Florida History Network - Your one-stop source for celebrating and preserving Florida's past, today
  • Home
  • Florida History Today
    • TB Times: St. Augustine coming to grips with civil rights history
    • Strawberry Festival organizers collecting material for new history book
    • Tarpon Springs' Greektown added to National Register as Traditional Cultural Property
    • Volunteers begin cleanup of historic Ocala cemetery
    • Jax museum presents 'Megalodon,' biggest-ever shark
    • Proposed museum switch generates anger in St. Pete
    • Report: Ocala's original cemetery lying in ruins
    • Rock and Roll Hall of Fame seeking camera-wielding Elvis fans
    • Service of Florida Jews in World War II focus of new WLRN doc
    • Seventeen honored for Big Bend preservation efforts
    • Long dresses, long pants, no shorts: Life before AC was uncool
    • Sunken shipwrecks are being turned into "parks" off Florida coast
    • Run-down Dunedin hotel to be rebuilt in same architectural style
    • Painting at Ringling Museum leads scholar to discover slavery roots of Spanish painter Juan de Pareja
    • Hampton Inn in downtown Bradenton gets state historic preservation award
    • Civil War re-enactment draws criticism in Holly Hill
    • New documentary spotlights Anna Maria Historic Green Village
    • Tampa-area NAACP launching effort to save historic rooming house
    • Ride on "America's Movie Train" this weekend in Ocoee, Winter Garden
    • Tampa's historic Kress building set for reimagination
    • 67-year-old shipwreck off Florida identified
    • Florida History Today - Project studies South Florida native communites
    • Florida History Today - Tarpon Springs halts Sponge Docks upgrades
    • Florida History Today - Compromise reached on Tequesta circles preservation
    • Florida History Today - Sears homes remembered in Sanibel
  • On this day in Florida history - August
    • Aug. 15, 1887 - Eatonville becomes one of first all-black towns in U.S.
    • Aug. 13, 2004 - Hurricane Charley kicks off unusually active 'cane year
    • Aug. 12, 1981 - Developed in Boca Raton, first PC released by IBM
    • Aug. 11, 1987 - Santeria church vows to sacrifice animals despite Hialeah ban
    • Aug. 10, 1981 - Tragic discovery confirms death of missing Adam Walsh, 6
    • Aug. 9, 1956 - Reporters look down noses covering Elvis in Daytona Beach
    • Aug. 8, 1896 - Cross Creek, Yearling author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings born
    • Aug. 6, 1868 - Great Seal of the State of Florida adopted by Legislature
    • Aug. 5, 1763 - Britain takes over Pensacola, expands slavery over two-decade Fla. rule
    • Aug. 4, 1842: U.S. gives free Florida land to settlers willing to fight Seminoles
    • Aug. 1, 1939 - Florida Highway Patrol formed; to begin with 60 troopers
  • On this day in Florida history - July
    • July 31, 1962 - Actor, tax evader Wesley Snipes born in Orlando
    • July 30, 1956: Delta Burke, star of tabloids and television, born in Orlando
    • July 28, 1896: With railroad into town, city of Miami incorporated
    • July 27, 1816: U.S. forces obliterate 300+ free blacks, Indians at 'Fort Negro'
    • July 26, 1876 - Daytona incorporated, named after founder Matthias Day
    • July 25, 1884 - St. Petersburg Times debuts as West Hillsborough Times
    • July 25, 1957 - Country star, actress Pam Tillis born in Plant City
    • July 23, 1836 - Cape Florida Lighthouse attacked by Seminoles
    • July 22, 1964 - First 536 home lots sold in new city of Coral Springs
    • July 21, 1821 - St. Johns and Escambia become first two Florida counties
    • July 20, 1969 - U.S. astronauts walk on the moon
    • July 19, 1952 - Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins is born; stardom and tragedy await
    • July 18, 1940 - Winners of St. Pete mayor's safety slogan contest announced
    • July 17, 1821 - Spain officially transfers Florida to United States
    • July 16, 1943 - Former 'Canes, Dolphins, Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson born
    • July 15, 1997 - Killer gigolo guns down Gianni Versace at South Beach mansion
    • July 14, 1921 - Florida's most famous 'cracker cowboy' dies at 58
    • July 13, 1927: Officials dump $250k in liquor into Gulf Stream
    • July 10, 1972 - First of two major party conventions opens in Miami Beach
    • July 9, 1957 - Pass-a-Grille and three other towns form St. Pete Beach
    • July 8, 2011 - Last space shuttle launched from Cape Canaveral
    • July 7, 1983 - 'Operation Everglades' drug bust rocks Everglades City
    • July 6, 2003 - 'Hillbillies' star Buddy Ebsen, raised in Orlando, dies at 95
    • July 5, 1928 - Elks begin arriving for 1st Florida national convention
    • July 4: Florida celebrates America's Independence Day
    • July 3, 1971 - Doors singer, Melbourne native Jim Morrison dies
    • July 2, 1961: Key West icon Ernest Hemingway dies; cats live on
