tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360714582024-03-07T00:04:00.314-05:00My Florida HistoryAdventures with history and culture in the Sunshine StateLucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.comBlogger392125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-78643902668902296502011-02-08T18:47:00.003-05:002011-02-08T19:03:07.559-05:00From Tampa to the Moon with Jules VerneToday, <a href="http://www.google.com/">Google</a>’s homepage features an interactive doodle celebrating author Jules Verne’s 183rd birthday. Although the doodle features his well-known <em>Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea</em>, his novel <em>From the Earth to the Moon</em> hits closer to home.<br /><br />Writing in French for a young audience, Verne spun the story of man’s first moon shot. Published in 1865, the premise of <em>From the Earth to the Moon</em> is that industrialist members of the Baltimore Gun Club found themselves without purpose or relevance at the end of the Civil War. Club president Impey Barbicane proposes building the biggest, most powerful gun yet, one so immense that it could shoot a projectile to the moon. Over the course of the novel, the project turns into a manned space mission, with men traveling to the moon in a metal capsule, intending to return home safely.<br /><br />While choosing a spot to build their tremendous gun, the Gun Club members narrow their search to either Texas or Florida. And within Florida, one place prevails: “Florida in its southern part reckons no cities of importance; it is simply studded with forts raised against the roving Indians. One solitary town, Tampa Town, was able to put in a claim in favour of its situation.” Barbicane visits Tampa to select a building site. Leaving Baltimore, he and his companions travel to New Orleans where they board a steamship to cross the Gulf of Mexico. Two days and 480 miles later, the Florida coast comes into view: “On a nearer approach Barbicane found himself in view of a low, flat country of somewhat barren aspect.”<br /><br />Jules Verne sprinkled his text with authentic place names and scenic descriptions. As a Frenchman who visited the United States only once in his life, a brief trip to New York State after <em>From the Earth to the Moon</em> was published, how was Verne able to provide these details? The answer is in the story itself:<br /><br /><blockquote>When the decision was arrived at by the Gun Club, to the disparagement of Texas, every one in America, where reading is an universal acquirement, set to work to study the geography of Florida. Never before had there been such a sale for works like <em>Bartram’s Travels in Florida</em>, <em>Roman’s Natural History of East and West Florida</em>, <em>William’s Territory of Florida</em>, and <em>Cleland on the Cultivation of the Sugar-Cane in Florida</em>.</blockquote> <br /><br />These were popular natural histories of Florida published in the late 1700s and early 1800s, and provide descriptions of Florida that continue to be quoted and studied by scholars and historians today. Parts of <em>From the Earth to the Moon</em> echo the phrasing of these texts, with their mixture of florid descriptions of plants, flowers, and creatures alternating with prosaic scientific descriptions or measurements.<br /> <br />Although Verne went to some trouble to include accurate details, the truth suffers at times to advance the story. As a case in point, the site selected as a launch site is described as being less than a day’s ride from Tampa yet at an elevation of 1,800 feet above sea level. The highest point in the entire state of Florida is Britton Hill at 345 feet above sea level, and which is so far north it’s practically in Alabama. Furthermore, Barbicane is greeted in Tampa by 3,000 people, easily three times the actual population in 1865. <br /><br />Verne’s descriptions of the Seminoles are reminiscent of a cowboys and Indians western. Here, Florida is the wild frontier. Once in Tampa, Barbicane decides to explore the country, looking for the best spot for the moon gun. <br /> <br /><blockquote>On the morrow some of those small horses of the Spanish breed, full of vigour and of fire, stood snorting under his windows, but instead of four steeds, here were fifty, together with their riders. Barbicane descended with his three fellow-travelers; and much astonished were they all to find themselves in the midst of such a cavalcade. He remarked that every horseman carried a carbine slung across his shoulders and pistols in his holsters.</blockquote> <blockquote>On expressing his surprise at these preparations, he was speedily enlightened by a young Floridan who quietly said,--<br />“Sir, there are Seminole there.”<br />“What do you mean by Seminoles?”<br />“Savages who scour the prairies. We thought it best, therefore to escort you on your road.”<br />“Pooh!” cried J.T. Maston, mounting his steed.<br />“All right,” said the Floridan; “but it is true enough nevertheless.”<br />“Gentlemen,” answered Barbicane, “I thank you for your kind attention; but it is time to be off.” </blockquote><br />Riding along, they came to an open area.<br /><br /><blockquote>“At last,” cried Barbicane, rising in his stirrups, “here we are at the region of pines!”<br />“Yes! And of savages too” replied the major.<br />In fact, some Seminoles had just come in sight on the horizon; they rode violently backwards and forwards on their fleet horses, brandishing their spears or discharging their guns with a dull report. These hostile demonstrations, however, had no effect upon Barbicane and his companions. </blockquote>Ultimately, the very act of building their projectile protects the men from Baltimore, as it “created a circle of terror which the herds of buffaloes and the war parties of the Seminoles never ventured to pass.” Technology conquers the wilderness.<br /><br />The full text of Jules Verne’s <em>From the Earth to the Moon</em> is available on Google Books: <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=nskpAAAAYAAJ&dq=from%20the%20earth%20to%20the%20moon&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false">http://books.google.com/books?id=nskpAAAAYAAJ&dq=from%20the%20earth%20to%20the%20moon&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false</a>. Compare the drawings on the plates following pages 66 and 82, “Tampa Town before the undertaking,” and “Tampa Town after the undertaking.”<br /><br />Ballast Point Park in Tampa was originally named Jules Verne Park in recognition of the author’s selection of the town as a likely launch site.<br /><br />Also available through Google Books:<br /><br />William Bartram, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Q35CAAAAcAAJ&dq=bartram%20travels&pg=PR1#v=onepage&q&f=false"><em>Travels through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida</em> </a>(1792)<br /><br />Bernard Romans, <em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=GpI5AAAAcAAJ&ots=sGkHzzEVC1&dq=romans%20natural%20history%20florida&pg=PP7#v=onepage&q&f=false">A Concise Natural History of East and West Florida</a></em> (1776)Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-86547977469691619912010-03-11T16:16:00.007-05:002010-03-11T16:55:52.317-05:00Shuffling Away<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFLpqsjKLDrznTfsUc3IIN47FrsRZvFDiOqXMydhO8NbOfsDROeDLHGw1GH18G44L9mB_9gxkjSCw4XgMttuarYWe49-ViNpsmojMprwaDu652Kyc_C1pyA3CRd9X_dhyZ19a/s1600-h/avon+park+shuffleboard.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447489146429222914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFLpqsjKLDrznTfsUc3IIN47FrsRZvFDiOqXMydhO8NbOfsDROeDLHGw1GH18G44L9mB_9gxkjSCw4XgMttuarYWe49-ViNpsmojMprwaDu652Kyc_C1pyA3CRd9X_dhyZ19a/s320/avon+park+shuffleboard.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;color:#006600;">Shuffleboard courts in downtown Avon Park, Florida</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://ibistro.dos.state.fl.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?library=PHOTO&item_type=PHOTOGRAPH&searchdata1=Shuffleboard">Shuffleboard and golden days of retirement</a> are entwined in Florida mythology. In the mid to late twentieth century, there wasn't a trailer court in the state worth a lick if it didn't have a shuffleboard court or two. This association with the elderly has been a bit of a public relations challenge in attracting new fans to the sport, although the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=35642896069#!/group.php?v=info&gid=35642896069">St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club </a>has a very popular Friday night session with live music.<br /><p> </p><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RG3c6WeYGRHYjr8LhCnTg6O9UX9RUqy-ejZfTdPcDXEvZFNR1CABwj9dIwVHiyR8jgVKLyyEY5zkQyTMh87s3BCTx-T-Uk5X8_0sjUUfywl26B20trAk9UVmHNzCQYuTApQX/s1600-h/rc07079.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447493008164427330" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 251px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RG3c6WeYGRHYjr8LhCnTg6O9UX9RUqy-ejZfTdPcDXEvZFNR1CABwj9dIwVHiyR8jgVKLyyEY5zkQyTMh87s3BCTx-T-Uk5X8_0sjUUfywl26B20trAk9UVmHNzCQYuTApQX/s320/rc07079.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;color:#006600;">Playing shuffleboard in St. Petersburg, back in the day (Florida State Archives)</span><br /><br /><br />The Kissimmee All States Tourist Club's shuffleboard courts will be torn down soon as part of the city's Lakefront Park redevelopment. Grass-roots efforts to save or at least commemorate the courts include the Facebook group <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=35642896069#!