Leroy Collins shown in his days as a Senator. Photo courtesy State Archives of Florida
On November 14, 1956, Florida Governor Leroy Collins welcomed the National Association of Travel Organizations at the Ellinor Village Country Club. It was there that morning on which the National Association of Travel Writers was organized. The NATW adopted bylaws, a constitution, and elected officers. Peter Celhers was elected as the first president.
The groups met with sessions such as “A Guided Tour of Florida,” “How to Sell Travel,” and more.
Now known as the Society of American Travel Writers, the national group has over 1,000 total members. SATW members are classified into one of four geographic areas and also assigned one of three councils based upon profession.
SATW operates upon a published set of core values including ethical standards, diversity, respect for individuals, respect for culture, and sustainability.
In June 1999 the Central States chapter of SATW met in Daytona Beach, welcomed by a $55,000 incentive package from the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. An additional $30,000 worth of promotional goods and services were donated by local businesses.
The DBACVB considered funding the visit of sixty travel writers a wise investment based upon the potential publicity in magazines, newspapers, and books. (Remember, the internet and social media had not blown up in the manner they have today.) Susan McClain, the communications director for the bureau stated, “The main message we’re presenting is that we are rejuvenating Daytona Beach and we want to attract more families.”
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
One visit of interest was a return to the Ellinor Village site where the organization had been formed forty-three years prior. To commemorate both the formation of the organization and the recent visit, SATW was able to install a small bronze on coquina plaque on the grounds of The Casements in Ormond Beach. The plaque reads
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Born in West Virginia in 1889, young Elmer Lunger Michael knew the difficulties life could bring. Growing up in Morgan County, he was the eldest of five children born to Albert (might be Tolbert) and Mary Michael. Elmer was to only complete the eighth grade before quitting school, most likely to help his family. By the age of twenty he had left his parents home, was married, and employed as a farmer. Elmer’s World War I draft registration shows him as being of medium height and build with brown hair and blue eyes.
Elmer, and his wife Ida Maud, moved to Volusia County, Florida sometime around 1925/1926. Elmer left the uncertainty of his last job of being a truck driver for what they hoped would be a brighter future in Florida. Elmer and Ida Maud were the parents of two children, Ralph, and Virginia.
In 1926, Elmer had been hired as a police officer with the DeLand police department. This would no doubt have been a welcome job during lean years for a man with no formal education and limited marketable skills.
For those who would harken back to an earlier time when streets were safe, there was little violence, and people had a respect for the law; the story of Elmer Michael is a harsh reminder of the realities in the world.
The Crime
On October 25, officer Michael was working the overnight shift, a shift that might have been considered safe considering DeLand was a small town of around 5,000 residents.
It was during this shift that John Wallace and John McGuire, known criminals from Indiana, were caught in downtown DeLand in a car reported stolen in Daytona Beach. While attempting to apprehend the criminals near the corner of Woodland and Wisconsin Avenues, Michael was shot and wounded. He was also pushed to the ground and received a serious wound to the head.
The following day Florida East Coast Railwayworkers M. A. Snyder and Walter Minton were both wounded during an encounter with the fugitives in New Smyrna Beach. Snyder received five bullet wounds; and Walter Minton, a special agent out of Palatka where he worked for the Florida East Coast Railway, was shot twice in the arm. Snyder was hospitalized for his wounds while Minton was released from medical care.
John Wallace was arrested later in the day on October 26 after the confrontation with Snyder and Minton.Local reports stated that McGuire was still wanted but Volusia County Sheriff S. E. Stone was confident he would be apprehended shortly.
On November 4, the DeLand Sun News ran an editorial thanking officer Michael and congratulating him on his release from DeLand Memorial Hospital.
