impacts were immediate. De Soto's . . . — — Map (db m295079) HM
With their commander dead, and their supplies gone, the expedition's goals shifted from conquest to escape. De Soto's plan had been to build boats, descend the Mississippi, and sail for Cuba. But commander Luis de Moscoso chose instead to march . . . — — Map (db m295076) HM
In the fall of 1539 the De Soto expedition reached the homeland of the Apalachee. The Indigenous people harried the Spanish force with flank attacks, and even burned their own villages to keep food out of enemy hands. But the invaders pushed on and . . . — — Map (db m295059) HM
As the expedition prepared for departure, De Soto scoured the area near the Uzita base camp, seeking Indigenous people to bribe or threaten into providing assistance and information. In June of 1539 a scouting party chased down a group of Timucua . . . — — Map (db m295056) HM
Adams Cemetery, once known as the Fogartyville Colored Cemetery, began in 1896 when William H. and Eliza Atzeroth Forgarty donated four acres of land to the community for use as a public cemetery. The cemeterys earliest marker is the final resting . . . — — Map (db m100900) HM
We are not certain where exactly De Soto's ships landed in 1539. But descriptions in the expedition's records suggest it was probably here in Tampa Bay. What was that moment like? From the wooded shores, Uzita, Mocozo, and Tocobaga people watched . . . — — Map (db m295054) HM
(side 1)
Bartholomew "Tole" Fogarty (1839-1917) built this 3-story home in 1871, using only hand tools and his Shipwright craftsmanship.
The town of Fogartyville was established here, (prior to the origin of Braidentown), by 3 . . . — — Map (db m277526) HM
The De Soto expedition reached the homeland of the Atahachi in the fall of 1540. Following tactics of conquest that had served him well, De Soto "arrested" their leader, Tascaluza, and demanded supplies and slaves.
(side 1)
In April of 1915, twenty-two year old Robert M. Beall opened a simple dry goods store on this block of Old Main Street. Pricing nothing over a dollar, he named it the Dollar Limit. Beall invested his money in merchandise so when . . . — — Map (db m100947) HM
Dr. Joseph Addison Braden, graduate physician, native of Virginia, came from Tallahassee to Manatee River in 1843 and acquired about 1100 acres of land; built a sugar mill about 2½ miles south of Manatee. With materials at hand he constructed, . . . — — Map (db m131224) HM
Dr. Joseph Addison Braden, physician and native Virginian, came from Tallahassee to the Manatee River in the early 1840's. By 1850 he had acquired approximately 900 acres of land and built a steam operated sugar and grist mill. In that year using . . . — — Map (db m149336) HM
Side 1
The Braden River is the largest tributary of the Manatee River and is 35 miles in length. It is named for Dr. Joseph Braden, a Tallahassee sugar planter who came here in 1842 and established a sugar plantation at the western . . . — — Map (db m146454) HM
On this site from January 1, 1921-May 31, 1957 stood the Bradenton General Hospital owned and operated by Dr. C.W. Larrabee and wife, Dovie Collins Larrabee for the use of all doctors and benefit and care of all people in this area. — — Map (db m110641) HM
BRADENTON KIWANIS CLUB
The Bradenton Kiwanis Club was originally chartered on August 22. 1922 as the Manatee River Kiwanis Club. Later the name of the club was changed to Kiwanis Club of Bradenton. Founding members. Robert M.