/group.php?v=wall&ref=ss&gid=328293583758">Save Our Shuffleboard</a>. KAST is the subject of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Story of the Day today: <a href="http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2010/todays-news/florida-to-lose-1941-shuffleboard.html">Florida To Lose 1941 Shuffleboard Courts</a>.Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-34757401798654329972010-02-15T21:29:00.004-05:002010-02-15T22:00:08.690-05:00Happy Presidents Day, Florida!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrINNcuwSuP4ILEXTkz4R4DsWOdqXIwiYUy31mAIErCZ9lfYbk7CDq7XGO9Z3ipaOolsYcbPhikwp2c0Z24m9rkdJUs5Vi0noIeVDa7Ks8unAp5QgiucdW2rXuVI6ZaJicP5-/s1600-h/rc18230a.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 185px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438669469577779794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrINNcuwSuP4ILEXTkz4R4DsWOdqXIwiYUy31mAIErCZ9lfYbk7CDq7XGO9Z3ipaOolsYcbPhikwp2c0Z24m9rkdJUs5Vi0noIeVDa7Ks8unAp5QgiucdW2rXuVI6ZaJicP5-/s320/rc18230a.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Brass band awaiting Grover Cleveland's arrival in Lakeland, Florida, 1894 (</em><a href="http://www.floridamemory.com/PhotographicCollection/"><em>Florida State Archives</em></a><em>)</em></span><em><br /></em><br /><br />Today, a U.S. president overlooks Florida at his own peril, but even before this state was a political battleground , our nation's leaders found their way here on a regular basis.<br /><br />First was Andrew Jackson, who was Territorial governor of Florida before Florida was a state and before Jackson was president. Neither Jackson nor his wife Rachel were particularly fond of Florida, in fact, <a href="http://www.thehermitage.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=46&limit=1&limitstart=3">The Hermitage's website</a> says that they "despised the climate."<br /><br />Several places in Florida are named after presidents, including Polk County, which honors our 11th president, James K. Polk. Fort Pierce began as an actual fort, named after Lt. Col. Benjamin Pierce, the brother of President Franklin Pierce. The <a href="http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Divisions/Everglades/Branches/HHDProject/hhdike.htm">Herbert Hoover Dike</a> holds the waters of Lake Okeechobee, and is named after the president who authorized the money to build the earthen dam after devastating hurricanes swepth through the Everglades in the 1920s. Manned space flights launch from the Kennedy Space Center, named after the president who challenged us to travel to the moon, not because it was easy, but because it was hard.<br /><br />Dr. Mudd, who treated John Wilkes Booth's leg and was himelf accused of plotting against Abraham Lincoln, was held prisoner at <a href="http://www.nps.gov/drto/index.htm">Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas</a>. Fort Jefferson was named after our 3rd president, Thomas Jefferson.<br /><br />Many presidents enjoyed fishing or hunting trips to Florida as breaks from the rigors of office. Several went as far as having second homes or "little White Houses" here - the Kennedy's had a family compound in Palm Beach, Nixon had a waterfront home on Key Biscayne, and <a href="http://www.trumanlittlewhitehouse.com/">Truman favored Key West</a>.<br /><br />So for all these presidents and more who have traveled to our sunny state, we wish you an Happy Presidents Day!Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-54843250726056012032009-07-03T06:00:00.000-05:002009-07-03T06:00:39.736-05:00Miscellany, for Surfing on a Rainy Day<a href="http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/2009/06/10-most-endangered-roadside-places.html">10 Most Endangered Roadside Places</a>, from Visual Ephemera<br /><br />"<a href="http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/article1012864.ece">Hav-A-Tampa Closes Its Factory</a>" St. Petersburg Times, June 24, 2009<br /><br />"<a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/51445/brunetti-jr-soth-testa-to-hialeah-posts">Brunetti Jr., Soth, Testa to Hialeah Posts</a>" Blood-Horse Magazine July 1, 2009 - Hialeah Race Track to open?<br /><br /><a href="http://electrospark.blogspot.com/2009/06/busch-gardens-hospitality-house.html">Busch Gardens' Hospitality House - 1963</a>, from Electro's Spark<br /><br /><a href="http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/2009/06/vintage-busch-gardens.html">Vintage Busch Gardens</a>, from Visual Ephemera, 1960s brochure for the amusement park<br /><br />"<a href="http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jun/23/na-these-old-houses-keep-turning-heads/news-metro/">These old houses keep turning heads</a>" <em>Tampa Tribune</em> June 23, 2009 - Seminole Heights neighborhood in <em>This Old House</em> magazine<br /><br />"<a title="Permanent Link: Hit the bricks: a historical street-paving opportunity in Ybor City" style="COLOR: #333" href="http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/politicalwhore/2009/06/14/hit-the-bricks/" rel="bookmark">Hit the bricks: a historical street-paving opportunity in Ybor City</a>" <em>Creative Loafing</em>, June 14, 2009<br /><br />"<a href="http://sticksoffire.com/2009/06/08/top-five-tampa-bay-world-records/">Tampa Bay World Records</a>," from Sticks of Fire - World's Longest Golf Cart Parade<br /><br />"<a href="http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/politicalwhore/2009/05/23/weekend-rewind-the-tampa-that-might-have-been/">The Tampa That Might Have Been</a>," <em>Creative Loafing</em>, May 23, 2009Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-1131297337801772172009-07-02T06:00:00.000-05:002009-07-02T06:00:49.530-05:00Hindu Temple of Tampa<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4XfzIJkjmXX3Ip4clgywxXabO9mhdPBVzvZiudQV4m43T__3ymWFbEqPazUHc5pzg-36q7fKY_DVc8rzmxEs10ntr8ADiX6PNhA6Qx5jG-e6IMo0lDjmXUkerKPmPzWk6gX2/s1600-h/Hindu+Temple+of+Tampa.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 209px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4XfzIJkjmXX3Ip4clgywxXabO9mhdPBVzvZiudQV4m43T__3ymWFbEqPazUHc5pzg-36q7fKY_DVc8rzmxEs10ntr8ADiX6PNhA6Qx5jG-e6IMo0lDjmXUkerKPmPzWk6gX2/s320/Hindu+Temple+of+Tampa.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352742351285242226" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In the future, will the <a href="http://www.hindutempleofflorida.org/">Hindu Temple of Tampa</a> be a historic landmark?<br /><br />The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) guidelines ask for buildings to be 50 years old before being considered significant. National Register <a href="http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb15/">Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation</a> states "Fity years is a general estimate of the time needed to develop historical perspective and to evaluate significance." OK, I can go along with waiting 50 years before nominating the Hindu Temple of Tampa to the National Register, but I think that as long as it's still standing then, it will make the list. <br /><br />I say that even though religious properties have to meet additional considerations, considerations designed to avoid the appearance of an endorsement of religion by the federal government. To be considered eligible for the NRHP, a religious property may have outstanding architectural merit, or have cultural significance. The Hindu Temple of Tampa represents the growth of the Hindu community in Florida, following the track that other immigrant groups have experienced in the United States. As permanent populations of Hindu Indians grow in the Florida, and the U.S., the temple is a means by which children may be taught Hindu cultural and religious beliefs and traditions (<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ONMxZc5_saYC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s">A Place at the Multicultural Table</a>: The Development of an American Hinduism, by Prema A. Kurien, Rutgers University Press, 2007). <br /><br />Architecturally, it is unique in Tampa. The earth-toned <em>gopuram</em> (the monumental tower at the temple's entrance) breaks above the tree line; the temple <a href="http://www.hindutempleofflorida.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=1015">walls are covered with carvings and statuary</a>. A team of ten men from India spent years working on these decorations. <br /><br />The story of the temple's construction is told in an article from the October 24, 2003, <em>St. Petersburg Times</em>, "<a href="http://www.sptimes.com/2003/10/24/Floridian/The_deities_of_Lynn_R.shtml">The Deities of Lynn Road</a>." Difficulties included finding an appropriate site, and getting zoning permission for a building height of 70 feet.Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-16966221322982873472009-07-01T06:00:00.000-05:002009-07-01T06:00:48.190-05:00Edward Heberton<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4mv0WXzBxRKIBT6XnAXyYsL_vHAmBv5gDaLKGbpDj2BxDwylruRYJ3Vx8Y_1nBkKAz1LH_hVTGv_n-xFK1kfp8VgSqudYyuwDD05ZLyqoZo7gVs-RwtIZttm6y97nun3cDCs/s1600-h/Rev+Edward+P+Heberton+marker.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4mv0WXzBxRKIBT6XnAXyYsL_vHAmBv5gDaLKGbpDj2BxDwylruRYJ3Vx8Y_1nBkKAz1LH_hVTGv_n-xFK1kfp8VgSqudYyuwDD05ZLyqoZo7gVs-RwtIZttm6y97nun3cDCs/s320/Rev+Edward+P+Heberton+marker.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352741664378077490" /></a><br /><br /><br />Edward Heberton is buried in the Laurel Grove Cemetery in Waldo, Florida. His marker is a rather plain marble stone: "Rev. Edward P. Heberton of Philadelphia, Pa. Born Aug 13, 1830, Died Aug. 22, 1883." Why was it so important to mention that he was from Philadelphia, and how did he end up so far away from home?