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Cocoa Beach welcomes millions of visitors every year, but the city has always managed to keep a small town atmosphere.

In 1940, it was a cozy little waterfront town with less than 50 people. A few years after World War II, America's space race began, and the city was never the same.

Indian Rocks Beach, Florida has a grand history. Join authors Authors Wayne and Nancy Ayers and Jan Ockunzzi as they uncover its legendary past.

According to legend, Indian Rocks got its name when Tocobaga Indians brought their ailing chief from inland Florida to drink from the area's sulfur springs, prized for their medicinal qualities. Their leader miraculously recovered, as the story goes, and the tribe returned each year to the place where large rocks surrounded the healing spring. The natural beauty of the barrier island that became Indian Rocks Beach was what attracted Harvey Hendrick to establish his homestead here in the mid-1890s. Years later, he recalled, ""I liked the place, I thought it was the most beautiful place on God's green footstool, and I think so yet."" The charm and character of this little seaside community is evident in these historic photographs, from the days when the old swing bridge was the center of activity, to the booming post-World War II era when tourists and residents proclaimed Indian Rocks Beach as their special place.

History comes to life, as you re-discover familiar faces, names, places and events that are distinct to the trailblazing towns of Melbourne and Eau Gallie.

Melbourne and Eau Gallie tells the story of two pioneer towns and their coming of age during the last century. From tiny villages, whose early settlers depended on the Indian River for sustenance and travel, Melbourne and Eau Gallie has grown into a unified Space Coast city with more than 71,000 residents. With the railroad in the 1890s and US Highway 1 in the 1920s, tourism, agriculture, and industry blossomed in these midway towns along the Florida East Coast. World War II brought a military, aviation, and technological presence to Melbourne and Eau Gallie that was followed by a flood of new residents tied to America's Space Program.

Through it all the Indian River Lagoon has maintained its importance in the lives of the area's people. Among the items included are vintage photographs of the historic downtowns, riverfronts, and landmarks like the "Trysting Steps," Sunny Point, and the old bridges.

An engaging history of Florida's Citrus County.

Located on Florida's Gulf Coast, Citrus County boasts a rich and diverse landscape, where modern amenities are found side by side the traces of ""old Florida"" that remain. Opportunities to experience the natural beauty of ""the real Florida"" are plentiful, and the singular history of the region, including the prehistoric creatures, native cultures, and early settlers who called the region home, is accessible in the county's wide variety of historic sites and public resources. From the countless disappointments of Spanish conquistadors searching for riches in the region to the establishment of Fort Cooper during the Second Seminole War, from the hardy pioneers who carved an existence from the Florida wilderness to the thousands of others who took part in the boom-and-bust of industry, the unique story of Citrus County continues to unfold. Today, newcomers to the area find homes in the county's planned communities, while vacationers are drawn to ""Mother Nature's Theme Park."" Restored and preserved for future generations, significant historic structures such as the Old Courthouse Heritage Museum are receiving new life and the county's past is becoming recognized as a vital treasure.

Join author James Anthony Schnur as he recounts the history of Medeira beach from its beginnings as a fishing haven to quiet residential city.

Long before condominiums appeared on the Florida coastline, itinerant fishing parties visited the barrier islands along the Pinellas peninsula. Fewer than 200 people lived in present-day Pinellas County in September 1848, when a destructive hurricane carved Johns Pass. Developers first focused their efforts along the inlet with a settlement known as Mitchell Beach in the early 1910s, but it had only limited success since no bridges connected the island to the mainland. The first bridge opened along Welch Causeway in 1926, and electricity came to the island a few years later. Small, scattered settlements took shape along Johns Pass and near 150th Avenue before World War II, but widespread development did not begin until the incorporation of Madeira Beach in 1947. By the 1950s, subdivisions sprouted up along islands dredged from Boca Ciega Bay. Today, condominiums have replaced most beach cottages.

Discover the growth and transformation of Sarasota, Florida from deserted land of milk and honey to the thriving, charming community it is today.