    • July 1, 1951: St. Pete woman's burning death baffles investigators
  • On this day in Florida history - June
    • June 1, 1937 - Amelia Earhart leaves Miami to begin final voyage
    • June 2, 2008 - Bo Diddley, 79, dies at his home in Archer
    • June 3, 1961 - Arrest made in case that leads to 'right to an attorney'
    • June 4, 1939 - Jewish refugee ship turned away from Florida coast
    • June 5, 2013 - Zephyrhills woman, 84, claims $590 million Powerball jackpot
    • June 6, 1990 - Broward Judge rules 2 Live Crew album 'obscene'
    • June 7, 1928 - Two elections workers shot in Tampa ballot box heist
    • June 8, 1888 - First train rolls into terminus "St. Petersburg"
    • June 9, 1903 - Flagler's Breakers Hotel burns down in Palm Beach
    • June 10, 1991 - South Florida learns it will get new major league baseball team
    • June 11, 1953 - Sabal Palmetto palm becomes Florida's state tree
    • June 12, 1913: With first bridge, Miami Beach is open for business
    • June 13, 1974 - Askew appoints first female Cabinet member
    • June 14, 1966 - FSL's Miami and St. Pete set record for longest baseball game
    • June 15, 1822: City of Jacksonville founded, named after Andrew Jackson
    • June 16, 1955 - Judge Chillingworth and wife go missing
    • June 17. 1942 - German U-boat saboteurs land at Ponte Vedra Beach
    • June 18, 1983 - Sally Ride becomes first American woman in space
    • June 19, 1972 - Hurricane Agnes makes landfall in Panhandle
    • June 20, 2003 - Non-profit Wikipedia established in St. Petersburg
    • June 21, 1926 - Miami barbers don't want to be called 'chirotonsors'
    • June 22, 1990 - Florida bans thong bikinis in state parks
    • June 23, 1938 - Marine Studios, 'world's first oceanarium,' opens
    • June 24, 1987 - S. Fla's most famous resident, Jackie Gleason, dies at 71
    • June 25, 1981 - Dolphins QB Bob Griese retires after 14 seasons
    • June 26, 1964 - Governor orders extra police to riot-torn St. Augustine
    • June 27, 1964 - State tells Daytona: Stop price-gouging your tourists
    • June 28, 1911 - Big Cypress Indian Reservation created by President Taft
    • June 29, 1931 - Monticello hits 109 degrees -- hottest-ever for Florida
    • June 30, 1975 - Cher marries Daytona Beach's favorite son Gregg Allman
  • On this day in Florida history - May
    • May 1, 1562 - Jean Ribault arrives at St. Johns River, claims Florida for France
    • May 2, 1936 - Panama City Beach incorporated in Bay County
    • May 3, 1901 - Jacksonville burns to the ground
    • May 4, 1990 - Execution goes awry as flames, smoke shoot from head
    • May 5, 1961 - Alan Shepard becomes first American in space
    • May 6, 1965 - Rolling Stones play Clearwater, write 'Satisfaction' riff
    • May 7, 1940 - Voting machine shortages create long wait at polls
    • May 8, 1923 - Killings of work camp prisoners detailed in hearing
    • May 9, 1981 - Sinkhole swallows house, five Porsches in Winter Park
    • May 10, 1781 - Spanish Gen. Bernardo de Gálvez captures Pensacola
    • May 11, 1996 - ValuJet Flight 592 crashes into Everglades
    • May 12, 1997 - Tornado hits Miami, poses for photos, videos
    • May 13, 1955 - Jax fans chase Elvis after show, tear off his clothes
    • May 14, 1973 - Skylab launches new era of space study...and toys
    • May 15, 1947 - Florida State College for Women goes co-ed, renamed FSU
    • May 16, 1929 - Lake City mob lynches grocer after wife shoots chief
    • May 17, 1980 - Not guilty verdict triggers three days of rioting in Miami
    • May 18, 1955 - Educator Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune dies
    • May 19, 2004 - Drugstore chain owner Jack Eckerd dies at 91
    • May 20, 1913: Henry Morrison Flagler dies in his home at Palm Beach
    • May 21, 1956 - Police close beach after catching black, white teens talking
    • May 22, 1931 - Canned rattlesnake goes on sale from Arcadia
    • May 23, 1898 - School for Deaf & Blind issues first diplomas
    • May 24, 1931 - Writer develops Planet of the Apes storyline for Miami
    • May 25, 1961 - JFK challenges nation to land on moon within decade
    • May 26, 1845 - Florida holds first statewide election
    • May 27, 1965 - Mysterious land deal near Orlando revealed
    • May 28, 1935 - Now controversial "Old Folks At Home" becomes state song
    • May 29, 1967 - Woman jailed after 25 kids found in station wagon
    • May 30, 1989: Claude Pepper dies after 60 years of public service
    • May 31, 1539 - DeSoto comes to Florida, changes continent forever
  • On this day in Florida history - April
    • April 1, 1926 - Air Mail service begins in four Florida cities
    • April 2, 1513 - Juan Ponce de Leon lands in Florida
    • April 3, 2006 - Gators basketball team win first-ever national title
    • April 4, 1933 - NASCAR 2nd generation leader Bill France Jr. is born
    • April 5, 1925 - 'Great Miami Tornado' kills 5, destroys 250 homes