<br /><br />From the <em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=yXYyqg_9nwsC&pg=RA7-PA42&dq=necrological+reports+edward+heberton">Necrological Reports and Annual Proceedings of the Alumni Association of Princeton Theological Seminary</a></em> (<a href="http://books.google.com/bkshp?hl=en&tab=wp">Google Books</a> is really a handy research tool), we learn that Edward Payson Heberton was the son of a minister. he attended college in New Jersey, studying the law, before a 12-year career with the U.S. Coastal Survey and U.S. Navy. Heberton was ordained as a minister after the Civil War, in 1868, serving at churches in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Duluth, Minnesota; Columbus, Ohio; and Deerfield, New Jersey. In 1882 he came to Florida as a missionary, became ill, and died in Waldo on August 20, 1883. He was 54 years old, and left behind a wife (Carrie) and five children.<br /><br />What this biographical sketch doesn't tell us is what he thought of Florida, what it was like for his wife to follow him to a rural frontier. Who chose the tombstone, and why was it so important to mention that he was from Philadelphia?Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-22223151165966379272009-06-30T06:00:00.001-05:002009-06-30T06:00:04.277-05:00Laurel Grove Cemetery: Grave Marker SymbolismLillies are commonly associated with funerals in the United States - they are said to represent purity, but offer the practical aspect of being strongly scented. In the case of Lillie Martin's marker, the use of lillies may have been in reference to her name, rather than a symbolic gesture. Not only is the marker topped with a large bouquet of stone lillies, but the verse etched on the tombstone refers to the flower:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4ZJrrgonfb8EQSpCHSd0mdpf370hA5dmOv6E_UyV9MiNfLzsdRJGTB-99FkUQeqxJscBKVun1tW7XBgqF_sI-gKyADE_CP1ivOXU_iTRD81ezVB3Irauv0o-rHgVvuVVciiW/s1600-h/lillie+m+kennard+marker.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4ZJrrgonfb8EQSpCHSd0mdpf370hA5dmOv6E_UyV9MiNfLzsdRJGTB-99FkUQeqxJscBKVun1tW7XBgqF_sI-gKyADE_CP1ivOXU_iTRD81ezVB3Irauv0o-rHgVvuVVciiW/s320/lillie+m+kennard+marker.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352739382809682354" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Lillie M. Kennard devoted wife of B. P. Martin, Sept. 26, 1875 - Oct. 6, 1900 / The angels gather such lillies for God. <br /><br />Flowers also appear on H.N. Pettit's marker, which has evening primrose etched around the base. According to <em>Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography</em>, by Douglas Keister (New York: MJF Books, 2004), the evening primrose represents "eternal love, memory, youth, hope, and sadness."<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtGRb2Ac0rQwOnx2bagg13bKWxMqmipLDxkarX_GA0aCaK2Wmmi-BTcJ50zk6nra-fwPYRSSjof0xme6HLSx5KAb7KLF88L-UifZXam-3wa60k5g0hG0hJcUXwmquRVDGEezC/s1600-h/h+n+pettit+marker.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 174px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtGRb2Ac0rQwOnx2bagg13bKWxMqmipLDxkarX_GA0aCaK2Wmmi-BTcJ50zk6nra-fwPYRSSjof0xme6HLSx5KAb7KLF88L-UifZXam-3wa60k5g0hG0hJcUXwmquRVDGEezC/s320/h+n+pettit+marker.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352739742088763874" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />H.N. Pettit, born at Kaskaskia, Ill. Aug. 29, 1822 died July 13, 1893<br /><br />Pettit's tombstone also features a hand pointing to the clouds and the bible verse "In my father's house are many mansions," which continues in the King James version: "if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." Again according to <em>Stories in Stone</em>, "a hand pointing up is usually an indication that the soul has risen to the heavens."<br /><br />Urns were popular graveyard symbols in the nineteenth century, even though cremations were out of vogue. The urn symbolizes ashes, and is a classical decorative element. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fhSYzqjnQhFyBGPc3e-myOgMz4ga82NmdMdgQAIHeR-0ZXnVLDTvpBW1eo9Q5dDwGWjJbn6v6nWFWabPRl-ugLp_YbwVIRrACG79OKQ3WYN8H5e4XejDHaFSiB-VIFr_Ae7q/s1600-h/thomas+cauthen+marker.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fhSYzqjnQhFyBGPc3e-myOgMz4ga82NmdMdgQAIHeR-0ZXnVLDTvpBW1eo9Q5dDwGWjJbn6v6nWFWabPRl-ugLp_YbwVIRrACG79OKQ3WYN8H5e4XejDHaFSiB-VIFr_Ae7q/s320/thomas+cauthen+marker.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352739921740465762" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Thomas M. Cauthen May 4, 1838 - Dec. 6, 1923<br /><br />Grave markers in the shape of tree stumps are found across the United States, due largely to the Woodmen of the World. <a href="http://www.woodmen.org/">Woodmen of the World</a> is a fraternal organization that provided burial insurance and pledged that no Woodman's grave would be left unmarked. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzK1pPAAYs-hrQcc8LVLJGZYqAZEMJur_XUy4bcPl1Ay1lxHOW790n-jXU6Sm2wk0nPZKUcReP3KVZSOyI3Pp_ab7iIYEJDs29NePQc8DkcHCw2bCjwmO9Bsc8JbFIVlRIalLw/s1600-h/w+v+paschall+jr+marker.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzK1pPAAYs-hrQcc8LVLJGZYqAZEMJur_XUy4bcPl1Ay1lxHOW790n-jXU6Sm2wk0nPZKUcReP3KVZSOyI3Pp_ab7iIYEJDs29NePQc8DkcHCw2bCjwmO9Bsc8JbFIVlRIalLw/s320/w+v+paschall+jr+marker.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352740192259715650" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />W.V. Paschall Jr. July 26, 1881 - Nov. 16, 1918 Gone But Not ForgottenLucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-67725070580540809072009-06-29T06:00:00.000-05:002009-06-29T06:00:28.085-05:00Main Street Daytona, More Than a Century Ago<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissME22Uo4Li8G-tfyLKoJSWGVsJw_oEVIhTVqw1PWgYzo7Wf04SKRXvfNBSVq3naoCWfi6GJCak3DCHmAGSAd3Fb1_4TG8cOQwWPaFXH3wnZzUUrKjxEnVQKY_fREw_uI9ZT_/s1600-h/Main+st+daytona_Page_1_Image_0001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352540505780323170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 235px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissME22Uo4Li8G-tfyLKoJSWGVsJw_oEVIhTVqw1PWgYzo7Wf04SKRXvfNBSVq3naoCWfi6GJCak3DCHmAGSAd3Fb1_4TG8cOQwWPaFXH3wnZzUUrKjxEnVQKY_fREw_uI9ZT_/s320/Main+st+daytona_Page_1_Image_0001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A circa 1895 <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=C-7I69gFIbMC&dq=cyanotype&source=gbs_navlinks_s">cyanotype</a> of Main Street Daytona<br />(photograph courtesy Paul Jones)Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-9170436176950677952009-06-17T06:00:00.000-05:002009-06-17T06:00:12.671-05:00Laurel Grove Cemetery - William Gadsden Green<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheak8He01Coj6V2r4uC-u7lF0KHZGL_htwEnW_SFfghAfNKTgH872zJI0CDe9UymmqRduC9BcVjoxwCagcfdY9hYFt229paj4eGdxwLiU6uIYmSNDaxDM8wCDFNS9bnNHTlozs/s1600-h/william+gadsden+green+marker.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348055535356981490" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 198px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheak8He01Coj6V2r4uC-u7lF0KHZGL_htwEnW_SFfghAfNKTgH872zJI0CDe9UymmqRduC9BcVjoxwCagcfdY9hYFt229paj4eGdxwLiU6uIYmSNDaxDM8wCDFNS9bnNHTlozs/s320/william+gadsden+green+marker.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>William Gadsden Green</em><br /><em>Co K</em><br /><em>2 Regt</em><br /><em>Fla Inf</em><br /><em>CSA</em><br /><em>1839-1918</em><br /><br />This headstone is the <a href="http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2003/spring/headstones-sidebar.html">type authorized by the federal government in 1930</a> to be placed on graves of Confederate soldiers, with a pointed top and the Confederate Cross of Honor inscribed above the soldier's name, rank, company, and regiment. <br /><br />William Green's Confederate <a href="http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/PensionFiles/">pension application</a> (on file at the Florida State Archives) reveals some tidbits about his and his family members' lives. He was born April 7, 1839, in Nassau County, Florida. At the age of 23, on May 16, 1862, he listed in the Confederate Army, serving in Company K, 2nd Regiment, of the Florida Cavalry. Three years and one day later, he was discharged in Baldwin, Duval County, because the war was over. He and his wife Mary raised ten children in Bradford County, Florida. When he grew older, he applied for a pension from the State of Florida, claiming that his service had given him "piles" (hemarrhoids) and rheumatism. <br /><br />After William's death on December 1, 1918, Mary applied for a Confederate widow's pension; however, she encountered difficulties in proving that she was actually married to William. The <a href="http://www.jud10.org/Courthouses/Bradford/bradford.html">Bradford County Courthouse had burned in 1865</a>, destroying the county's records. In her application is a letter from Mary Green, dated February 22, 1919, to the Hon. <a href="http://www.floridamemory.com/PhotographicCollection/displayphoto.cfm?IMGURL=http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/reference/rc13398.jpg&IMGTEXT=[Portrait%20of%20Comptroller%20Ernest%20Amos%20:%20Tallahassee,%20Florida]%20[graphic]&IMGTITLE=RC13398">Ernest Amos</a>, who <a href="http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/governors/comptroller.cfm#Amos">served as State Comptroller</a> from 1917 until 1933. Included with her letter were five affidavits from people who knew William and Mary Green to be married, along with two pages from the Green family bible recording William's <a href="http://www.floridamemory.com/fmp/fpr/A02122/025.pdf">birth</a> and marriage. (Mary Green requested that the bible pages be returned to her, but as the scanned images are online with the rest of the pension application paperwork, this apparently did not happen.)