Dear Elmer:
That was great news to hear that you are out again after the attempt made on your life recently by auto bandits. Elmer, it is such men as you that keep up the honor of a police force and in whom we have confidence that the law will be enforced. We congratulate you on your fearlessness and the whole of DeLand is happy that you escaped with your life. The next time Elmer any of that type of criminal sticks a gun at you, shoot him first. The country is well rid of such offscourings. (1)
While Sheriff Stone was confident that John Luke McGuire would quickly be apprehended, these thoughts were premature. During the first week in November Stone was working with Fort Wayne, Indiana authorities in order to put together a wanted campaign including photos. McGuire was described as twenty-three years old, five fee six inches tall, gray eyes, blond hair, with a medium build and complexion. The reward for the capture of McGuire was placed at $50. Five hundred copies of the wanted poster were distributed. In addition to the wounding of officer Michael and the FEC workers, McGuire and Wallace were accused in the robbery of a Daytona Beach pharmacy. (2)
The Trials
With McGuire still wanted, prosecutors began their case against John Wallace in December. Judge Marion O. Rowe was expected to announce a trial date when he convened court on December 2.The following day, Wallace, a young man of only twenty, was to plead guilty to three charges: the theft of two automobiles and participating in the robbery of Bogart’s Pharmacy.He received a six-year prison sentence at state prison in Raiford. Wallace was not arraigned that day on charges of assault with intent to kill in the attack on the three wounded men.
Good news reached DeLand in January 1930 where word was received that McGuire had been arrested in Ft. Wayne, IN on a weapons charge. The good news was short lived as Indiana authorities refused to immediately extradite the fugitive to Florida to face charges. McGuire and his attorneys used multiple legal maneuvers, including “witnesses” stating he was in Memphis, TN at the time of the shootings, to prevent his being returned to Florida.
Indiana Governor Harry Leslie courtesy Indiana Historical Bureau
In a scene that is right out of a movie however, on February 26, 1931, Indiana Governor Harry Leslie signed extradition papers. Volusia County Sheriff Stone was there to immediately take possession of the prisoner and begin transporting him to Florida where he would stand trial.
Samuel D. Jackson, the attorney for McGuire was able to obtain a writ of habeas corpus from Marion Circuit Court Judge Harry O. Chamberlain, which would have kept the prisoner from being extradited. Jackson made his petition claiming that McGuire had not been identified by his accusers and the use of questionable witnesses placing the accused in Tennessee on the date of the crime.
With a several hour head start, Sheriff Stone easily outpaced Jackson who was chasing the Florida lawman attempting to serve the writ and keep McGuire in Indiana. Stone drove unimpeded to Florida where McGuire was greeted with six charges in Volusia County, including three assaults with intent to murder.
Judge Bert Fish courtesy State Archives of Florida
The trial of John McGuire began in August 1931 in the courtroom of Judge Bert Fish, a highly respected legal mind who would go on to serve as a foreign ambassador in the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration.
When the jury returned its verdict on August 17, 1931, McGuire was found guilty. When Judge Fish attempted to talk with McGuire before announcing the sentence the young man had no reply. Fish’s sentence was reported in the paper as follows
I cannot recall anytime in Volusia County in recent years when any man displayed the reckless regard for life and property that you have been convicted of showing. You said nothing in your own defense, and your case does not seem to offer anything that would amend the sentence. As a punishment to you and as an example to others it is the judgement of the law and the sentence of the court that you be confined to the state prison for fifteen years at hard labor. (3)
As defense attorneys are paid to do, McGuire’s attorneys requested a new trial, a request denied by Judge Fish. They were however provided ninety days to present a list of exceptions for the court to consider.
When appeals of the verdict reached the Florida Supreme Court in November 1932, they were denied. A request for a rehearing was also denied, sending McGuire back to the prison at Raiford to continue his sentence.
Elmer Michael returned to the DeLand police force after his recuperation though it was reported at the time that Michael never returned to his old self. In February 1942, Michael was admitted to the hospital for what was considered at the time to be a non-life-threatening situation. The local newspaper theorized that over-exertion while making an arrest for public drunkenness may have led to the hospital stay. (4)
On the morning of February 17 Michael unexpectedly passed away having served dutifully for sixteen years on the force. “Mike” as he was known to many local residents and merchants left behind his wife, son, and daughter, along with a community to honor his memory.
