Picture if you will, the year 1513. You stand on a dune somewhere on the beach near what is known now as Turtle Mound. A square-rigged sailing ship is passing offshore with a scruffy bunch of Spanish-speaking sailors peering back at you. They are using the mound as a landmark in this, the New World, and looking for a safe harbor.

But before the Spanish even thought of a New World and a search for the Fountain of Youth, local nomadic inhabitants were living their lives on the banks of the Mosquito Lagoon, raising their families, hunting local game, eating the bountiful shellfish from the river (lagoon), and creating a mountain with shells.

Ponce deLeon used this mound to guide his ship through the Mucoso (Mosquito) Inlet, searching for a harbor where he could replenish his water and firewood. We all know he was interested in finding the Fountain of Youth, but he was too early. We found it at Bethune Beach 450 years later.

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Turtle Mound dates to prehistoric times. Surrugue Indians, members of the Timucuan tribe, which inhabited northern Florida, were responsible for shell middens such as this. More than 20 of these mounds were created throughout the New Smyrna area. Most have been destroyed and used for road material. About half of Turtle Mound’s original height of 75 feet was similarly destroyed before the Florida Historical Society stepped in and purchased it for $8,000. The State of Florida later declared it an historical site. It is a “must-see” for all residents and visitors, offering a panoramic view of our barrier islands as it lies between the lagoon and the ocean. Turtle Mound can be seen seven miles out at sea and has been used as a navigation aid from the days of Ponce deLeon.

Following the arrival of Ponce deLeon in 1513, many of these Timucuans were killed, captured, or died of diseases brought by the Europeans. When England gained control of the area in the 1770’s, remaining Timucuans apparently fled to Cuba with the Spanish.

The first settlement of the area by Europeans resulted from the bold vision of Dr. Andrew Turnbull, a wealthy Scottish physician residing in London. Dr. Turnbull and two partners secured royal land grants in 1767. These grants covered over 100,000 acres and became the largest British Colony in America. Dr. Turnbull was married to the daughter of a wealthy Smyrna (Turkey) merchant and named his colony New Smyrna in honor of her birthplace. To work the land, Dr. Turnbull believed that Mediterranean people were well suited to labor in our hot climate. Therefore, he sailed to Greece, Corsica, and Minorca to recruit settlers for New Smyrna and found more people willing to come to the New World than he had expected.

From the beginning the settlers did not fare well due to language differences, shortages of supplies, illness resulting, in part, from the heavy mosquito population, mistreatment, etc. This caused financial losses, rebellion, and political upheaval. The colony was dissolved after 10 years with many of the surviving colonists going north to St. Augustine. (As an interesting “aside”, there is some speculation that New Smyrna was actually the original site of St. Augustine.) Following the failure of Dr. Turnbull’s colony, development of the area was fairly slow. It wasn’t until the 1880’s that New Smyrna was finally incorporated as a town.

The beach side area of New Smyrna was founded in 1880’s. The area, including North Beach south to 2nd Avenue and east to Hill Street was incorporated as Coronado Beach in 1925. After 20 years, New Smyrna was finally successful in its attempts to annex Coronado Beach, and the two towns became New Smyrna Beach in 1946.

After the Civil War, Americans were on the move, and many headed to the Florida frontier. In 1877, property was purchased for the creation of the town of Eldora. Soil was rich in this area and citrus growers raised tangerines, oranges, lemons, and grapefruit.

Olives, indigo, figs, and guava were also grown. Eldora was located along the original route of the Intracoastal Waterway, providing excellent transportation for the shipment of these products, as well as an overnight stopping point for the riverboats. However, the community of Eldora was fairly short-lived. Several consecutive winters of freezing temperatures damaged crops substantially. The arrival of the railroad in New Smyrna Beach in 1887 changed the method of transporting goods, forever ending dependence upon the waterway. Although, some people had built winter vacation homes there, Eldora gradually ceased to exist. One vacation home built in the early 1900’s does continue to stand today – “The Eldora State House”. It has been renovated due to efforts by the “Friends of Canaveral” and serves as a museum. The Canaveral National Seashore was created in 1975 and provides the last 24 mile stretch of completely natural shoreline remaining on the Florida coast. In addition to the Turtle Mound and Eldora sites on the lagoon, there are 5 parking lots, which provide public access to the beach. Doris Leeper, a famous artist and resident of New Smyrna Beach, was instrumental in the creation of the Canaveral National Seashore. She died in 2001. One of the best estuaries in the world, the Mosquito Lagoon in the National Seashore, has many natural inhabitants. The endangered manatees use the waters to bear and feed their young. Wood storks, brown pelicans and bald eagles nest here each year, while peregrine falcons use the park as a waystation on their annual migrations. From December through March endangered 40-foot long right whales appear beyond the breaking surf, birthing their calves before returning north. Dolphins can be observed swimming and feeding both in the lagoon and in the ocean.

The Canaveral National Seashore offers many opportunities for hiking, camping, fishing, canoeing, boating, and picnicking, as well as many interesting educational programs presented by the park rangers. Information may be obtained at the Visitors’ Center in the park. There is an admission fee. Boaters may use the first launch at no charge.

Between the New Smyrna Beach City limits and Canaveral National Seashore are the unincorporated communities of Silver Sands and Bethune Beach. Bethune Beach came into existence through the efforts of Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of Bethune-Cookman College. Mrs. Bethune with the help of other Floridians, including George Engram and her friend Eleanor Roosevelt, established the Bethune Corporation. In 1939, the corporation purchased the 189 acres of land between the Ocean and the River from D. F. Ferqua, an architect and contractor, for approximately $150,000. The land was then subdivided into 25 x 50 foot lots and sold. By the mid 70’s, Bethune Beach began experiencing a land boom, which coincided with the development of Orlando. Today, Bethune Beach is a mix of full-time residents, vacation homes and rental properties.

Headlines from local newspapers