A Brief History of Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach
Long before Charlotte County was established in 1921 when Governor Cary Hardee signed a bill dividing DeSoto County into five new counties, this area was the home of the Calusa.
Their domain centered around the Charlotte Harbor estuary and stretched inland along the Peace River for thousands of years. In 1565, Spanish explorers arrived and called the bay Bahia de Carlota. Two hundred years later the English claimed the area and renamed it Charlotte Harbor, in honor of Queen Charlotte, King George III's wife.
Punta Gorda was founded in 1886 by Colonel Isaac Trabue and has grown to be the area's only incorporated town.
Ready to dive deeper? We've got you covered:
History Services
Resources for research and exploration include History Services, which encompass Self-Guided Tours and the Heritage Landmark Virtual Tour: an interactive map of the entire area.
Another interesting program is History in the Parks, which commemorate sites like Randy Spence Park, where Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer filmed a Tarzan feature, as well as some serials, in the El Jobean area in 1931. The crew stayed at the El Jobean Hotel and used our Southwest Florida wilderness to represent the jungle. They even brought the famous Leo the Lion, the MGM trademark and icon, with them!
Did you know: The Myakka Civil War Skirmish took place on the eastern shore of the Myakka River in late 1863, close to the area known today as El Jobean. It is the only known and recorded Civil War battle within Charlotte County.
Historic Murals
The Punta Gorda Historic Mural Society is dedicated to remembering and representing the rich history of the area through murals. You can tour these art works virtually with Otocast, or use it to help you navigate in person.
Use the QR code to install the free Otocast app, then dive in!
Next stop on any history lover's itinerary is to explore our museums, then learn more About the Area here.
