Fountain of Youth. There comes a time later in life when those words sound pretty attractive. For me, that time is now. So off I go, thinking it will just be a myth, a dream Juan Ponce de Leon chased all over Florida back in the 16th century.
Wrong. There really is a Fountain of Youth. De Leon was sure he had found it near St. Augustine. Today the small spring looks a little hokey all encased in a building full of stage sets, but drinking the water can’t hurt and, who knows, imbibing might help a few wrinkles disappear. De Leon couldn’t get enough of the stuff.
Fountain of Youth was a lifetime search for Juan Ponce de Leon
In 1493 de Leon joined Christopher Columbus in his second voyage to the New World. These explorers excelled at saying they were going one place and ended up somewhere else. Obviously they traveled before GPS units were available.
Columbus wanted to find a short passage to India. He ended up finding the New World. De Leon first stayed in the Dominican Republic then conquered Puerto Rico. In 1512 he got a permit (some things never change, like needing permits) from King Ferdinand of Spain to discover Biminy.
Hiring three ships at his own expense he sent out in 1513. Using a really cool instrument called an astrolabe to navigate, the ships went north then turned inland and anchored right up to land on April 2. The next morning they came ashore on what de Leon thought was an island on April 3, 1513.
Because flowers were in bloom, he named it La Florida (the flower). So much for Bimini. De Leon was just north of what would become St. Augustine. He gets the credit for discovering the continental United States. Yes, I know, back in grade school it was all about Pilgrims. Well, guess what, the Spanish were in Florida long before the Pilgrims got their feet wet jumping ship and rock skipping. Ah, the things you learn when you go discovering in Florida.
Fountain of Youth is found in more than one place in Florida
A guide at the Fountain of Youth told us the Spaniards met Timucuan Indians. Their Indian town called Seloy was right here. The Indians stood over seven feet tall. Good thing they were friendly. The Spaniards averaged about four feet eleven inches. And there was this fountain, a natural spring. The water tasted bitter (sulfur water) but heck, maybe the Indians were tall and lived long because they drank the water. It couldn’t hurt. De Leon loaded up caskets of water to take back to Puerto Rico.
After five days hanging out with Indians and drinking the water, he sailed around the tip of Florida, discovered the Gulf Stream and landed on the West Coast of Florida. Returning again to the West Coast in 1521 he tried to land and start a colony. The Calusa Indians didn’t appreciate the newcomers and fought many battles.
He also tried to make his way inland to Warm Mineral Springs, which the Calusa Indians thought was the Fountain of Youth. The Indians fought him every step of the way. He never made it. De Leon died on from a poisoned arrow wound. He was almost 61 years old, ancient by the standards of the day. Most Spaniards were only living until the age of 30 to 40. Maybe it was the water.
Another alleged Fountain of Youth is inside DeLeon Springs State Park near DeLand.
Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine covered up for generations
Surprisingly, proof that the Spanish landed in St. Augustine on April 3, 1513 lay covered up and ignored for generations. In 1904 a private landowner wanted a palm tree removed to improve the view. The gardener found a pattern of stones buried near the tree. Typically
, when Spanish explorers set foot on new soil, they claimed it by making a cross. The long arm has the number of stones corresponding to the century. This cross has 15 stones. The short arm has 13 stones. So the year was 1513. Unpretentious and unadorned, the stones of the cross lie on the ground next to the fountain.
Also found at the site was a salt container. These were used to hold documents and a parchment found inside attested to the fact de Leon was here.
The property is in private hands but operates as an attraction. You can walk the grounds and get the guided tour of the fountain, a big indoor globe that rotates (you just have to see it to believe it) and a planetarium, the oldest planetarium in America. This is
where they explain how navigators used that astrolabe. The stars played a major part in discovering the New World.
One building has Indian history and the grounds are open for walking. I like the huge clay jars the Spanish used to put under eves to catch water. The day I was there a group of students from a nearby charter school arrived with sketchbooks and found much to draw.
It is pretty amazing to walk out towards the water and see the area where the small ships (they were 84 feet long) came into shore. The shoreline has changed but this is the spot. And so Florida was discovered. It already had a thriving Indian culture. More cultures would follow.
It is said these are the words Juan Ponce de Leon uttered when he stepped ashore:
“Thanks be to thee, O Lord, who hast permitted me to see something new.”
Amen.
©2008 Lucy Beebe Tobias is a freelance writer, photographer and artist in Ocala, Florida. Her book “50 Great Walks in Florida”, February, 2008, is available now at www.LucyTobias.com
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