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Mound Village at "Port Richey, Florida"

We were both pleased and amazed when we saw the Eschaskotes Mound Site located in “Port Richey, Florida”, near the southern bank of the Pithlachascotee River. This is a blackwater river in “Pasco County” which flows for over 23 miles to the south and west, before entering the Gulf of Mexico. A wonderful view of the river can be observed from the site, and this picturesque mound is adorned by graceful old trees.

The Eschaskotes (a.k.a. “Oelsner”) Mound is one of the oldest historic sites in “Port Richey”. Reportedly, this temple mound was the highest point overlooking an entire village site comprised of many Indigenous People. As a matter of fact, the website for the “city of Port Richey” acknowledges that the area “was once an industrious Indian community and has been the home and burial ground for two separate Indian tribes.” And yes, thank goodness, there is still a strikingly large mound situated in this beautiful riverfront community. Many old trees express satisfaction with their environment by maintaining steady growth and stability in the natural brown soil landscape of the mound. Quite an impressive sight.

Looking around at the astonishing area where the mound sits now, it is easy to envision how far and wide the village must have extended beyond the shores of the river. We can imagine what it was like as the Indigenous People enjoyed a free and abundant lifestyle. They honored nature—the skies, flora and fauna. All living things were able to flourish because their culture respects and nurtures the land and its waterways. And most likely they gathered in the village for celebrations, ceremonies, seasonal harvests, and communication—singing, dancing, and sharing ideas that would enhance their way of living and thriving together as one.

Ah…we love being here…thinking about the peaceful existence of our ancestors, admiring their ingenuity, acknowledging their footprints, and appreciating their inherent presence. Then, suddenly, in fair exchange, we receive a gift of warm spiritual energy as remembrance of being at this sacred location—instant gratification is in action.

Upon leaving the area, we accept the blessings awarded on this journey to see and document the legacy of First Nation People living along the shores of the Pithlachascotee River. Furthermore, we extend thanks to the local folks who took responsibility for ensuring preservation of this amazing Mound Site as an important landmark.

Another reason for coming to the “Port Richey” area was to locate an (estimated) 8x4 foot ancient carved rock stele that dates back more than 1,500 years. The dictionary describes a stele as ‘an upright stone or slab with an inscribed or sculptured surface.’ This particular rock stele is stated to have been carved by Aboriginal, Indigenous People who inhabited this territory. Reportedly, there are two faces carved on it and indications are that the stele was used for ceremonies.

We had our work cut out for us in finding the location of this important rock structure. We headed to the “New Port Richey Library” with the only information our research had turned up; that being...the stele could be found near a restaurant on “US Highway 19”. The friendly library staff checked their database, revealing that the facility is closed. We graciously thanked the accommodating staff for their assistance and hurried off to continue our quest.

Navigating up and down “Highway 19”, determined to find the stele, we decided to position ourselves around the corner from where the facility was supposed to be located. At the marina facing the waterway, we looked straight ahead and there it was…a riverfront restaurant designed with a unique oval shape allowing window views of the water. The facility appeared to be closed and there was no signage to indicate its name (which is probably why we missed seeing it from the “highway”). We were delighted and quite curious.  

While Jamal walked over to search for the stele, I remained in the automobile enjoying the waterfront side view where several fish kept jumping in and out of the water. Cool—this kept me busy trying to guess where they would pop out next. The fish moved so fast and I missed several chances to get a great video with my cell phone. Oh well…watching was better anyway.

Upon returning, Jamal looked like he had just witnessed a miracle. I mean…he had that glow of true satisfaction on his face. He explained that the stele was near the front entrance to the restaurant as reported and both were enclosed behind a chain link fence. However, we captured awesome closeup views of a face clearly on the rock surface, as well as other symbolic markings. The rock is larger than we imagined and the face bears similarity to Olmec heads and artifacts found in Central America. That’s interesting and raises more questions about the background of this fascinating stele.

According to a local man, the facility has been vacant about 11 years and reportedly, when the rock was taken from its original location, several businesses have been unsuccessful at this spot ever since. It is our hope that utmost honor and respect will be shown to the Ancestors by leaving sacred artifacts, like this stele, in their rightful place.