Beall, Whitney . . . — — Map (db m236503) HM
The Bradenton Nine Devils played here starting in the 1930's as part of the Florida State Negro Baseball League. Known by various names, "Nine Devils" is attributed to a 9-game winning streak one season. Team owners Bish Christopher and John Clark, . . . — — Map (db m277465) HM
The Atlantic Coastline Railroad Company Passenger and Freight Depot Bradentown Florida, built c. 1925, became the Bradenton Depot when Bradentown dropped the w from its name. The historical significance on local and state levels was tremendous as . . . — — Map (db m144859) HM
This Spanish Camp was built to resemble De Sotos base camp at the Indian village of Uzita. Under Captain Pedro Calderons command, approximately one hundred soldiers, sailors, and horsemen operated Camp Uzita as a supply port, with instructions . . . — — Map (db m217057) HM
(side 1)
With baseball suspended for the duration of WWII, present-day McKechnie Field was closed between 1941-48 and taken over by the U.S. Army and named Camp Bradenton. Under command of Maj. Joseph H. Dunlap, it was designated a Signal . . . — — Map (db m102469) HM
In the spring of 1540, at the start of the growing season, the people of Cofitachequi got word of an approaching army of foreigners. When the group reached the city's outskirts, the priestess went out to greet them. She offered food and housing, and . . . — — Map (db m295068) HM
(side 1)
In 1892, John Crews Pelot deeded this 200 x 400 square foot parcel of land to Manatee County for the sum of $200.00. The land was cleared at a cost of $62.50, and a new courthouse, the first in "Braidentown" and the county's third . . . — — Map (db m100948) HM
The Curry Houses are two of the oldest homes in Bradenton still in the location where they were built. Their age and connection to the Curry family make them important markers of the communitys history. Reflections of Manatee is dedicated to . . . — — Map (db m218514) HM
Curry Houses National Register Historic District
On this site, Captain John and Mary (Kemp) Curry built 22 homes after purchasing 30 acres from Dr. Franklin Branch in 1859. Their extended family of 29 moved here from Key West on a . . . — — Map (db m168455) HM
Picture the past as you stand here. Indians once gathered oysters and clams along this shore and fished the river. On your left are remnants of a mound composed of shells they discarded after countless meals. Long after the Indians were gone road . . . — — Map (db m125368) HM
The De Soto Trail Monument was placed here by the National Society of Colonial Dames of America. The granite monument was dedicated on May 30, 1939, during the 400th anniversary of the landfall of the Hernando de Soto expedition. In 1948 this . . . — — Map (db m125323) HM
In the spring of 1539, nine sailing vessels commanded by the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto sailed from Cuba to Florida. The fleet carried hundreds of soldiers, laborers, clerics, and enslaved people, plus everything necessary for an . . . — — Map (db m295088) HM
Near here Hernando DeSoto with his men landed May 30, 1539 and began his march westward to the Mississippi River. This marker commemorates the 400th anniversary of his arrival on the shores of Florida. — — Map (db m125358) HM
(side 1)
Edmund Lee Family Graveyard and the Lonesome Grave
According to local history, members of the Lee family are buried here. Rev. Edmund Lee, a Presbyterian Minister, his wife Electa, and their daughter Sarah, came to the . . . — — Map (db m112518) HM
Florida's endemic species are plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. One example is the endangered Florida goldenaster whose range consists of five Florida counties: Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Hardee, and Highlands Counties. . . . — — Map (db m275612) HM
In September of 1542, after their failed attempt to reach Mexico overland, the expedition arrived back at the Mississippi River. Through the winter and spring the surviving craftsmen directed construction of several shallow-draft boats. Supplies . . . — — Map (db m295077) HM
This ring is one of three in the Park. It is made from a former locomotive drive wheel rim. A steel mallet striking the rim would alert the residents if necessary. An antique hand drawn fire wagon is located in front of the Pavilion. — — Map (db m218396) HM
Marker Front: Manatee County was created by legislative action signed January 9, 1855, from Hillsborough, St. Lucie, and Monroe Counties. Five years later, in 1860, Josiah Gates and Mary, his wife, deeded to Manatee County a parcel of land . . . — — Map (db m72425) HM
(side 1)
The First Presbyterian Church of Bradenton is the oldest congregation in the bounds of the original Village of Bradenton and the oldest south of Tampa. In 1885, land was deeded to five trustees for the planned Braidentown . . . — — Map (db m81754) HM