Sarasota, Florida was not always the thriving urban community that residents know today. This popular tourist destination on the Gulf Coast began its course of modern development with the Homestead Act of 1862 and a promise to the inhabitants of Scotland that the land awaiting them in Florida was one of milk and honey where gold grew on trees. Little did the first settlers know that within a hundred years the deserted land they then called home would transform itself not only into a bustling real estate and tourism hub, but also into a charming community with a personality all its own. From the 1920s to the 1960s, the Gulf Coast town was described as a community where no one was a stranger. In the 1920s, however, a clairvoyant full-page ad in the Sarasota Herald predicted, Sarasota's Growth Cannot Be Stopped. Indeed it couldn't. Sarasota soon became nationally known for its connection to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, its famous art museum, and its celebration of modern architecture. A long time resident of Sarasota, Florida, Jeff LaHurd's ninth published work is his most comprehensive account of Sarasota's history to date. In this precise exploration of the city's history, LaHurd masterfully chronicles the lives lived and the fluctuating growth of Sarasota.

New Smyrna Beach is beloved by residents and visitors alike for its small-town charm and fascinating 250-year history.

In the last century, the city has evolved from a sleepy Southern beach town to a vibrant seaside destination.

Bite in to this refreshing history of sweet foods in the Sunshine State!

Sweets and the Sunshine State are a match made in heaven. Centuries ago, native Floridians used honey to sweeten dishes, as well as prickly pears and other wild fruits and berries. Spanish explorers introduced citrus to the area, leading to a major industry. Florida pioneers planted sugar cane and sweet potatoes as basic crops. Cane grinding, taffy pulls and homemade ice cream socials were once beloved community events across the state. The state pie of Florida, the Key lime pie, has been an addition to family affairs and restaurant menus since its inception in the late 1800s. From strawberry festivals to Florida flan, author Joy Sheffield Harris uncovers the state's unique sweets with a taste of sunshine.

Millions of people flock to Florida for its beaches and tourist attractions. Most never learn about the strange locations just off the beaten path.

In the beautiful Florida Caverns, a second Rip Van Winkle was woken from one hundred years of sleep. The Green Swamp is home to murders, monsters and mysteries galore. A shining castle made of recycled material, built by an artist like no other, gleams within a Florida swamp. A spectral horse heralds tragedy and caused a notorious scandal in a central Florida city. Join Mark Muncy and Kari Schultz as they share tales of Florida's myths, monsters, massacres and legends and the hidden history behind them.

Sarasota, Florida, is one city that has always possessed all of the elements--beaches, sport, sun and fun--that draw so many to the Sunshine State every year. As with other popular tourist destinations, there are the year-round inhabitants who, while always ready to share the beauty of their surroundings with visitors, remember their hometown with a much simpler and relaxed fondness.

Sarasota in Vintage Images by longtime resident, historian and columnist Jeff LaHurd is a visual stroll through the Sarasota of yesteryear. With a feel for the nostalgic, Jeff offers readers a pictorial glimpse of Sarasota from the roaring 1920s through the transforming 1960s.

Flowing 75 miles from Florida's Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico, historic Caloosahatchee River has always been critically important to the region it traverses.

As it makes its way past farm fields, quiet hamlets, and urban downtowns, manatees graze in its warm shallows, bass lurk in its shaded oxbows, and alligators sun on its banks. Over the years, the river has attracted luminaries as well as colorful characters. Thomas Edison had a Caloosahatchee riverfront home, as did Henry Ford and telegrapher George Shulz, who created Florida's tarpon-fishing industry. Without the Caloosahatchee, the Southwest Florida that people know today would not exist. Without people, however, the river known as the Caloosahatchee would not exist either, since it was human effort and engineering that connected the river to the lake and made it navigable--changes that sometimes spelled disaster.

From local writer and historian Jeff LaHurd comes Quintessential Sarasota: Stories and Pictures from the 1920s and the 1950s celebrating the history, people and places of Sarasota, Florida. Written in a light and entertaining style and using extraordinary historical images, LaHurd conveys a nostalgia for Sarasota's heyday in the early 20th century.

This collection of columns takes a light and entertaining look back at colorful past. Using many unique and archival images, LaHurd reminisces on the events and attractions of Sarasota's past, including the Ringling Brothers' Circus Winter Quarters, the Prohibition Era, the local radio shows and the favorite restaurant hangout, the Smack.

Travel through these easy-to-follow tours of St. Augustine, North America's oldest continuously inhabited European settlement.