<br /><br />From these affidavits we also learn about Mary Johns Green, particularly from her cousin M.L. McKinney (their mothers were sisters): "...that the said mother of Mary Johns died while she was an infant and his mother raised Mary Johns, that affiant was five days old at the birth of Mary Johns, that Mary Johns was one of twins and his mother raised all three of them."<br /><br />The Florida State Archives has scanned approximately 14,000 Confederate pension applications, and made them available online (<a href="http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/PensionFiles/index.cfm">http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/PensionFiles/index.cfm</a>). While some files have little information, others - such as that of William G. Green - reveal personal histories that might otherwise be unrecorded.Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-50170899692878895472009-06-16T11:15:00.004-05:002009-06-16T14:10:13.394-05:00Waldo's Laurel Grove CemeteryAn impulsive right-hand turn down a narrow and flooding side street in <a href="http://www.waldo-fl.com/">Waldo, Florida</a>, led us to the Laurel Grove Cemetery. This country cemetery is modest, peaceful, and eclectic. Since it was Memorial Day weekend, the graves of veterans were decorated with flags. The cemetery is surprisingly large, covering gentle hills and encompasing a pond full of quite vocal frogs. The air was cedar scented.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi475FA9_PO3InbLYCGrKJyvNVCVW8fe1UTO4XA8yQHBdYeBncNP3jl7CCWIQWCwjcebeuXHhzFrkR7iC3Q5jo9-Duj5yx1joqSEtFTyFB4vlZB6sc2H54K1vcCezl1vMEXzhYW/s1600-h/laurel+grove+cemetery+sign.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348000100274418882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi475FA9_PO3InbLYCGrKJyvNVCVW8fe1UTO4XA8yQHBdYeBncNP3jl7CCWIQWCwjcebeuXHhzFrkR7iC3Q5jo9-Duj5yx1joqSEtFTyFB4vlZB6sc2H54K1vcCezl1vMEXzhYW/s320/laurel+grove+cemetery+sign.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Laurel Grove Cemetery dates to 1883, with an expansion in 1897, on land owned by Idella and Samuel J. Kennard. A native of England, Kennard came to the United States in 1847. By 1860, he was a grocer in Waldo, and soon thereafter he served in the Confederate States of America Army during the Civil War. Kennard later was Waldo's postmaster, and his son was mayor. (For a more complete biography of Kennard and the original plat of the cemetery, visit the <a href="http://www.laurelgrove.org/">Laurel Grove Cemetery's webpage</a>). <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6w_5qWOoXYH_w-4aOiGQUwQ_T0Igj72ptbpNRKvt6yxwBsHfrujLl51mdcY_V2mgW-XyGwcl1u7ub7Q0UkcgNMuBPVegOTXFGD6eKMZzQR4KleZfywffhktw7hUaHONlFT7Yd/s1600-h/laurel+grove+cemetery.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348000176239120642" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 196px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6w_5qWOoXYH_w-4aOiGQUwQ_T0Igj72ptbpNRKvt6yxwBsHfrujLl51mdcY_V2mgW-XyGwcl1u7ub7Q0UkcgNMuBPVegOTXFGD6eKMZzQR4KleZfywffhktw7hUaHONlFT7Yd/s320/laurel+grove+cemetery.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The cemetery is still in use today, and over the past 125 years, it has accumulated a great variety of grave markers, from elaborate marble statuary and ornate iron fence work, to handmade vernacular concrete memorials. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9qfLn9q7KqfnNI7N03D76XqzooNsJLDk8JvsHacajUPGUznk8L_Rg3edI3gxSdR9L2j5x___h3ALeQ0QxzzzBTkdbqpEY389wi9croUtaNfwZ2yH2qqfVdHwaOFm3vRfKF6z/s1600-h/laurel+grove+cemetery+iron+fence.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348000647462607074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9qfLn9q7KqfnNI7N03D76XqzooNsJLDk8JvsHacajUPGUznk8L_Rg3edI3gxSdR9L2j5x___h3ALeQ0QxzzzBTkdbqpEY389wi9croUtaNfwZ2yH2qqfVdHwaOFm3vRfKF6z/s320/laurel+grove+cemetery+iron+fence.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.chicora.org/cemetery-fences.html">Champion Iron Fence Company</a> manufactured this fence.<br /><br />Hands down, no questions asked, the most curious marker at Laurel Grove Cemetery is a homemade concrete elephant, complete with nails as tusks. This marker, unfortunately, did not include a name that I could see, so I have no way of knowing <em>why</em> an elephant (?!). <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKAti2irnmpXkW09gTfnSstOlETHuYcWNqC1ECQ61PI2orT9-aJ8pOfJvM2cI7KAt1VsbYlWIQuq9ppz2FsRrbvNk-PqKtjTcvywOYhV-bNDXWDtMgyoz5dyfEU1luzLZczwk/s1600-h/elephant+marker.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348001978573078466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKAti2irnmpXkW09gTfnSstOlETHuYcWNqC1ECQ61PI2orT9-aJ8pOfJvM2cI7KAt1VsbYlWIQuq9ppz2FsRrbvNk-PqKtjTcvywOYhV-bNDXWDtMgyoz5dyfEU1luzLZczwk/s320/elephant+marker.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />One of the most touching markers was also handmade, found on the grave of Caroline Kathleen Larson (October 12, 1949 - December 21, 2005), which reads simply "CAROL My Love."<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOA-QfdgJrUmXFzagvyFGJstd7PMPGti3bfdjQIki7_Lj8SQiuY267FgfK3ESc4Dqt3M87Ob795VQXS76JztSLgp9Ufi1o1gBdoqHaJce70ur3qIKCFNozjcKekCSd1D3XeW3/s1600-h/Carol+My+Love+marker.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348002721092161298" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOA-QfdgJrUmXFzagvyFGJstd7PMPGti3bfdjQIki7_Lj8SQiuY267FgfK3ESc4Dqt3M87Ob795VQXS76JztSLgp9Ufi1o1gBdoqHaJce70ur3qIKCFNozjcKekCSd1D3XeW3/s320/Carol+My+Love+marker.jpg" border="0" /></a>Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-41780904337940822782009-06-10T10:51:00.004-05:002009-06-10T10:57:07.704-05:00Caladesi Lookout Tower<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8gYZ3u6Cqw2CmlA40lDZYjv1YVXSjF-zRsdAYrDD1m-M1s_xGGTewd7rIAEfIktFZjahOZJg8a9Y0IyeWdTZ2UOB1UYZi1z94R7D7YIBIaezTC0fVCMD5K7BKCvqRAV6ipNN8/s1600-h/Caladesi+Island+Lookout+tower+2+09.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345727237900934418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8gYZ3u6Cqw2CmlA40lDZYjv1YVXSjF-zRsdAYrDD1m-M1s_xGGTewd7rIAEfIktFZjahOZJg8a9Y0IyeWdTZ2UOB1UYZi1z94R7D7YIBIaezTC0fVCMD5K7BKCvqRAV6ipNN8/s320/Caladesi+Island+Lookout+tower+2+09.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />From a February trip to <a href="http://www.floridastateparks.org/CaladesiIsland/">Caladesi Island State Park...<br /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTp1NXNtOBfmCyiU-sb0G5dqRTwdwMNh2hj4os4gLpNH12CY8GV54sHgGnT3oGYgn1IZs3An3-72Zr60XfA8c-IP6v9hH68PzDIHDKX-GvnJZAVceHbGz8euprCzqQa6A7DSm/s1600-h/Calades+lookout+tower+sign.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345727438343170226" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTp1NXNtOBfmCyiU-sb0G5dqRTwdwMNh2hj4os4gLpNH12CY8GV54sHgGnT3oGYgn1IZs3An3-72Zr60XfA8c-IP6v9hH68PzDIHDKX-GvnJZAVceHbGz8euprCzqQa6A7DSm/s320/Calades+lookout+tower+sign.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />"The concrete foundation before you once supported a 60-foot observation tower. The steel structure, donated to the park by the Florida Board of Forestry, was erected by park rangers in 1969. For almost 15 years it served as an observation point for park visitors and staff, offering panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and St. Joseph's Sound. The tower gradually deteriorated in the harsh condition of the island environment and was dismantled in the early 1980s."Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-24334121951376217042009-05-14T06:00:00.001-05:002009-05-14T06:00:09.815-05:0030th Anniversary of the Miami Beach Art Deco Historic DistrictToday is the 30th anniversary of <a href="http://www.mdpl.org/Art%20Deco/historicdistrict.html">Miami Beach Architectural Historic District</a>'s listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The <a href="http://www.mdpl.org/">Miami Design Preservation League</a> has planned <a href="http://www.mdpl.org/Events/30thanniversary.html">several events for celebration</a>. For more information, vist their website, www.mdpl.org/Events/30thanniversary.html.Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-50749126300099518462009-05-12T16:13:00.007-05:002009-05-12T17:13:10.523-05:00The Roux LibrariesFrank Lloyd Wright did not design every building now on the Florida Southern College campus. Nils Schweizer, a Frank Lloyd Wright protege, designed the college's current library. The <a href="http://www.flsouthern.edu/library/">E. T. Roux Library</a> faces the Waterdome, and has some stylistic elements in common with the surrounding Wright buildings, such as the trim and horizontal lines.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgD56k8ADp19IPW8oLFZfDNqnkxIJ3OEmsvS388DfAhTEZTf5Jed8lVCsjBFJ91lAhbSNILbWjRU1vwxdHXJK-u_GrsKOJaHnfwS1H3NuvnNjVEZpyY6z12bxeiIrwqsWUqNR/s1600-h/New+Roux+Library.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335055625815116930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 176px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgD56k8ADp19IPW8oLFZfDNqnkxIJ3OEmsvS388DfAhTEZTf5Jed8lVCsjBFJ91lAhbSNILbWjRU1vwxdHXJK-u_GrsKOJaHnfwS1H3NuvnNjVEZpyY6z12bxeiIrwqsWUqNR/s320/New+Roux+Library.