    • April 6, 1959 - Seminole Tribe votes to support building "Alligator Alley"
    • April 7, 1890 - Author, Everglades crusader Marjorie Stoneman Douglas born
    • April 8, 1923 - News of "lost" Tamiami trail blazers heats up
    • April 9, 1921 - Whites kicked out of West Palm Beach "colored" town
    • April 10, 1766 - John Bartram ends journey through Carolinas, Ga., Florida
    • April 11, 1986 - FBI shootout in Dade prompts cops' need for more powerful guns
    • April 12, 1981 - Space Shuttle launched for first time
    • April 13, 1951 - Marion County sheriff killed by forged check suspect
    • April 14, 1528 - Bumbling conqueror Pánfilo de Narváez lands near Tampa
    • April 15, 1896 - Henry Flagler's railroad arrives in Miami for first time
    • April 16, 1915 and 1917 - Aviation takes two steps forward
    • April 17, 1961 - U.S. launches failed Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba
    • April 18, 1957 - Florida to U.S.: Integration ruling unconstitutional
    • April 19, 1930 - First Publix store incorporated in Winter Haven
    • April 20, 1967 - Orange Juice becomes official state beverage
    • April 21, 1924 - NY's infamous 'Bobbed Haired Bandit' caught in Jax
    • April 22, 2000 - Elian Gonzalez seized in raid, returned to Cuba
    • April 23, 1982 - Keys secede from Union, create Conch Republic
    • April 24, 1965 - Orlando honors hometown astronaut with John Young Day
    • April 25, 1966 - Gov. Haydon Burns says his plane trailed by UFO
    • April 26, 1920 - Crop shippers seizing ice, creating shortage
    • April 27, 1969 - 1,000 students help during FSU admin building fire
    • April 28, 1985 - World's tallest sand sculpture built at Treasure Island
    • April 29, 1980 - U.S. braces for magnitude of Mariel Boatlift
    • April 30, 1915 - Broward County created, named after former governor
  • Hontoon Changling: The ancient owl carving that represents the wrong tribe
  • The Fierce Competition for Rollins College
  • The Hidden History of Everglades City
  • The Legend of Jose Gaspar
  • Burdine's: Sunshine Fashions & The Florida Store
  • Follow the Dollar - Horse breeding brings big money to Central Florida
  • In Cassadaga, the Seance Room is where they talk to the dead
  • St. Petersburg leaders worked overtime to promote their city
  • Paradise for Sale: Florida's Booms and Busts
  • Feature - The Curtiss-Bright Cities
  • Feature - Collected Works of South Florida pioneer Byrd Spilman Dewey
  • Facebook links - Spring Breakers riot in Fort Lauderdale
  • Features Index
  • Secret Florida life of the author of one of SF's greatest novels
  • Casey Stengel was a Daytona Beach troublemaker
  • True stories about The Real McCoy
  • Daytona's Deadliest Air Crash: Aug. 10, 1937
  • Blog - Zora Neale Hurston's Life on Florida's East Coast
  • Blog - Florida's Worst Freezes
  • Blog - Washtub baths and pot-bellied stoves in 1930s Florida
  • Found on the Web
  • Florida History Videos
  • Historical societies and museums
  • Destinations - Central
  • Destinations - North
  • Destinations - South
  • Destinations - Southwest
  • Events - Fairs and Festivals
  • Events - Exhibits and Presentations
  • Florida history resources and links
  • Florida History Network - Announcements
    • Orange County History Center: 75th anniversary of Gone With The Wind
    • Adopt Your Duck at Dunedin History Museum
    • Mandarin Museum Welcomes Military Families as a Blue Star Museum
    • Orange County History Center seeking submissions for icons exhibition
    • Museum of Seminole County History announces Paranormal Tour
    • Florida Living History Inc. presents
    • Dunedin Museum Timeline - May 2014
    • School District of Palm Beach County - Hatian Heritage Month events planned
    • Fort Lauderdale Historical Society - launches effort to save 1905 New River Inn
    • Orange County Regional History Center honoring Judge Belvin Perry Jr. at John Young History Maker Awards
    • Fort Lauderdale Historical Society - New Exhibit shows how South Floridans Beat the Heat before AC
    • Orange County Regional History Center - Events and Exhbitions
    • Lake County Historical Society Grand Opening
    • Mandarin Historical Society - The Maple Leaf 150th Anniversary Exhibit
    • Miami Design Preservation League newsletter
    • Orange County Regional History Center events
    • Amelia Island Museum of History wants to show off your collection
    • Dunedin Museum Timeline
    • Amelia Island Museum of History's Patron Perks Tour Going to Sapelo Island, Georgia
    • Historical Society of Central Florida's honors Judge Belvin Perry Jr.
    • Orange County Regional History Center events
    • Debunking the Pocahontas Myth
    • King Cromartie House preservation
    • Feature - Mandarin Historical Society seeks help to save one-room schoolhouse
  • Preservation Projects
  • Business Directory
  • About/Contact Us
Picture
Picture
 Like this page
Follow us on Twitter
Follow @FlaHistoryNet

