| Charlotte
County |
Page
1 of 2 |
|
|
|
Charlotte
County was established in 1921. It was named for the Bay of Charlotte
Harbor. "Charlotte" came from "Carlos" or "Calos"
(Calusa Indian). In 1565, the Spanish named "Carlos Bay,"
followed by the English in 1775 who named the area Charlotte Harbor
in tribute to the Queen Charlotte Sophia, the wife of King George
III Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf Islands Visitor’s Bureau-
|
| |
|
|
Charlotte
County Historical Center |
• |
|
Blanchard
House Museum of African-American History and Culture |
• |
Punta Gorda, at 406 Martin Luther King Blvd. -
Houses historical information about African American presence in
the Charlotte Harbor area; some programs and events take place here.
Exhibits cover political, civic and religious life, founding families,
education, and the Civil Rights Movement through vintage photos,
newspaper clippings and family heirlooms. The Blanchard House is
on the Florida Black Heritage Trail. www.blanchardhousemuseum.org
|
Alligator
Creek Preserve |
• |
Punta
Gorda - Home to many long and scenic trails along Charlotte
Harbor. |
Indian
Springs Cemetery |
• |
Near
Punta Gorda and off of Jones Loop Road rootsweb.com/~flcharlo/indhist |
Town
of Punta Gorda |
• |
|
Lemon
Bay Conservancy |
• |
Englewood
is the main office - This organization acquires lands
for the purpose of protection, all along Charlotte Harbor, and is
located in both Charlotte and Sarasota counties; this center focuses
mostly on the natural heritage of the southwest coast, but many important
archaeological sites also are located, and therefore protected, in
its waters. lemonbayconservancy.org |
Southwest
Florida Fossil Club |
• |
Meets
the second Saturday of the month at Edison Community College on Airport
Road in Punta Gorda, Room 107 at 7 pm. geocities.com/swfossilclub |
Charlotte
Harbor Preserve State Park |
• |
The
entrance to this park is located along Burnt Store Road, between the
Charlotte/Lee county line and US 41
floridastateparks.org/charlotteharbor/ |
Charlotte
Harbor Environmental Center |
• |
This center is related to the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park,
and develops educational programs for schools and other groups. Also,
a lot of research takes place at this center. (941) 575 5435 checflorida.org/ |
The
Military Heritage & Aviation Museum, Inc |
• |
This
is the only military/aviation museum on the Gulf coast. There is an
extensive display of military artifacts from the Civil War to the
present war in Iraq. Veterans often gather here to share stories and
arrange meetings. Mon. - Sat. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free.
100 Madrid Blvd., Unit 212 Punta Gorda, FL 33950 941-575-9002 (From
I-75 take exit 161. Turn right on Highway 41. Make first left, about
200 feet, onto Madrid Boulevard. Make right into second driveway.
The museum is in Building 2, Unit 212, in a shopping center. www.mhaam.org |
PG
Historic Railroad Depot and Antique Mall- |
• |
1009 Taylor Rd. Punta Gorda 33950 (941) 639-6774 |
Punta
Gorda Historical Mural Society |
• |
1530
Suzi St. Punta Gorda 33950 (941) 639-6959 |
Vernon’s
Views |
• |
Local
historian and Punta Gorda resident Vernon Peeples has a daily feature
on WGCU, where he relates information about historic events and trends
for a public audience (90.1 in Fort Myers). Recent topics include
pirates in southwest Florida (e.g., Gaspar is a fictional character),
and how the fort in Fort Myers’ name was established. The website
for topics and live listening is http://www.wgcu.org/vernon_shows.asp |
Charlotte
County Blueway Trails |
• |
This
web document provides information about places to paddle in Charlotte
County. Download this document at:
charlottecountyfl.com/Parks/Blueways1.pdf |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Thanks
to M. C. Bob Leonard, Professor of History, Hillsborough Community
College for information from unofficial websites. |
| |
|
|