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />My FLW pilgrimage last month was spontaneous, absolutely without planning. We were on our way to St. Augustine for a spring break vacation and took a spur-of-the-moment right-hand turn at Lakeland. So after wandering around looking for the campus, then wandering around the campus looking for buildings of a certain appearance, we stumbled upon a parking lot by the chapels. From there, the Waterdome was pretty obvious, but the building behind it, I thought at first might be a Frank Lloyd Wright building, but then again.... So we went in and asked the student at the circulation desk, "Is this one of the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings?" "Huh?" Okay... good thing there was a stack of brochures and maps right there with a walking tour of the FLW buildings on campus. Thank you very much, and off we go. <br /><br />Now, we still did not know that the library was by the above mentioned <a href="http://www.centralfloridamodern.com/people.asp?peopleID=1">Nils Schweizer</a> and that he had studied at <a href="http://www.taliesinpreservation.org/aboutus/index.htm">Taliesin</a> before coming to Lakeland and working on the <a href="http://www.flsouthern.edu/fllwctr/">Child of the Sun</a> campus construction. Later, I learned that the Roux Library was finished in 1968, and that Schweizer had a successful career as an architect in Florida. The <a href="http://www.centralfloridamodern.com/aboutUs.asp">Nils M. Schweizer Fellows</a> is a non-profit organization working to preserve mid-century modern architecture in Central Florida. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUl7IzRT3XPTqzheTzbC5qEH6QJ3AM88eiTcIHPjHFHX1Xo9jVGpV1kPXWDo5Hd0ml_p3JFnudw3LBJwynLjVfEi11Brv39_OzcGD4-EnCvwOwJoY6t0SkHXFgUfIxFEf88zDn/s1600-h/McKay+Archives+Building.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335057557961043746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 290px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUl7IzRT3XPTqzheTzbC5qEH6QJ3AM88eiTcIHPjHFHX1Xo9jVGpV1kPXWDo5Hd0ml_p3JFnudw3LBJwynLjVfEi11Brv39_OzcGD4-EnCvwOwJoY6t0SkHXFgUfIxFEf88zDn/s320/McKay+Archives+Building.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />On the side of the Roux Library is the new Sarah D. and L. Kirk McKay, Jr. Archives Center, designed by Straughn Trout Architects and dedicated in February of 2009. Although obviously a 21st century design (<a href="http://www.flsouthern.edu/library/archives/archivesconstruction.htm">click here for photographs</a>), the archives builidng uses elements of the surrounding Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, such as the tapestry block, the rectangular cut-outs in the overhangs, and the round shape of the original E. T. Roux Library. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvRFgYPciD68HL6hMw7razMKOkKDzgFF4eWaLAPjZH6c-2tVQW_aUEnTieFoMQrh2dnGaBBnwp5JlwBuPYvGyLDC7CF6toqDzuSweeKfCS2cejXDVfenCvmqmadIwE22d-621/s1600-h/Buckner+Building.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335062555379587746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 185px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvRFgYPciD68HL6hMw7razMKOkKDzgFF4eWaLAPjZH6c-2tVQW_aUEnTieFoMQrh2dnGaBBnwp5JlwBuPYvGyLDC7CF6toqDzuSweeKfCS2cejXDVfenCvmqmadIwE22d-621/s320/Buckner+Building.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The original E. T. Roux Library? Oh yes, the one built by Frank Lloyd Wright. What was the campus library is now the Thad Buckner Building, and houses the <a href="http://www.flsouthern.edu/fllwctr/">Child of the Sun Visitor Center</a>. Which is where if I had planned my trip, and had the visitor center been opened, I could have visited the gift shop and learned more about the very buildings I was there to see. The Buckner building was built during World War II - the students provided the construction labor, including the co-eds. It's interesting to compare photographs of <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=EZi_CEycn2cC&pg=PA47&dq=E.+T.+Roux+Library&as_brr=3">construction of the Buckner Building</a> with photographs of <a href="http://staarch.com/mckay/">construction of the McKay Archives building</a>, with their circular shapes. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5to0fi8nRbb5z0If3BEHTgKHyj4tvmzt1bP4ilzxGFNY5DyAFa_i8OYBUmkcsPz1I5prA2tZtq6e7s6tkxMX8WKTy8oQ5XrOq5TRF1FtEzjCbATd9cY2skd_s2qXpbeyHmJE/s1600-h/buckner+windows.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335062795749497170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 232px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5to0fi8nRbb5z0If3BEHTgKHyj4tvmzt1bP4ilzxGFNY5DyAFa_i8OYBUmkcsPz1I5prA2tZtq6e7s6tkxMX8WKTy8oQ5XrOq5TRF1FtEzjCbATd9cY2skd_s2qXpbeyHmJE/s320/buckner+windows.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />(The windows are quite unusual.)<br /><br /><br /><br />And who was this E.T. Roux fellow? Edwin Timanus Roux was a Florida banker and businessman who was on the board for the college's early years. Before Florida Southern College came to Lakeland, an earlier campus burned. Roux helped the college find a temporary home in Clearwater Beach while new facilities were built on Lake Hollingsworth in 1922 (<em>A Guide to Historic Lakeland</em> by Steve Rajtar, The History Press, 2007). <br /><br />----------------<br /><br /><a href="http://www.centralfloridamodern.com/projectList.asp?peopleID=1">Other buildings by Nils Schweizer</a>Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-70457919034794121452009-05-11T12:02:00.005-05:002009-05-11T12:27:57.152-05:00Polk County Science Building<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0L3zBllOCdSPJEEmgQ2BE0XZqnkmFF7ZxUFDaDHndZnFb1vOcdGQM3vXWehNNqOs9jHuDyLNxXf6xOdV0YZrHiFMOjKH_q0UNhWeYnqXjhGEoajPxUb_Q51TwfP_iJGqOFXY/s1600-h/Polk+Science.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334613383397833106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 233px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0L3zBllOCdSPJEEmgQ2BE0XZqnkmFF7ZxUFDaDHndZnFb1vOcdGQM3vXWehNNqOs9jHuDyLNxXf6xOdV0YZrHiFMOjKH_q0UNhWeYnqXjhGEoajPxUb_Q51TwfP_iJGqOFXY/s320/Polk+Science.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />From the Pfeiffer Chapel, I could see the Polk County Science Building. This is really several large, low, horizontal buildings connected by covered esplanades. The dome at the end is the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed planetarium to be actually built. The ventilation system on the roof was added during recent renovations. The book <em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=EZi_CEycn2cC&pg=PA109&lpg=PA109&dq=polk+county+science+building&source=bl&ots=G7nr3VpLSl&sig=vdxGANzEd-AfCacFMGrqGyX9PWs&hl=en&ei=tBsISs7fIc6ptgeOo-n5Bg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9#PPA112,M1">The Buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright at Florida Southern College</a></em> has a photograph taken from a similar perspective (page 112) when the Polk Science building was under construction in the 1950s. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7q57GNk8bK6inerNwTHu-eGAxWFcLZ8H-3tmmR5PTCEwlac5DkSPagCVm2tN0Rw8KE8bXZcJhC4W-RgPvQJytoWKt5JF6EgJvCnMZvHU2QOa8NZnAiR5eiwQj26WLekWltKJ/s1600-h/cosmography+building+plaque.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334613275058452642" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 226px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7q57GNk8bK6inerNwTHu-eGAxWFcLZ8H-3tmmR5PTCEwlac5DkSPagCVm2tN0Rw8KE8bXZcJhC4W-RgPvQJytoWKt5JF6EgJvCnMZvHU2QOa8NZnAiR5eiwQj26WLekWltKJ/s320/cosmography+building+plaque.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This was the last of the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings built on the Florida Southern College campus. It was built partly below grade, which caused problems with leakage and drainage (not an uncommon problem with Frank Lloyd Wright buildings...). <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAi_Q5DnJRn7jLJ5BZZiyLmfI-_zQdKhiiHROjYTSXxV7I2VcZUxeH6K3xfLsB9ydFdr7kx-uj1D7Ec_HIE9HAnBf0a3ATGpj3mIwuIJFF4UHL_sXrH9JcLzNIjprpghovfv0b/s1600-h/aluminum+columns+Polk+Science.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334613186306400818" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 190px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAi_Q5DnJRn7jLJ5BZZiyLmfI-_zQdKhiiHROjYTSXxV7I2VcZUxeH6K3xfLsB9ydFdr7kx-uj1D7Ec_HIE9HAnBf0a3ATGpj3mIwuIJFF4UHL_sXrH9JcLzNIjprpghovfv0b/s320/aluminum+columns+Polk+Science.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Walkway at Polk Science with aluminum-clad supportsLucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-82694249545826868192009-05-09T17:00:00.000-05:002009-05-09T17:11:54.485-05:00Frank Lloyd Wright's Annie Pfeiffer Chapel<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfb_GErZ0ark1AvEOwPuuPWBwd8JeE-KukgyX9hqwbT2PgRSSQq0XpvKaY2e6ROTGtTrdvIo0m4NAB2b3vR2yj8mV-N5OudDwpdrrxmHGQdLmFIpOZqgjHqFD6448RjS8atuB7/s1600-h/FSC+FLW+chapels.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333547675351984210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfb_GErZ0ark1AvEOwPuuPWBwd8JeE-KukgyX9hqwbT2PgRSSQq0XpvKaY2e6ROTGtTrdvIo0m4NAB2b3vR2yj8mV-N5OudDwpdrrxmHGQdLmFIpOZqgjHqFD6448RjS8atuB7/s320/FSC+FLW+chapels.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It's shameful. I've been living in Florida, studying its history and architecture for years and years and it wasn't until last month that I finally visited <a href="http://www.flsouthern.edu/about_fsc/history.htm">Florida Southern College</a>'s campus in Lakeland with its grand collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings.<br /><br />The photograph above is of the William Danforth Chapel (front) and the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel. The original campus was in an orange grove on this hill overlooking Lake Hollingsworth, but the trees are gone now. Too bad, because the campus was glaring and hot even in April, especially with the concrete block buildings.