Marker Front: Located a few yards from this spot near the banks of the Manatee River is the site of the log home of Josiah Gates. Gates was the first Anglo-American settler in the entire Manatee area which at that time extended southward . . . — — Map (db m72426) HM
(side 1)
In 1939, the Legislature created the Department of Public Safety and Florida Highway Patrol. Governor Fred P. Cone appointed W.F. Reid director in September. On October 1, Major H. Neil Kirkman was appointed Commandant of the . . . — — Map (db m100925) HM
Side 1:
The Naval stores industry, as the name implies, was once the backbone of every nations navy. The wood, tar, caulk, and other materials derived from the pine tree were needed to build, repair and waterproof wooden ships. America . . . — — Map (db m131054) HM
Manatee County's first Courthouse was built in 1859-1860, and is the oldest remaining building constructed as a county courthouse in the State of Florida. It was built on the original Courthouse Square at 15th Street East and Fourth Avenue, two . . . — — Map (db m43101) HM
(side 1)
Former Town of Fogartyville
This marker stands on the eastern boundary of Fogartyville, a town founded on land acquired under the Homestead Act after the War Between the States by Fogarty bros., Capt. Bartholomew (Tole), . . . — — Map (db m100901) HM
Near this location stood Fort Hamer, a Second Seminole War fort and hospital that stood on the south bank of the Manatee River at the highest point navigable by steamboats. The fort was part of a greater U.S. military strategy of a line of forts . . . — — Map (db m239222) HM
(side 1)
A frontier military post once stood a mile northeast of this marker on the south bank of the Manatee River. The fort was built during the Seminole Scare of 1849 and named for Brig. Gen. Thomas L. Hamer, who died in 1848 in the . . . — — Map (db m280652) HM
In Panama with Pedrarias
Hernando de Soto, second son of a country hidalgo, or minor noble, was born around 1500 in the Extremadura region of Spain. At age 13, he left home to seek his fortune in the New World. After proving he had . . . — — Map (db m126567) HM
The Hernando de Soto Catholic Memorial, also known as the Holy Eucharist Monument, and the Memorial Cross, just across the bridge from here, are owned by the Catholic Diocese of Venice, Florida. The base stone of this monument was quarried and cut . . . — — Map (db m125790) HM
It is five hundred years ago, in the coastal village of Uzita. You have been invited by a Clan Mother to visit her clan's longhouse: a home and community space.
You step through the doorway, noticing the scents of fresh cut palmetto . . . — — Map (db m295051) HM
In August 1944. the United States was engaged in a great struggle in the European and Pacific theaters of World War II. In contrast, standing on the banks of the Braden River were Manatee County residents Al "Jiggs" and Agnes Metcalf. looking over . . . — — Map (db m239216) HM
Trained in horses and arms, nineteen-year-old Hernando Desoto first traveled to Peru, the land of the Inca, in 1520. Sixteen years later, rich with plundered gold, he returned to Spain in triumph.
This man, dry of words and stern . . . — — Map (db m217048) HM
United States Army United States Navy United States Marine Corps United States Air Force United States Coast Guard POW - MIA You are not forgotten — — Map (db m296452) WM
Dedicated Manasota Chapter 199 of Korean War Veterans Association to honor the spirit of the men and women who served in the United States and United Nations Armed Forces during the Korean War. — — Map (db m296075) WM
Born of Nomads
The early peoples of the Americas were descended from nomadic tribes that arrived during the last Ice Age—more than 12,000 years ago. Floridas climate resembled that of savannah Africa. Early hunters tracked mastodons, . . . — — Map (db m126568) HM
The 1519 landing of the De Soto expedition was a massive undertaking. First the ship crews had to work the vessels over sandbars and into the bay. Then boat after boat rowed hundreds of expedition members ashore. Grooms coaxed over 200 horses into . . . — — Map (db m295055) HM
For much of Floridas history, the home was essential to all family activities and to survival. This included the care of children, preparation of meals, protection from the elements, and entertainment. Families gathered in kitchens and parlors . . . — — Map (db m131754) HM
The Manatee County Board of Public Instruction purchased property from Mr. Alden J. Adams on July 25, 1914, and from Mr. and Mrs. J. K. Singletary on May 17, 1922, “for the purposes of a school for Negro children.” The old Manatee . . . — — Map (db m72415) HM
Originally constructed in
1929, it reaches out into the
Manatee River more than
600 feet to the
navigable channel.