Previous stories:

1
2
3
4
Links to stories about Florida history stories currently in the news:
Miniature golf played role in desegregation
of St. Augustine
Historic elementary
school fire in Sanford
ruled arson
End of the line for
century-old
dry goods store?
ACE Theater 
in West Grove now historical site
Delray Beach historic
district poised
for makeover
Settlement clears 
way for purchase of
historic St. Pete YMCA

Tampa Bay Times: St. Augustine coming to grips with its
segregationist past, dark role in civil rights struggle

PictureIn St. Augustine, blacks and whites confront each other on the beach, 1964
St. Augustine is finally coming to grips with the civil rights struggle that took place there in 1964, which likely prompted the Senate to end the longest filibuster in its history and pass the landmark Civil Rights Act.

Craig Pittman, a staff writer for the Tampa Bay Times, profiles Dr. Robert Hayling, a black densist who moved to the city in his 30s and launched a year-long series of protests against the segregation laws that prevented blacks from eating in the same restaurants, using the same restrooms, swimmng in the same pools and lying on the same beaches as whites.

Hayling's campaign brought the struggle to a boiling point in the city, and served as a beacon that drew in members of the racist Ku Klux Klan and civil rights agitators from across the nation.

They clashed and there was blood.  Klansmen firebombed homes in black neighborhoods and brutally beat Hayling and other protestors. Martin Luther King was arrested on the steps of a motel as he tried to enter its restaurant. Whites chased blacks into the ocean as blacks "waded-in" on the sands of a segregated beach. During another wade-in at the swimming pool of the motel where Dr. King was arrested, a manager threw muratic acid into the pool to force the protestors to leave.

St. Augustine has spent decades trying to forget the civil rights clashes. But a new museum and talk of marking locations of the most significant events suggest some of its residents might be ready to remember. Click here to read the story by Craig Pittman, staff writer of the Tampa Bay Times. Click here to see a video about the civil rights clashes in St. Augustine



Tarpon Springs' historic Greektown district added to 
National Register as Traditional Cultural Property

Tarpon Springs' historic Greektown district has been added to the National Register of Historic Places as a Traditional Cultural Property, according to a story posted on the website Greek USA Reporter.

The Traditional Cultural Property distinction is the first for a Florida community, the story said, and stems from the National Register's search for places to serve as models for ethnic communities.

Securing the distinction was a priority of Tina Bucuvalas, a folklorist and the city's curator of arts and historical resources. Bucuvalas conducted the research and wrote the proposal.
Picture
A sponge diver poses onboard one of the Tarpon Springs sponge diving boats in this undated photo from the State Archives of Florida.
Read the story in Greek USA Reporter: Tarpon Springs Becomes Florida's First Official Cultural Property • National Register's criteria for evaluating and documenting Traditional Cultural Properties

Volunteers come from all over the state to help
clean up Ocala's original cemetery

Responding to an Ocala Post story about neglect of Ocala's original cemetery, a group of volunteers from across the state have been gathering to help restore the site to a respectable condition. 
 
The May 14 story on the website OcalaPost.com described widespread damage resulting from long-term neglect of the city-owned cemetery.

Attention about the neglect of Evergreen Cemetery was raised by a story on the OcalaPost website, then shared to Facebook with more than 1,000 page likes.

The story was shared by Facebook users across the state. One source told the website that only three volunteers are from Ocala. Organizers say much remains to be done, and they are looking for help from owners of landscaping, lawn service or grave marker businesses.

The next cleanup event is Sunday, June 8 at 8 a.m. Volunteers are asked to bring trash bags, rakes, weed eaters, trimmers, yard gloves and able bodies. To sign up, call Catherine Wendell at 352-690-7933 or email her at ocalaghostwalks@gmail.com. Another organizer, John Linnell, can be contacted by email at linnell35@gmail.com.

