Before Modern Settlement Long before the European discovery of America, southern Florida was the home of the Tequesta Indians. They adapted their lifestyle to the area’s subtropical environment, living in small villages near the water, but frequently moving to be close to the sea life and game that made up an important part of their daily diet. Our knowledge of the Tequesta is not extensive, but we do know they engaged in religious ceremonies, and buried their dead in earthen mounds. One such mound remains in Pompano Beach, near the beach.

 

With the coming of European settlements, the local indigenous population fell victim to diseases, warfare and forced labor. By the time Spain surrendered Florida to the British in 1763, few Tequesta remained, and many of those were transported to Cuba.

 

By the early years of the nineteenth century the Seminole Indians were being pushed into southern Florida by the relentless press of American settlers. Florida became a territory of the United States in 1821, and within a few years friction between the two groups led to the outbreak of hostilities. In southeast Florida the military built a string of forts, including Fort Dallas (Miami), Fort Lauderdale, and Fort Jupiter. The modern thoroughfare, Military Trail, approximates the route the soldiers took as they marched along the coast.

 

Following the Seminole Wars, and the Civil War during which this area was a haven for both blockade-runners and deserters, few settlers remained in the region. The biggest impediment to settlement was the region’s isolation – there were no roads or railways into south Florida. Mail was delivered by the "Barefoot Mailman," who walked the beach and visited the isolated cabins of the few inhabitants.