First Citizens Bank on the Tamiami Trail in Naples has a large statue of Ponce de Leon in the front. Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer and conquistador known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida in 1513. He is usually associated with a search for the Fountain of Youth.
Ponce de León returned to Southwest Florida in 1521 with the first large-scale attempt to establish a Spanish colony. However, the native Calusa people fiercely resisted the incursion, and Ponce de Léon was seriously wounded in a skirmish. The colonization attempt was abandoned, and he died from his wounds.
Osceola was a prominent leader of the Seminoles in the first third of the 19th century. His statue hides out in the parking lot behind the bank. I am surprised that I haven't read anything about native Americans protesting the rather offensive placement of the statue.
1 comment:
That is a fine looking statue of Osceola. Yes, it should be placed more prominently.
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