Many historians believe that Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon wasdescribing the landscape of Ponte Vedra Beach when he firststepped ashore the land that he named La Florida, or "place of flowers."After exploring the area north of present-day St. Augustine, heproclaimed it a place of lush landscapes and beautiful beaches. Sincethat day in April 1513, people from all walks of life have delightedin the natural beauty of the area. They were drawn to the charmingland for many reasons, but miners who came to dig minerals out of thebeach sand were the first to visually capture its history. They broughtcameras with them when they arrived in the early 20th century andleft behind a rich trove of photographs. Those who followed recordedtheir own history in photographs, and the charm and character of theland is evident in the images that fill this book.
Journalist and photojournalist Maggie FitzRoy and Beaches Museum & History Park archivist Taryn Rodriguez-Boette selected photographs from the historical society's collection of thousands of images to tell the story of the Ponte Vedra Beach community's fascinating past.