Spanish

History of Time Period

The Spanish history of this area of Florida goes back 447 years. Panfilo de Narvaez, Spanish explorer, led his party into the Tallahassee area in 1528. They camped on the Wakulla River near St. Marks, built crude ships, and set forth on a fateful trip to Mexico. The entire sea-going party was lost in a storm; however, others reached Mexico by land and recorded the events of history.

In 1539, Hernando DeSoto came through this area in his search for gold spending the winter here on the shores of Lake Jackson. During that next 100 years the Spanish explorers in St. Augustine became familiar with the Apalachee region and began trade with the agriculturally efficient Indians here.

In 1639 the Spanish established a chain of missions to both Christianize the Indians and to protect them from the more warlike tribes to the north. For this protection the Indians supplied food to the Spanish. This trade arrangement was highly successful until Col. James Moore came through here destroying the missions, burning the villages, killing the braves and taking women and children as slaves. Thus the Apalachee area was deserted for more than 100 years.

Spanish Krewe Chief- Sheila Feldman

Meet Sheila Feldman, the Chief Operations and Financial Officer of the Florida Hospital Association, where she navigates the complexities of non-profit association finances. A Tallahassee resident since the age of four, Sheila has deep roots in her hometown and is committed to making it a better place.

When she’s not crunching numbers and balancing budgets, you can find her enjoying life by the pool with her new husband, Mike, whom she recently married in a beautiful ceremony in St. Lucia. Together, they love to travel to new destinations, soaking up sun and culture while making friends along the way.

Sheila is also a dedicated proud mom to three amazing young men—29, 28, and 24—who have officially graduated from “mom’s little boys” to “adulting champions.” She’s been a part of the Springtime community since 2017, where she’s met so many incredible people that she’s begun to suspect her social calendar is busier than her work schedule!

An avid Seminole fan, Sheila proudly wears her garnet and gold, having earned both her undergraduate degree and MBA from Florida State University. Go Noles! Whether she’s cheering at a game or sipping a cool drink by the pool, Sheila embodies the spirit of fun, friendship, and family.