This Day in History, Apollo 17 man's last visit to the Lunar surface came to an end.

Considered one of the most memorable Apollo launches, the Apollo 17 blasted off from Launch Pad 39 at Kennedy Space Center on December 7, 1972. This was the first nighttime launch and it made a spectacular sight. The crew was made up by Command Module Pilot Ronald E. Evans, a civilian geologist Jack Schmitt, and the Spacecraft Commander Eugene Cernan. They were launched into space from Cape Canaveral by a Saturn V Rocket.

As usual, the CBS Newscaster Walter Cronkite was reporting live but he made one of the most embarrassing gaffes of his career when he said that the night launch would "light up the sky like a firecracker. (There was a brief pause.) Uh, excuse me, Wally," Cronkite continued to guest commentator and former Astronaut Wally Schirra, "I should day, perhaps, like a roman candle."

Gathered at the launch viewing were hundreds of VIP’s and celebrities, the local paper reported
that celebrities were dime a dozen. Pictures in the press showed celebrities Eva Gabor pointing to the fiery liftoff and Frank Sinatra starry-eyed and Jonathan Winter puffing on a stogey, all captioned with “everyone was bedazzled.”
There was enough confusion to go around. Assigned seating in the bleaches was not observed by some, as some people got it wrong. Former Florida Gov. Kirk got kicked out of a VIP stand for sitting in a taken seat, he had to leave as he didn't have a pass. Stumbling around the crowds looking confused was an Asian military man, his uniform draped with braiding, his shoulder festooned with stars,he wandered around the bleachers lost, unable to communicate. An elderly woman, not a big shot, steered the general back to his seat. But he Saturn rocket headed off on a journey to the moon.

The lunar module made a soft landing in the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon. The headlines reported, “Landing Smoother Than Any” The newspaper dated December 12, 1972, reported astronaut Cernan as saying, 'It is Beautiful Out Here’. During the mission a mishap caused the fender on the Moon Rover to break and thus driving was difficult with lunar dust flying up at the moon rover riders. "I got to make a fender tonight," Astronaut Gene Cernan said. "Man I hate this dust." Radio communications with Houston Control resulted in a solution where a map was folded in such a way and duck taped to make a temporary fender, and it worked.

Traveling along the moon surface an interesting discovery was made, orange soil in a crater. Astronaut Jack Smitt hesitantly suggested the strange appearing soil might have originated from a volcanic type vent, but added "But I hate to even suggest it." After all the experiments had been performed it was time to return to Earth. A short ceremony was held to end this final Apollo mission to the Moon. Astronauts Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt unveiled a plaque commemorating all six Apollo landings on the moon and acknowledging all the ground crews that made this scientific achievement possible.

"This valley of history has seen mankind completes his first evolutionary steps into the universe," geologist Schmitt said, "leaving the planet earth and going forth into the universe. Cernan recognized the support of the ground crews and workers. He concluded his farewell, “God willing, We'll Return”.

A letter from NASA director Kurt H. Debus on December 19, 1972, congratulated everyone. ‘I think it was entirely appropriate as Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt positioned the American Flag on the moon that it was dedicated to all those people who made the Apollo lunar landings possible. It was quite a tribute and well deserved one for all of you. Sincerely, Kurt H.Debus.


Sources:
US Space Walk of Fame Museum in Titusville
FLORIDA TODAY December 1972
Wikipedia
Photo credit: NASA Archives

A Period of Friendship: Mexia and the Ais Indians

At the moment this writing project at this site is a landing page for work in progress.

Most of the content for this story is contained at a Wikipedia entry on Alvaro Mexia. Researchers and writers are welcome to add to the article.

This is a historical research and writing project in progress. These accounts will be used for an oral presentation by reenactors for a Heritage Day event planned for March 23rd, 2013. The plan for the event is to engage both visual arts with other forms of expression including performing arts around the historical period when the Europeans met the indigenous tribes of Florida. Scholarly and constructive advice is always welcome.

This writing project first started with an article the author published years ago called 96 Skeletons

The Ais Indian Nation Geocache marks the spot where six mounds of these Indians were found. A beautiful and tranquil point of interest in a small city park in Cape Canaveral.

-RKO

The Light at Cape Canaveral

As light is a symbol of understanding and guidance, so a lighthouse is a symbol of an area's local history. The Canaveral Lighthouse is such a beacon of the rich history of Brevard County, with its tales, historical characters and the events that were both festive and dramatic. A story to be told from generation to generation through oral histories, written narratives to complete novels.