<br /><br />The Annie Pfeiffer Chapel was the first of Wright's buildings to be constructed at Florida Southern College. At its dedication, Annie Pfeiffer (<a href="http://www.tblc.org/fsc/archives/pfeiffers.html">wife of the founder of Pfeiffer Chemical Company</a>) reportedly said, "They say it is finished," perhaps in reference to the metal bars forming a spire or steeple. Sometimes the chapel is referred to as "the bicycle rack."<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDthuNYRnJpxShfDYLzi4kv4mS-CtnBvd38nMFiHXsd96AI7iymiHSmMHSfpBpMZWKu7bE8wynui4uqjCNVVMOa-guNdNOBCUMiWP46nxpvreBM3lS-ZxapqXWFIGlwqmkE6l-/s1600-h/chapel+entrance.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333547477514367474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 242px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDthuNYRnJpxShfDYLzi4kv4mS-CtnBvd38nMFiHXsd96AI7iymiHSmMHSfpBpMZWKu7bE8wynui4uqjCNVVMOa-guNdNOBCUMiWP46nxpvreBM3lS-ZxapqXWFIGlwqmkE6l-/s320/chapel+entrance.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDYcmXjOvTgay0Ch9RO7Sws-nkTpYrLvSAern5CwccdL7zpc1XMY-AKI0yfiuaWgMOlgXij7tA_Mcuu3kWeFEodx1QS9-lrECOh83GrvhlrO1A88xA4MmsVlkvzyI6muySAok/s1600-h/FLW+bicycle+rack.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333547574460610386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 258px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDYcmXjOvTgay0Ch9RO7Sws-nkTpYrLvSAern5CwccdL7zpc1XMY-AKI0yfiuaWgMOlgXij7tA_Mcuu3kWeFEodx1QS9-lrECOh83GrvhlrO1A88xA4MmsVlkvzyI6muySAok/s320/FLW+bicycle+rack.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisbrvmfMzA7uyEnZaw-4pxcricwORUBWV3LNFS0MBf1PVgonLlZNWTUW4DHJfhZ-RpdTWKAdhSG7bprEFbptAstgHCvj7l2oW3xYtl-F1p9d0eRFN1E1xmtiCUyEyWMSKAXok/s1600-h/inside+looking+up.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333547842444991810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisbrvmfMzA7uyEnZaw-4pxcricwORUBWV3LNFS0MBf1PVgonLlZNWTUW4DHJfhZ-RpdTWKAdhSG7bprEFbptAstgHCvj7l2oW3xYtl-F1p9d0eRFN1E1xmtiCUyEyWMSKAXok/s320/inside+looking+up.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />FSC students provided labor for the construction of the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings on campus, including this chapel. Natural light inside the chapel comes primarily from the large skylight above. The walls are made of a special concrete block called tapestry block. The tapestry blocks have small squares of colored glass embedded in them, creating moving spots of red, blue, and amber on a sunny day.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wJzeptXRrFLMKXFicb0hETA29RQUH50lM6dOT-IHyHI7W2Ln4DAzJB2IYirqGwqeNoXkPCLrZPg-vq6VZrGdlXptaFUhR4qWsUVzh5cJA656JAiq4evWgW5vsYcrdYRmoZG-/s1600-h/stairwell.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333548020236411698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wJzeptXRrFLMKXFicb0hETA29RQUH50lM6dOT-IHyHI7W2Ln4DAzJB2IYirqGwqeNoXkPCLrZPg-vq6VZrGdlXptaFUhR4qWsUVzh5cJA656JAiq4evWgW5vsYcrdYRmoZG-/s320/stairwell.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_PLtJUyJ-7ycUvofg1rgF6KYXREztGUVJ94XU2aVWApRaCQ5RiYT_OgTyBK-d37IMp3Em1Ea7GFyE82xmWkRWFSUmeabzkOIWRz7n1u7ArQ4nS_wQmPEzofxrcRw8Wo7-aSu/s1600-h/glass+insets.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333547748134912338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_PLtJUyJ-7ycUvofg1rgF6KYXREztGUVJ94XU2aVWApRaCQ5RiYT_OgTyBK-d37IMp3Em1Ea7GFyE82xmWkRWFSUmeabzkOIWRz7n1u7ArQ4nS_wQmPEzofxrcRw8Wo7-aSu/s320/glass+insets.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VLAAiEtzdKDQPI5KdhpS_suE0f9URf0FdTNkV24s5lv0prRtb2F0hhamv2CmvGZaKzXzhQojTLV9QzD03aeDeDqTJIl2E-0FrhS1IlQwyR8lNBoC84PDiYeA6obrA_Yw-_nP/s1600-h/pipe+organ.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The book <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=EZi_CEycn2cC&printsec=frontcover&dq=frank+lloyd+wright+chapel+florida"><em>Buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright at Florida Southern College</em> </a>(Arcadia 2007) contains fascinating photographs of the chapel's construction and traces some of the changes in the building's interior and exterior over the years. Some of the major changes came after a 1944 hurricane shattered the skylight and parts of the building collapsed. During reconstruction the tapestry blocks above the first floor were stuccoed on the exterior to make them more weather proof.Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-50007841672948042842009-05-07T15:45:00.000-05:002009-05-07T14:41:58.954-05:00Muffler Man Sighting in Zephyrhills<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvFjv2pOJ9IDzAPcbdIAwBdQO3WiC4hAci_OZomfqs_JqXIHe3MFyAWRPX764GIYaC6jQFoHs81wVAQlgj4DLjWfWebyPdqEQDh7sUEHzK4S3oUjtiQYFG8cWyfRoFeQ43pmq/s1600-h/zephyrhills+muffler+man.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331411283980882034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 233px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvFjv2pOJ9IDzAPcbdIAwBdQO3WiC4hAci_OZomfqs_JqXIHe3MFyAWRPX764GIYaC6jQFoHs81wVAQlgj4DLjWfWebyPdqEQDh7sUEHzK4S3oUjtiQYFG8cWyfRoFeQ43pmq/s320/zephyrhills+muffler+man.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Highway giants are larger than life men, dinosaurs, elephants, large statues placed by the roadside to attract tourists and customers. Such giants are found across the nation, not just in Florida, but their fanstasical nature is well suited to our state.<br /><br />Muffler men date to the 1960s and 1970s, and were large statues of men holding mufflers meant to advertise a muffler or auto repair shop. In <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=QvESOZviqoUC&pg=PA18&dq=%22muffler+man%22&lr=#PPP1,M1"><em>Roadside Giants</em> </a>(Stackpole Books 2005), authors Brian and Sarah Butko explain that most muffler men were built by Prewitt Fiberglass of Venice, California. Later known as International Fiberglass, the company made unusually large statues of humans and animals up into the 1970s. Owners, particularly new owners, often give their muffler men new clothes and new items to hold, depending what is to be advertised.<br /><br />The muffler man at Muffler City on Highway 301 in <a href="http://www.ci.zephyrhills.fl.us/">Zephyrhills</a> is fairly traditional in his appearance and choice of accessory, a wrench. This shop has <a href="http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM461D">an example of another type of muffler man</a> as well, <a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/muffler/art.html">the kind made out of old car parts</a> - there he is, leaning against the sign post. Give him a wave next time you're passing by!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.agilitynut.com/giants/flmm.html">Florida Muffler Men</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/muffler/track.html">National Muffler Man Tracking Chart and Map</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/muffler/">Roadside America's Muffler Man Homepage</a><br /><br /><a href="http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/2009/03/roadside-giants-found.html">Visual Ephemera - Roadside Giants Found!<br /></a>Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-80081103520794768332009-05-01T10:25:00.002-05:002009-05-09T16:40:34.011-05:00Hong Kong Willie<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-Ecqmr1QoyoPgXITkJpz6Nt6WGuEsWYK_xtOBHhkDnjTM3PtAFI0FRtNV8aJJvdWz2fTyeBFHrw-5HvQIkgeJV5VZuPUOoY3EPYd8cKE6hHPzJQ9q5KH_cIYSpa0g31gVsa4/s1600-h/Hong+Kong+Willie+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329464857315735586" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 202px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-Ecqmr1QoyoPgXITkJpz6Nt6WGuEsWYK_xtOBHhkDnjTM3PtAFI0FRtNV8aJJvdWz2fTyeBFHrw-5HvQIkgeJV5VZuPUOoY3EPYd8cKE6hHPzJQ9q5KH_cIYSpa0g31gVsa4/s320/Hong+Kong+Willie+1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmspTrp_FydaAxUjN3DKyi9FPLDedwzDz0uNTofb75zq2GVdLXJ1qZx10b913mNkYp48vkFWBSZ3lb7iqMPQtLel0LoriMYbg5BSXcjBBEtD4eJeSVoL8tS2DHNoGTAppwEG58/s1600-h/Hong+Kong+Willie+6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329465259043219202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmspTrp_FydaAxUjN3DKyi9FPLDedwzDz0uNTofb75zq2GVdLXJ1qZx10b913mNkYp48vkFWBSZ3lb7iqMPQtLel0LoriMYbg5BSXcjBBEtD4eJeSVoL8tS2DHNoGTAppwEG58/s320/Hong+Kong+Willie+6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgLHoqlEmrQOYj_QUHiRal2BkzzvYGPqUJ9FKmTNeIR_hTeNpjmeMGMbsg6-oKC33Rkr76A7j67xpuwXu_Kfs5J6AN_e4-gTYLtnpc4tb2XBgeW3-NflqjkHp_GlGvnHej4ql/s1600-h/Hong+Kong+Willie+4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329465190612685218" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 190px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgLHoqlEmrQOYj_QUHiRal2BkzzvYGPqUJ9FKmTNeIR_hTeNpjmeMGMbsg6-oKC33Rkr76A7j67xpuwXu_Kfs5J6AN_e4-gTYLtnpc4tb2XBgeW3-NflqjkHp_GlGvnHej4ql/s320/Hong+Kong+Willie+4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj2HwC1nqtrRM4oV6s3e-7Dg1CNnJGIc6cjtG9OR1djWmjxrphObH7qCRp6WYiYFnXzNPYEnttYtuXBa-e9c1V9sxic5bLKJzPzsMzRxDr65nJkezIV2qMYG5x77ssbMqUNHV/s1600-h/Hong+Kong+Willie+5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329465105684115442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 284px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj2HwC1nqtrRM4oV6s3e-7Dg1CNnJGIc6cjtG9OR1djWmjxrphObH7qCRp6WYiYFnXzNPYEnttYtuXBa-e9c1V9sxic5bLKJzPzsMzRxDr65nJkezIV2qMYG5x77ssbMqUNHV/s320/Hong+Kong+Willie+5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nyyuuUGzmoQdmdWkQlll0qxd8dz6RKyLcaBke8bRIbsCeRk8JpLnCHW0XTkoPJ_urvYYdRLBhfNGgu_aP7r6dyY9oGnughG3OzdHWVwvPZ-sp-qlMe8slHKHODDFqNH4cGue/s1600-h/Hong+Kong+Willie+3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329465020520535298" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 230px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nyyuuUGzmoQdmdWkQlll0qxd8dz6RKyLcaBke8bRIbsCeRk8JpLnCHW0XTkoPJ_urvYYdRLBhfNGgu_aP7r6dyY9oGnughG3OzdHWVwvPZ-sp-qlMe8slHKHODDFqNH4cGue/s320/Hong+Kong+Willie+3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZp3-yjpqatbJI4jphfajysERhaxFFYh_McW_dD8ePjdQImNORHlGEB4-tY7FsTBGKQZmZLbdDZXu0-Yu_9kyE_98GoovbKGYuYmimLMmOAHQXZAwWxz76umz8RX69PJcg4KV/s1600-h/Hong+Kong+Willie+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329464931975990594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 244px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZp3-yjpqatbJI4jphfajysERhaxFFYh_McW_dD8ePjdQImNORHlGEB4-tY7FsTBGKQZmZLbdDZXu0-Yu_9kyE_98GoovbKGYuYmimLMmOAHQXZAwWxz76umz8RX69PJcg4KV/s320/Hong+Kong+Willie+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />On the corner of Fletcher Avenue and Morris Bridge Road in Tampa is possibly the largest collection of styrofoam buoys I've ever seen unattacted to a fishing fleet. This is Hong Kong Willie. Surrounded by an interstate highway, a corporate business park, and national chain hotels, the orange helicopter on a flat-bed truck festooned with a web of fairy lights does catch the eye. The <a href="http://hongkongwillie.blogspot.com/">Hong Kong Willie blog</a> has links to interviews and news stories outling the Hong Kong Willie philosophy of reuse, and tracing the evolution from bait shop to art studio.