Florida

Name: A Guide to Historic Orlando
Brand: Steve Rajtar
SKU: 9781596291980
Price: 21.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Florida history trumps the simple narrative of a beach read. St. Augustine’s story doesn’t begin with sixteenth-century Spaniards and Miami history didn’t begin unfolding with Henry Flagler and his railroad. Natives began arriving in the Sunshine State during the last ice age, millennia before snowbirds began migrating down to Mount Dora. From the legend of Hogzilla to the first slice of key lime pie, from Pensacola down to Key West, our catalogue of Florida history books teems with fascinating tales and innovative characters who saw swamp and envisioned paradise. [View all Florida books]

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A Guide to Historic Orlando

Paperback

$21.99

A Guide to Historic Tampa

Paperback

$21.99

Florida Atlantic University

Paperback

$24.99

Haunted DeLand and the Ghosts of West Volusia County

A History of Little Havana

$11.99 $6.00 Save 50%

Around Mulberry

Paperback

$24.99

Volusia County's West Side

Paperback

$21.99

Tarpon Springs, Florida

Paperback

$24.99

Legendary Locals of Fort Lauderdale

Paperback

$24.99

Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, The:

Paperback

$24.99

Jacksonville and the State of Florida:

The Cedar Keys Hurricane of 1896

Paperback

$21.99

North Florida Folk Music

Florida's First Big League Baseball Players

Paperback

$21.99

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A Guide to Historic Tampa

9781596292536

$21.99

Tampa—the town that began as a Civil War garrison, housed a cigar manufacturer's dream, and became a city oasis in paradise. Tampa is a spicy mix of cultures and traditions, some from as far away as the tip of South America—others as homegrown as the cigars from old Ybor City. Whether you want to discover the city's secrets, reminisce with the locals, or explore streets that retain the historic flavor of Old Florida, Author and local historian Steve Rajtar guides you through the history and historic sites of beautiful old Tampa, with wonderful vintage photographs and street-by-street details of The Cigar City.

Florida Atlantic University

9780738506142

$24.99

Built on the site of the abandoned Boca Raton Army Air Field, Florida Atlantic niversity, in the short period since its founding in the 1960s, has come to be a well-regarded institution of higher education in Florida. Overcoming such early challenges as poor road systems in the area, unsuccessful recruiting
efforts, and student unrest arising from the Civil Rights Movement and the conflict in Vietnam, university leaders tirelessly promoted the vision that would eventually become a reality—Florida Atlantic University becoming a successful regional university. This engaging pictorial retrospective begins in the days prior to FAU's first semester and depicts the early players in the school's establishment, the construction of the first campus buildings, and the legislative planning and funding that made much of it possible. Fascinating original photographs capture student life through the decades—athletic teams and social clubs, dormitories and dining halls, classes and commencement ceremonies—as well as pay tribute to the faculty members and administrators who have helped to shape not just a
university, but the hearts and minds of countless students through the years.

Haunted DeLand and the Ghosts of West Volusia County

9781596295261

$21.99

Author and Haunted DeLand tour guide Dusty Smith recounts a century of ghostly history in the bustling historic community of DeLand, the Athens of Florida. Specters include those of Jeannette Barnhill, whose ghost drove her real estate mogul widower mad by standing behind him to keep a constant watch on his accounting books, and of the guest killed in the 1917 Putnam Hotel fire who leaves the smell of burnt wood and flesh in the air. Forlorn lovers Ruby and Joshua, a freed slave and a plantation foreman, and Suzanna Brown, who jumped to her death with unrequited love for a Stetson professor, are included, as well as the ghostly horse-drawn hearse that has been seen parked alongside what was once the Old Casket Company. From steamboat captains to Spiritualist camp residents, DeLand's ghosts are sure to delight visitors and residents alike in this stirring account of the area's historic haunts.

Sport Lauderdale

9781596291454

$21.99

Broward County, Florida's location, its climate and the facilities it offers athletes make it a natural training ground for winners in a variety of sports. Broward County is a hotbed for athletic activity. From serious sluggers to hard-charging halfbacks, Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding area have produced superstars in a wide variety of sports—even ice skating and hockey. Featuring over thirty photographs of phenomenal area athletes, this fun, accessible history details the story of nearly every sport to touch the field, court, and ice of Broward County, covering youth and high school teams, NCAA and NJCAA, as well as professional teams. Golf pros, tennis aces, super swimmers and even the stars of soapbox derby all share some time in the sun in Sport Lauderdale.