The Cape Canaveral Lighthouse structure earns its distinction as the oldest man-made structure in the Brevard County area. The story begins with a need. Canaveral's Cape with its coral shoals and wild ocean currents proved a formidable hazard for maritime shipping as evidenced by a graveyard of shipwrecks off the Cape. To counter this hazard a lighthouse was needed. As with any worthwhile venture it took the efforts of many people to
get this light started. A lot of letter writing ensued with the first one dated March 26, 1822 with a letter from M.C.Perry to Smith Thompson, the Secretary of the Navy, Perry wrote that "A lighthouse is very much wanted on Cape Canaveral".

The first lighthouse was built between October 1847 and finished in January 1848 and stood sixty-five feet tall. Although it was a good start the complaints were that it had a dim light and could not be seen unless the ships were close enough, but then they would be in danger of hitting the very reef they were trying to avoid. In 1851 pressure from the maritime industry the Lighthouse Board was set to improve all the Lighthouses on the Eastern seaboard. the second lighthouse parts were forged by the West Point Foundry of West Point New York and sent to Cape Canaveral after the Civil War and assembled in 1868.


It was a tough job being lighthouse keeper in the 19th century. Carving a life out of the wilderness of East Florida was not easy with the alligators, mosquitoes, diseases, huge snakes, missed supply ships and then the keeper had to man the light during a hurricane. The first lighthouse keeper Nathanial Scobie was run off by hostile Seminole Indians after his requests for military protection was ignored. ,p> The third lighthouse keeper Captain Mills Burnham reached fame throughout the area for his hospitality with his parties and out of town visitors. Prior to being a keeper of the light, he was a gunsmith,ship captain and machinist who lived in New Smynra, Florida. Mills was a diligent worker and took great care of the lighthouse and its lighting apparatus, a Fresnal lens. With the outbreak of the American Civil War, Mills Burnham, under instructions from the secretary of the Confederate Navy ordered that the Cape Canaveral lighthouse be dismantled to hinder Union navigation. So Burnham removed the precious lens and apparatus and buried it in his citrus grove for safe keeping. He took great care of this lens and the apparatus to time the unique light sequence. Don Argo novelist of Canaveral Light wrote it best when he wrote, "“they carefully wiped and polished the glass lens prisms with spirits of wine, cranked the windlass, tightening the coil spring that turned the lens pedestal. Engaging the pawl that drove the ratchet gear, they used a pocket watch to time the turning rate of the lens ,the fixed beams would now sweep the horizon in an exact time sequence. Any ship’s captain seeing the flashes would know he was seeing the Cape Canaveral lighthouse and no other “— page 176. Canaveral Light. The light consisted of 15 lamps each with a 21-inch (530 mm) reflector.


After the war in 1868 the new lighthouse was finished and a light once again returned to the Cape. A new prosperity came with the gilded age, with it brought visitors to Burnham and his wife. On April 24th, 1873, a report from the Boston Globe entitled "Indian Mounds in Florida- Burnham's Grove of Orange Trees - Remains of a Giant Race - Curious Pottery Recovered" narrative of a visit of British Nobleman by the name of Sir Francis Sykes. Sykes visited Mills and did some archaeological work on one of the Indian Mounds on Burnham's property.

In 1885 a Hurricane caused severed erosion on the Cape's seashore which caused concern so that President Grover Cleveland and Congress put forward a bill to finance moving the lighthouse back. Moving the lighthouse was an engineering feat. "The lighthouse was moved with a tram-road in pieces with one mule" according to the oral history of Mrs Floyd Quarterman, a descendant of a lighthouse keeper. The tower was moved one and a half miles inland away from the eroding beachfront. Other features of the relocation are the roman numerals that can be found on each of the stairs that wind their way to the top. In 1873 the lighthouse received its distinctive day-mark of vertical painted black bands.

The area grew and Lighthouse community saw new well heeled neighbors arrive and built a magnificent club house called the Canaveral Club. A gun club started by C.B. Horton for the Harvard Graduating class of 1890. In 1894 The old lighthouse was blown up and the rubble used to prepare a foundation of the newer lighthouse. The cast-iron tower was disassembled, moved and reassembled at the new location a move that took 18 months. This tower stood 165 feet allowing better visibility of its light to passing ships. The next keeper

Clinton P. Honeywell served as lighthouse keeper from 1891 to 1930. By this time two small communities were established near the lighthouse; Stinkmore to the South and DeSoto Beach to the North. Stinkmore originally a fishing community sported a pier and a hotel and became a haven for bootleggers in the early 20th century. In the 1950's the Missile age came as a forerunner to the Space Age and the Canaveral Lighthouse and property was acquired by the Air Force. It was recorded that Dr. Wernher Braun, a pioneer of the space effort, used the lighthouse as a platform to observe early rocket launches. The silhouette of the lighthouse even resembles a rocket. A local tale goes that a new Pan Am employee was told to watch the black and white rocket which was about to go up, he strained to watch it for 2 hours when the silence was broken with howls of laughter from his colleagues. He was told. "You are not watching a lighthouse, you are watching a 92 year old light house." The Cape Canaveral Lighthouse is on Air Force Land that is restricted to the public. Currently the arrangements to visit the Lighthouse is by membership to the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation. For your reading pleasure read Don Argo’s “Patrick Smith’>s Award”winning Canaveral Light.

