The Great Florida Cattle Drive of 2022 500 YEARS OF C AT T L E A N D HORSES IN F LO R I D A WRITTEN BY: KYM ROUSE HOLZWART
T
he explorer Juan Ponce de León unloaded a shipment of cattle and horses in his second expedition to the New World. That was in 1521 near what became Fort Myers, Florida.
These were the first such animals in North America. Florida has since been a leader in America’s
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cattle production. These foundational animals were the origin of Florida cracker cattle and Florida cracker horses, both featured in previous Florida Country Magazine articles. Ponce de Leon also sailed into Charlotte Harbor, seeking his Fountain of Youth. There are places in Punta Gorda to mark that occasion.