Read the story in the Ocala Post: Volunteers Begin Clean-up of Historical Cemetery
Read the original story:  City of Ocala Allowing Historical Cemetery To Be Destroyed

Jax Museum of Science & History presents
Megalodon, the largest shark that ever lived

PicturePhoto: Museum of Science & History
A 60-foot, 75-ton prehistoric shark donimates a new exhibit at the Museum of Science & History in Jacksonvlle, running through Sept. 14.  The exhibit, "Megalodon: The Largest Shark That Ever Lived," was developed by the Florida Museum of Natural History with support from the National Science Foundation.  Sections of the exhibit focus on the shark's prehistoric habitat, modern threats to today's sharks, and how Megalodon has achieved cult-like status in modern culture. The museum is located at 1025 Museum Circle, Jacksonville. For more information, click here or call 904-396-MOSH. Read the story in the Florida Times-Union: Megalodon, an exhibit about the largest shark that ever lived, coming to the Museum of Science & History


Museum switch proposal generates anger in St. Pete

A proposal by the St. Petersburg Housing Authority to end its relationship with the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum and replace it with another African American museum run by a separate group generated protests at a recent meeting. The authority may postpone its vote on the matter, The Tampa Bay Times reported.  Read the story in the Tampa Bay Times: Some upset by proposed change at St. Pete African-American history museum

Report: Ocala allowed city's first cemetery to fall into ruin

A report by the Ocala Post website charges that the city has allowed the community's first cemetery to fall into ruin, with vandalized, decaying gravesites, overgrown shrubbery, broken and missing headstones and purposely destroyed fencing. 

"Veterans, civilian citizens, babies and young children now rest in graves that have become nothing more than a pile of rubble," the story said. 

The Historic Ocala Preservation organized volunteers to clean up and restore the cemetery a decade ago even though it was under city ownership, the website reported.
Picture
Screenshot from May 14, 2014 edition of Ocala Post with report that city of Ocala "allowed historical cemetery to be destroyed"
No upkeep has taken place since then, the report said, adding that questions to the city and its mayor  about the cemetery's condition "have gone unanswered."
Read the story in the Ocala Post: City of Ocala Allowed Historical Cemetery To Be Destroyed

New documentary focuses on Florida Jews' military service

Not all Americans recognize that Jewish people have served with honor in all of the nation's military conflicts. Filmmaker Steve Waxman addresses this in a new documentary debuting this month on WLRN-TV, Miami's public television station.  "A Call to Serve: Florida Jews and the U.S. Military" is airing on May 13, 18 and 29 on the channel.  Among other heroes, the program features retired Army Air Corps Lt. Irwin Stovroff, 91, of Boca Raton, founder of the Vets Helping Heroes, which provides service dogs to disabled veterans.  Read the story in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Film highlights Florida Jews' military service • Read more at WLRN's web site
Picture
Irwin Stovroff, founder of Boca Raton-based Vets Helping Heroes, provides service dogs for disabled veterans. He is featured in a new WLRN documentary about military service by Florida Jews.

Seventeen Big Bend preservation projects recognized with awards

Preservation projects in the three-county Big Bend area were honored at a recent awards ceremony that kicked off national Historic Preservation Month in Florida.  The projects spanned several years and included restoration of the Historic Capitol Dome, construction of Tallahassee's Civil Rights Heritage Walk, and rehabilitation of one of Tallahassee's oldest structures, The Columns, which is now home to the James Madison Institute. Read more in the Tallahassee Democrat:  Event honors those committed to historic preservation 
Picture
Restoration of the historic State Capitol Dome was one of 17 projects honored at a recent awards ceremony co-presented by the Florida Department of State and Tallahassee Trust for Historic Preservation.

Beating the heat was a chore in the days before air conditioning

As South Florida was first becoming populated in the late 19th century, rich seasonal residents escaped the heat by escaping South Florida to homes in the north. The less-than-rich had to stay and endure it, using loose clothing, parasols, open windows and hand-held fans. A new exhibit now open at the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society shows how residents endured the miserable summers. But perhaps they weren't as miserable as you might think because they didn't know what they were missing. 
Picture
In the days before air conditioning in Florida, people had to go to the beach to cool off. Don't these people look cool? When they weren't on the beach, women and men were generally dressed head to toe -- no shorts. Photo: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory
Read the story in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Before A/C: parasols, porches and baggy bloomers needed for sultry SoFla summers

Restoration of Florida's oldest Confederate monument completed

Vandalized several years ago, the first Confederate monument erected in Florida has been restored and unveiled in a ceremony hosted by the Walton County Heritage Association in DeFuniak Springs this week. Read the story at wmbb.com: Florida's Oldest Confederate Monument in DeFuniak Springs Restoration Complete