Author Don Argo pictured with Yvonne Thornton (lighthouse keeper Mills Burnham descendent aboard the Sterling Casino Boat for a relighting of the lighthouse event.

Time Line of Ponce de Leon events and celebrations

Timeline of Ponce de Leon events, sources and celebrations.

1511 Peter Marty published "Opera" a map.

1511 Andres Morales Map published.

1512, February 23rd, Contract presented by Ferdinand to Juan Ponce for exploration and settlment of Bimini. Three ships Santiago, Santa Maria de la Consolacion, and San Cristoball.

April 2, 1513 Florida Landing, exact location has been debated. Many say Melbourne Beach others in the past have said St. Augustine, Deland, Ponce Inlet, and Stuart.

April 21, 1513 Ponce's encountered the Gulf Stream. (first written reference to the Gulf Stream). Encountered local Indians and a fight broke out. Traveled and landed and encountered more Indians and took one to serve as a scout.

April 22, 1513 Stuart Florida, sighting and naming by Ponce de Leon the River of the Cross, thought by author Robert Fuson to be at St. Lucie Inlet at the southern end of Hutchinson Island, near the town of Stuart.

May 8th, the doubled the Cape of Florida couldn't sail in the direction
they wanted because of the strong current so they anchored behind a cape,
next to a village named Abaido near Jupiter Florida.

June 4 & 5, Explore Charlotte Harbor area, encounter and battle with Calusa Indians

1521 Ponce de León organized a colonizing expedition in SW Florida but was fatally wounded by an arrow from a Calusa Indian.

1537 Alonso de Chaves published document as the Chaves rutter.

1541 Alonso de Santa Cruz's Map published.

1601 Herrera map published.


1910-April 1, Another commemoration of the Landing of Ponce de Leon with an elaborate historical and spectacular celebration on March 30th and April 1st. Hundreds of Indians, Spanish Nobles, Soldiers participated.

January 24, 1913 The Christian Science Monitor published the article "Motor Boat Clubs to Aid Florida in the big celebration." Expect Big Races Will Attract More Entries Than Usual This Season at Four Hundredth Anniversary MOTOR BOAT CLUBS TO AID FLORIDA IN BIG STATE CELEBRATION


April 1, 1923
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., March 31. -- Juan Ponce, Knight of Leon, who, on Easter Sunday just 412 years ago today, landed in Florida in quest of the Fountain of Youth, will again land this week with all his pomp and glory in St. Augustine, when one of the most picturesque celebrations ever undertaken in Florida will be presented in a three-day historical pageant

December 13, 1934
TOAST TO PONCE DE LEON.; Floridans Join Puerto Ricans in Salute to Their First Governor. Floridans and Puerto Ricans toast Ponce de Leon in San Juan

January 18, 1935,
House of Ponce de Leon Identified in Puerto Rico

January 09, 1938,
PONCE DE LEON'S TRAIL; Tourists Follow It to Those Springs He Bathed In on Quest for Youth CASSADAGA, FLA. ON Summerlike days which are sprinkled through the Winter months in Florida tourists visit the famous "miracle" springs of crystal-clear waters where Ponce de Leon bathed in his historic search for a "fountain of youth."
Section Resorts-Travel


March 22, 1964
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Participation by Central and South American countries and Spain in St. Augustine's quadricentennial, to be celebrated in 1965, has been assured. The celebration will take place between April 3, the date of the discovery of Florida by Ponce de Leon in 1513, and Sept. 8, the date on which Pedro Menendez landed here in 1565 to establish St. Augustine.

1982
SAN JUAN, PR, Statue in Old Juan Puerto erected was originally made from the bronze from
English cannons seized after the English attacked San Juan in 1794.

2000, Author Robert H. Fuson published, "Juan Ponce De Leon and the Spanish Discovery of Puerto Rico and Florida". Fuson thought that Ponce de Leon may have landed 30 miles North of the Daytona Beach area at the Palm Coast (pg 105) and that Ponce was told by the King of Spain to keep an eye out for the fabled, Fountain of Youth.


