Historical Markers and War Memorials in Punta Gorda, Florida
Punta Gorda is the county seat for Charlotte County
Punta Gorda is in Charlotte County
Charlotte County(46) ► ADJACENT TO CHARLOTTE COUNTY DeSoto County(12) ► Glades County(6) ► Hendry County(11) ► Highlands County(39) ► Lee County(86) ► Sarasota County(290) ►
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Near Harbor Walk Drive, 0.1 miles north of Nesbit Street.
Dedicated to the men of the
83rd Inf Division
WWII
Co F. 329th 2nd Bat.
Fl. Charter organized in
Punta Gorda 1978
by Bill Nickell & Lola Keller — — Map (db m243969) WM
On West Marion Avenue at Harvey Street, on the left when traveling north on West Marion Avenue.
A founder of Punta Gorda, he was a resident until his death. Served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives in 1893, 1895, 1903 and was House Speaker in 1905. He resigned as Brig. Gen. of the Florida Militia and enlisted as a Private in . . . — — Map (db m167300) HM
Near Harbor Walk Drive, 0.1 miles north of Nesbit Street.
American Merchant
Marine Veterans
Suncoast Chapter
Dedicated to the
six thousand eight hundred
and thirty-four
Merchant Seamen who lost
their lives in World War II — — Map (db m243905) WM
On Taylor Street at Olympia Avenue, on the right when traveling north on Taylor Street.
Charlotte County was created in 1921, after citizens had pushed for 34 years to divide DeSoto County, and Punta Gorda was the new county seat. After meeting in rented quarters, the Board of County Commissioners voted in 1927 to plan a new building . . . — — Map (db m189589) HM
On Cooper Street at East McKenzie Street, on the right when traveling north on Cooper Street.
Originally named the Punta Gorda High School, this building was the first dedicated high school for the newly created Charlotte County (1921), replacing the previous 1907 Punta Gorda Grammar and High School. Construction of the school began in 1926 . . . — — Map (db m215977) HM
On West Marion Avenue at Goldstein Street, on the left when traveling north on West Marion Avenue.
Spanish fishermen from Cuba first gave the name "Punta Gorda" to this area in the early 1800's. The City was originally platted as "Trabue" by Isaac H. Trabue on February 24, 1885. The City of Punta Gorda came into being when a group of men met in a . . . — — Map (db m167299) HM
On Ponce de Leon Parkway, 0.5 miles south of North Marion Court, on the right when traveling south.
Many wading birds can be seen here, largely due to the sacrifice of men like Columbus G. McLeod (1848-1908), who gave his life trying to protect them from plume hunters. Ladies' hats with exotic bird feathers were high fashion for the late 1800's, . . . — — Map (db m167589) HM
Near Harbor Walk Drive, 0.1 miles north of Nesbit Street.
Dedicated to the memory of P.F.C. Robert L. Cochran
U.S.M.C. Killed in action on the Island of Saipan,
1944, and to all Combat Wounded Veterans
My stone is red for the blood they shed.
The medal I bear is my country’s way to show . . . — — Map (db m244062) WM
On Ponce De Leon Parkway, 0.5 miles south of North Marion Court, on the left when traveling south. Reported permanently removed.
April 2 - Discovery of "La Florida"
April 20 - Punta de Arracifes (Cape Kennedy)
April 21 - The Gulf Stream currents
May 8 - Cabo de Corrientes (Palm Beach)
May 13 - Bahia Chequescha (Biscayne Bay)
May 15 - Los Martires (The Florida Keys) . . . — — Map (db m167681) HM
On West Retta Esplanade at Harvey Street, on the left when traveling north on West Retta Esplanade.
On June 22, 1876, James A. Lockhart and his wife Josephine chose this location to build their new home, which was described as the lowest location in the area, near the only pine trees on the clearing and adjacent to a shell mound. The couple camped . . . — — Map (db m167303) HM
On Ponce de Leon Parkway, 0.9 miles west of Colony Point Drive, on the right when traveling south.
On this day, May 24, ships were sent to seek a mainland colony site and to sound and chart the newly found “Bay of the Holy Spirit” (Charlotte Harbor). For three weeks explorations continued, seldom by land. There were at least three . . . — — Map (db m95500) HM
On Taylor Street at Olympia Avenue, on the left when traveling north on Taylor Street.
On December 3, 1887, 34 men in the "Town of Trabue" met here in a two-story building, built in 1887, owned by Tom Hector. The diverse group of landlords, tenants, merchants and workers, some white and some black, were all qualified voters. At the . . . — — Map (db m167271) HM
On Howard Street at Shore Drive, on the left when traveling north on Howard Street.
Frederick William Howard of Kinderhook, New York, first settled near this site in November 1873. After their marriage, Frederick and his wife Anna established residence here in January 1874, along with their two nephews. Frederick hired men and an . . . — — Map (db m167522) HM
On Indian Springs Cemetery Road at Ferncroft Avenue, on the left when traveling south on Indian Springs Cemetery Road.
