Weedon Island Preserve - St. Petersburg, Florida

Some of the most significant archaeological sites in the South as well as a stretch of the most beautiful waterfront scenery in Florida is now preserved at the massive Weedon Island Preserve in St. Petersburg.

Located in the heart of the metropolitan area, the beautiful park area and cultural center preserves over 3,000 acres of sensitive lands bordering Old Tampa Bay. It also protects the array of archaeological sites known as Weedon Island (also spelled Weeden Island), for which a Native American culture that once covered much of the Deep South was named.

While there is no evidence that the Weedon Island culture spread out from this site, it was archaeological work here decades ago that defined its pottery styles and other cultural aspects. A culture that grew during the Woodland time period, sites of the Weedon Island style have been found in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. Centered around mound complexes, the Weedon Island towns of the South were occupied from around A.D. 300 to A.D. 900 before they were replaced by the better known Mississippian culture.

In addition to its ancient archaeological sites, the Weedon Island Preserve was also the site of a Prohibition era "speakeasy," a 1929 airport and a pre-World War II movie studio. It now features walking trails, canoe and kayak launches, boardwalks, picnic areas and a Cultural and Natural History Center.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/weedonisland.

Safety Harbor Mounds - Safety Harbor, Florida

The massive temple mound at Philippi Park in Safety Harbor is one of the most significant archaeological and historic sites in Florida.

Located just north of St. Petersburg and bordering Old Tampa Bay, Safety Harbor was once the site of a major Tocobaga Indian village that was thriving when the first Spanish explorers landing in the area. In fact, there are many indications that it was the capital of the primary cacique or chief of the Tocobaga.

Both Hernando de Soto and Panfilo de Narvaez encountered the Tocobaga as they stormed ashore in the Tampa Bay area, but it was Pedro Menendez de Aviles, the founder of St. Augustine, who first took more than a passing interest in them. Shortly after founding the oldest city in the U.S. on Florida's East Coast, Menendez implemented a systematic plan to conquer all of Florida and bring it under Spanish dominion.

He began by establishing forts on the east coast and by 1566 had made his way around the peninsula to Florida's Southwest Coast. He arrived at Tampa Bay that same year in an effort to make peace between the Tocobaga and their neighbors, the Calusa, who lived down the coast. The two warring nations agreed to a temporary peace and the Tocobaga even agreed to let Menendez build a fort at their primary town, believe to be the one that surrounded the Safety Harbor Temple Mound.

The first Spanish settlement on Old Tampa Bay did not last long. After about a year the Tocobaga rose up against the Europeans and slaughtered them to a man. The fort was destroyed and a priest of the time blamed the attack on cruelty committed against the Indians by the garrison.

The Tocobaga themselves did not long survive the arrival of the Spanish in Florida. Less than 100 years later, they had vanished, leaving only shell middens and mounds as reminders that they had ever walked the shores of the Gulf Coast.

The temple mound at Philippi Park is the best preserved of several mounds that once stood at the Safety Harbor site. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/safetyharbor.

Fort De Soto Park - Mullet Key, Florida

A trip to one of the best preserved artillery batteries of the Spanish-American War era can be combined with a visit to one of America's finest beaches!

Historic Fort De Soto stands on Mullet Key, easily accessible by car from nearby St. Petersburg, Florida. Now a park operated by Pinellas County, the key preserves the old fort which was begun in 1898 to defend Tampa Bay against the risk of a Spanish naval attack. Some of the artillery to be seen there is among the rarest in the world.

The 12-inch rifled mortars in the concrete and shell battery, for example, are the only examples of their type in the continental United States. Also on display are two 6-inch Armstrong rapid fire guns rescued from Fort Dade, a crumbling sister work on nearby Egmont Key. They are the last two guns of their type in the country.

The fort was a key U.S. Army base until 1923 when it was evacuated for good. Rescued from neglect in 1948 when Pinellas County purchased Mullet Key from the U.S. Government, Fort De Soto is now beautifully preserved and is the focal point of an outstanding park that also features magnificent beaches, camping, picnicking, boat launches and nature trails.

The beaches of Fort De Soto, in fact, were named the best in America in 2005 and are definitely quite spectacular.

To learn more about historic Fort De Soto, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortdesoto1.