Newspaper reported in 1920's WHERE PONCE DE LEON EXPLORED; All historical evidence places him in area near De Land, Fla. DE LAND, Fla. -- According to legend, Ponce de Leon, the Spanish explorer, discovered the springs north of here nearly 450 years ago, when he was searching for the mythical Fountain of Youth.

Haunted Brevard: Paranormal Activity in the Space Coast

Haunted Brevard, The Space Coast has a long history of hauntings and strange happenings.
Accounts of ghosts, spirits and other ethereal beings are not easily found but they are hidden between the leaves of old books, newspaper articles and oral histories.

“During my exploration of the county, I have talked to those who talk to Indian spirits, and to one who has an Indian guide to the other world,” said author of Old Tales of Brevard Georgiana Kjerulff.

Georgianna writes about a story shared with her about a beautiful blond nymph. The story was told to a Cape worker who decided to try the same road on a misty night. he approached the misty point and was astonished to see a beautiful blond woman waving to him. The worker stopped the car, opened the door, and the dripping wet woman entered the car. The driver started off and turned to look at the blonde, but she had vanished. she didn't even leave a puddle behind.

Many theaters around the local area are reported to be haunted. At the Melbourne Henegar Center a reported ghost there is called Jonathan and is a 'noisy ghost' who likes to make himself known. He is said to be mischievous at times as things are never where you left them. The balcony seems to be Jonathan's favorite location.

Melbourne's Historic section Betty's Antiques by the rail road tracks is very
haunted, so is the site of the Giftique, just West of there. There's an historical
plaque there about Shorty's Bar, a gangster hangout on that site. Ghost hunting students sensed a body under the floor, many nefarious things happened there in the 1920's prohibition era, causing residual hauntings.

The present day 1900 Building once the Melbourne Hotel is haunted by the love lorn ghost of Amelia and others. The story goes that in early in the 20th Century Amelia was engaged to marry a boat captain. She lived at the hotel and they met there on various rendezvous. He failed to return one time, either lost on the water or he went off with another, a love rival. Poor Amelia died of a broken heart, possibly suicide. She still roams the halls, seeking her beloved. Some say the Captain died on the river, while trying to get back to Amelia and is haunting the 1900 building, both of these spirits have been heard, felt and occasionally seen at the 1900.

North of the Rossetter House, a victim of a traffic accident a ghost who haunts the busy intersection. The gentlemen who manages the Rossetter House told a group I took there once about it and about the Rossetter sisters, who still watch over their home.

Pineapple Inn in Eau Gallie is reported to be haunted by the ghost is of a Victorian lady, Senator Sullivan's unhappy and neglected wife. She doesn't care for either men or children and has attacked a male interior decorator on the inside stairwell and her presence watches over the large picture window in front. It was the first picture window ever in Brevard, her pride and joy! It has the original glass after a century. Glass and crystal amplify psychic power, so an image of her in the glass to the right of the front door would be most accurate. She looks like her son, his picture hangs in the Eau Galle Yacht Club,

Downtown Melbourne Beach, near the pier on the Indian River, is haunted by pioneer ghosts,
the historical plaques and very old buildings near the pier give some background. Dijon's and also the corner building, kitty corner from the pier it was once the first area hotel. Look for Mrs. Sweet's ghost there, who is nearly always present.

Cocoa
The Cocoa Village Playhouse is said be haunted by a former handyman. He is harmless, his footsteps can be heard around the building, and strange opening of doors occur.

Rockledge

Along the river road in Rockledge and little spit of land juts into the river it is marked by very old cabbage palms. On cold night, a yellow mist swirls on the Indiana River, changing his tiny spit of land into a haunted spot. The road makes a sharp turn at this point and the mist eddies across the road. Several people had reported seeing the vision of a man, dressed in a cocked hat and the costume of the 1715 period. he looms out of the mist, but his body is only seen to a point below the knees. Georgianna writes. “Is this apparition a trick of the headlights and mist, or is it Henry Jennings warning the treasure hunters?”

Pritchard House in Titusville, at a gathering of paranormal experts an investigator reported
hearing a child’s voice that could be heard faintly saying “Momma” three times. And then some
disembodied spirit came close and whispered in his hear “Get Out!”

Throughout Brevard during Halloween there are many ghost story telling sessions and haunted walks. Check the local paper for listings of events in Melbourne, Eau Gallie, Cocoa's Taylor Park and Pritchard House in Titusville.

