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September 2025 Focus: Historical Maps of Florida Copy of Army Corp. Tampa sketch map and vicinity showing location of Army camps : Tampa, Fla. Burgert Brothers Photographic Collection PA 2228 |
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FEATURED BOOKS FROM THE FLORIDA COLLECTION: |
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by Dave Hunter Along Interstate-75, from Detroit to the Florida Border. Interstate-75 is the main route for the millions of Midwestern "snowbirds" who drive to and from Florida each winter . . . and the current edition of Along I-75 is the "must have" guide for the trip. Whether a first-timer or one who has driven the route for many years, the book is packed with local information along the way, a culmination of more than 50 years of the author's Florida-bound I-75 driving experience. Getting there is half the fun— local knowledge, "insider" and money saving tips, lodging & restaurant recommendations, and mile-by-mile roadside stories and entertainment. |
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The new Atlas of Florida, revised for the first time in ten years, is seasoned with the people of Florida, flavored with the patterns of their activities, and served in a full-color, oversized volume. A handsome book for reference or reading, Atlas of Florida offers a complete overview of Florida life and history in visual form. The new Atlas of Florida skillfully chronicles Florida''s emergence as a megastate; It is an invaluable resource for educators and business people who need the latest facts and figures about Florida''s population, environment, economy, and political makeup; But, like the state itself, this book is not all business. . . . Turn to any page and you''re bound to learn something new. |
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Atlas of Florida: Containing Sectional Maps of Each Countyby Associated Map CompanyThe Atlas of Florida: Containing Sectional Maps of Each County, was published in 1926. The volume is very large and located on a map stand. It shows land surveys, roads, railroads, railroads, canals, draining and other valuable information.
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The Atlas of Florida's natural heritage : biodiversity, landscapes, stewardship, and opportunities illustrates the natural heritage of Florida, its stewardship, and challenges for policy makers, planners, environmental advocates, residents, and visitors. Includes maps, diagrams, charts, photographs, and text. |
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A consolidated boundary chronology covers all boundary changes, in chronological order, for the whole state. A section of individual county chronologies, maps, and areas provides a detailed look at changes in each county. Includes tables of county creation and censuses, and census outline maps. Useful for historians, genealogists, geographers, political scientists, students of state and local government, county clerks, government document librarians, and social scientists. |
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by Vincent Verga Produced from the archives of the Library of Congress and edited by Vincent Virga, offer a glimpse into the history of the United States through rare historical full-color maps, narrative captions, and short essays. Combining 50 rare, beautiful, and diverse maps of the Sunshine State from the collections of the Library of Congress, a foreword by Vincent Virga about the Library of Congress collection and the Florida maps, informative captions about the origins and contents of those maps, and essays on state history, this book is a collectible for cartography buffs and a celebration of Florida for residents, former residents, and visitors. |
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by James F. Williams A narrative of four iconic Florida roads becomes an eccentric history of the state: Bellamy-Burch Road, The Tamiami Trail, U.S. 301 and Interstate-95. It was not the facts and figures of roads that interested the author. It was the narrative of people and the stories of how these four particular roads were conceived; how they got planned; who built them; and how the roads shaped Florida. |
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ed. by Dana Ste. Claire Beginning in the 1500s with maps of the vast, wild territory of La Florida, this book traces the recorded geographies of Europe's first North American frontier, right up to its statehood in 1846. In-depth essays and annotations of individual maps place each in historical context and provide a framework for understanding Florida's changing identity. Simultaneously a history of New World cartography and of its geographic errors and eccentricities, it surveys the role of maps in the exploration and settlement of the New World and will be of interest to cartography enthusiasts and scholars alike. A Florida timeline, full-color reproductions, suggested reading list, glossary, and complete bibliography make this an excellent "navigational guide" for explorers--young and old--of Florida history. |
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by Sanborn Map Company Founded in 1867 by D. A. Sanborn, the Sanborn Map Company was the primary American publisher of fire insurance maps for nearly 100 years. The maps provide a wealth of information, such as building outline, size and shape. Sanborn maps are large-scale plans of a city or town, drawn at a scale of 50 feet to an inch. They were created to assist fire insurance companies as they assessed the risk associated with insuring a particular property. The maps list street blocks and building numbers including numbers in use at the time the map was made and previous numbers. This collection of four volumes, published in 1931, shows building construction by hand coloring, locations of windows and doors, and available water facilities. It shows factories, commercial and religious occupancy of buildings, dwellings with property boundaries and house and block numbers. It includes notes on population, water facilities, fire department and prevailing winds and it includes street index, sheet index, key to building colors and other features, and location map on each volume. There are new buildings and houses pasted over old structures, with no indication of date. Volume 4 includes some areas built up to the mid 1950s. |
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by James E. MacDougald The First European Colony in the United States Juan Ponce de León, the discoverer and first governor of La Florida, established the first European colony in the United States on the west coast of Florida in 1521. Although its location has never been determined, historians have theorized that it likely occurred somewhere in the Charlotte Harbor area. The settlement is believed to have lasted only three to four months. It was abandoned when conflict with the local Indians resulted in Juan Ponce being mortally wounded. The survivors took him to Cuba where he died of his wounds. In 1528, seven years after the Ponce de León settlement had been abandoned, Pánfilo de Narváez landed just north of the entrance to Tampa Bay with an expedition of 400 men and 10 women. |
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Aerial maps capture and create maps or surveys of large areas of land or terrain from an aerial perspective. |
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Aerial mapping is the process of capturing and creating maps or surveys of large areas of land or terrain from an aerial perspective.
