Long before Cape Canaveral was synonymous with space exploration, it was known as a hazardous area for the mariner. Groups of shoals extending 4 to 15 miles off the coast had endangered shipping since the days of Ponce de Leon in the 1500’s. After the U.S. gained possession of Florida, a lighthouse was requested on the Cape as early as 1838. Finally in the 1840’s Congress appropriated monies to build the first Cape Canaveral Lighthouse.