Funeral services for the local officer were held on February 19 at First Christian Church with the Reverend Clyde Smith officiating. The local newspaper reported hundreds in attendance at the ceremony and city hall was closed during the service. Fellow police officers served as pallbearers and the local Masonic Lodge handled the burial ceremony at Oakdale Cemetery.
One week after officer Elmer Michael was laid to rest, his son, Ralph Michael was hired by the DeLand Police Department and reported for duty on March 1, 1942.
The March 2, 1942 DeLand Sun News ran a thank you notice from the Michael family for the outpouring of love and support they had received.
Card of Thanks.
We wish to thank our many friends for the beautiful flora offerings and kid expressions of sympathy expressed at the death of our husband and father.
Mrs. E.L. MichaelMrs. Cecil Barnes* (Virginia) Ralph Michael
Elmer Michael Headstone located in Oakdale Cemetery, DeLandDetail of Elmer Michael’s headstone including Masonic symbol
The Monument
Some of you may be wondering how I came upon the story of Officer Elmer Michael. Well, as it is for many historians, it was by accident. Often during my lunch break at work, I take a walk, partly for exercise from my desk job, and partly to see what I can find. One day recently was one of those type days.
Elmer Michael MemorialElmer Michael Memorial shown facing Woodland Boulevard
I was on my way back to my office, walking along Wisconsin Avenue near Bank of America and the Courtyard by Marriott when I noticed something on the other side of the street, kind of an after thought but what looked to be a piece of concrete that was out of place. I kept walking but it gnawed at me. After a hundred feet or so I just had to go back and see what this was that was located near the hotel.
When I got there, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. There, on the sidewalk was a memorial to Officer Elmer “Mike” Michael. The memorial itself is pretty plain and the plaque didn’t give much description but it was more than enough to spark my interest and contained enough information to send me on a newspaper chase that allowed me to write the article above.
The top plaque of the Elmer Michael monument located near the corner of Woodland Blvd. and Wisconsin Avenue
In Memory of
Elmer “Mike” Michael
Outstanding Service in the
Line of Duty for the City of DeLand
DeLand Patrolman
1926-1942
Detail of the Law Enforcement Memorial at the Historic Volusia County Courthouse
Ida Maude, the widow of Elmer, lived her remaining years in DeLand. She passed away in February 1986 at the age of 97. Survivors included daughter Virginia, son Ralph, a sister Grace Lintz, and many grand, great grand, and great, great grandchildren. (5)
*As I was researching this article and printing newspaper articles, the name Cecil Barnes struck me but I couldn’t place it immediately. I knew I had seen it before. A quick search of the multiple projects I am working on turned up his name. Not only did the Michael family lose their patriarch, Elmer, in February 1942; daughter Virginia, lost her husband, Staff Sergeant Cecil Barnes, on May 29, 1944 in fighting at BiakIsland in present day Indonesia. Staff Sergeant Barnes is buried in Oakdale Cemetery, DeLand. (6)
Detail of the headstone for Cecil BarnesHeadstone for Cecil Barnes who was killed in action during World War II
Sources
1)DeLand Sun News. November 4, 1929.
2) DeLand Sun News. November 7, 1929.
3)DeLand Sun News. August 17, 1931.
4)DeLand Sun News. February 17, 1942.
5)DeLand Sun News. February 8, 1986.
6)DeLand Sun News. June 8, 1944.
I have not included citations to every piece of information gathered from local newspaper articles. Almost all information was gathered from the DeLand Sun News. There are multiple other articles on the crime, trial, and death outlined above.
If you are interested in law enforcement in Volusia County, you may wish to read my blog post on a mural created for retired officer Francis McBride that is located in downtown DeLand, not far from the memorial to officer Michael.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. All views and opinions provided are my own and are never influenced by affiliate programs or sponsors providing products.
Located outside the incredible British Library in London is the impressive sculpture titled ‘Newton’ After William Blake, crafted by Eduardo Paolozzi.