A History of Little Havana

9781626196476

$21.99

In the heart of Miami, Little Havana is a neighborhood buzzing with culture. Still imagined as primarily a Cuban extension of the city, it has been a sanctuary to refugees since the 1959 revolution and has experienced fascinating changes to become what it is today. Find out how a location associated with old Cubans playing dominos has become a vibrant, multi-ethnic community and a birthplace of Miami's most exciting arts and music movements. Learn why Little Havana has continued to serve as a political stage for thousands of Cubans demonstrating on its streets, like the famous Calle Ocho. Authors Guillermo Grenier and Corinna Moebius trace the history and growth of this Latino epicenter in the first in-depth portrait of a world-renowned neighborhood.

Orlando, FL

9781439600641

$11.99 $6.00 Save 50%

Do you know... HOW Orlando helps animals as it treats much of its waste water? (Hint: Think Home Sweet Home!) WHAT destroyed most of the citrus crop around Orlando in the late 1800s? (Hint: It was a surprise from Mother Nature!) Find these answers and more in Cool Stuff Every Kid Should Know--an interesting little book about a very special place on the planet! Arcadia Kids is a new series of fun, colorful, easy-to-read books for children ages 7-11 featuring attention-grabbing cover art, inviting conversational style content, and vivid full-color images of landmarks and geography. Parents, grandparents, and savvy shoppers will appreciate the feel good factor of purchasing books that are both fun AND educational.

Around Mulberry

9780738553702

$24.99

In the 1840s, pioneers settled on the picturesque lands surrounding the Alafia River. With glistening waters that gave life to plush foliage and citrus trees gracing its banks, the Alafia stretched westward before flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. Forty years later, phosphate was discovered in the Bone Valley area, and miners began arriving in what is now Mulberry, Florida. The industrial activity of the town encouraged economic growth and soon demanded the need for a railroad to accommodate Mulberry's expanding lumber and mining trade. In 1901, the town was officially incorporated, bringing a respected identity and well-deserved peace to the people of the area. Named for a lone tree that served as a local mail drop, the town of Mulberry was born.

Volusia County's West Side

9781596295629

$21.99

This collection of popular Sense of Place columns by Daytona Beach News-Journal award-winning writer Ronald Williamson chronicles the sleepy streams, poignant passages and timeless traditions of the hilly western side of Volusia County—a place quite different from the hustle and bustle of the Daytona Beach area. Majestic St. Johns River steamboats replace speeding racecars, and subdued séances at an old spiritualist camp replace brash biker bashes and spring break revelry. From slavery and segregation to Madame Clarissa Zaraza and mayhaw jelly from swampy creeks, these stories are a moving account from a master storyteller.

Tarpon Springs, Florida

9780738515977

$24.99

African Americans originally came to Tarpon Springs in the mid-1880s to work in the lumber mills. In the 1890s, a number of sponge divers arrived from the Bahamas and Key West to harvest and prepare the wealth of sponges found in the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the Anclote River. Devoutly religious, these pioneers founded the African American Episcopal Church in 1887 and the Baptist Church in 1892. Union Academy School, the first African-American school in Tarpon Springs, was established in the early 1900s. The dedicated work ethic of early African-American settlers continues today. Many of their descendants serve as educators, politicians, and ministers.

Legendary Locals of Fort Lauderdale

9781467102209

$24.99

From the first settlers, the Lewis family in the 1790s, to the New River Settlement led by William Cooley in the 1830s, to the arrival of Frank Stranahan in 1893, Fort Lauderdale is an "old" young town. Named for the Second Seminole War fort commanded by Major Lauderdale, the town incorporated in 1911. The land boom of the 1910s-1920s brought an influx of people including publicist Commodore Brook, architect Francis Abreu, developer Charles Rodes, and businessmen Moe and Mack Katz. Following the economic downturn after the 1926 hurricane, the postwar boom transformed the sleepy town into the tropical paradise and tourist destination that it is today. Hotelier Bob Gill, developer James Hunt, "Crazy Gregg" Newell, and entrepreneur Wayne Huizenga led that charge. Legendary Locals of Fort Lauderdale also tells the story of groundbreaking civil servants such as Easter Lily Gates and Andrew DeGraffenreidt, civil rights activists Eula Johnson and Dean Trantalis, educators Mae McMillan and Sister Marie Schramko, and sports stars Katherine Rawls, Chris Evert, and Ryan Hunter-Reay.

Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, The:

9780738554426

$24.99

In September 1968, the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale opened its doors on the beach where Las Olas Boulevard meets the Atlantic Ocean. With an enrollment of 55 students, the school offered three diploma programs: commercial art, fashion illustration, and interior design. The year 2008 marked the school's 40th anniversary, and today more than 3,000 students are enrolled in 17 different programs awarding bachelor's and associate's degrees and diplomas. Having moved to its new location on Seventeenth Street near the Intracoastal Waterway in 1986, the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale is currently one of the largest and most respected institutions of its kind. The school is owned and operated by the Education Management Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which has opened more than 42 schools across the United States and Canada.

Legends and Tales

9781596290600

$21.99

The city of St. Augustine, Florida has the special designation as one of the oldest cities in North America, dating back well over four hundred years. Throughout St. Augustine's history, it has been home and host to an array of colorful and exceptional individuals, who have all helped to make the city what it is today. Legends and Tales: Anecdotal Histories of St. Augustine, Florida is a collection of oral histories by writer and St. Augustine resident Karen Harvey. As the reader will discover, these memories reveal that the history of St. Augustine is not always found in recorded facts, but rather in the hearts and minds of the local citizens who have made their home in this fascinating city. From stories about the early days of baseball and St. Augustine's strongest man, to the history of the area's African American population and the Civil Rights Movement, Legends and Tales offers insight from a unique, often-overlooked perspective.

Cohen Brothers

9781609498542

$21.99

Once known as the Wanamaker of the South, Cohen Brothers department store captured the hearts of thousands of Jacksonville residents. Metro Jacksonville writers Ennis Davis and Sarah Gojekian take a wonderful trip through the store, from its beginnings as a dry goods enterprise in a small log cabin to its growth into a trend-setting retail institution and the final poignant closing of its doors. Davis and Gojekian brilliantly combine interviews with former employees, stories from the vibrant atmosphere the store created and memories from longtime residents to bring readers back to the bright glow and elegance of one of the South's most distinctive enterprises.

The Cedar Keys Hurricane of 1896

9781596296121

$21.99

Families watched in horror as walls of water swept away homes and businesses, and men held onto saplings for their lives while the winds howled.

The destruction was beyond belief. Buildings on Atsena Otie were swept away so completely that only cracked stone foundations remained, and the forests of red cedar that gave the islands their name and livelihood were flattened. Resulting in dozens of deaths and millions of dollars in damage, Hurricane Number 4 in 1896 changed the Cedar Keys forever and set the city on a path to the present. Historian Alvin F. Oickle, drawing on firsthand accounts and extensive archival research, tells the story of ordinary Floridians who were faced, like so many before and so many since, with nature's fury.

North Florida Folk Music

9781626195806

$21.99

North Florida's proud folk music heritage reaches back more than half a century. The region claims many talented artists and song writers, including Frank Thomas, Bob Patterson and Charlie Robertson, while hundreds of solo, duo and group performers regularly inspire audiences at local venues. The Stephen Foster State Park in White Springs is the home of the Florida Folk Festival, the longest continuous state-sponsored folk festival in the country, held every year on the banks of the Suwannee River. Join author and folk musician Ron Johnson as he shares some of the stories and insights into the folk music of North Florida and those who define the tradition.

Plant City

9780738587486

$24.99

Named for railroad magnate Henry B. Plant, Plant City was incorporated in 1885. Rich in history and the flavor of strawberries, it is known as the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. Images featured are from the Quintilla Geer Bruton Archives Center and the East Hillsborough Historical Society. Shelby Jean Roberson Bender, an eighth-generation Floridian, and Roberta Donaldson Jordan, a native of Pennsylvania, have devoted many years to historical and genealogical research, publications, and instruction.

Florida's First Big League Baseball Players

9781596291164

$21.99

In recent years, Florida's playgrounds have produced an abundance of exceptional professional baseball players: Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Luis Gonzales and Tino Martinez, to name only a few. Before 1950, however, only twenty-six Florida boys made it to the pros got their shot in the big leagues. Players like Tampa's Al Lopez, a Hall of Fame member and baseball's first Hispanic manager, and Pensacola native Russ Scarritt, who set the Boston Red Sox record for most triples in a season his rookie year, blazed a trail that has opened the door for many of today's baseball superstars. Florida's First Big League Baseball Players, by baseball historian and enthusiast Wes Singletary, is a narrative journey into the early days of baseball in Florida before 1950. When this project was undertaken only eight of the original twenty-six players were still living. Written from hours of interviews and presented in a narrative form that is engaging and informative, this collection allows the reader to journey back to a time when the game was more innocent and the heart of the men playing, a little bigger.