Ft. San JuanHickory – In 1567, Juan Pardo and 130 men departed from the South Carolina coast, bound for Mexico through the interior of what is now North Carolina and South Carolina.  Over time, six forts were built and tentative relationships with the local populations were forged.

Then, after eighteen months, it was all over. What happened?  Join Archaeologist Melissa Timo of Exploring Joara Foundation on Tuesday May 2, 2017 at 6:00 pm at Patrick Beaver Memorial Library for a presentation on Pardo’s first fort, Fort San Juan.

Timo will examine the archaeological evidence recovered from the site of Fort San Juan, near Morganton, and the powerful Native American communities the Spanish interacted with 450 years ago. Come and learn how close one western North Carolina story came to changing U.S. history as we know it.

This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, please call 828-304-0500 ext. 7235.  Patrick Beaver Memorial Library is located at 375 3rd Street NE on the SALT Block.