Ponce de Leon is reputed to have entered the inlet now named for him at New Smyrna Beach during his first Florida exploration in 1513. Jonathan Dickenson crossed the inlet to safety with the Spanish in 1696, and Dr. Andrew Turnbull created his short-lived New Smyrna settlement in 1768. Later pirates and plunderers entered through the inlet and wreaked havoc, and American Indian chief Wildcat terrorized the area. Federal navy cannonading destroyed the community in 1863, and the freezes of 1895 and 1896 decimated the orange groves. The people of New Smyrna persevered through it all to make New Smyrna the charming community it is today. This book offers a wide view of this history, mostly through images from the family archives of Zelia Mary Wilson Sweett.
Author Lawrence J. Sweett's ancestors arrived in New Smyrna Beach in 1803. Sweett's interest in local history was inspired by his mother, local historian Zelia W. Sweett, who passed away in 1980. Sweett has chaired the Volusia County Historical Commission and was the organizing chairman of the Volusia County Historic Preservation Commission. He is a charter and organizing member of the Southeast Volusia Historical Society, served four terms as president, and sits on its board of directors.