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The Bradenton area was settled by the Timucuan Indians who, according to legend, named the Manatee River for the gentle sea cows that still slowly swim through area inlets.
Around 1530, the legendary Spanish explorer, Hernando DeSoto, and his rugged Conquistadors, came ashore seeking gold along that same river. They found unclaimed treasure in the form of fertile riverbanks and a region of lush landscapes and breathtaking beauty.
The area remained unoccupied until 1842, when an explorer named Josiah Gates laid claim. In those early development years, the bountiful waterways provided a ready transportation source.
In the late 1800s, Emerson Bean and Charles Roser, inventor of the Fig Newton, played instrumental roles in building the community that thrives today. The railroad rolled through town, providing more accessible thoroughfare for travel, and speeding the construction of bridges and roadways to thread the destination together.
In the 1920s, tourists discovered Manatee County’s numerous assets and the area became an instantly popular vacation destination.
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