State turning shipwrecks into parks for education, adventure

Picture
The Navy Battleship U.S.S. Massachusetts before it wrecked near Pensacola. Photo: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory
A recent trend in tourism, shipwreck parks, is meant to encourage education and allow for a bit of adventure, The Bradenton Times is reporting. The program began in 1987 with the designation of the Spanish merchant ship Urca de Mima, which sank off the coast of Ft. Pierce in 1715. The newest shipwreck nominated to become a park is the U.S.S. Narcissus, sunk off the coast of Egmont Key in 1866. If approved, it would become the 12th shipwreck park.
Read the story in The Bradenton Times:  Shipwreck Preserves, a New Trend in Conservation

Run-down Dunedin hotel to be rebuilt in same architectural style

A new hotel will be rebuilt in Dunedin with a look virtually identical to the 1920s hotel it will be replacing.  The historic Fenway Hotel, on St. Joseph Sound, is too rundown for renovation. Dunedin's city commission voted to allow its demolition, but only if it would be replaced with a new building that preserves the old hotel's architectural look. And that's what the property's new owner intends to do. 
Picture
The Fenway Hotel as it looked in the 1920s. Photo: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory
Read the story in The Tampa Bay Tribune: Plan to raze Fenway Hotel, build modern version is back

Picture
Juan de Pareja painted by his master, Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez. Photo: Wikipedia Commons

Painting at Ringling Museum leads scholar to discover slavery roots of Spanish painter Juan de Pareja

A retired Boston University professor's questions about the history of a 17th century artist led her to uncover the story of a Spanish slave who taught himself how to paint by secret by candlelight. Spanish law prohibited slaves from joining the artists guild and practicing the craft.  The only signed and dated painting by Juan de Pareja is called The Flight Into Egypt and is displayed at the Ringling Museum in Sarasota. Read the story by Vivian R. Johnson, Ed.D. in The Root: Discovering a Slave Artist and His Masterpiece

Hampton Inn in downtown Bradenton earns preservation award

The 10-month-long renovation of an 88-year-old hotel on the verge of being demolished is begin recognized by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, the Bradenton Herald reported. Widewaters Hotels of Syracuse, N.Y. spent $21 million on the project, which included careful logging of historic elements so federal tax credits could be claimed, the story said. The renovated hotel opened in November. Read the story in Bradenton.com:Downtown Bradenton Hamption Inn receives Florida Preservation award
Picture
Hampton Inn, downtown Bradenton, is 88 years old. Photo: Hampton Inns

Civil War re-enactment in Holly Hill neighborhood draws criticism

Not all residents of Holly Hill appreciated a Civil War re-enactment in a residential neighborhood over the weekend.  About 9 percent of the 12,000 residents of the East Volusia city are African-American and some weren't thrilled to see a Confederate battle flag at the entrance of the re-enactors' camp.  An organizer of the re-enactment reassured the neighbors, however, that the Civil War "had nothing to do with slavery." Read the story from News13: Civil War re-enactment raises eyebrows in Holly Hill

New documentary spotlights Anna Maria Historic Green Village

Anchored by four 100-year-old homes, the Anna Maria Historic Green Village nonetheless is a model for combining historic preservation with cutting-edge sustainable green technology. The village boasts that it's one of only 100 places worldwide to achieve the highest possible green building standard, known as Platinum LEED - PLUS. The village is the subject of a new PBS documentary that will air nationwide on Earth Day, April 22. 
Picture
Anna Maria Historic Green Village. Photo: historicgreenvillage.com
Read more at bradenton.com: Anna Maria Historic Green Village to show what it's made of in new documentary

Tampa-area NAACP launching effort to save Jackson House

Picture
The Hillsborough County branch of the NAACP is launching a campaign to save a 113-year-old rooming house where African Americans visiting Tampa stayed during the segregation era.  The group's president told the Tampa City Council that the NAACP would try to raise the $2 million to $3 million necessary to secure and restore the structure, which is in danger of collapsing. Read the story in the Tampa Tribune:  NAACP wants stab at saving Jackson House

Historic train running Sat., Sun., between Ocoee and Winter Garden

Eight-mile train rides are being offered between Winter Garden and Ocoee aboard a famous 1907 steam-powered locomotive called the Orange Blossom Cannonball. The train, nicknamed "America's Movie Train," has been featured in 32 films, including the 2010 remake of "True Grit" and "O Brother Where Art Thou."  Tickets are available online at orangeblossomcannonball.com, by phone 352-742-7200 or at the Ocoee or Winter Garden train depots.  
Picture
Photo: orangeblossomcannonball.com
Read the story in the Orlando Sentinel: All aboard! Cannonball express is ready to roll this weekend

Tampa's historic Kress building set for reimagination

Picture
Tampa's old S.H. Kress building, once home to the popular department store chain, attracts almost daily calls from developers looking to redevelop the Renaissance Revival-style structure for today's urban lifestyle.  Tampa's mayor says the building should "stir the imagination."  

