The coordinates above will take you to the De Soto archaeological
site. At this site is a sign that shares the same latitude as the
final cache. Archaeologists working here are o.k. with
geocaching; but for obvious reasons, don’t want any hidden on
the property. So the cache is located point one eight (0.18)
miles due west of this sign in Myers Park.
In May 1539, De Soto landed nine ships with over 620 men and 220
horses at Charlotte Harbor, Florida. They left port and traveled
north, exploring Florida’s West Coast, enduring native ambushes and
conflicts along the way. His first winter encampment was at
Anhaica, the capital of the Apalachee. The exact location of De
Soto's winter encampment in Tallahassee was unknown until
archaeologists discovered the site in 1987. The site is located off
of Lafayette Street also known as the "Old Spanish Trail".
The Apalachee feared and hated the Spanish. When the De Soto
expedition entered the Apalachee domain, Spanish soldiers were
lancing every Indian encountered on both sides of the road. The
Apalachee fought back with small raids and ambushes. The arrows
from their powerful bows could penetrate two layers of chain mail.
De Soto's soldiers drove the Apalachee inhabitants from the village
of Anhaica, then camped there, using the Apalachee houses and
stored provisions throughout that winter. In the spring of 1540, De
Soto and his men left the Apalachee domain and headed north into
what is now the state of Georgia
If you are interested in this subject, here is a
link with more information. Also “Some History
of the Myers Park Neighborhood” is available at this
link. I also recommend a book at the Leon
County Library: “Hernando de Soto Among the Apalachee: The
Archeology of the First Winter Encampment”, written by Charles R.
Ewen and John H. Hann. And if you are not sure about how to use
your GPS to find this cache, here is a suggestion that might help.
Hernando De Soto searched for gold and had to look out for
Indians. You on the other hand are searching for a small geocache
while looking out for muggles. Good Luck!