In Development: Maximo Hernandez and the Fishing Ranchos of Tampa Bay

Maximo and the Fishing Ranchos of Tampa Bay will use emerging AI tools to create a short historical drama based on the life of Maximo Hernandez, a Spanish fisherman who established a fishing rancho on Tampa Bay in the 1840s. The former rancho site now includes a City of St. Petersburg park, a marina, and part of Eckerd College. The film will use extensive primary-source research and guidance from experts and descendants to develop historically accurate imagery and animation.

Maximo Hernandez

Overview

Maximo was a fisherman, a guide for the U.S. Army, a husband and father, and ultimately the owner of a fishing rancho. Fishing ranchos were seasonal settlements where fishermen from Havana harvested fish in Tampa Bay and sent dried, salted, and live catch to the Havana market. Spanish fishermen intermarried with Indigenous people of Florida, including descendants of the Calusa and, later, Seminoles. These unions created a distinctive hybrid society identified in historical records as “Spanish Indians” or “Spanish Seminoles.”

Maximo married a Native American woman and had a family with her. Research indicates that his wife and three children were removed to the western territories under the federal Indian removal policy of the 1830s. Maximo and others signed an 1838 petition to the U.S. Army requesting the return of their removed “Spanish Indian” families. The petition was denied. He was later listed in census records as a widower.

In 1847, Maximo married Dominga Montes de Oca. A year later, their son was born, Maximo died, and the “Gale of ’48” struck the Tampa Bay area, destroying the rancho. After years of effort, Dominga gained title to the land Maximo had claimed.

Dominga sold the land twice: first to the notorious plume hunter Jean Lechevalier and later to a Baltimore investor group. After the property remained dormant for years, it was purchased by Roy Hanna, St. Petersburg’s postmaster and later sold to the City of St. Petersburg. Maximo Park is the legacy of that history.

Public Events

The Maximo Project will culminate in a series of public events at Eckerd College in February 2027, including an exhibition of images and archaeological artifacts, a film screening and discussion with descendants, and a site visit to Maximo Park.

Maximo and the Fishing Ranchos of Tampa Bay is supported by Florida Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Jacarlene Foundation. Additional funding is provided from a Level Up grant from the City of St. Petersburg. The Alliance for Weedon Island Archaeological Research and Education (AWIARE) and Eckerd College are the project’s community partners.

Maximo Production Team

Polita Glynn Producer, Writer and Director

Merfolk Media Alliance, Project Director, Writer, and Creative Director

Polita Glynn is the founder and director of Merfolk Media Alliance. She is developing the Maximo story and manages all aspects of the project, including public humanities events with community partners.

Glynn specializes in filmmaking and creative storytelling focused on history, cultural diversity, and the environment. Her film projects have been funded by the State of Florida, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Sundance Institute, Florida Humanities, the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, The City of St. Petersburg and Creative Pinellas. She also has extensive experience in non-profit and project management, community engagement, and outreach. Glynn received her B.A. in American Studies from Bennington College, an Ed.M. from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education and studied film and television production at the University of Miami School of Communication.

Devin Rice Filmmaker, Editor, and Music Composer

Devin Rice brings over 35 years of experience in the motion picture and television industry to the project. With formal training that includes an M.F.A. in Film from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, a B.A. in Theatre from Eckerd College, and a Specialist Certificate in Composition and Orchestration for Film and TV from the Berklee College of Music, Rice offers a combination of artistic versatility and professional depth. His creative toolkit spans the full spectrum of visual storytelling, including documentary filmmaking, cinematography, video editing, 3D animation, motion graphics, music composition, sound design, graphic design, and FAA-licensed drone operation. Rice teaches Documentary Production, Screenwriting, and Motion Capture as an adjunct professor at the university level. Glynn and Rice previously partnered on the projects ‘Underground History’ and ‘Brick Roads of St. Petersburg.