Uriparacoxi

Inland from Tampa Bay lay the town of Urriparacoxi, named for its chief. The chronicles of Hernando de Soto's expedition describe him as an overlord of coastal chiefs including Mocoso and Uzita. In 1539 the Spaniards marched inland toward his town, passing fields of maize, beans and pumpkins. Its inhabitants had withdrawn before their arrival, leaving the expedition to find food but not the wealth it sought.