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wusf.usf.edu/SoundSlides/897News/070928_HK_Willie/publish_to_web/index.html">Hong Kong Willie Preservation Art Group </a>(audio / slide show from WUSF)<br /><br />--------<br /><br />Added May 2, 2009<br /><br />My husband took an unblurry photo of the helicopter, so I've added it here:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVzzp-JvX-z0ST_lmuLofGg1v_bUkO9K4QjhEWiSwMiOgx7cWJ5uHPnblIiBIluCBTKPgFbe2dqDTMFPeFiE5BTL6D3ihDM9G3ZqEPGjAk1ESzWz1q7BIm_gk-Yj1Ud0OLC8r/s1600-h/hong+knong+willie+helicopter.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331410659766044530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVzzp-JvX-z0ST_lmuLofGg1v_bUkO9K4QjhEWiSwMiOgx7cWJ5uHPnblIiBIluCBTKPgFbe2dqDTMFPeFiE5BTL6D3ihDM9G3ZqEPGjAk1ESzWz1q7BIm_gk-Yj1Ud0OLC8r/s320/hong+knong+willie+helicopter.JPG" border="0" /></a>Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-42734314549497185202009-04-28T14:33:00.002-05:002009-04-28T14:40:49.711-05:00Most Endangered Historic Sites - Miami Marine StadiumToday the National Trust for Historic Preservation released their <a href="http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/11-most-endangered/?gclid=CM709KullJoCFRJexwodFXGHMg">2009 list of the Most Endangered Historic Sites in the United States</a>. On the list is Miami Marine Stadium. To learn more about the stadium, or to help preserve this landmark, visit the <a href="http://www.marinestadium.org/seats">Friends of Miami Marine Stadium</a>'s website, <a href="http://www.marinestadium.org/">http://www.marinestadium.org/</a>.<br /><br />Should we Floridians be proud or ashamed that Florida landmarks make this list so often? In 2008, it was <a href="http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/southern-region/vizcaya-and-bonnet-house.html">Vizcaya and Bonnet House</a>. In 2007, it was <a href="http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/southern-region/hialeah-park-race-course.html">Hialeah Park Race Course</a>. We skipped 2006, but there was the <a href="http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/southern-region/belleview-biltmore-hotel.html">Belleview Biltmore Hotel </a>in 2005.Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-19983332474215762009-04-27T13:57:00.003-05:002009-04-27T14:01:23.111-05:00Crystal Springs Roller Rink<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZC5rMHPoNZw5Zfnsl6gUxJ_IBMtveGWnNgzb24dlH7HgzCHDrKJDMCHWJyvmHz0fp9HACkh51wZ8nCu-vxVVgTMyAMTaAmUKXXxJjCy71NziA7lkdt0rVV6dk5mP_HPwYICHk/s1600-h/crystal+springs+roller+rink.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329447404108277618" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 181px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZC5rMHPoNZw5Zfnsl6gUxJ_IBMtveGWnNgzb24dlH7HgzCHDrKJDMCHWJyvmHz0fp9HACkh51wZ8nCu-vxVVgTMyAMTaAmUKXXxJjCy71NziA7lkdt0rVV6dk5mP_HPwYICHk/s320/crystal+springs+roller+rink.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogtj9uB7JaQ">Crystal Springs Roller Rink on YouTube </a><br /><br />"<a href="http://www.sptimes.com/2005/02/06/Floridian/Rolling_back_time.shtml">Rolling Back Time</a>" <em>St. Petersburg Times</em>, February 6, 2005Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-24909062240473548972009-04-14T10:10:00.004-05:002009-04-14T10:54:00.524-05:00The Old Spanish Trail's Zero MarkerThe Old Spanish Trail is not really Spanish, nor is it particularly old, at least for St. Augustine. The "trail" began in 1915 as a transcontinental highway for automobiles, connecting St. Augustine in the east to San Diego in the west. The Old Spanish Trail Association began in <a href="http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1794">Mobile, Alabama</a>, where they saw the <a href="http://www.drivetheost.com/history.html">commercial benefit of having an east/west highway </a>connecting the new north/south <a href="http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/us231.cfm">Jackson</a> and <a href="http://www.us-highways.com/dixiehwy.htm">Dixie</a> highways. Thus, the Old Spanish Trail began in a city known for its French heritage. <br /><br />These new highways brought automotive tourists and their money to the communities along the roadways. During World War I, advocates of the Old Spanish Trail (and other national highways) <a href="http://www.drivetheost.com/history.html">promoted its importance as a military road</a>, vital for national security and defense, anticipating <a href="http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/interstate.cfm">Eisenhower's Interstate Highway system </a>by several decades. In the 1920s, Harral B. Ayres, the Old Spainish Trail Association's director, encouraged the notion that the highway followed old Spanish roads, using the romance of the past to promote tourism. <br /><br />The terrain the highway was to cover in the southeastern United States hampered construction - bridges were needed over the many rivers and swamps of the coastal South. The Old Spanish Trail was not completed until 1929, an event marked by a three-day celebration in St. Augustine, and the dedication of this commemorative marker (which since <a href="http://www.drivetheost.com/florida.html">has been moved twice</a>). <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4R12k4oTWNthnQL4ylutzo5PguMe0E2duSjbVKQhSyA0x0c-4QL512Y_bre4zFok5J6cNkuTVgYMxBmCyWuryBiYS_KuvXxvrICzlVOICDCtqnuyLXS5PDiGYjiVxWHn07Hf/s1600-h/Old+Spanish+Trail+Zero+Milestone.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4R12k4oTWNthnQL4ylutzo5PguMe0E2duSjbVKQhSyA0x0c-4QL512Y_bre4zFok5J6cNkuTVgYMxBmCyWuryBiYS_KuvXxvrICzlVOICDCtqnuyLXS5PDiGYjiVxWHn07Hf/s320/Old+Spanish+Trail+Zero+Milestone.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324574536715653650" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Each year, on the last weekend of April and the first weekend of May, Crestview, Florida, holds the <a href="http://www.ostf.info/index.html">Old Spanish Trail Festival</a>. This year will be the event's 53rd anniversary, and is only 11 days from now!<br /><br />-----------------<br /><br /><em><a href="http://www.oldspanishtrailcentennial.com/History/The%20story%20of%20the%20Old%20Spanish%20Trail/The%20Story%20of%20the%20Old%20Spanish%20Trail.pdf">The Story of the Old Spanish Trail</a></em>, by Harral B. Ayres (<a href="http://www.oldspanishtrailcentennial.com/">Old Spanish Trail Centennial</a>)Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-48872944021350853192009-04-13T18:01:00.004-05:002009-04-13T18:11:52.578-05:00Welcome to the Waterdome Redux<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4w5f9R1ZYoXis4GkyDlZDSQvbI6hj9KXzF7p8sPhVezBsk6LYXIyD_IVO0ilyYaT9yfC-u09cLl6wY8TR5AxNQd8vpamFvIuhw45VfGxa_gjWOYLPgkk_hZfHnVvN-T0z7Kx/s1600-h/waterdome.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4w5f9R1ZYoXis4GkyDlZDSQvbI6hj9KXzF7p8sPhVezBsk6LYXIyD_IVO0ilyYaT9yfC-u09cLl6wY8TR5AxNQd8vpamFvIuhw45VfGxa_gjWOYLPgkk_hZfHnVvN-T0z7Kx/s320/waterdome.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324316684705258610" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I finally had a chance to see the Waterdome at Florida Southern College in action, nearly a year and a half after its rebirth! It was bluer and smaller than I expected, although a nearby sign detailed a schedule of when the fountain is off, at partial power, and full blast. We were there on a Saturday afternoon -- at least half the people we saw were like us - wandering around staring at the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. Even though it has been a cool spring season, there's enough concrete and metal on that part of the campus to make a water feature like the fountain a welcome sight. <br /><br /><a href="http://myfloridahistory.blogspot.com/2007/10/welcome-to-waterdome.html">Welcome to the Waterdome</a> (October 2007)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flsouthern.edu/construction/preservation/waterdome.htm">Frank Lloyd Wright Water Dome / Florida Southern College</a>Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-88453347782967693512009-04-08T12:41:00.003-05:002009-04-08T12:59:07.055-05:00Rodriguez-Avero-Sanchez House in St. Augustine<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKp7p1OAoKTInSTwi-PpyAjfA1TGd2r2L808BfhqZBd7-JSF8cbSbSQD7veRCp23obBFGSVInJosOS4AXVJCjNl0KQ2wq2mMU4_o4jF80255rCHYDKr4gn5spOeYlH-czU1iB/s1600-h/Rodriguez+Avero+Sanchez+House+April+2009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322377500241135698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 224px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKp7p1OAoKTInSTwi-PpyAjfA1TGd2r2L808BfhqZBd7-JSF8cbSbSQD7veRCp23obBFGSVInJosOS4AXVJCjNl0KQ2wq2mMU4_o4jF80255rCHYDKr4gn5spOeYlH-czU1iB/s320/Rodriguez+Avero+Sanchez+House+April+2009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here is the Rodriguez-Avero-Sanchez House at 52 St. George Street in St. Augustine. The first rooms of this house were built sometime around 1760 or 1761. In 1761 it was the home of a former member of the Spanish garrison, a Galician named Fernando Rodriguez. When he died in 1762, Antonia de Avero inherited the property. Over the years, the house passed from one owner to another - some British, some Spanish, some members of the Avero family, some not. Between 1791 and 1802, Juan Sanchez built the two-story coquina-block portion of the house that fronts onto St. George Street today.