Port Charlotte - Charlotte County |
|
From beautiful beaches to historic downtown, Charlotte County thrives
on its diversity. |
Charlotte County is located on the Gulfcoast of Florida,
50 miles south of Sarasota on U.S. 41, also known as
the Tamiami Trail. The City of Fort Myers lies
approximately 25 miles to the south. Interstate 75
has 6 interchanges in Charlotte County, starting with
Exit 32 near North Port and ending at Exit 27 south
of Punta Gorda.
On one end of Charlotte County, you can visit
pristine beaches. Drive to the other end, and you'll
be in the midst of farmland, with both crops and
cattle as far as the eye can see. And between the
farms and the beaches is a historic downtown,
industry, schools and entertainment, and nearly
two dozen parks. It's no wonder that the county
is one of the fastest growing in the state. People
have discovered Charlotte County's unspoiled
beauty, climate and its livability, making it a
destination of choice for both full-time
residents and vacationers. (NOAA has a local
weather forecast and live satellite picture of the
area). The influx of residents has kept an
already active Chamber of Commerce busy,
welcoming people and helping new businesses
get started. And the Charlotte County Airport
has seen a rise in traffic. From 1970 to 1979,
the county's population more than doubled,
from 27,000 to 58,000. During the 1980's, the
population increased to more than 90,000. In
1994, the population neared 125,000.
Enrollment of school-age children has soared,
especially in the past five years, as families with
younger children discover the county as an ideal
place to raise a family.
One of the key ingredients of the county's
success is its rich history and the uniqueness of
its various communities. Punta Gorda, Englewood,
Port Charlotte and the small communities
between each have their own distinctive flavor,
where single family homes under brilliant skies
(see photo on right) can be the trademark or
where events by clubs and organizations and art
festivals flourish that attract both adults and kids
alike. And if you're lucky, you'll get to see a
Florida rainbow (such as the one spanning
Fishermen's Village, above left).
In recent years, low-rise condominiums,
townhouses and villas have been tastefully
incorporated into the community to provide a
variety of attractive and carefree living
situations. In recent years, low-rise
condominiums, townhouses and villas have
been tastefully incorporated into the community
to provide a variety of attractive and carefree l
iving situations.
But it's Charlotte County's diversity - as shown in
the following summaries of its communities - that
has become its hallmark and what makes it a
delightful place to live, work and vacation.
------------------------------------------------------
By Lindsey Williams
Sun Herald Columnist
Contrary to popular belief, American History began
in Charlotte Harbor, Florida in 1513 with the
officially sanctioned exploration of Florida's east
and west coasts by Ponce de Leon. He returned to
the Charlotte Harbor complex, probably at Pine
Island, in 1521, to establish a colony --
a century before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth
Rock. After six weeks of labor to build a fort and
church, the expedition was attacked by Calusa
aborigines. Ponce was wounded in the thigh by an
arrow, and gangrene set in. The entire colony
returned in haste to Havana, where Ponce died
of his wound. The American mainland was opened
for European settlement by the Hernando DeSoto
expedition of 1539-42. Chronicles of survivors and
research of 16th-century ship drafts by
Sun-Herald historian-columnist Lindsey Williams
indicate the explorer landed at Live Oak Point on
the north shore of Charlotte Harbor. The official
Florida DeSoto Trail Commission has acknowledged
that the Charlotte Harbor landing is as feasible as
any other -- pending archaeological proof.
The Spanish explorer Pedro Menedez D'Aviles,
who established the first American colony at
St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565, built a mission-
fort named San Antonio somewhere in the
Charlotte Harbor complex the following year.
After two years of alternate cooperation and
bloody warfare between the Spaniards and the
Calusa, Menendez abandoned his efforts to
pacify the fierce Indians of southern Florida.
|