Destroyed by weather events,
and then rebuilt in 1990,
1993 & 2002. It was
refurbished in 2017 by
many . . . — — Map (db m131205) HM
This plot was donated by Major Alden Joseph Adams to the village of Manatee in 1892 "to be used as a burying ground forever." It was first called New Cemetery. Members of pioneer families, including Major Adams, are interred here. The property is . . . — — Map (db m72423) HM
side 1
The first advanced school erected in Manatee County was built about 200 feet east of this site on land deeded 15 August 1876 expressly for education and cultural purposes by Edmund Lee and his third wife, Elizabeth, to Trustees of . . . — — Map (db m72937) HM
Marker Front: This is one of the oldest organized burying grounds on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The property was deeded on May 30, 1850, and since 1892 only immediate members of families already interred here can be buried in the cemetery. . . . — — Map (db m72424) HM
Here flowed a spring which had been used by Indians and was found by Manatee's first white settler, Josiah Gates, who settled nearby in January 1842. It served Branch Fort, when the early settlers camped nearby for protection from the Seminole raid . . . — — Map (db m72422) HM
De Soto National Memorial traces back to the late 1930s when automobile tourism was on the rise. Floridians capitalized on their state's unique climate and wildlife, building roadside attractions that ranged from alligator wrestling to flower . . . — — Map (db m295052) HM
Mary Amelia Curry House
circa 1860
This house was placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
September 8, 2015 — — Map (db m218515) HM
Welcome! This short, accessible loop trail takes you around Shaw's Point. It passes through mangrove wetland and visits a unique upland pine/hardwood hammock. At several points you can visit the sandy shoreline for views of Tampa Bay.
For generations, Old Cabbage
Head symbolized the Old
Manatee and Bradenton
communities. Children,
who climbed aboard in
play, later watched their
own children pretend there.
In 2006, the Bradenton
Kiwanis Club relocated . . . — — Map (db m131004) HM
Marker Front:
In 1868, firearms manufacturer James Warner moved his family from Springfield, Massachusetts, to Manatee County, where he hoped to regain his health. He built a home on the shore of the Manatee River about half a mile east . . . — — Map (db m72427) HM
(Side 1)
This historic non-denominational church, first known as "The Church in the Wildwood" because of location, was established and constructed in 1886 when Asa Pillsbury, Sr. donated land for a church, cemetery and school to trustees . . . — — Map (db m102973) HM
When De Soto's expedition landed in Tampa Bay they encountered the Uzita, Mocozo, and Tocobaga--three powerful and prosperous Indigenous societies, each with their own language. These people had lived along this coast for thousands of years, . . . — — Map (db m295049) HM
Close your eyes and imagine a dense forest of pine trees, each trunk too large to wrap your arms around. This land was once covered in slash pines, some more than a hundred years old. Many of Florida's old-growth forests were harvested for . . . — — Map (db m275844) HM
Riverview Pointe and De Soto National Memorial are part of the Shaw's Point Archeological District. This thirty-five-acre archeological district is on the National Register of Historic Places and preserves a large prehistoric coastal village site . . . — — Map (db m125370) HM
From August to December of 1539, the De Soto expedition moved north: a vast train of soldiers, priests, laborers, craftsmen, and captives--plus horses, pigs, and dogs--struggling through dense forests and swamps.
As they traveled, the . . . — — Map (db m295057) HM
Look closely at the boulder-like rubble in front of this sign. Can you see the embedded seashells? These eroding blocks are all that remains of a small building constructed in the 1830s. Like many structures in this area, it was built using . . . — — Map (db m295014) HM
Although the origin of the tabby ruins is not known for certain, William H. Shaw is credited with its construction soon after settling here in 1843. The Shaw family lived and worked here until a Seminole Indian uprising in 1856 drove them to Key . . . — — Map (db m125369) HM
Construction of this historic church was started in 1887. Completion was delayed until 1889 due to a yellow fever epidemic which claimed the lives of the pastor and many members of the congregation. Used to house the first Christian congregation . . . — — Map (db m43102) HM
Throughout America, the one-room schoolhouse was a fixture and the educational mainstay for many years.