Eduardo Paolozzi Courtesy BBC Radio
Paolozzi was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, to Italian immigrants on March 7, 1924. Growing up, Paolozzi’s father was an admirer of Benito Mussolini and sent his son to youth camps in Italy for several years.
When Italy declared war on the United Kingdom in June 1940, young Eduardo, his father, and grandfather were all imprisoned under the Emergency Powers Act. Eduardo spent three months in Saughton Prison. His father and grandfather were put aboard the Arandora Star and were to be transported to Canada for detention.
The Arandora Starwas constructed in 1925 and had served as a cruise ship based out of Southampton before being pressed into military duty. In June 1940, she left Liverpool with a passenger list including 174 officers and men, 200 military guards, 734 interned Italian men, 479 interned German men, and 86 German prisoners of war, destined for Newfoundland.
Early on the morning of July 2, she was struck by a torpedo launched by a German submarine, U-47. Eight hundred and five passengers lost their lives in the attack, the majority drowning. Among the dead were young Eduardo’s father and grandfather.
Upon his release, Eduardo attended classes at Edinburgh College of Art before being drafted in 1943. He spent more than a year in the Pioneer Corps before being released from service.He then began attending the Slade School.
Here the young artist was developing his talents and style. In 1947 he was given his first solo exhibition at the Mayor Gallery, where all his work sold. He was to then spend time in Parisbefore returning to London. In Paris he had come to learn of Dada and Surrealism and began to experiment with collage.
During the 1950s, Paolozzi began to produce architecturally based works. He also began to experiment with printmaking. His interest in collage continued however and as Frank Whitford wrote for the Guardian, “Everything he created began as an accumulation of unrelated images culled from a wide variety of sources which, when rearranged, achieved a new and surprising unity.”
In the 1960s his sculpture began to further incorporate his interest in collage. As Whitford writes of Paolozzi, “…regularly visited the dry docks, collecting discarded components from the wrecking yards. He used these, together with standard engineering parts ordered from catalogues, to create sculptures which simultaneously suggested curios machines and totems from some lost but technologically advanced culture.”
After a period of creative doldrums, Paolozzi moved to West Berlin in 1974. In Berlin he regained his creative energies producing abstract prints. He would later serve as a professor at the ColgoneFachhochschule and later served at the Munich Academy.
With his creativity at a high level. Paolozzi was awarded multiple public commissions in both Germany and Britain. During the long construction of the British Library, architect Sir Colin St. John Wilson commissioned Paolozzi to produce a sculpture to grace the piazza outside the library. The result: ‘Newton’ After William Blake.
William Blake’s painting of Newton, an inspiration for Paolozzi’s sculpture. Courtesy Tate Britain
The British Library describes Blake’s painting, “Blake’s original watercolor shows Newton surrounded by the glories of nature but oblivious to it all. Instead, he is focused on reducing the complexity of the universe to mathematical dimensions, bending forward with his compass.”
Installed in 1995, the sculpture is a bronze measuring twelve feet tall. Casting of this work was done by the Morris Singer Foundry. Singer was established in 1848 and has cast many well-known sculptures, including the Trafalgar Square Lions.
Newton After Blake located outside the British LibraryNewton After Blake from the sideSir Colin St. John Wilson Courtesy Royal Academy of Arts
In discussing his work, Paolozzi said, “While Blake may have been satirizing Newton, I see this work as an exciting union of two British geniuses. Together, they present to us nature and science, poetry, art, architecture-all welded, interconnected, interdependent.”
This interconnection between is shown in the physical sculpture itself. The body of Newton is shown in a seemingly mechanical way. Newton is held together with bolts in the major joints.
To hear more about this sculpture from the architect Sir Colin St. John Wilson click here. This interview excerpt is about two minutes long.
A model of the sculpture was given to the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences. A bronze cast of Newton is in the collection of the Tate Gallery. A similar sculpture is held at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh.
As he grew older, Paolozzi began to consider his legacy. He undertook a philanthropic role, donating prints to museums in Britain and other countries. His largest donation was to the National Galleries of Scotland which houses a studio with his name.
Paolozzi suffered a stroke in 2001 and passed away in April 2005.
