Good Day to all! The Charlotte County Historical Society’s Low Country Boil is coming up September 26 at the Punta Gorda Woman’s Club. Go to charlottecountylowcountryboil.com for details and tickets. It will be a great time! Hope to see you there!
Did you know that our harbor was named by Dutch navigator Bernard Romans? Born in the Netherlands, but trained in England, Romans was commissioned by King George III to chart East Florida’s coast, “East Florida” consisted of the Florida peninsula east of the Apalachicola River, after Great Britain obtained Florida from Spain in exchange for Havana, Cuba. Havana had been captured by the British during the Seven Year’s (French and Indian) War.
Romans came to British North America in 1757 and entered the King’s service as a commodore in 1761. Appointed principal deputy surveyor for the colonial Southern District in 1768 (Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida), he began surveying the coastal waters of East Florida in 1769. After a bit of an interruption, seems his boat sank in the Manatee River and he had to walk overland to Saint Augustine, over 200 miles, the task was completed in August 1771. Romans recorded depth soundings, good harbors, sources of fresh water, and drafted coastal charts.
He subsequently published a natural history of Florida in 1775, A Concise Natural History of East and West Florida, with maps designating our local body of water as “Charlotte Harbour”, named apparently for Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, King George’s queen. Over the years, the “u” was dropped. Interestingly, the map was likely created from a plate engraved by Paul Revere, as most in the book were. Romans also claimed to have discovered the harbor, but we know Spanish explorers and Cuban fishermen had first begun visiting the area much earlier.
In fact, published maps at the time typically identified the body of water as Carlos Bay or Harbor, honoring a leader of native Calusa inhabitants. Previous maps identified the area as Ponce Bay, but that description was shifted to an area south of Charlotte Harbor.
Romans’ exploits in Florida gained him much renown and in January 1774, he became a member of the American Philosophical Society. Soon thereafter, he proposed to William Legge, British Secretary of State for the colonies, an expedition to explore the Mississippi River and Great Lakes, then westward to the Pacific Coast. Hmm, I wonder if he also discussed it with fellow Society member Thomas Jefferson?
Visit The Punta Gorda History Center’s website to view maps of Charlotte Harbor. Select “Online Collection”, then “Keyword Search” and enter the search criteria.
“Did You Know” appears, typically, every other Wednesday, courtesy of this newspaper and the Charlotte County Historical Society. The Society’s mission is to help promote and preserve Charlotte County’s rich history. We are also always looking for volunteers and interested individuals to serve as board members. If you believe our area’s history is as important as we do, please visit Charlotte County Historical Society on-line at https://cchistoricalsociety.com/, or call 941- 769-1270 for more information
Check out History Services’ yearlong project, “Telling Your Stories: History in the Parks”. It began in January 2021 with placement of the first interpretive sign “Charlotte Harbor Spa” at South County Regional Park. The last was dedicated December 15, 2021 at Centennial Park featuring Florida postcards. All dedicated signs can be viewed at online library resources. Select “Programs and Services”, then “History Services” and “Virtual Programs”.
Visit the same site to access recently released oral histories featuring 40 local folks. Select “History Services” and scroll down, or phone 941-629-7278, to find out what history related programs and videos are available, or coming up.
September 16 column