On April 4, 1990, the military reservation was named Fort De Soto after the Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto. The shell concrete formula worked so well in the foundation that it was decided, when the stone arrived on May 31, 1899, that they would simply add the stone to the shell, sand and cement mix to complete the construction of the walls and ceiling. In place of the stone, the workers used shell. The stone, which was being transported by sailing ship, had not arrived from New York and New Jersey. The land had been cleared and the foundation forms were set. In March 1899 the crew was ready to begin pouring the foundation of the mortar battery. A narrow-gage railway ran between the wharf and a construction plant, with a spur line running to the future battery site. During the first six months, a 275 foot wharf extending into Tampa Bay was constructed, as well as an office, a mess hall, quarters for the workmen, and a stable. The first signs of construction on the Mullet Key military post began in November 1898. Any Confederate attempting to run the blockade could be seen by the troops perched atop the Egmont Key lighthouse. Union troops set up a blockade using the two islands. The two islands played a minor role during the Civil War. The Civil War broke out in 1861, with no fortifications on either Mullet or Egmont Keys. In March 1849 the army engineers recommended Egmont and Mullet Keys for military utilization thereby prohibiting any private use or development. The four engineers were studying the islands at the mouth of Tampa Bay - Passage, Egmont, and Mullet Keys. Among them was a young Brevet Colonel named Robert E. The recorded history of the islands known as Mullet Key began in February 1849 when a group of United States Army Engineers, aboard the schooner Phoenix, anchored offshore to survey the coastline for possible use as a coastal defense area. He died on May 21, 1542, and was buried in the Mississippi River to prevent his body from being taken by the Indians. He began his expedition of the Southeastern region of what is now the United States, encountering Indians and hard times as he passed through this beautiful territory. Hernando De Soto came ashore on or near the South shore of Tampa Bay. On May 30, 1539, a well known Spanish explorer came to the Tampa Bay area and began a conquest which would change the world. He and his group of conquistadors explored the barrier islands of the area before moving up the coast. It is believed he came ashore somewhere between St. On April 15, 1528, a Spanish explorer by the name of Panfilo de Navarez landed on the West coast of Florid. But eventually all good things must come to an end and unfortunately, their paradise was spoiled with the coming of the first white man. The savory clams, oysters, conchs, whelks and fish taken from the pristine waters must have been delightful as well as plentiful. Some of the first were the Tocobaga Indians, who enjoyed the bounty of the harvest from Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Fort Desoto - Tampa Bay Florida by Larry Andersenįor over 400 years, the Tampa Bay area of Florida has attracted a wide variety of visitors to its shores.
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