You may examine the life of artist Eduardo Paolozzi in more detail in this work by art historian Judith Collins. Eduardo Paolozzi chronicles the development of European art from the 1950s through the late 1990s. At over 300 pages and heavily illustrated this is a must for anyone interested in learning about this amazing artist.
To learn more about the architect of the British Library, Sir Colin St. John Wilson, I recommend the book Buildings & Projects, written by Roger Stonehouse. Wilson himself penned several titles which can be seen here.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. All views and opinions provided are my own and are never influenced by affiliate programs or sponsors providing products.
Sources
British Library. Isaac Newton Sculpture by Eduardo Paolozzi. https://www.bl.uk/about-us/our-story/explore-the-building/isaac-newton-sculpture
Courthouses often serve as the home to monuments and memorials of local importance. The Historic Volusia County Courthouse, with entrances on both New York and Indiana Avenues, is no exception. Near the Indiana Avenue, entrance is the Law Enforcement Memorial Volusia and Flagler Counties.
This 3,500-pound marble Volusia Flagler Law Enforcement Memorial, crafted by Gene Letter, features the names of law enforcement officers from all stripes who have lost their lives in the line of duty. The monument currently contains thirty names.
Dedication
Dedicated on June 2, 1995, a day designated by Volusia County Council as Law Enforcement Memorial Day, and attended by then state Attorney General Bob Butterworth, the monument serves as reminded of the dangers that law enforcement of all types face every time them go to work.
As then Ponce Inlet Police Chief Todd Hendrickson stated, “I don’t care if your force has 3,000 members or eight like we do, it’s devastating (to lose a fellow officer).”
Individual Posts
Over time, I will be researching the story of these officers service and will post a blog entry for them. I will then link the post through their names below. If you have memories of any of these officers, I invite you to leave a respectful comment to this post or use the “contact” function. I would be glad to include your memories in my post. If you have photos you would like to share, I will be glad to provide you with appropriate credit in the post. Your stories and photos can bring the stories of these officers to life!
Volusia and Flalger Counties Law Enforcement Memorial located outside the Historic Volusia County Courthouse in DeLand
Names on the Memorial
Sheriff Jefferson D. Kurtz April 25, 1895 Volusia County Sheriff’s Office
Deputy Sheriff William K. Kremer December 10, 1898 Volusia County Sheriff’s Office
Deputy Sheriff Charles M. Kurtz September 3, 1907 Volusia County Sheriff’s Office
Chief Deputy William P. Edwards November 5, 1907 Volusia County Sheriff’s Office
Deputy Sheriff Frank A. Smith March 18, 1927 Volusia County Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff Perry Hall August 21, 1927 Volusia County Sheriff’s Office
Deputy Sheriff George Durrance August 25, 1927 Flagler County Sheriff’s Office
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In the days of segregation, the city of New Smyrna Beach was no different than
communities across the country. African American students were routed to schools
that were clearly separate but not equal. While not having the financial resources
that were allocated to white schools, that did not mean that students, faculty and
staff, did not have pride in their community school.
Are you interested in learning about the businesses of the Historic West Side, in New Smyrna Beach? You need a copy of History of New Smyrna Black Businesses with Present Area Businesses written by Fannie Minson Hudson. Click the link or the image to the left to order your copy today!
While there is no doubt that the end of legal segregation in education has been a positive for students of all races, it was a difficult shift and has not been without issue. Many believe that the end of segregation often brought the end of community schools and contributed to a breakdown of local community.
Florida State University professor of economics and past director of African-American
Studies, and current associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Patrick L. Mason stated that teaching was considered to be one of the highest professions that educated African-Americans could achieve. “They were blocked from most other professions, so you get all these exceptional people who become teachers.”
Dr. Michael Butler of Flagler College has written an incredible book on the struggles of integration in Escambia County, FL.
Offering a new perspective on the literature of the black freedom struggle, Beyond Integration reveals how with each legal step taken toward racial equality, notions of black inferiority became more entrenched, reminding us just how deeply racism remained–and still remains–in our society.
