Whatever Happened to . . .
Ponce de León

Died in 1521 in Havana. He failed to find the fabled Fountain of Youth (assuming he actually was looking for it, as popular history proclaims)—but he did find Florida. Progress had been made. . . .

Born in Spain, probably during the 1460s, Juan Ponce de León likely was of noble birth, but his family was not wealthy and his parents both died when he was a boy. Raised by an aging relative, he had few choices of a career. Happily, he was given a post as household page to a Spanish knight who was a friend of the royal family. Ponce received an education and later became a trusted squire, then a professional soldier. He distinguished himself, and his future place in the history books was sealed when he was selected to accompany Christopher Columbus' second expedition from Cadiz in 1493.

For almost the next full decade, nothing of his life was recorded for posterity. When we next pick up his record, he was married and, as a soldier/planter, had become part of the Spanish settlement on Hispaniola. From there, he explored the nearby island of Borinquen—modern-day Puerto Rico—looking for gold. He was appointed governor of Borinquen for two years, and although he lost this post through changes in royal favoritism back in Spain, he remained a wealthy planter and leader of the Spanish garrison on Borinquen.

Indians spoke of a distant island called Bimini, where a wellspring of magical water could keep a person forever young. At his own expense, Ponce de León went looking for it in 1513. Historians question whether he was seeking the mysterious fountain of youth, whether he was still searching for gold or whether he simply wanted to find a new province to govern. He discovered no Bimini or mystical water, but he planted the Spanish flag on the east coast of Florida—where Native Americans fired arrows and darts at his crew. Nonetheless, Ponce soon was made the (possibly) proud adelantado, or governor, of Florida, which he thought was an island.

In 1521, after leading a military campaign against the Carib Indians back in the islands and spending some time in Spain, he set out with an expedition to colonize Florida. Attempting a landing near present-day Fort Myers on the peninsula's west coast, his company was surrounded and attacked by natives. The commander took an arrow in the thigh. It would prove fatal. His men set out for the nearest Spanish settlement, Havana, to find him medical assistance. But by the time they arrived, the wound was hopelessly infected and Ponce de León was delirious. He died several days later. His body, taken back to Borinquen, today is entombed in a cathedral wall at San Juan.

Return to the current issue of Blithering Antiquity

Return to the home page of Blithering Antiquity

Return to Hornpipe Vintage Publications

 ..

© 2003 Hornpipe Vintage Publications

All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this Web site may be used without express written permission from the editor.