The Wandering Disciple

This is much more than a heap of shells and debris, this prehistoric trash pile is a glimpse into a world hundreds of years ago. A midden is a mound of shells and trash discarded by ancient tribes and can be used to give archeologists a look into their cultures.  This midden is located at Historic Spanish Point in Osprey, Florida. Life on this bayfront oasis dates back to 300 AD and the Manasota Culture. The midden has been preserved and visitors can look though the window and see the layers of shells, tools and pottery that date back as far back as the Late Archaic period.  Taken: November 3, 2013 at Historic Spanish Point (Osprey, FL)

Today the classic portal overlooks the lush green landscape of Historic Spanish Point. But in the era of Bertha Palmer, this portal once framed a view of bayside oasis of Webb's Cove. Bertha Palmer was not the only person attracted to this tropical oasis, in fact the land of Historic Spanish Point has been home to people for over 5,000 years. (Photo: November 3, 2013)

A nice stroll through the mangrove woods at Historic Spanish Point leads to this charming little pioneer church.  Mary's Chapel is a recreation of the pioneer era church that served the families that lived on this coastal property in the mid 1800's through early 1900's.  Today, the pioneer heritage is preserved at Historic Spanish Point and you can walk the very footsteps of the pioneers and take a glimpse into early Sarasota life.  (Photo: November 3, 2013)

An orb glows brightly along the Cock's Footbridge at Historic Spanish Point.  Each October, the grounds open at night for a ghost hunting tour in which museum curators take guests on a walk of the sprawling grounds and tell the haunted history of  Historic Spanish Point.  Orbs, mysterious music, shadows and hyperactive EVP's have all been experienced on the guided tour.  (Photo: October 25, 2013)

Osprey, Florida: For the third straight year, we went to Historic Spanish Point for their annual Ghost Hunting Tour. Life at Spanish Point dates back over 5,000 years and in turn has plenty of opportunities to have paranormal experiences. A little but of procrastination combined with a busy schedule almost caused us to miss this year’s event. But we managed to get booked on the 7pm tour. While I was a little worried that it would be a little too bright still at the beginning of the tour, it turned out to be dark at just the right time. Shortly after seven, our group led by our tour guide Kara set off on a journey through the haunted history of Historic Spanish Point. For much of the night, our paranormal phone app was relatively quiet which is unusual for Spanish Point. In the past, our app would be going off like crazy but tonight it seemed to not be as active. Even the stop at the Guptil House did not provide any hits on the app like in other visits. It wasn’t until...

The Guptill House overlooking the bay at Historic Spanish Point was the home of one of Sarasota County’s pioneer family. At Spanish Point, you can explore the history of the region from American Indian, to pioneer, to socialites in a relaxing walking trail along the bay. (Photo: November 3, 2013)

Osprey, Florida: As be get closer to Halloween, our tour of historic haunts continued with a ghost tour in our own backyard. We have been looking forward for the Spanish Point Ghost Hunting Tour for over a year. After our experiences last year, which you can read about here , we could barely hold back the anticipation for this year's tour. Historic Spanish Point is a thirty acre historical preserve located along Sarasota Bay.  The grounds feature over 5,000 years of history dating back to the Native American, through the pioneers of the late 1800's and eventually ending with the Palmer family in early 1900's.  With so many era's living on the property, it is only fitting that Spanish Point would be rich with paranormal activity. We booked the middle tour at 7:30.  The sun just set over the bay and the bats were flying overhead, setting the stage for a great tour.  We met our group of thirty people at the gazebo and set out for the tour. The first stop ...

Cock's Footbridge spans Webbs Cove at Historic Spanish Point in Osprey. Historic Spanish Point is a 30-acre environmental, archaeological, and historical site located along Little Sarasota Bay. (Photo: November 3, 2013)

A bee is hard at work pollinating the colorful flowers at Historic Spanish Point.  (Photo: November 3, 2013)

The Lizzy G sits in the bay near the Guptill House at Historic Spanish Point. The Lizzy G is a replica of the sailboats from the late 1800’s. This replica was built on location using tools and materials that would be used during the pioneer period. (Photo: November 3, 2013)

The Classic Portal at Historic Spanish Point once framed a stunning image of Webb's Cove,  Now it is one of many historic markers that can be viewed at the 30 acre history museum.  (Photo: November 3, 2013)

Osprey, Florida: Historic Spanish Point opened their doors this weekend for free admission to the 30 acre living history museum. Rain on Saturday cleared the way for a sunny Sunday as we took to the trails to explore the property. Historic Spanish Point has a deep history. The point on Little Sarasota Bay was once the site of a thriving Native American village. Remnant of this village can be found through the middens and burial mounds found on the property. A midden is the equivalent of a modern day landfill. These mounds contain shells, crushes pottery and other waste from the village. Here at Spanish Point, you can look inside a midden through the Windows to the Past exhibit. Archaeologists have cleared away a cross section of the midden and its contents can be seen through the glass wall of the exhibit. There is also a ritual burial mound found here at the point. The next group of inhabitants to the point were the pioneers. The pioneer chapter of history opened in 18...

The entrance of Mary’s Chapel as seen during our Ghost Hunting Tour on Friday night. For one night only, Historic Spanish Point opened up for ghost hunting tours. Led by historians and actors, the tour took you though one of the most haunted properties in Sarasota County. Check back later for more photos from Friday’s tour. (Photo: October 25, 2013)

Osprey, Florida: Our October tour of haunted sites continued with a stop at Historic Spanish Point for their Ghost Hunting Tour. Historic Spanish Point is reported to be one of the most haunted locations in Sarasota County and its reputation did not disappoint us on our tour. Located along the bay in Osprey, the 30 acre Spanish Point has a rich history. It was the site of a native American village as well as the pioneer homestead of the Webb family and eventually the vacation home of socialite Bertha Palmer. With burial mounds, a pioneer cemetery and original homesteads there was sure to be plenty of paranormal activity to witness at Spanish Point.  Our tour started at 8pm at the white gazebo. Here we were introduced to two of our guides Ryan (an archaeologist with Sarasota County) and Bill (a historical actor at Spanish Point). Then our group of twenty ghost hunters headed out to explore to property. On this tour, we came a little better prepared. The staff at Sp...

Osprey, Florida: This thirty acre peninsula on the edge of Little Sarasota Bay has been home to humans for over 5,000 years. From early prehistoric natives in 3000 B.C. to the wealthy Palmer family in the 1900’s, much of their way of life has be preserved in this living museum. Through careful excavation of the middens on the property, it has been determined that life on the point dates back to around 3000 B.C. The site was occupied prehistoric natives from the Late Archaic period through the Late Woodland period. Excavations indicated that the prehistoric natives lived on the land until around AD 1100. The point remained vacant until 1867 when John Webb moved his family here from New York. Webb learned of the area from a Spanish trader he met in Key West. IN honor of the trader, Webb named the land Spanish Point. They began to grow citrus and built a packing house to shop the fruit to markets in Cedar Key and Key West. The Webb family marketed Spanish Point as a getaway from t...