Mason points out that one of the tragedies of integration was the loss of certain
black institutions, of which schools were most prominent. Black schools such as
Chisholm High School were shuttered and students were forced to white schools.
“We went from our schools, which were a thing of great pride, to their schools,
where we were tolerated.” Principals, teachers, and other staff, were often demoted
or put into roles well below their skill level.
Chisholm Wildcat located at Babe James Center in New Smyrna Beach
As Chisholm student Michael Williams relates, “It was a neighborhood school, principals and teachers went to the same church, and these people were our role models.”
Roy Brooks, a 1968 Chisholm graduate stated, “At Chisholm, we had personal contact, not only between the teachers with the students, but also the teachers with the parents.” This interaction is something that is missing in the world of education today.
Chisholm High School can trace its roots to the turn of the 20th century. It was then that Leroy Chisholm, a local barber, turned two adjoining houses into classrooms for black children. Chisholm would later fund the Chisholm Academy, a school for middle school aged children. When grades 10 through 12 were added to the Academy, the name was changed to Chisholm High School.
Chisholm High School was closed after the 1969 academic year but its legacy is
not forgotten. The Chisholm Alumni Association is rightfully proud of their
school. On July 14, 2012, the association dedicated a monument on the site of the
Babe James Center in the heart of the Historic West Side of New Smyrna Beach.
The text of the marker reads:
Chisholm Family Tree plaque dedicated in 2012
The Chisholm Family Tree
As a mainstay of shaping and cultivating
Our academic growth and maturity, we
Reflect on our proud high school heritage.
We hereby salute the students who
Attended Chisholm High twelve days,
Twelve months, twelve years; teachers
Who inspired and encouraged us;
Administrators and staff who nurtured us.
You were there for us! Let this monument
Be a reminder of our educational, cultural,
Athletic, and social experiences as we
Prepared for a whole new world. We heard
Your words, “Depart from here and use
Center panel of the Chisholm High School Monument: Family Tree Wall
Your mind toward making a resounding
Positive impact on the lives of others and
This world.” The Chisholm Family Tree Wall
Is dedicated to you and all the Chisholm
Family members world-wide. Thank you
For the memories and we are forever
Grateful. Come back again for a visit.
Chisholm High School Monument: Family Tree Wall Full View
“Oh Chisholm High Forever Our Dear Alma mater Dear”
Dedicated on this date July 14, 2012 and sponsored by
Chisholm High Alumni Association
If you have information on Chisholm High School you would like to share, please reach out to me or leave a comment to this post. I would be honored to share your memories with readers.
The Chisholm High Alumni Organization has a Facebook page. If you attended
Chisholm High School, you are encouraged to get in touch with them.
Sources:
Daytona Beach News Journal July 14, 2018
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Written with the African American woman in mind, Essence discusses a wide array of topics including fashion, entertainment, beauty tips, and culture. Click the link or the image for exclusive deals when you subscribe and begin enjoying issues shortly.
The Monument of States is located just south of downtown Kissimmee, Florida, near the intersection of Lakeview Drive and Monument Avenue.
The Monument of States was the brainchild of Dr. Charles W. Bressler-Pettis. As Joy Dickinson has written about Bressler-Pettis, “…one Central Floridian was galvanized to express the nation’s unity in a singular, towering vision: a monument in his winter home, Kissimmee, that would express the bond between states and continue to inspire tourists to stop, look up and wonder.” (Patriotism)
Monument of States
Monument of States in Kissimmee, FL
The Monument of States as it currently stands has several origin stories. Some claim it dates back to 1935 (Doctors Love) while most state that it was conceived in response to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. (National Register, Patriotism)
Dr. Charles W. Bressler-Pettis was an active member of the Lions Club and Kissimmee All-States Tourist Club and in the early 1940s partnered with J. C. Fisher to design a monument as a symbol of American unity in a time of war.
