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A fascinating pictorial history of Central Brevard County, Florida, documenting its beginning struggles to its modern day prestige.

While Brevard County is today an affluent tourist destination, its early history was one of hardship and struggle against adversity. Mosquito-ridden salt marshes to the east and the headwaters of the mighty St. John's River to the west made access hard and survival harder. Indeed, as late as 1870, fewer than 250 people lived between Titusville, near the northern end of the Indian River, and present-day Miami. The Industrial Revolution brought change, and with the arrival of the first steamboat on the lagoon came the first boom period for the region. From a subsistence existence, the area's population embraced commercial agriculture and mass tourism. Resort hotels sprang up, citrus farms flourished, and migrants arrived by the thousands to share the newfound wealth. The growth continued and expanded with the arrival of the railroad and, later, the automobile, and was crowned by the advent of the space program in the 1950s. Fueled by NASA and by the rise of the Disney complex in Orlando, the region became a mecca for those seeking the sun or the stars.

Take time for a glorious return to the campfires, the singing, the trails and the trials of Greater Jacksonville's most iconic summer camps.

Revisit Florida at a time when children were much more at home in the wild. The balmy northeast corner of the state, filled with lakes and forests primeval, was a camper's paradise. Iconic summer camps like Blanding, Chowenwaw, Echockotee, Immokalee, Montgomery, Keystone, Seminole and Weed played vital roles in the development of countless children. They swapped adventures beneath the stars, a heartening reminder that even the worst days can make the best stories. Join author Dorothy K. Fletcher and experience the giddy relief of a camper who weathered their first dark night and welcomed a brilliant sunrise, just before all the fun begins!

Retrace the history of Ybor City from its beginnings in the Cigar Industry to the colorful Latin community it is today.

In 1885, Vicente Martínez Ybor purchased 40 acres of land northeast of Tampa, and there he began the cigar industry that would soon draw thousands of immigrants to Ybor City. The diverse population of the area, known as Tampa's ""Latin Quarter,"" came from Cuba, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Eastern Europe. Some residents worked in the various stages of cigar manufacturing, from picking tobacco to constructing cigar boxes, while others operated the local shops and businesses. A unique culture grew from the intermingling of the various traditions and languages found in Ybor City, and residents proudly proclaimed themselves Los Tampaños (or Tampanian). A strong sense of community has been an ever-present part of Ybor City, through the politically charged years of Cuba's fight for independence as well as the comfortable days of social clubs and dinners.

Join historian Seth Bramson as he recounts the rise in popularity and rich history of Miami Beach using vintage images from his personal collection.

Miami Beach began its rise to the top of the world's resort scene when Carl Fisher, builder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, arrived prior to 1920. The lure of ""The World's Playground"" was impossible to ignore for many, as hotels and restaurants flourished, even through the Great Depression. The images in this volume evoke poignant memories of Miami Beach's great past, almost inevitable downturn, and return to life with the discovery of South Beach and a renewed interest in art deco. Among the vintage views, most of which have never before been published, are early Lincoln Road and Washington Avenue; Miami Beach High School; Parham's; Junior's; Wolfies; Pumperniks; the first hotel on Miami Beach, Brown's; the Roney Plaza; the Fontainebleau; and, of course, the people who helped create this modern paradise.

Though little more than an afterthought these days, from the 1890s through the 1920s, postcards were by far the most popular means of communication.

Many of the postcards produced during this "golden age'? can be considered works of art, when postcard photographers traveled the nation coast to coast snapping photographs of busy street scenes, documenting local landmarks, and taking photographic portraits of locals only too happy to pose for the camera. These images, printed as postcards and sold in general stores across the country, helped drive the Florida land boom of the early 20th century, with people all over the country seeing the sandy beaches and palm trees in the sun, and these surviving postcards can teach us important aspects of yesteryear that we may not find in history books.

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.

Although best known as the winter home of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, Fort Myers has one of the most engaging and extraordinary histories of any city in Florida.