Read the story in 83degreesmedia.com: What's next for downtown Tampa? Keep Your Eye on Historic Kress Building

Archaeologists identify 67-year-old shipwreck found near Florida

A ship that wrecked off Ponte Vedra Beach 67 years ago has been identified as the Bermuda-based Deliverance, according to a Florida Times-Union story.  The ship's 80-foot long hull was revealed during low tide on New Years Day after sitting immersed for decades. Officials of the St. Augustine-based Lighthouse Archaeological Marine Program identified the wreck after combing local history books and Internet archives. Read the story in the Florida Times-Union:  Ponte Vedra shipwreck identified

Wanted:  Modern images of historic Polk County

Polk County's historic preservation manager is asking photography buffs to send modern photos of historical buildings, cemeteries, monuments and other points of interest for a contest called "Picture Polk History."  Read the story in the Lakeland Ledger: Photographs of historic Polk needed

Retired astronaut Bob Crippen
addresses fans in Daytona Beach

Crippen was a pilot on the first Space Shuttle flight in 1981 and logged more than 565 hours in space.  Read the story in the Daytona Beach News-Journal: Retired astronaut orbits into Daytona Beach

Historic designation can't save
Thonotosassa home 

Designated as a historic landmark by Hillsborough County in 1994, the O'Brien House is to decayed to be saved. Read the story in the Tampa Bay Times: Historic designation can't save O'Brien House

Preservationists, developers reach compromise on Tequesta circles

Historical preservationists and the developers of a downtown Miami commercial center have apparently reached a compromise that will preserve ancient architectural finds at the site while allowing construction of the planned hotel and entertainment complex. Two glass enclosures will be erected over two circular areas of carved bedrock believed by archaeologists to be foundations of structures built by native Tequesta Indians 2,000 years ago. Read the editorial in the Miami Herald:  Compromise lets developers build while preserving Tequesta history

Tarpon Springs halts Sponge Docks upgrade plans

Read the story in the Tampa Bay Times:  Tarpon Springs hits brakes on Sponge Docks improvements
Picture
Years of work planning upgrades to Tarpon Springs' Sponge Docks tourist district were shelved this week following a public outcry and lingering questions about whether some of the planned improvements would be allowed under state and federal regulations. Residents swamped a recent city commission meeting to complain that the planned improvements weren't needed and would make the historic docks look too modern.  

Sanibel Island resident recalls building Sears home

From 1908 to 1937, Sears Roebuck and Co. had houses in its catalogue. That's right, the same catalogue that sold kitchen appliances, furniture, record players and power tools also listed the structures to store the items. The company shipped the building materials as numbered parts along with a leather-bound construction manual. Two such homes remain in the Sanibel Historical Village. Elinore Mayer Dormer recalled how her home arrived and was built in 1924. 
Picture
The Verona as it appeared in the 1923 Sears catalogue, is one of two Sears homes in the Sanibel Historical Village.
Read the story in the Captiva Current: The interesting history of Sanibel's Shore Haven

UWF helping promote heritage tourism venues in Pensacola

West Florida Historic Preservation Inc. has been rebranded as UWF's Historic Trust as the University of West Florida becomes more involved in promoting cultural and heritage tourism in Pensacola. Read more at the Pensacola News Journal: UWF making history part of Pensacola's tourism charm

Summer home of Ais Indians
gets state historical marker

A stretch of Indian River Lagoon that was once the summer home to the Ais Indian town of Pentoaya was recognized with a historical marker unveiled at a ceremony on Saturday. 
Read the story in Florida Today: Ais Indians' summer home gets historic marker

Also see:
87-year-old Auburndale City Hall building place on Historic Register
U.S. Space Walk Hall of Fame Museum moving to larger building in Titusville

Tom Petty named to Florida Artists Hall of Fame for Heritage Month

PicturePetty
Rocker Tom Petty, who was raised in Gainesville and played there with his early bands before finding global success, was named to the Florida Artists Hall of Fame as part of the Florida Heritage Month Awards program this week.  The program is run by the Florida Department of State. With more than 60 million records sold, Petty is one of the best selling artists of all time, the program's website states, adding Petty has made significant contributions to the musical arts in Florida and worldwide. Click here to see a complete list of Florida Heritage Month awards recipients.