To learn more about the war that inspired this incredibly unique and beautiful monument, I recommend a subscription to World War II magazine. World War II magazine covers every aspect of history’s greatest modern conflict with vivid, revealing, and evocative writing from top historians and journalists
Promotion for the monument began immediately. By the end of December 1941, an Honor Role of Cement Donors had been established. Here, individuals and businesses who supplied a bag of concrete were thanked for their contribution. A pamphlet was produced listing 507 concrete donors. (National Register)
Honor Roll of Cement Donors dated December 21, 1941, just days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor
Groundbreaking occurred on January 11, 1942 with the cornerstone being set in place. Volunteer labor, much of it coming from the Kissimmee All States Tourist Club, kept the project in motion. Bressler-Pettis collected rocks from donors across the country for use in the monument. Bressler-Pettis also supplied many rocks from his own travels. He wrote letters to state governors asking for representative rocks. President Franklin D. Roosevelt contributed a stone from his Hyde Park, New York residence.
Once complete, the monument consisted of more than 1,500 stones from the then 48 states and 21 countries. It contained 21 tiers and reached 50 feet tall. The eagle atop the monument has a wingspan of six-feet. The base of the monument measures sixteen square feet and the top tier is only two and one half square feet. The foundation for the monument is three feet thick, twenty-two square feet, and weighs approximately 100,000 pounds. (National Register, Patriotism)
Senator Claude Pepper was on hand for the monument dedicationA time capsule was placed on the 50th anniversary of the monument dedication. It is to be opened on the 100th anniversary.
United States Senator Claude Pepper was on hand for the monument dedication on March 28, 1943. In the years since the monument has been the location of many ceremonies including a 50-year celebration on March 28, 1993 when officials placed a time capsule at the monument. The capsule will be opened on the 100th anniversary of the dedication.
Cultural Importance
The Monument of States represents a time in Florida tourism before the onslaught of theme parks and mass commercialization. The effort to create this monument brought together a community toward a common goal in a way that cartoon characters and comic book heroes never will.
For those interested in the significance of this monument to visitors, there are seemingly dozens of different postcard images of the Monument of States. This collection of images is important first, in placing the monument in time but also in documenting its early appearance. The diversity of images and the often handwritten messages sent home, show the impact the monument had on visitors. They felt this was an image worthy of sharing with the folks “back home.” In the era before social media, postcards were a convenient way of “tagging” where you were for your friends to follow.
In the years before Disney, those days of the road trip, Stuckey’s, “are we there yet,” and the roadside attraction, the Monument of States served as a tourist draw. In describing the monument and it’s relevance, the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form states, “It retains integrity of design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association with the early history and tourism efforts in Kissimmee, and continues to serve as a draw for both residents and visitors alike.” (National Register) The monument was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in December 2015.
Get ready for a high-flying good time at the 120 Minute Open Jump at a Trampoline Park in Kissimmee!
Dr. Charles W. Bressler-Pettis
Just who was Dr. Bressler-Pettis? Charles was born on February 12, 1889 in Grant City, Missouri to parents Manuel and Nellie A. Bressler. When or why Charles changed his surname to Bressler-Pettis is unknown. We do know that Pettis was his mother’s maiden name. The first known recorded use of this new name is on a 1922 passport application. (Osceola History)
Young Charles was encouraged to become a medical doctor. At the urging of his family, after graduating from the University of Missouri he attended Harvard Medical School, graduating in 1917 and served his internship in Boston.
During World War I Charles served in the British army medical corps before joining the United States army medical corps later in the fight. During the war Charles visited a wealthy uncle who was living in Nice, France at the time. After the war he returned to France where he became the personal physician for his uncle. Charles was to receive a large, lifetime income from the estate of his uncle.
After returning to the States, Charles met, and married, Laura Mead. After their January 1927 wedding they embarked on a long honeymoon, logging over 78,000 miles by automobile.