Florida prepares to celebrate its 500th Anniversary

Communities all over Florida are preparing for the state’s 500th anniversary. Artists are sculpting and painting, RSVP’s from Royalty have been received, reenactors are polishing their armor, historians are brushing up on their historical facts and writers are tapping on their keyboards for this much heralded series of events.

Many cities around Florida have their own foundations and organizations to help facilitate the planning of their own respective events. Although the main centerpiece of history for this event is the landing of Ponce de Leon in Florida in 1513, other heritage related events of other cultures are also planned.

The following is listing of projects, events, organizations and online resources that are involved.

Projects:

WikiFriends of Viva Florida 500 WP is a project to help celebrate and embellish Wikipedia articles about the heritage and history of the U.S. state of Florida.
Several work in progress projects including adding material to the Florida Historical Society wiki page, research archives in Spain for the original writings of Alvaro Mexia especially his encounters with native cultures, create a new Afro-Americans in Florida page and add dates and events to the Timeline of Florida History wkipage.

Events:

August 20, And for the 499 days that follow, a different Florida wildflower will be depicted by a different Florida artist and posted online to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Ponce de Leon's landing. On Easter Sunday 1513, he landed on our shores and named our state La Florida --from "flor," the Spanish word for flower.

August 22, Florida Governor Rick Scott initiated the "The 500 days to 500 years" campaign in Miami. The Spain Florida Foundation's Board of Directors met Governor of Florida, Rick Scott and Secretary of State, Kurt Browning to kick off "the 500 days to 500 years"


Organizations:

In Brevard County- The Royal Order of Don Juan Ponce de Leon Historical V Centennial Celebration Committee -have been busy with plans including a royal visit with the King/Queen of Spain and the Governor of Puerto Rico, Banquet Galas, a visit of the Tall Ships sailing, and Air Force Flyovers.

City of St.Augustine -is working with the Smithsonain National Museums to design exhibits of African American, Latino and American Indian for their new visitor center.

Florida Humanities Council
A special edition of Forum magazine is planned for Viva Florida 500.

Websites:

Oldest House
St. Augustine Oldest House Museum has launched an online exhibit with a relevant heritage slideshow that will include ancient maps.

Official website for Viva Florida 500
Recently launched website includes the Viva Florida 500 Insider with more news on relevant events and multiple heritages including Native American,Black,Cuban and Spanish Colonial histories.


Don't miss an update! To discover more, become a follower. Know of an event that should be include, be sure to email the author for inclusion.

Aruba's Archaeological Museum

For those in love with Caribbean vacations, one should consider a trip to Aruba. This small but beautiful island has an international flavor with a taste of European,African, and American influences. For the cultural tourist one can sample a taste of the rich history with a number of fine museums in the area, especially with the newly renovated National Archeological Museum of Aruba.

This bright and attractive museum was revamped in 2009 and designed purposely to preserve valuable artifacts. A grand opening fitting royalty was visited by Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of Holland in July of 2009. The museum is housed in the historical Ecury Complex, the home of a prosperous merchant and grandfather of a national martyr, Boy Ecury. Here the visitor can step back in time with a variety of both visual and audio displays of Aruba's past. Displays are divided up into the three periods of Amerindian habitation; the Pre-Ceramic, the Ceramic,and the Historic.

Inside the museum the visitor will find a enormous amount of ceramics in a variety forms that include pottery, micro-beads and other curious shaped items. A feel for how these cultures lived can be found with an authentically reproduced Amerindian circular shaped hut called a Maloca, a model of a shell midden and the favorite of many visitors, a model of a cave which one can enter to amaze themselves with light display showing the indian rock art of the caves found in Aruba's wilderness.


One learns of the indigenous people of Aruba, a tribe of the Arawak Indians called the Caquetio which originated from the Amazon Basin about 3500 years ago. A stone planer artifact demonstrates how this culture was innovative in developing tools for woodworking. Shaman from this tribe are thought to have created the rock art; petroglyphs and pictographs, that can be found throughout the wilderness areas of Aruba. The artwork is considered unique in the Caribbean, not only because of their quantity but with the use of multiple colors in single drawings. Experts can only speculate what the artist had in mind when they drew them, theories range from doodling to drawings by shamans that result in portals to another dimension.

The quality of this museum is evident from the hard work of the dedicated archeologists and support staff. Become a follower and learn more of the fascinating history of Aruba with a future article about the team of professionals that make this museum what it is, and another article about the ancient rock art found in the caves and boulders in the wilderness areas. As usual with this author's stories, enjoy the colorful and fascinating slide shows that accompany these stories.

Open: Tuesday - Friday, 10 am - 5 pm

Schelpstraat 42
Oranjestad, Aruba
Phone +297 582 8979 /