Explore famed St. Augustine locales, including the Castillo de San Marcos, the Cathedral of St. Augustine, the Huguenot Cemetery and the Plaza. Discover the wonderful historic architecture, attractions and international flavor that make St. Augustine a flourishing winter playground. Let Steve Rajtar and Kelly Goodman guide you through the history-rich streets of this delightful north Florida community in their comprehensive Guide to Historic St. Augustine, Florida.

Arcadia's University of Central Florida illuminates the history of a major institution of research, culture, education, and professional development that is stitched into the fabric of one of the nation's most dynamic and influential metropolitan areas.

Conceived in 1963, at the height of America's fascination with the space program and less than an hour from Florida's Space Coast, the school began as Florida Technological University, a vast and remote tract of wild palmettos and swampland that held the promise of a cutting-edge "Space University." But 1963 was the same year that Walt Disney made his fateful fly over Central Florida and chose the location for Walt Disney World, a decision that would ultimately transform the entire region. Florida Tech found itself growing along with the surrounding community in size, prominence, and power into a diverse institution that no one in those early years could have envisioned. Renamed the University of Central Florida in 1979 to better reflect its broad curriculum and its strong marriage with the region, the school has blossomed into the prototype for the modern metropolitan university.

With this powerful, evocative new book, St. Petersburg residents Jon Wilson and Rosalie Peck present an informative narrative that explores the history of St. Petersburg, Florida's most vibrant African American neighborhood: 22nd Street South or the deuces.

Throughout the city's history, no other area has personified strength for the African American community like this segregation-era thoroughfare. A haven during the brutal Jim Crow years, 22nd Street South was a place where prominent businessmen and community leaders were the role models and residents and neighbors looked out for one another. The close-knit community encouraged strong, positive values even as its members were treated as second-class citizens in the wider world. Authors Wilson and Peck tell the story of this unique district and how its people and events contributed to and helped to shape the history of St. Petersburg in the context of the greater South and the Civil Rights Movement.

Rollins College was founded by New England Congregationalists in 1885 and is recognized as the first coeducational institution of higher learning in Florida. Built upon classical values, the Rollins College founders sought to introduce a liberal arts education to the Florida frontier.

Throughout the college’s history, Rollins has become synonymous with intimate classroom settings and collaboration, in turn cultivating strong relationships between its faculty and students. Known for its rigorous academics and athletics, renowned artistic programs, and mission for diversity and inclusion, Rollins College boasts the vast benefits of a small, private collegiate institution. 

Claire Strom has served as the Rapetti-Trunzo Chair of History at Rollins College since 2008. Her focus on the history of public health and local history is coupled with extensive field research and scholarship in the subject. Rachel Walton is a librarian and archivist by profession and a primary source researcher by training. Under their leadership, student coauthors and history majors Peyton Connor, Reagan Cooney, Helen Hutchinson, and Liam T. King contribute to the student-centered perspective illuminated within the text. All images and sources of this book are credited to the Rollins College Archives. 

Founder Henry S. Sanford envisioned a place that would become the transportation hub for all of southern Florida and dubbed it ""The Gate City of South Florida.""

The city that became Sanford, named for its founder, is located in central Florida on the shores of Lake Monroe and the St. Johns River, a short distance from old Fort Mellon; with its railroad and riverboat connections, as well as well-planned businesses and residential areas, Sanford became a great center for trade. The citrus industry thrived in Sanford, as well as the harvesting of celery, and by the early 1900s, Sanford was one of the largest vegetable shipping centers in the United States and was nicknamed "Celery City'?. A disastrous fire, disease, and a deep winter freeze were just some of the early setbacks the city overcame, and today, Sanford is a progressive city that still retains its quaint charm and is dedicated to remembering its beginnings.

Around Palm Harbor reveals the early history of the unincorporated area of North Pinellas County, including the communities of Curlew, Ozona, Crystal Beach, Wall Springs, and the large eastern side of Lake Tarpon.

Families began arriving in the 1850s, and one of the early settlers was J.C. Craver, dubbed the ""father"" of both Ozona and Palm Harbor. Craver built the original Ozona school and received the first post office commission in the name of Bay St. Joseph, which included the area west of the lake and between the later towns of Dunedin and Tarpon Springs. Wildlife was abundant, and saltwater bays and freshwater lakes supplied plentiful seafood. Each community still has its own unique characteristics; however, they also remain bound together through family ties as well as the triumphs and disasters that have befallen each.

