DID PONCE DE LEON DISCOVER FLORIDA AND THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH?
Tim Costin
Tuesday, October 14, 2025 6:30 pm – 8 pm EST Zoom Meeting LINK Meeting ID: 818 8487 5930 Passcode: 472140
Juan Ponce de León, born in 1474, was a conquistador and Spanish explorer who traveled with Christopher Columbus’ 1493 expedition. He became an official on Hispaniola (Cuba) and, during this time, crushed a Taino rebellion and received authorization to explore neighboring Puerto Rico in 1508. Gold was discovered and he established the first gold mines along the northern coast of Puerto Rico; with these mines producing gold for the next several decades through forced labor. Plantations were created across the country, also using forced labor. Ponce de León became Puerto Rico’s first governor in 1509. A legal dispute with Diego Colón, the son of Columbus, led to his replacement by Colón as governor in 1511. Ponce de León then led and self-financed his first expedition to Florida, buoyed by the wealth he had gained from the mines and plantations, and later self-financed a second, fateful, trip.
This presentation will discuss all this, as well as why earlier discoverers did not claim Florida, what role the Catholic Church played in claiming new lands, the myth surrounding the “Fountain of Youth,” and will speculate about what the outcome could have been for Florida had his attempts to establish a permanent colony for the Spanish crown been successful.
Tim Costin received his degree in Music Education from Northern Illinois University and was a school band director for several years before going to work as a computer programmer for Sears, working in Sears Tower. He recently retired from IBM and moved to Florida where he has developed a keen interest in studying and sharing Florida’s history. He develops and presents his research as part of the continuing education program for adults at the IslandWalk Academy in Venice. Tim has been a member of WMS/LSSAS for 3 years and serves on the society’s board. His other interests include playing pickleball and piano.