This one-room schoolhouse was built in 1908 to serve the community of Bunker Hill, which is located in the northeast corner of Manatee . . . — — Map (db m43108) HM
(Side 1)
This Carnegie Library was built in 1918 with funds from the Carnegie Corporation. It is one of the 1,946 Carnegie Libraries built in the United States under the direction of Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant who rose from . . . — — Map (db m81714) HM
Battles were not fought around the Manatee settlement, but the Civil War brought stress and stain none-the-less. Men went away to war. Union blockades meant that women and children only had flour occasionally when it was smuggled in and . . . — — Map (db m218513) HM
The Edmund Lee Family Pioneer Cemetery purchased land from Josiah Gates in 1846
Here lies:
Mary Guerrero, adopted infant daughter of Miguel and Frederica Guerrero 1868
Rev. James McCarter 1813 - 1857
Electa Arcotte Lee, first . . . — — Map (db m129567) HM
This point is the western terminus of the Florida Cracker Trail designated by the Florida State Legislature in 1987. The Cracker Trail follows an east/west route across the State of Florida that has existed since approximately 1850. This trail was . . . — — Map (db m43076) HM
In 1866, three brothers, John, Bartholomew, and Bill Fogarty, settled in Manatee County and established a ship building and coastal trading schooner base on the shore of the Manatee River. In the years before automobiles and railroads, Manatee . . . — — Map (db m43104) HM
Chips Shore (1941-2015) was the Manatee County Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller for 38 years (1977-2015). He was very proud to be a native of Manatee County, Florida and loved the outdoor environment that makes our community unique. He knew . . . — — Map (db m217044) HM
Late in the afternoon of May 29, 1539, DeSoto's armada of nine ships rode at anchor in a deep Florida bay. Decks and holds were heavily burdened with 700 men, 350 horses, packs of bloodhounds and Irish greyhounds, a herd of pigs and a profusion . . . — — Map (db m217049) HM
named for the marine mammal Trichechus Latirostris, was the main avenue of transportation and communication since the first permanent settlement. All commerce, goods for the early stores, the U.S. Mail, passengers and settlers came into the county . . . — — Map (db m131463) HM
This barn is typical of those built by Florida farmers in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Its design was determined by Floridas climate which allowed farm animals to stay outside year round. The interior of the barn was used to store seeds, . . . — — Map (db m131302) HM
A smokehouse was a necessary part of every rural pioneer home in early American history due to the lack of refrigeration for fresh meat storage. As part of the preservation process, cuts of meat, primarily pork and sausage, were hung on racks in the . . . — — Map (db m131207) HM
DeSoto was not the first conquistador nor the last to be licensed by the Spanish king to conquer and settle Florida. Three previous attempts had ended in disaster.
The Crown risked little in authorizing private exploration. Under the terms of . . . — — Map (db m217054) HM
A prime example of the “Cracker Gothic” style, this home was built in 1912 by the Will Stephens family. It is an excellent representation of a Florida rural frame house during the period between the 1870's and World War I. This third . . . — — Map (db m43106) HM
Side A The Town of Manatee was officially chartered on June 19, 1903. This intersection of Central Street (present day 9th Street East) and Manatee Avenue became the heart of the towns business district after the arrival of the Florida West . . . — — Map (db m32409) HM
Restored on the original building site, the Wiggins Store was built by King Wiggins in 1903. The fact that it was one of the areas first brick buildings is significant because, prior to the arrival of the railroad, brick could only be brought in by . . . — — Map (db m43107) HM
Theodosia Curry Lloyd House
1925
This house was placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
September 8, 2015 — — Map (db m218517) HM
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