Archaeological evidence shows burial mounds, shell middens, canoe artifacts and canal-like pathways along the lake’s perimeter.
To these peoples, the lake was not simply a body of water—it was a source of food, movement and culture. Canoes plied the shallow margins and hunters followed the seasonal rhythms of fish, birds and marsh creatures.
Early European Contact and Frontier Settlements
Spanish explorers in the 16th century documented the lake (often under various names such as “Laguna de Espíritu Santo” or “Lake Mayaca”).
In the 19th century, American settlers, cattlemen and pioneers began to press into the regions around the lake. The lake’s shores offered fertile soil, water access and opportunities—though often tempered by challenging conditions: flooding, mosquitoes, isolation and swampy land.
The scenic route today passes near historic sites of settlement, old communities that struggled with the lake’s moods and the shifting cultural and environmental realities of South Florida. shutdown123