The Baga Shores Romance Series title is a hat tip to the Tocobaga Indians. Chances are you’ve never heard of them. They once lived in the northern part of Tampa Bay.
Now don’t break out in a cold sweat! I promise not to fasten my school teacher hat on too tight and scare you away! And there won’t be any tests.
At one time or another through history, it seemed that everyone wanted to claim this odd-shaped piece of land called La Florida. Any and everywhere a ship could drop anchor; somebody got the bright idea to stab a flag in the sand and claim the place for the king or queen back home. (Sorry, no selfies from those days, nor were these ultra-modern cruise ships!)
These were not gentle, family-friendly excursions, either—no air-conditioned SUVs equipped with Wi-Fi to entertain the kids in the back seat.
There were no multi-lane interstates like I-95 or I-75. No I-4 or I-10.
No Wawa or McDonalds.
In the 1500s, the men schlepped their belongings, swords, boots, and uniforms through some foul territory to travel from one place to another. I can’t imagine wearing metal explorers’ helmets through the mosquito and alligator-invested marshes!
Next time you’re driving across this state, either east to west or north to south (as you sit in our lovely dead-stop interstate traffic), take a good look out your window. A large portion of Florida is still primitive. They walked through that stuff, people!
The 1500s were busy times for the conquistadores like the Portuguese and Spaniards, who took turns invading and raiding. Hardly any part of the Florida coastline was overlooked.
We’ll never know who the first joker was who started the rumor that gold was here for the taking, but once the story got out, it went viral—as best it could back in the day! Remember, at the same time, all of the Caribbean, Mexico, Central, and South America were ripe targets, so the place was hopping with explorers.
Among the many different tribes in La Florida, the conquistadores encountered the Tocobaga tribe.
The best estimates are that this tribe lived north of Tampa Bay from 900 to the 1500s. Let that sink in a second. 1100 years ago!
Before that is anyone’s guess as they probably migrated from the north.
Tampa Bay has a fascinating history. If you’re familiar with football, Tampa is home to the Buccaneers. No accident in that name!
I’ll tell you about that another time.
Meanwhile, back to the Tocobaga.
In 1528 a Spanish explorer named Panfilo de Narvaez arrived in the bay area and as has happened, time and again, brought European disease along with the always elusive quest for gold. De Narvaez wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, so to speak, and managed to lose most of his crew before arriving.
That said, within a hundred years, between the disease his men gifted to the tribe and the ensuing violence that resulted from the endless quest for wealth and riches, the Tocobaga died out.
And that stinks because these people were amazing!
*** TO BE CONTINUED***