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Aerial mapping is the process of capturing and creating maps or surveys of large areas of land or terrain from an aerial perspective, |
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Recorded plats are official, legally binding maps of subdivided land that have been officially recorded with the county's recording office. These plats outline the boundaries and dimensions of individual lots, blocks, and streets within a subdivision, and they are crucial for property ownership, development, and legal descriptions. Multiple volumes provide information on plats as they were recorded. Early volumes contain property which is no longer in Hillsborough County. |
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The State Archives of Florida is the central repository for the records of Florida state government. The Archives is mandated by law to collect, preserve, and make available for research the records of the State of Florida, as well as private manuscripts, local government records, photographs, and other materials that complement official state records. In an effort to make its collections accessible to the larges possible audience, the State Library and Archives of Florida applied for grant funding under the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) to digitize select collections in 1994. The Florida Memory website was born of this initial LSTA grant funding. Florida Memory has a large map collection. This collection consists of over 300 maps from the holdings of the State Library and Archives of Florida. The maps date from the 16th century to the 20th century, and include:- Township maps, including maps showing the progress of the original government surveys.
- Highway and railroad maps.
- Maps showing the state's geological features.
- Nautical charts.
- Military maps.
- Maps of specific towns, counties, islands, harbors and bodies of water.
- Colonial era maps.
- Bird's-eye views of Florida cities and towns.
- Maps of the United States and the Western Hemisphere.
You can order high-resolution scans or prints by clicking the Order tab located below each map image. |
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Founded in 1867 by D. A. Sanborn, the Sanborn Map Company was the primary American publisher of fire insurance maps for nearly 100 years. The maps provide a wealth of information, such as building outline, size and shape. Come explore America's rich and diverse building history.
Produced for over a century, more than 660,000 Sanborn maps chart the growth and development of more than 12,000 American towns and cities. Sanborn maps are large-scale plans of a city or town, drawn at a scale of 50 feet to an inch. They were created to assist fire insurance companies as they assessed the risk associated with insuring a particular property. The maps list street blocks and building numbers including numbers in use at the time the map was made and previous numbers.
HCPLC’s collection is limited to cities within Florida. The John F. Germany library also owns four large volumes of the 1931 Tampa maps, with some additional pages in the 1950’s. |
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The Touchton Map Library and Florida Center for Cartographic Education is home to thousands of maps, charts, and other documents dating back from the early European exploration of North America more than 500 years ago up through the early 21st century.