The spawn of a hurricane, Fort Myers began as a U.S. Army post during Florida's Seminole Wars. During the Civil War, it became a battleground between Confederates and Yankees for cattle and, after the war, a gun-slinging cowboy town. New York cartoonist Walt McDougall blew into the area on a fishing trip, and his glowing description lured down other wealthy Yankee sportsmen who helped turn this isolated frontier town into a modern tourist destination. Historian and author Cynthia Williams explores the hidden stories behind the growth of this beautiful city.

Despite Marco Island's common distinction as the largest of Florida's Ten Thousand Islands, there are only 12 square miles of land upon which to wander - making the enormity of its history all the more remarkable.

Marco Island projects prominently from Florida's mainland at the peninsula's southwestern fringe, where the waters of the Everglades and the Gulf of Mexico commingle. Its tropical climate, verdant landscape, unique topography, and abundant wildlife sustained prehistoric Native American cultures for centuries. The first pioneer settlers arrived in 1870, carving out a niche on the harsh Florida frontier. Bustling villages soon sprang up on the island, bolstered by strong leaders and economies centered around farming and fishing. The crash of Florida's land boom, along with the Great Depression, devastating hurricanes, and a series of failed developments, ultimately stunted the island's growth. Most of Marco Island was sold to the Deltona Corporation in 1964, which transformed the island into a place its early residents might find unrecognizable.

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.

A fascinating history of Central Florida's DeLand, the ""Athens of Florida.""

Nestled in Central Florida between the northerly flowing St. Johns River and the alluring beaches of the Atlantic Ocean, DeLand has been described as the ""Athens of Florida."" Founded in 1882, DeLand has fought to maintain a small-town atmosphere even as development surrounds the tranquil city. Balancing a strong sense of community with a willingness to allow progress to knock at its door, DeLand is home to nationally ranked Stetson University, an assortment of inviting cafes, alluring unique shops, determined mom-and-pop stores, and architecturally significant buildings.

With images from public and private collections, join the Palm Gardens Historical Society as they paint a colorful picture of this impressive community.

Sculpted from the swamp, sawgrass, and sand of Florida scrubland, Palm Beach Gardens emerged as a pristine embodiment of the dream of eccentric--but brilliant--billionaire John D. MacArthur, who appealed to the Florida Legislature in 1959 for the creation of this new city. A larger-than-life character who relocated an 80-year-old, 76-ton banyan tree several miles down roads and across railroad tracks to mark the entrance to his city, MacArthur later fully financed the Palm Beach Gardens interchange on Florida's Turnpike to promote growth in the western part of the city. Palm Beach Gardens, with 30 percent of its 4,000 acres devoted to green space, was ecologically sound before the environmental movement began. With the RCA Corporation and nearby Pratt & Whitney providing employment in the early years, schools and churches nourishing families, and a strong strain of volunteerism among residents, by 1970 Palm Beach Gardens was the fastest-growing municipality in the nation. Although ""Mr. Mac"" did not play golf nor particularly like the game, he encouraged its development in the ""Gardens"" because of its positive influence on real estate sales and tourism. Indeed, he invited the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) to make its home there and declared Palm Beach Gardens the ""Golf Capital of the World""--today, there are 17 golf courses in the city.

Sit down for a spell with the bevy of famed writers who’ve found inspiration in the Florida sun.

From the Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca to James Patterson, writers have found inspiration in the Florida sunshine. Ernest Hemingway met his future wife at Sloppy Joe's in Key West. John Kennedy recovered from back surgery in Palm Beach while working on his Pulitzer Prize winning book. James Weldon Johnson wrote what became The Negro National Anthem at the Stanton School in Jacksonville. And Edna St. Vincent Millay watched in shock as her manuscript went up in flames in Sanibel. Florida historian James Clark tells the stories of scores of writers including Robert Frost, Jack Kerouac, John D. MacDonald, and Stephen King. Hunter Thompson driving through the streets of Key West using a bullhorn to warn the citizens, Tennessee Williams partying with Truman Capote, Ring Lardner planning a get together with Al Capone—it’s all here.