In 1513, a man named Ponce de Leon, governor of Puerto Rico, started his quest for the Fountain of Youth. This spring was said to have the powers to give eternal youth and heal the sick. The fountain was said to be surrounded by gold and silver. On Easter sunday, he discovered Florida and gave it the name,Pascua de Florida which means Feast of Flowers.
His quest continued up and down the Gulf Coast nearly 500 years ago, during which he discovered and named the island Ann Maria Cay in honor of the Virgin Mary and her mother Anne. The Timucan Iindians kept him from colonizing the area. He actually was shot with arrows in his stomach and died from his wounds.
The Spainards returned in 1539. Hernando de Soto landed across the bay from the island at Shaw's point in Bradenton Beach and started a settlement.
In 1892, George Emerson Bean became the first permanent resident of Anna Maria Island. He was a world traveler who originally came from Connecticut. Bean died in 1898. His son and financier, Charles Roser, began laying out the town, Roser is also the inventor of the Fig Newton. In 1898, Kennedy Biscuit joined other bakeries and formed the National Biscuit Company now known as Nabisco. This created a $ windfall for Roser, sho joined his father developing Real Estate in Florida.
Our day on Anna Maria Island:
more later
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