In the 1950s, East Central Florida underwent a vast transformation with the creation of the American space program.

he sleepy fishing communities stretching from Titusville to Melbourne became home to an army of engineers, rocket scientists and technicians who would soon take Florida and the nation into the missile age. With no opportunities for advanced study nearby, a handful of determined men and women launched Brevard Engineering College in 1958. In 1966, Florida's secretary of state approved the college's petition to change its name to Florida Institute of Technology. In its short history, Florida Tech has overcome formidable hurdles and succeeded in winning a place in the top ranks of scientific and technological universities. A college on the rise, Florida Tech has not only a bright future, but a rich and colorful history that has been captured in striking photographs. The exciting story of ""Countdown College""-from the lift-off of Bumper 8 in 1950, which launched the space program in Florida, to the most recent high-tech additions to campus facilities-is the subject of this captivating new pictorial history.

Nestled between the St. Johns Riverand the Atlantic Ocean, Deland, Florida has a history all its own. Perfect for fans of Florida history.

When Henry A. DeLand sat down to plan a town in the summer of 1876, he envisioned a place that would become a religious, educational, business, and social center--the Athens of Florida.

Deland made his dream a reality by investing his livelihood in the town that would be named for him. He donated the land for the first municipal building that doubled as a church and school and funded the school that would become Stetson University. Ever since, the city of DeLand has had an interesting and rich history. Much of this unique history has been captured and preserved in postcards published throughout the past hundred-plus years.

Author L. Thomas "Tom'? Roberts is a past president and historian of the year of the West Volusia Historical Society. The majority of the imagery used for this book comes courtesy of Jim Cara, owner of the most complete collection of DeLand postcards in existence.

Whether a lifelong resident of the area or a newcomer to Pinellas County's charms, Pinellas County has something for everyone.

Pinellas County, Florida, has a rich and varied history. From the beautiful waters of the Gulf of Mexico, with the sponge and seafood industry it supported, to wartime training and recruiting, to the world's first commercial airplane flight, Pinellas County has seen many changes through the years.

View images of the early century in Daytona Beach.

From the 1890s through the 1920s, the postcard was an extraordinarily popular means of communication, and many of the postcards produced during this ""golden age"" can today be considered works of art. Postcard photographers traveled the length and breadth of the nation snapping photographs of busy street scenes, documenting local landmarks, and assembling crowds of friends and neighbors only too happy to pose for a picture. These images, printed as postcards and sold in general stores across the country, survive as telling reminders of an important era in America's history.

Not long ago, though, St. Petersburg was little more than a quiet, fledgling village—a smaller, quainter Sunshine City with seemingly limitless potential.  Through a fascinating series of events, driven by a cast of colorful and ambitious characters, St. Petersburg grew into a first-rate Florida city, and it continues to flourish today.

Remembering St. Petersburg, Florida: Sunshine City Stories provides an intriguing look at St. Petersburg's past, and highlights the contributions of a bevy of extraordinary individuals whose efforts and exploits shaped the city's history.  Included are the stories of founder J. C. Williams and developer Hamilton Disston, who overcame their differences and worked with other visionaries like Edwin H. Tomlinson to lay a foundation for the city's success; C. A. Harvey, a man with a fierce determination to make St. Petersburg a true port city; Henry Hibbs, champion of the effort to bring world-class fishing to the area; and many more.  In this unique collection of historical vignettes, local resident and historian Scott Taylor Hartzell provides a captivating account of St. Petersburg's history, sure to interest and entertain residents and visitors alike.

From a one-horse farming town to the thriving winter residence of the Ringling Brothers Circus and flocks of snowbirds.

Sarasota has more than its fair share of unusual stories and intriguing individuals. Learn about the illustrious John Ringling, from the details of his daily breakfast to the fifty-five year saga that determined his final resting place. Find out the real identity of A NO. 1, the King of Hobos, who spent a night in Sarasota's finest hotel. Witness the most memorable wedding in Sarasota- between two gorillas. Join longtime resident and historian Jeff LaHurd as he chronicles the fascinating, forgotten stories that made Sarasota the exceptional city it is today.

