This Shell Banks Baptist Church rests near the location of the first Indian village in America visited by a white man. This was the Indian village of "Achuse" visited by Admiral Maldonado who was one of De Soto's officers. He scouted the Florida and Alabama coast from Tampa Bay and entered the port of "Achuse" before De Soto started from Tampa Bay on the longest, strangest, boldest adventure in the history of the world. This was in 1539, 81 years before the Pilgrims kneeled at Plymouth Rock and 68 years before the colony landed at Jamestown. The name of this village, "Achuse" is shown at this location on the official map made by the U.S. De Soto Expedition Commission created by Congress in 1936. On an old crude Spanish map made of the Gulf Coast region in the 16th century, the Indian village of "Achuse" shows on this map near the same location, now occupied by the Shell Banks Baptist Church.
This Marker is presented by: Addison & Dorothy Mauldin and Milton & Ruth Ewing in Loving Memory of their parents, Charles & Sena Ewing.Written by Hatchett Chandler, December 23, 1966.
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