Each digital map is fully documented with lengthy geographical descriptions |
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LIBRARY AND TAMPA BAY AREA EVENTS: |
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Kotler Gallery Presents - Coalition of Hispanic Artists The Artist's Passion "Life Expression Through Images" August - October, 2025 John F. Germany Library, 900 N. Ashley Dr., 2nd floor. A collective juried group exhibition showcasing vibrant works including paintings, drawings, photography, and small sculptures. Join us for an afternoon of visual art, music, poetry, and entertainment in celebration of Tampa’s Hispanic Heritage season. This event supports and uplifts Hispanic creatives in a space dedicated to their artistic growth. |
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Cecil Beach Conference Room - 4th floor Show, Don’t Tell: Creative Nonfiction Writing for Genealogists Meeting is a hybrid meeting. Lisa Alzo will be presenting via webinar in the Beach Conference Room in the Florida History and Genealogy Library at the John F. Germany Public Library. Alternately, you can attend via Zoom webinar. As genealogists, we often focus on facts and uncover so much information that our research produces nothing but boring lists. But do you really know what happened between the dashes of your ancestors’ lives? How can you share that information in a compelling way? Learn how to use creative nonfiction writing techniques to produce a “can’t put down” family history. Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A., is a freelance writer, instructor, and internationally recognized lecturer, specializing in Eastern European research and writing your family history. She is the author of eleven books and hundreds of magazine articles. Lisa works as an online educator and writing coach through her website Research, Write, Connect and developed the Eastern European Research Certificate Program for the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Visit website for more information. |
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Wednesday, September 10, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Library - Gallery on the Avenue Learn tools and strategies for getting started with family research. Recommended for adults. Registration recommended. Registration recommended |
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Bloomingdale Regional Public Library - Room 219 How did 6,000 acres of rattlesnake-infested forest become a hub of global war-fighting activity? From an aircrew training site established before WWII to headquarters for U.S. Central Command, learn how MacDill's mission has evolved over the decades and the important role the base plays in Tampa's history and economy. |
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The Dearly Departed: Conversations on Historic Cemeteries and Death Records Saturday, September 27 - 11:00 am - 2:30 pm John F. Germany Library - Cecil Beach Conference Room Join us for a conversation with Erin H. Kimmerle, Ph.D. who will be speaking about her book, which investigates of the notorious Dozier Boys School—the true story behind the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Nickel Boys—and the contentious process to exhume the graves of the boys buried there in order to reunite them with their families. 12:30 - 1:30 pm- Light lunch This program will show how death records such as obituaries, funeral home records, and cemeteries can be used to show the history of an area. It will also show you hos these records can put meat on the bones of our ancestors. |
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Monday, September 29, 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library - Witt Community Room The cigar industry transformed Tampa from a sleepy fishing village into a booming, multicultural city. How did this industry take root, grow and then decline? What effects are seen in modern Tampa? Register Registration opens on Saturday, August 30 2025 at 6:00pm |
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Bound to Die: The Shocking True Story of Bobby Joe Long, America's Most Savage Serial Killerby Anna FlowersBound to Die is the true crime story of Florida serial killer Bobby Joe Long, who was convicted of the heinous killings of nine women in 1984 in the Tampa Bay area. The first body of 19-year-old disco dancer Lana Long was found in a field on Mother's Day with her legs grotesquely ripped apart. Six months later, the bloody rampage ended when the ninth victim was discovered. All had been tortured with ropes and savagely beaten and raped. The killer's confession of his crimes is haunting. The vividly rendered results of his trials and appeals are equally shocking.
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ed. by Robert Cassanello This comprehensive volume traces over 200 years of constitutional traditional in Florida, examining constitutions drafted in the state from the territorial era to the most recent version from 1968"--
"Tracing over 200 years of constitutional tradition in Florida As historical documents, constitutions represent a unique window into the economic, social, and political contexts of the people who debated, drafted, and ratified them. This comprehensive volume examines all constitutions drafted in Florida, from the territorial era to the most recent version from 1968. In addition to the 6 constitutional revisions implemented by the state government, chapters in this book include discussions of the West Florida Republic Constitution of 1810 and the East Florida Patriot Constitution of 1812, both created before Florida became a state, as well as the constitutions of the Seminole and Miccosukee People. |
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From small ports to large ports, from rivers to creeks, from lakes to lagoons, water routes have been essential to Florida's development as a commercial, recreational, agricultural, and cultural entity. With more than 30,000 lakes and ponds and some 1,700 rivers, creeks, and streams, Florida ranks second in the list of wettest states in the USA. Native Americans used the rivers, creeks, and lakes as routes to various locales within the peninsula while harvesting fish and other aquatic edibles to sustain their daily lives. Early European settlers followed suit and supplemented their diets with the bounty from the oceans and fresh water sources. Into statehood, settlers relied on the same sources for food while using fresh water to make the land productive for food and cash crops. By the early decades of the 20th Century, water became a marketable attraction to lure millions of tourists to Florida for recreation and sports. |
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Florida Water is a collection of poems that, like the cleansing waters of spiritual baths, rinse, reflect, and reveal the raw truths that lie within. In this vulnerable meditation, Aja Monet reflects on her migration to South Florida in search of love, connection, and belonging, unearthing the delicate balance between the poet, lover, and community organizer. These poems lay bare the tender dance of relationships, entwining the personal with the political, as they confront the state's fractured history of racial prejudice, marooned peoples, and the unruly forces of nature. In Florida Water, each poem is an artifact--an offering from her time spent wading through the rising tides of climate change, heartbreak, and systemic violence. With each line, Monet immerses us deeper into the water, where the currents of memory, struggle, and survival pull us toward both despair and hope. |
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Haunted Florida Love Storiesby Christopher Balzano Wide eyes, sweaty palms and a racing heart. Are these the tell-tale marks of a love story or a haunted tale? If the story is set in Florida, there's a good chance it's both. From the infamous Bellamy Bridge to a haunted lighthouse in Key West, love is in the air--but it isn't always a good thing. Author and folklorist Christopher Balzano follows lingering campus whispers and trails that vanish into the swamp to track down the urban legends and ghostly lore of Sunshine State love affairs that live on even after death.
