Sunday Favorites: The Mystery and Myths of Desoto Memorial Park

There's a lot of mystery and mythology surrounding DeSoto National Memorial Park. Is it really the landing place of Hernando DeSoto? Did it mark the beginning of his expedition? There has been a lot of speculation and controversy surrounding these questions. However, a 2019 interview the Manatee County Historical Society conducted with Park Ranger Daniel Stephens sets much of the record straight.

Apparently, Hernando DeSoto never stepped foot on the property, or in Southern Manatee County for that matter. According to Stephens, the expedition actually landed about 10 miles north of where the park is located, near present-day Port Manatee. The ships utilized by the conquistador required deep water, much deeper than that near the mouth of the Manatee River. The Port Manatee area offered a deep cove where they could moor their ships in a secure location without the risk of running aground.

Stephens said they are 98% sure of the location and believe the village of Utica, where Desoto stayed for his first few weeks, was just across the border in Hillsborough County. The fact that the site is considered a 'memorial site' and not a 'historical site' should tell us everything we need to know.

In 1906, a man by the name of George Chapline, of Arkansas, published a story after spending one winter in the area called "The Legend of Sara DeSoto." It was a fictional love story about a Native American Chief that became infatuated with a Spanish maid who happened to be the daughter of Hernando DeSoto. Years later, it became the basis of a week-long event, attracting thousands of visitors. The celebration culminated with a pageant called "Miss Sara DeSoto," which was extremely popular during the 1940s, according to history Jeff LeHurd in his article "The Festive Sara de Soto Pageant of 1948."

The truth is, DeSoto did not really have a daughter named Sara. He also forbade women from traveling on his ships, insisting that his men leave their wives and mistresses behind. However, the story and pageant gained local notoriety. Stephens says he still has people come up to him insisting that Sarasota is named after DeSoto's daughter on a daily basis. A statement that always gives him a chuckle.

"First, how many Spaniards do you know that would name their daughter Sara? Second, DeSoto never had any legitimate children. He did have a daughter with an Incan woman. He left her in Peru," Stephens said.

This myth is actually partly true. When DeSoto stepped foot upon the sunny shoreline of Florida, he was already one of the wealthiest men in Europe. This was mostly due to his conquests in South America. When he departed from the Incan Empire, he did so with 13,000 pounds of gold and silver. However, he was under direct orders from the King of Spain to establish a colony in the new world. He gave DeSoto four years to do it, according to Stephens.

Stephens claims the stories of gold in Florida all came from a man named Cabeza de Vaca who had stayed behind after an expedition and traveled across Florida and the Southern U.S., eventually arriving by foot in Mexico City. He lived amongst the natives, first as a slave and eventually as a comrade. He heard many stories about 'great wealth' in Florida.

But Stephens says the interpretation of 'fabulous wealth' leads to mythology.

"What does fabulous wealth mean to a Spaniard? Gold! Cities of gold like in Incans! But to a Native American, it might mean land, food, security, prosperity," said Stephens.

And thus, it was likely a miscommunication that inspired DeSoto's quest for gold.

So DeSoto Memorial Park is not the landing spot of Hernando DeSoto. It's still a beautiful park where we can watch the sunset or fish from the shoreline. The fact that a conquistador didn't kiss the sand upon its shores doesn't change the significance one bit for me. How about you?