by M. Randall Gill

 by Wade Arnold 

 

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. 

by Carolyn Klepser

 

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 moment.  

The Ormond Beach area's earliest known inhabitants were the Timucua Indians, whose primitive, blunt-nosed canoes skimmed the waters of the Halifax and Tomoka Rivers in northeast Volusia County. Soon, hardy settlers also made their way to the area--brothers John Andrew and Charles Bostrom were attracted by the mighty oaks and sparkling spring water in 1868 and were soon followed by other rugged visionaries. As the town grew, entrepreneurs began their work, and one of the most famous area landmarks, the Hotel Ormond, was opened in 1888. At the turn of the century, the hard-packed white sands of the nearby beach became a natural proving ground for gas- and steam-driven horseless carriages--the original "birthplace of speed." The region was blessed with abundant resources, a mild and inviting climate, and natural beauty, all of which served to entice John D. Rockefeller, perhaps Ormond Beach's most famous resident, to spend his winters in the area. His three-story home now serves the community as a cultural center and museum.

by Richard A. Marconi 

 

Discover the history of Palm Beach in this book as we see the evolution of the area in stunning images. Once referred to as a "veritable paradise" by Florida developer Henry M. Flagler, Palm Beach has transformed from a small frontier community to a remarkably picturesque historic town. The seaside resort's charm is found in its diverse architecture, landmarks, mega-mansions, beaches, and land and streetscapes.

by Jeannie Weller Cooper

Preserved in these pages are the rich and storied history of the scenic waterfront town of Panama City Beach. In a collection of nostalgic and lighthearted vignettes, local author Jeannie Weller Cooper recounts the history of Panama City Beach, the barrier islands and beach for old Panama City. First inhabited by Native Americans in the years before the Spanish arrived in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Panama City Beach has always proved a good hideout for fugitives, from Native Americans fleeing from European invaders to runaway slaves, Civil War soldiers, outlaws and rumrunners. In 1929, the first Hathaway Bridge was completed; connecting Greater Panama City to the beach, but the lagoon and the beach remained a sleepy curiosity until the bombing of Pearl Harbor mobilized the United States to war. Now Panama City Beach is home to thousands of residents, as well as being a renowned tourist destination.

Florida Genealogical Society: Bricks and Motar: Building a Sturdy Proof Argument with DNA and Documentary Evidence (Case Study)
Saturday, June 7, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
John F. Germany Library, 900 N. Ashley

Cecil Beach Conference Room - 4th floor

 

Meeting is a hybrid meeting. Karen Stanbary 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.

Understand the mechanics of a DNA-based proof argument by studying an article published in the June 2016 National Genealogical Society Quarterly and honored with the NGSQ Award for Excellence. Learn to communicate DNA test results using narrative text, tables, figures, and citations. The case proves the identify of a Mexican biological father of an adoptee born in Michigan. Documentary and genetic sources are integrated from the U.S. and Mexico. The emphasis is on research strategy and writing choices to meet Genealogy Standards.

 

 

From its founding in 1935 to the present, trips to American Beach have meant good times, good friends, and great food. Located on Amelia Island in northeast Florida and established by the Pension Bureau of the Afro-American Life Insurance Company, American Beach today is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It remains a beloved vacation destination as well as a year-round home for many African Americans. Marsha Dean Phelts has collected nearly 300 recipes passed down through generations. Over the years, many influences have found their way into the dishes and are represented here by everything from pig's feet to sweet potato pone and from smothered shrimp to bourbon slushes. Mouths will water at such treats as fried cheese grits, she-crab soup, seafood casserole, crab coated shrimp chops, cornbread dumplings, chicken curry, corn relish, pickled peaches, Big Mama's fruitcake, and much more. In addition to the recipes, readers will enjoy compelling vignettes that illustrate the heritage of people and potables, vintage photographs, and area maps that together tell one of the great stories of a unique community.

This new book offers 120 of the most romantic, historic, quaint, and often eclectic places to stay in Florida. Written in an engaging, personal style, the book relates the histories of the inns as well as the personal stories of the innkeepers.

 

 

African American Genealogical Sources Book Display
 

Display shelf on the genealogy side of the John F. Germany's 4th floor that showcases books for African American genealogical sources.