America's Playground has seen many changes over the years. From architectural to botanical, Lost Miami Beach covers these changes and the development of the current preservation strategy.

Miami Beach has been America's Playground for a century. Still one of the world's most popular resorts, its 1930s Art Deco architecture placed this picturesque city on the National Register of Historic Places. Yet a whole generation of earlier buildings was erased from the landscape and mostly forgotten: the house of refuge for shipwrecked sailors, the oceanfront mansions of Millionaires' Row, entrepreneur Carl Fisher's five grand hotels, the Community Theatre, the Miami Beach Garden and more. Join historian Carolyn Klepser as she rediscovers through words and pictures the lost treasures of Miami Beach and recounts the changes that sparked a renowned preservation movement.

Jacksonville during the '50s and '60s was a wonderful and energetic place for the children who called it home

The northeast corner of the Sunshine State was the perfect and picturesque backdrop for some of America's timeless traditions. Mothers belonged to garden clubs and fathers played the golf links, while the children who grew up in Jacksonville frolicked on the warm beaches and fed peanuts to Miss Chic, the first elephant at the Jacksonville Zoo. They strapped on skates and held hands as they circled the rink of the famous Skateland, wandered down the stacks at Haydon Burns Library and crossed the many bridges that traversed Jacksonville's waterways. Join Dorothy Fletcher, former columnist for the Florida Times-Union, as she recounts the memories and adventures of the people who grew up Jacksonville.

Lying deep within southwest Florida, the Big Cypress National Preserve protects over 1,000 square miles of the Big Cypress Swamp. Home to namesake cypress tree swamps as well as prairies, forested islands, ghost orchids, alligators, Florida panthers, and waterbirds, its human history spans thousands of years, becoming a refuge for the unconquered Seminole and Miccosukee people. Nearly inaccessible until the 1920s, when opened by roads and the railroad, it was America’s last frontier, settled by hardy pioneers, plume and alligator hunters, farmers, smugglers, and moonshiners. Avoiding large-scale development, the preserve was established over 50 years ago to protect the swamp and Everglades water resources while facilitating compatible traditional uses. Today, the preserve continues to support its swamp heritage, both natural and cultural, enabling Seminoles, Miccosukees, backwoodsmen, recreationists, and passing motorists to appreciate its unique environment.

James A. Kushlan is an author, conservationist, and South Florida historian with a University of Miami doctorate focused on the Big Cypress Swamp. He has authored 12 books. Kirsten Hines is an author, photographer, and conservationist. Her writing and photography highlight wildlife, including in her recent books Wild Florida: An Animal Odyssey and Birds of Florida. This is the fifth book they have coauthored for Arcadia Publishing on South Florida. 

Pirate history, costumes, and decorated boats and ships have been the center of the famed Gasparilla Pirate Festival for over a century.

Since 1904, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla has staged an annual mock pirate invasion of Tampa, Florida, a tradition that has become known as Gasparilla. The name of the event originated from stories and tales regarding Gasparilla, a legendary pirate who reportedly roamed the Gulf of Mexico on Florida’s west coast in the early 1800s.

The sound of cannon fire heard for miles across the Tampa Bay area signals the arrival of the José Gasparilla ship and the beginning of the piratical invasion of Tampa. Thousands of spectators line the waterways to watch the ship and massive boat flotilla make their way to dock at the Tampa Convention Center.

Following the traditional demand for the keys to the city, a parade is staged, the third-largest one-day parade in the country. Tampa’s iconic Bayshore Boulevard is lined with several hundred thousand spectators, krewes, and other participants who produce a spectacular parade.

The history committee of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla has provided the historical references for the book, and photographic materials have been obtained from leading institutions, including the Tampa–Hillsborough County Public Library System, the State of Florida Archives, and the University of South Florida Library Special Collections.

