[sassy steel magnolia]

I so enjoy reading about the early history of the Gulf Coast. My ancestor, Jean Cadet LaFontaine, arrived in the mid 1600s with other French soldiers on expedition from Canada and by orders of the King. In the journal of their ships’ travels they reported encountering the Spanish at Pensacola. Makes me appreciate just how intertwined our histories are,and how much those brave people endured.

Thanks for posting! We live near Pensacola so I hope the site receives appropriate attention and funding. Perhaps we will get to see it!

[Bodleian_Girl]

I love Pensacola, wish I could visit more often. Interesting on your ancestor! I call genealogy a hobby but I could do it full time if it paid the bills!

[bert]

FYI....(maybe)

Across the way over at Mayport (Jacksonville Beach) is the National Monument commerating the French Huguenot settlement there. It is Ft Caroline and they have a pretty good visitors center with lots of stuff.

They also have a book by a Florida congressman called "The Three Voyages" that is the journal of Rene Laudonniere who made the trips circa 1586. The book is unusual in that it is a first source, not a secondary account of historians. The book recounts the problems with the efforts and relates the journeys all the way to East Tennessee. They were done in by treachery and Spaniards

it is available on Amazon