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Lake City was founded in the 1820s as Alligator―named after a Seminole town―and was made the county seat of Columbia County in 1839. The abundance of lakes and pride in the quiet, natural surroundings led to the citizens of Alligator changing the name of the town to Lake City in 1859. During the Civil War, the Battle of Olustee took place a few miles east of Lake City, forever changing the town. After the war, Lake City became an important place for education with the founding of Florida Agriculture College in 1884; the college was the predecessor of the University of Florida, and its location is now home to the Veterans Administration Hospital. In the 20th century, Lake City and Columbia County expanded the area’s agriculture, education, and transportation opportunities. |
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Public Health Nurses of Jim Crow Floridaby Christine ArdalanIn the era of Jim Crow discrimination, their marginalization in medical facilities―along with the overall medical neglect to address their health―meant that many African Americans in rural communities rarely saw doctors. Christine Ardalan shows how Florida’s public health nurses took up the charge, traveling into the Florida scrub to deliver health improvement information to the homes of black and white residents, many of whom were illiterate. Drawing on a rich body of public health and nursing records, Ardalan draws attention to the innovative ways nurses bridged the gap between these communities and government policies that addressed threats of infection and high rates of infant and maternal mortality.
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by George R. Fairbanks
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. |
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by Alan B. Govenar
In this updated edition, the extraordinary life of Stoney St. Clair--circus performer turned tattoo artist, a true American icon--comes to life in his own words, photos, and tattoo flash. Born Leonard St. Clair in 1912 in West Virginia, Stoney discovered his passion for drawing at Johns Hopkins, where he was being treated for rheumatoid arthritis that would require him to use a wheelchair the rest of his life. Unfazed by his illness, he joined the circus at 15 as a sword swallower and then learned tattooing from other circus performers. From traveling with the circus to setting up tattoo shops in Tampa and Columbus, Stoney met, worked with, and tattooed a wild, nearly folkloric cast of characters. Alan Govenar--a folklorist himself, as well as a historian and filmmaker--faithfully documents Stoney's many stories as they were told to him, through Stoney's own cheery, wry, charming voice. |
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This biography brings author Theodore Pratt's life and career to Florida enthusiasts, educators, the young writers he targeted, and literary scholars who focus on southern literature, Florida literature, and middlebrow twentieth-century American film and literature. Written as a narrative in reader-friendly prose, this biography captures the nostalgia of vintage Florida, promising appeal to general readers |
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Wood, Fiberglass, and Steel: the History of Boat Building on Florida's Gulf Coastby John PetherAfter completing over 140 interviews and three years of research, authors John and Laura Pether have provided a collection of histories concerning 269 boat builders on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The stories - many of which were heretofore unwritten - unfold from south to north, from the Everglades to Pensacola, with the earliest boat builders of that region being discussed first in each chapter. Enhanced by photographs and brought to life by personal remembrances and historical newspaper accounts, Wood, Fiberglass, and Steel: The History of Boat Building on Florida’s Gulf Coast is a fascinating tribute and depiction of how demand and technology transformed boat building methods and how the boat building industry impacted the economy and employment opportunities along the Gulf Coast. Whether the reader is interested in the era of steamships carrying cargo and passengers along the coast and rivers, the traditional lines of Greek sponge boats, the rapid build up in Tampa and the Panhandle of wood and steel vessel production for wartime use, the early development of hydroplanes, or the magic of boat building without plans - “by rack of eye,” this book will inform and entertain you.
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ON DISPLAY IN THE FLORIDA HISTORY & GENEALOGY LIBRARY, 4TH FLOOR OF THE JOHN F. GERMANY PUBLIC LIBRARY
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 Hillsborough State Bank |
Florida Banking Records Collection The Florida Banking Records give insight and context to the history of Florida's economy. They date from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. The records come from several banks of historical significance and include Hillsboro State Bank, Bank of Dunedin, First Savings and Trust Co., and SunBank. The records were stored for several years in a warehouse and were scheduled to be destroyed. In 2014, a SunTrust bank employee asked the Florida History & Genealogy Library if they would accept the donation. In 2021 the library started an in-house preservation project. This includes cleaning, repairing, and cataloging the records.
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Blackboards and Backdrops: The Schoolyard Seen by the Burgert Brothers View a video display of Burgert photographs supporting all aspects of education. |
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Family Heritage Festival Items in the Display Case support the 11th Annual Family Heritage Festival, The Dearly Departed: Conversations on Historic Cemeteries and Death Records.
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