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One of the best classes I took at the University of Florida (Go Gators) was the History of Florida to 1845. The course was taught by Dr. Michael Gannon, a former Roman Catholic priest and one of the leading experts on Florida history. He recounted to us the year when, being interviewed for a newpaper article on Thanksgiving, he described the first Thanksgiving in America: August of 1565. The Spaniards (from whom the Pilgrims picked up the thanksgiving feast custom when they lived in Spanish Holland) under Pedro Menendez de Aviles (first Governor of Florida) founded St Augustine and held a feast to give thanks to God for bringing them safely to Florida and to ask His blessing upon the new colony. They invited the natives from the nearby Saloy tribe. The meal consisted of salt pork, ships bread, garbonzo beans and wine. Apparently Dr Gannon's account was put on the AP wire and soon he was being called by everyone. A TV cameraman from Boston told him that the Globe had put his picture on the front page with the title "The Grinch Who Stole Thanksgiving" and that the Plymouth city council had an emergency meeting to discuss how to deal with the news that the Spanish were in Florida before the Pilgrims arrived. Dr Gannon said that when Plymouth was founded, St Augustine was already up for urban renewal. And they say Florida has no history....

Yes, the Spanish history of Florida is rich indeed! Many of the townships near where I live (Gainesville) have Spanish names (Arredondo, for example), which were actually the names of the holders of the Spanish land grants.

We even have a native mustang here, the Florida Horse or Cracker Pony, that is supposedly descended from Spanish horses that escaped into the wilds.

Florida history is truly fascinating, and Michael Gannon is a good writer and good historian who is worth adding to any list.

Great story - I love it. I'll check out Gannon's book. I just saw it in the Ocala Forrest Ranger's station this weekend.

Floridians are a colorful lot: Spanish, Creek, Seminole, Cherokee, Caloosa, French, Scottish, Irish, Minorcan, Cuban, Confederate, English, South American, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Swedish, Norwegian. What an amazing history.