Tarpon Springs residents condemn Sponge Docks enhancement plan

Picture
Sponge Fleet in harbor at Tarpon Springs. Date unknown. Photo: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory
Angry critics swamped the Tarpon Springs City Commission meeting on Tuesday night to condemn the city's $1.3 million plan to install amenities at the city's historic Sponge Docks tourist district. Commissioners were taken by surprise by the anger, saying the plans had been worked out in several previous public meetings. Read the story in the Tampa Bay Times:  Tarpon Springs crowd blasts Sponge Docks plan

Miami Beach couple flaunts demolition of 1920s mansion

"Real Housewives of Miami" star Lisa Hochstein and her husband Leonard, a plastic surgeon who calls himself the "Boob God" flaunted the demolition of their 1925 Star Island mansion this week.  The couple won the right to tear down the house after a long fight with historical preservationists in the city.  In its place, the couple plans to build a mansion more than three times the size of the one they are tearing down. Click here to read the story in the Daily Mail.

St. Petersburg seeks historical designation for 
late mayor's unique bungalow community

The recent purchase of two vacant homes by the St. Petersburg Free Clinic is worrying residents of a unique community of bungalow homes developed by one of the city's former mayors. They want the city to designate the area as a historic district to thwart plans to demolish the vacant houses. Read more on WFLA's website: St. Pete community seeks historic designation

Snyder Memorial, former Jax
church, getting $319k in repairs

A former church with a history predating the Great Fire of 1901 by three decades, will be getting $319,000 in repairs to shore up its deteriorating foundation. Read the story in the Jacksonville Daily Record: City to Repair historic Snyder Memorial

Home where Barkers fought FBI
could become museum

Local officials are looking for ways to preserve an Ocklawaha house where Ma Barker and her son waged an hours-long gun battle with FBI agents in 1935. Read the story in the Ocala Star Banner: Officials outline route to make Ma Barker home a museum

Visiting descendant of slain Clay sheriff repairing broken headstone

Visiting from Oklahoma, the great grandaughter of a Clay County sheriff killed in the line of duty in 1894 found that his headstone at the Hickory Grove Cemetary was broken. She is working with a monument restoration company to repair it, but hopes that local residents will help protect it for the future. Read the story in Clay Today Online: Family of slain sheriff work to preserve his legacy

Much of what you know about St. Augustine is fake

So says Folio Weekly writer Ron Word in his new story that scrapes the copper-colored coating off of the "Nation's Oldest City."  He argues that to promote tourism, locals haven't come clean about what's actually old and what's been built on old foundations.  And don't get him started on the bottled water from the Fountain of Youth. Read the Folio Weekly story:  The Fake History of St. Augustine
Picture
Tourists get water from Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine in 1949. Photo: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

The Bentley Heiress and her Rovers

 An unlikely team of a Bentley auto heiress from Gulf Stream, an underwater photographer and a Boynton Beach historian and archaeology enthusiast formed a company called Roving Photographers and teamed up in 1976 to create a 30-minute documentary on the history of Boynton Beach. Their film comes back to life with a newly digitized DVD release produced by Florida History Network's video production division, Florida Legacy Productions. 
Picture
DVD version of Roving Photographers' 1976 film, The History of Boynton Beach Florida, left. At right, Roving Photographers founders James Warnke, Marion Bentley Wall and Roland James Dack
Click here to read the story in the Coastal Star: New release of Rovers film puts focus on Boynton

Winter Park questions modern improvements to historic structures

Commissioner: Do upgrades diminish historic quality? Should city oversee renovations?
Picture
As the city contributes public funds to the recently relocated Capen House and Grant Chapel,  a Winter Park commissioner wondered whether the city's Historical Preservation Board should have some oversight into how the properties are being renovated, and whether historic structures need so many modern improvements. Read the story in the Orlando Sentinel: Historic preservation comes under the spotlight for some scrutiny

New Naples Canal historical marker is first to include a map

A map denotes the location of the prehistoric Native American-built Naples Canal on a new state historical marker unveiled last month. It's the first historical marker to include a map, and the state's historical marker coordinator hopes to include maps on markers to come. Read the story in the Naples News:  New Florida Heritage Landmark Marker 1st of Its Kind In the State

Tequesta circles decisions now
in city commission's hands

A developer's appeal of votes by Miami's historic preservation board to protect a vast archaeological site downtown likely makes the city commission the arbiter of how the site will or won't be preserved.
Read the story in the Miami Herald: Appeal brings politics into preservation

Sulfur Springs historic buildings
given a four-month reprieve

Three arts and historical education groups have four months to come up with a plan to restore three historic but decrepit buildings that Hillsborough County have slated for demolition. Read the story in the Tampa Bay Times: Supporters given four months to devise plan

Orlando Historic Preservation Board votes to protect Tinker Field

Orlando's Tinker Field could be protected with historic landmark status, following a vote this week by the city's historic preservation board. But the city commission has the final say, and Mayor Buddy Dyer has already said keeping the field is not compatible with the expansion of the adjacent Citrus Bowl stadium. Read the story in the Orlando Sentinel: Tinker Field should be protected as landmark, board says