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Show j rHT'T rTV'T TTi'H i) ninr Tinmnii, I, i.wmnniM. i l :-iv;' ':;;,.. :ru ' . a .v V I ' at v Owti , a NEW PALEFACE HUNTING GROUNDS ... In (be exotic tropical setting of Key Blscayne, once an Indian hunting and fishing ground, pleasure-bent palefaces now find easy hunting in their quest (or rest, relaxation and recreation. STEEPED IN HISTORY Old Indian Stomping Ground Becomes New Vacation Gem WNU Features. MIAMI, FLA. Where centuries ago Tequesta Indians fished and hunted, palefaces today seek sun tans 'midst the luxury of loafing under coconut palm trees on a tropic isle of idyllic contentment. This newest Gulf Streamland vacation vaca-tion gem is provided in Dade county's new 11 million dollar Crandon park, on Key Biscayne, a scant 10-minute drive from downtown Miami via the equally new six million dollar dol-lar Rickenbacker causeway. tJotn park and four-mile span from the Miami mainland to the ocean, via Virginia Key and Key Biscayne, will be formally opened November 9, 10 and 11 with the Tequesta festival. The celebration is named for the Tequesta Indians, who were the first known residents of the area now called Miami. The out-of-this-world" setting of this naturally exotic public play-ground, play-ground, studded with more than 10,-000 10,-000 coconut palm trees, part of a once extensive copra plantation, stretches volumes into the past. Its two-mile expanse of reef-protected ocean bathing beach for centuries heard only the lush swish of palm fronds and surf, or the scream of sea birds. Ponce de Leon, first tourist to discover the extra something south Florida offers In climate and sunshine, Is believed to have stopped off at Key Biscayne in 1513, after a brief halt at the mouth of St. John's river at present pres-ent Jacksonville. History shows that after exploring that area, he sailed southward along the Florida east coast, tarrying at St. Augustine, then continuing to an island he named Santa Marta. South Florida authorities, after an extensive study of coast surveys along the Dade county coast are inclined in-clined to believe the Santa Marta discovered by Ponce de Leon was named Cayo Biscaino, or Key Biscayne, Bis-cayne, now site of the new park. Just 400 years ago, Key Biscayne figured prominently when the Spanish Span-ish explorer, Escalante de Fonten-ada, Fonten-ada, recorded the presence there of the Tequesta Indian tribe. Fontenada was the lone surviving crew member of a galleon wrecked off Key Biscayne. Captured by the Tequestas, part of the Colusa federation, feder-ation, he was held in slavery for many years, but was allowed to roam, at will, within the territory ruled over by the Tequestas. Long a disciple of Ponce de Leon, he transverscd the length and width of Key Biscayne, time and again, in an attempt to emulate his predecessor's prede-cessor's quest for health and everlasting ever-lasting youth. . There's no known record, complete com-plete with skull and cross bones, of buried treasure on romantic Key Biscayne, although piecea of eight or pirate doubloons may be hidden beneath the golden sands where cover girls and thrlr bronsed escorts today absorb ab-sorb their vitamins from the sky. Regardless of the mystery (or lack) of burled treasure, there's pleasure trove for all lucky tollers on the two million square feet of super bathing beach at Crandon park. Black Caesar, notorious marauder of the Florida Keys, operated In this vicinity. This doughty highwayman of the waves frequently hid his plunder ship behind wooded Isles such as Key Biscayne to stalk unwary un-wary merchantmen en route to Havana, Ha-vana, Spain's Queen City of the Antilles. An-tilles. Perhaps some of Black Caesar's ill-gained loot now moulders moul-ders near the southern end of the I island! I Another linking of Key Biscayne to the "Florida that was" Is the old I Cape Florida lighthouse. A landmark land-mark in the keys, this lofty hurricane hurri-cane defter was built in 1826. Unfriendly, Un-friendly, marauding Indians set fire to the structure in the same century, cen-tury, killed one Negro slave, wounded wound-ed the white lighthouse keeper. The tower, for many years erroneously known as "Old Spanish Light," was abandoned In 1876, but it still stands, a monument to the past a 20th century beacon to modern counterparts counter-parts of Ponce de Leon. Yes. Key Biscayne, site of Crandon Cran-don park, is truly an island packed with pleasure trove a recreational recreation-al treasure chest, laden with rich prizes of nature for Dade county residents and their visitors. |