This article explores the long and fascinating history of Coconut Creek, tracing the city’s development across centuries and highlighting how it grew into one of the most distinctive municipalities in Florida.
Early Inhabitants: The Indigenous Roots of the Region
Long before the first Europeans arrived, the area that would one day become Coconut Creek was part of the vast homelands of the Tequesta people. The Tequesta controlled much of southeastern Florida, including what is now Broward and Miami-Dade counties. They thrived by fishing the rivers and coastal waters, hunting in the pine flatwoods, and gathering plants from the Everglades’ edge.
Archaeological evidence, including shell middens and burial mounds, suggests that the Tequesta lived in small villages scattered across the waterways. They were skilled canoe-builders, and the wetlands provided both protection and sustenance.
The arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, however, marked the beginning of the end for the Tequesta. Disease, warfare, and forced relocations decimated their population. By the 18th century, the Tequesta were virtually extinct as a distinct people, and the region remained sparsely inhabited for generations. shutdown123