Indian Spring Cemetery, also called Indian Springs, was created in 1886 on land donated by James L. Sandlin (1858-1903), who settled on Alligator Creek in 1884. Additions were recorded in 1891, 1931, 1974 and 1975. The name "Indian Spring" came from . . . — — Map (db m189588) HM
Near Ponce de Leon Parkway, 0.9 miles west of Colony Point Drive, on the right when traveling south.
Born - San Tierra de Campos, Palencia, Spain - 1460
Died - Havana, Cuba - (probably Mid-June) - 1522
Interred - Entombment beneath the high altar of the Dominican Cathedral of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Epitaph to Ponce de Leon
"Beneath . . . — — Map (db m95486) HM
On Scott Avenue just north of Duncan Road (U.S. 17), on the left when traveling north.
Lt. Carl Bailey Cemetery has served this area’s African-American community as a final resting place for over 120 years. The cemetery was called the Cleveland Cemetery, established in the 1880s on land owned by New York investor W. Irving Scott. The . . . — — Map (db m151119) HM
On Ponce De Leon Parkway, 0.6 miles south of North Marion Court when traveling south. Reported missing.
In Charlotte Harbor Ponce de Leon came upon an urban Indian culture over 200 years old! The Caloosas were "City dwellers" whose sea-oriented high, dry, airy rectangular dwelling mounds made pleasant and secure homesites. Skillful engineers, the . . . — — Map (db m167684) HM
On Ponce de Leon Parkway, 0.6 miles south of North Marion Court, on the left when traveling south. Reported permanently removed.
On his first voyage to Florida in 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon spent several weeks at or near the mouth of Charlotte Harbor. When attacked by Indians he returned to Puerto Rico. In 1521, Ponce de Leon, with two shiploads of colonists, returned to . . . — — Map (db m167594) HM
On Ponce de Leon Parkway, 0.5 miles south of North Marion Court, on the right when traveling south. Reported missing.
The first European settlement in what is now the United States was established on the shores of Charlotte Harbor by explorer Juan Ponce de Leon and a band of more than 200 soldiers, priests, farmers, artisans and monks. The colony lasted for about . . . — — Map (db m167676) HM
Near Airport Road, 0.3 miles east of Piper Road, on the right when traveling north.
In May 1942, the Army Air Corps chose this site for the Punta Gorda Army Air Field (PGAAF). Construction began that October at a project cost of $700,000.
The Army Air Corps activated PGAAF on December 11, 1943 with a mission to train pilots . . . — — Map (db m146927) HM
On Taylor Road at Carmalita Street, on the right when traveling south on Taylor Road.
Plans to build the railroad depot in Punta Gorda began in 1928. Although the trains carried passengers, the main purpose was for shipping fish to northern markets. The Punta Gorda depot is the only remaining one of this style built by the Atlantic . . . — — Map (db m167353) HM
On W Marion Ave at Taylor St, on the right when traveling west on W Marion Ave. Reported missing.
Hotel Punta Gorda, one the first buildings of any kind constructed in Punta Gorda, opened in January 1888 and served over 3300 guests within its first season. The three story building contained 150 rooms, all with a view of the waters of Charlotte . . . — — Map (db m216054) HM
On West Marion Avenue, 0.1 miles west of Bal Harbor Boulevard, on the right when traveling west.
On this site, in 1887, ended the southernmost railroad trackage in the U.S. Florida Southern Railway's narrow-gauge tracks ran out on a 4,000 foot "Long Dock," where connections were made to New Orleans, Key West, and Havana steamers of the Morgan . . . — — Map (db m167520) HM
On Ponce de Leon Parkway, 0.6 miles south of North Marion Court, in the median.
"And believing that this land was an island, they named it La Florida, because it had a very beautiful view of many and cool woodlands, and because, moreover, they discovered it in the time of the Feast of the Flowers (Pascua Florida) Juan Ponce . . . — — Map (db m167588) HM
On Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) just north of West Marion Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
The Punta Gorda Bank was operating by June 1894 as a branch of the State Bank of Fort Meade. It was chartered by the state as a separate bank in July 1899, with a capital of $15,000 and Perry Wadsworth McAdow as president. McAdow had earned a . . . — — Map (db m167301) HM
Near Harbor Walk Drive, 0.1 miles north of Nesbit Street.
In honor of
the men and women
who served.
Jewish War Veterans of America
Oskar Schindler Post #404
Port Charlotte, Florida
100th Anniversary 1896-1996
— — Map (db m244052) WM
Near Harbor Walk Drive, 0.1 miles north of Nesbit Street.
Vietnam Veterans
of America #665
Honors all past
present and past
men and women veterans
of Charlotte County
Never Forget Our MIA-POW’s — — Map (db m243997) WM
