Lower Largo

Lower Largo's claim to fame is that it was the birthplace of Alexander Selkirk (1676-1721), the Scottish sailor who inspired Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. Once a juvenile delinquent, he grew up to terrorize the region and then departed to sail the high seas. In 1704, having quarreled with his captain, Selkirk was put ashore on the isle of Juan Fernandez off the coast of Chile. Four years later a British privateer picked him up; his rescuers found him dressed in goatskins and surrounded by tame goats. Piratical adventures on the way home earned him a fortune, and he returned to Largo so richly dressed his mother didn't recognize him. His statue can be seen above the doorway of the house on Main Street where he was born.