Jacksonville has always been a beer city, with its numerous saloons, bars, and taverns from the 1800s into the present-day era where breweries have now become the dominant feature of the local brewing industry. The brewing industry in Jacksonville began to take shape in the early 1900s with the Jax Brewing Company, which was founded in 1913 and brewed the Jax Beer brand. The New Orleans–based Jackson Brewing Company, which also had a Jax Beer brand, acquired the full rights to sell Jax Beer in the southeastern United States, leading to the Jax Brewing Company closing by 1960. Then the establishment of an Anheuser-Busch plant in Jacksonville in the 1960s drove the local brewing industry out of business due to the increase of more popular brands like Budweiser. Anheuser-Busch continued to fill the void that local breweries left until the advent of the microbrewery industry, which began to take shape in the 1990s with River City Brewing Company. In the 2010s, the brewing industry grew substantially in Jacksonville. By 2024, there were more than 20 breweries and still growing. Brewing in Jacksonville chronicles the history of the local brewing industry from its early days to how breweries gradually gave the Bold City its reputation as a top beer city.

Andrew R. Nicholas is a historian and native of North Florida. He graduated from University of North Florida, majoring in history, and is a member of the Jacksonville Historical Society. The photographs used for Brewing in Jacksonville come from the State Archives of Florida, Jacksonville Historical Society, Beaches Museum, and local residents of Jacksonville.

The 1920s was a time of unprecedented growth in the nation's oldest city.

Fueled by a land boom that began in South Florida, St. Augustine was inundated with land speculators and new subdivisions, many only supported by a wing and a prayer. The city floated a million-dollar bond issue to construct the Bridge of Lions, and D.P. Davis filled in an entire marshland to build his magnificent subdivision of Davis Shores. When a new coastal highway linked the town with beached to the north and south and opened up St. Augustine's beautiful shoreline for development, tourists began flocking to the city in droves. All of this activity halted, however, when the land boom collapsed in the late 1920s, along with rest of the U.S. economy at that time.St. Augustine in the Roaring Twentiesdetails the roller-coaster events of the city in this exciting decade.

Beautiful Delray Beach lies on Florida's Atlantic coast, nestled between a sea grape-filled beach to the east and rich farmland to the west.

Throughout its prosperous history, this ""Village by the Sea,"" as it is often called, has maintained its mystical, quaint charm. The numerous stories of Delray Beach, kept alive through many of the town's elders, are rich depictions of the American experience. The importance of the past continues to reveal itself in the stories and images of the courageous pioneers who came from Michigan, the Bahamas, and nearby Southern states in the late 1800s. Early pioneers were attracted to Delray Beach for many of the same reasons that bring people there today. The history of Delray Beach is intrinsically linked to the community support of and appreciation for agriculture, art, and architecture. The area is known for fertile soil, diverse crops, and the large colony of artists that call their bungalows and cottages along the Delray beaches home. Thousands of visitors annually flock to attend the numerous festivals held in the city's historic downtown streets. In both 1993 and 2001, Delray Beach received the prestigious ""All America City"" award from the National Civic League.

From farming community to prominent neighborhood, this book gives a unique look at the past of Boca Raton, Florida using vintage images.

Boca Raton, Florida, was a tiny farming community on the southeastern coast of Florida when the state's 1920s real estate boom grew into a national phenomenon. Investors and new residents were drawn to the state from all over the country, a time Floridians referred to as ""the Boom."" In April 1925, well-known Palm Beach society architect Addison Mizner revealed his plans for an ambitious new development in Boca Raton. The plans included a gigantic oceanfront hotel, elegant mansions, golf and polo grounds, and palm-lined boulevards. The popularity of Mizner's projects stimulated many similar developments within the region, increasing the population of the town from 100 to several hundred residents. By the fall of 1926, however, the Florida land boom came to an end. Boca Raton returned, for the most part, to its small-town agricultural heritage by 1930. By the end of the 20th century, boomtime dreams were fully realized and Boca Raton became one of Florida's most prestigious addresses.

City historian Will Michaels explores a wide swath of hidden history in one of Florida's largest cities.

Florida is one of the most visited places in the world, and one of its most visited cities is St. Petersburg. But there's a lot more to the Sunshine City than pristine beaches. During his travels to sunny St. Pete, James Brown discovered local jazz artist LeRoy Flemmings Jr. Doc Webb's World's Most Unusual Drug Store attracted customers and spectators from afar. Babe Ruth's longest home run ever was launched from the city. William Straub had a great vision for the area's treasured waterfront park system, and the historic Vinoy Hotel was instrumental in launching the downtown renaissance.