<br /><br />The National Park Service's <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hh:@field(NUMBER+@band(FL0229))">Historic American Building Survey documented the Rodriguez-Avero-Sanchez House</a> in the 1960s, providing a detailed history of the house and a description of the building. The HABS documentation includes <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=hhphoto&fileName=fl/fl0200/fl0229/photos/browse.db&action=browse&recNum=0&title2=Rodriguez-Avero-Sanchez%20House,%2052%20Saint%20George%20Street,%20Saint%20Augustine,%20St.%20Johns%20County,%20FL&displayType=1&itemLink=r?ammem/hh:@field(NUMBER+@band(FL0229))">1960 photographs of the house before its restoration as well as 1965 "after" images</a>.<br /><br />The 1965 images of the Rodriguez-Avero-Sanchez House were taken by Jack Boucher, whose career as a photographer for the Historic American Building Survey is featured in the Spring 2009 issue of <em>Common Ground</em>. <em><a href="http://commonground.cr.nps.gov/Mag_Sub.cfm">Common Ground</a></em> is a free publication of the National Park Service.Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-25909954720891689962009-03-31T10:16:00.003-05:002009-03-31T10:38:01.869-05:00Cat Statue<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsZ-2JBQ1uik7dDRPSUrOjitARe12fwYocwOPBPPACumryabhjjJYNan8nFGIeYCEwevXL0BovBrXW_2JYW_y-GT-yXEZVot8ycZbk4RLVwlxdOigCxmJNvyFabZIso2AOv7t/s1600-h/Picasso+Hemingway+Cat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319371255093316450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 199px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsZ-2JBQ1uik7dDRPSUrOjitARe12fwYocwOPBPPACumryabhjjJYNan8nFGIeYCEwevXL0BovBrXW_2JYW_y-GT-yXEZVot8ycZbk4RLVwlxdOigCxmJNvyFabZIso2AOv7t/s320/Picasso+Hemingway+Cat.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Back in 1991, I visited Key West for the first time, and one highlight of the trip was the Hemingway House. The tour guide casually pointed out a ceramic statue sitting on top of a cabinet, a gift from from Pablo Picasso to Ernest Hemingway. Years later I heard that the statue had been stolen, which honestly wasn't surprising considering it was a cool Picasso statue just sitting on a cabinet in a house. <br /><br />Years later, while going through boxes of old photos (oh, the pre-digital days), we came across this picture from that 1991 trip. According to the Hemingway House museum's website, the cat was found in a box in the 1970s, and Hemingway's wife said that it was a gift from Picasso to Hemingway. The two men had become friends when living in Paris in the 1920s. The statue was stolen during or shortly after a house tour in November 2000, and recovered a month later when the thief tried to use it as a deposit for a small boat. Unfortunately, the statue was badly damaged. The statue now on display in the house museum is a replica.<br /><br />(Sources included the <a href="http://www.hemingwayhome.com/HTML/house.htm">Hemingway House website</a>, the Dec. 11, 2000 <em>Miami Herald</em>, and the Jan. 26, 2001 <em>Palm Beach Post</em>)Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-42085620960640360822009-03-26T17:03:00.005-05:002009-03-26T18:06:56.083-05:00A Florida Fresh Market<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvY_KB4lNQOaqPBx2MRzlC08mWj0mOWiEPzsmagFnoToUC8MG6m9ucFp9uNnqJ969tYOBHjcUjLtYwJ70POccXwvpc05EncJeskOArQ6Q5d1TpJzKGe_B6T2i4B2S6PySMozp/s1600-h/ruskin+tomatoes.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317631780908012354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 298px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvY_KB4lNQOaqPBx2MRzlC08mWj0mOWiEPzsmagFnoToUC8MG6m9ucFp9uNnqJ969tYOBHjcUjLtYwJ70POccXwvpc05EncJeskOArQ6Q5d1TpJzKGe_B6T2i4B2S6PySMozp/s320/ruskin+tomatoes.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Primed by promises of fresh, local produce, I visited a local fresh market this week for the first time in a long while. I surmised that since a lot of vegetables are grown in Florida, that a fresh market in Florida would have little room for foreign fruit. So I was disappointed to see Chilean grapes and California avocados.<br /><br />I acknowledge my hypocrisy in expecting local produce in Florida, a state whose <a href="http://www.florida-agriculture.com/agfacts.htm">vast agricultural economy </a>is based on selling to people who live elsewhere. For centuries, Florida farmers have made their livings by selling oranges and green beans and strawberries to people far, far away. Pioneering farmers loaded citrus onto steamboats and trains so that hotels in New York City might serve sectioned fruit to their guests. Thousands of men were lured to Florida by <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=lHMWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1182&dq=%22truck+farm%22+florida&as_brr=1">the promise of a better life as a gentleman farmer</a>, with ten acres in the country and a house in town.<br /><br />Indeed, there were several local products available at the Oldsmar Fresh Market that I do not see at my local Publix or Wal-Mart Supercenter. There were fresh breads from a local bakery, fresh Gulf seafood, and honey from local bees. Of course there were Florida strawberries, and <a href="http://www.hillsborough.wateratlas.usf.edu/upload/documents/HILLSBOROUGH_COUNTY_Historic_Resources_Excerpts_Ruskin.pdf">Ruskin</a> <a href="http://ruskintomatofestival.org/">tomatoes</a>. There was a table of Florida citrus, and not the shiny perfect fruit that gets mailed away in gift baskets, but the duller, lumpier fruit Floridians keep for themselves because it tastes so good. Here were the Florida grapefruit, the Temple orange, and the Honey Murcott. The Temple and the Honey Murcott oranges are both tangors, crosses between tangerines and sweet oranges. The Temple orange gave its name to the city of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Terrace,_Florida">Temple Terrace</a>, where larges groves of the fruit once grew. The Honey Murcott orange is named after <a href="http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/murcott.html">Charles Murcott Smith</a> who first planted groves of this variety nearby in Pinellas County.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZHcCVak898Uvlz3B2MNLxgDEAHaCCqgX_5uAwzu7oElB-g7sKF1IKrFayDIVXr_YxLQf0dav6cqSlZuK_3zNUxxlw2JZ-Qc9J52LaCQB0uJgRJOfJI-RI2pYI0dRVABMsf3T/s1600-h/oldsmar+fresh+market+citrus.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317633788045037026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 164px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZHcCVak898Uvlz3B2MNLxgDEAHaCCqgX_5uAwzu7oElB-g7sKF1IKrFayDIVXr_YxLQf0dav6cqSlZuK_3zNUxxlw2JZ-Qc9J52LaCQB0uJgRJOfJI-RI2pYI0dRVABMsf3T/s320/oldsmar+fresh+market+citrus.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />"<a href="http://www.tampabay.com/features/food/general/article868258.ece">Home cooking: Surviving for a week on locally grown food</a>" (<em>St. Petersburg Times</em>, October 24, 2008)<br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36071458.post-4325257586238126852009-03-25T20:18:00.003-05:002009-03-25T21:00:29.183-05:00Kate DiCamilloToday is author Kate DiCamillo's birthday (Happy Birthday!). Although her more recent books - <em>The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane</em>, <em>The Tale of Despereaux</em>, the Mercy Watson series, and the forthcoming <em>The Magician's Elephant</em> - don't offer much proof of it, she is a Florida writer.<br /><br />Born in the north, Kate experienced poor health as a child. Her doctor recommended the <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=jPC4eO88ixUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=sidney+lanier+florida&lr=&as_brr=3">time-honored cure of moving to Florida</a>, and she came to Clermont with her mother and brother. Her first novel, <em>Because of Winn-Dixie</em>, is set in North Florida, although I've pondered whether the setting is integral to the plot. I think the story could be set elsewhere in the South just as easily. On her website, however, <a href="http://www.katedicamillo.com/faq.html">DiCamillo writes </a>that the story arose at least in part from her homesickness for Florida during a cold Minnesota winter. Nor is her second book, <a href="http://www.katedicamillo.com/books/tiger.html"><em>The Tiger Rising</em></a>, particularly dependent on its Florida setting for meaning. It does, however, incorporate the timeless Florida theme of new beginnings and second chances.Lucy D. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02568184709852302685noreply@blogger.com1