Florida History

For our Halloween episode, we listen back to our 2023 conversation with writer, researcher, folklorist and host of the podcast "Tripping on Legends," Christopher Balzano about some of Southwest Florida's lesser-known folklore, legends, and myths.

Archaeologists have proven that Ortona Indian Mound Park in Glades County is one of the most significant prehistoric sites in Florida, dating back to 400 A.D. Yet remaining evidence of the area’s ancient civilization is fading due to time and a lack of attention. What will it take for this site to be further protected?

The annual Sugarcane Grinding Festival in Glades County continues to celebrate pioneer life while inadvertently protecting what remains of the land's indigenous heritage. Explore Ortona Indian Mound Park today and hear the community's hopes for honoring both the site’s ancient significance and preserving more recent agricultural history.

Ortona Indian Mound Park in Glades County may be known for its annual Cane Grinding Festival, yet the legacy of the park’s land dates back to A.D. 400, revealing life of an advanced, ancient civilization.

A park in Glades County, Florida holds evidence of a crucial archaeological discovery that’s been remarkably preserved in an atypical way—an annual celebration of sugar cane grinding. 'Forgotten Park,' a WGCU radio series by Tara Calligan delves into the history of native and pioneer Glades County, Florida. Episode one takes us deep into the heart of Glades County.

Take a look at some of Southwest Florida’s lesser-known folklore, legends and myths with author and folklorist Christopher Balzano of “Tripping on Legends."

"In my life, I have found myself as a colored, a negro, a Black, an African American, and a person of color. This is my reflection as a colored girl." This phrase opens each essay heard on WGCU FM from Martha R. Bireda, Ph.D. Dr. Bireda is a writer, lecturer, and living history performer with over 30 years of experience as a lecturer, consultant and trainer for issues related to race, class, and gender, working with educators, law enforcement, and business, and civic leaders. Bireda also is the Director of the Blanchard House Museum of African American History and Culture of Charlotte County, located in Punta Gorda, Florida. The audio series, "Reflections of a Colored Girl," will be featured weekly on WGCU FM for the next five months. This is the first.

Thirty-nine local artists associated with the Fort Myers Mural Society have painted 57 murals of people and scenes from Fort Myers' past - when the neophyte settlement was a port dominated by seven long piers that jutted into the Caloosahatchee River. The artists met recently to talk about the importance of the project and what they hope the public derives from their paintings.

A sash reportedly worn by Seminole warrior Osceola at the time of his capture by the U.S. Army in the early 19th Century is on display for the first time at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, but not for long.

In 2003, Jeb Bush designated January as Florida Jewish History Month. To commemorate this month, WGCU looks into the history of what Jewish people have done to impact Southwest Florida.