A plaque in honor of Charles Bressler-Pettis, the man behind the Monument of States in Kissimmee Florida
Charles suffered a fatal heart attack while already in the hospital, on May 12, 1954. It is often repeated that Bressler-Pettis’s ashes are buried at the Monument of States. There is some truth to this story. After Charles’s death, his wife made request of the Kissimmee City Commission to be allowed to inter Charles’ ashes at the base of the Monument of States; a request that was approved by special ordinance. It appears however that Mrs. Bressler-Pettis may have reconsidered. The website, Findagrave, shows a listing for Charles W. Bressler-Pettis in Grant City Cemetery, in Grant City, Missouri, the city where Charles was born. (Findagrave, Osceola History) Both stories are true. I have found reference that part of his ashes were buried in each location. This seems like a reasonable answer based upon the City Commission going to the trouble of amending local ordinances. (Memorialogy, National Register)
A circa 1943 postcard image of the Monument of States in Kissimmee, Florida Image courtesy State Archives of Florida https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/332238Postcard image circa 1950. Courtesy State Archives of Florida https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/31891Photo image of the Monument of States in Kissimmee, Florida 2017.Even after completion donations of rocks kept arriving such as this from Disney Studio’s Gem and Mineral Society. Photo 2017
Sources:
“Doctors Love of Area Fueled Drive for Monument.” Orlando Sentinel. July 22, 1990.
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Rowman & Littlefield Museums & Archives New Professional Books for 2022
We publish simultaneously in print and e-book editions. We have publishing partnerships with a range of world-leading authorities, including: American Association for State and Local History, The American Foreign Policy Council, Smithsonian Institution, The Center for Strategic and International Studies, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, Fortress Press, Lehigh University Press, Lord Cultural Resources, and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Find more partners here.
We are one of America’s largest book distributors: National Book Network (NBN).
Rowman & Littlefield is based near Washington, DC with offices throughout the US and UK.
Late last week I received the R&L 2022 Museums and Archives catalog. There are any number of excellent books either on the shelves or on their way. Below, I highlight a few that really caught my eye. Click the photos for more information.
Equal parts autobiography, cautionary tale, and actionable recommendations, this book is as candid and vulnerable as the author insists all seekers of justice be when they embark on a full-scale DEAI initiative anchored in anti-oppression.
Since the beginning of her professional museum journey, Cecile Shellman—like many who have been marginalized by systems ill-prepared to support them—has had to engage in cultural realms in which she was not fully represented and where she was sometimes misrepresented or understood. It’s difficult being the “only one in the room,” while trying to build relations and succeed in your chosen career. Ms. Shellman shares personal relatable stories that explain how harmful inattention to Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion can be to individuals and to the group dynamic. This rare peek behind the curtain of museum culture leaves no holds barred.
The telling is done in an entirely approachable, if humbling way. Poignant illustrations and vivid verbal descriptions are designed to take you further into the author’s experience as well as providing moments of reflection and humor. Tales from the field—anonymized stories describing microagressions, discrimination, barriers, and roadblocks in the field—are accompanied by questions to spark dialogue and engender empathetic responses. These anecdotes refer to those who share the author’s identity and circumstance as well as those who don’t. As with all stories, lessons and messages about culture and patterns are told as a point of caution. What might you do if you were participants in these events? How can you build your emotional intelligence to a desired level for your current museum and personal needs?
Finally, there are calls to action at the personal, interpersonal, organizational, and systemic levels. True transformation requires complete reassessment of norms bolstered by a broken society. This book provides strategies for implementing change.
Interpretative Master Planning: A Framework for Historical Sites begins with the basics of any planning experience: why do an interpretative master plan (IMP) and is your institution ready to undergo such a process? These chapters are followed with straightforward guidance on how to go about organizing the necessary funding to pay for an IMP’s development, the core members of your planning team, choosing stakeholders, hosting focus groups, and using all the information gathered to develop an engaging interpretative master plan that is unique to your museum, historic site, or organization.
The book features five case studies highlighting organizations that have undergone the interpretative master planning process. Each case study offers a unique point of view about the process and provides the organization’s conclusions as to what they would or would not do again if they had the choice. The end results showcase the wealth of useful information that can be garnered from an Interpretative Master Planning experience.
Interpretative Master Planning: A Framework for Historical Sites offers a complete framework complemented by real-world examples for creating a blueprint that will strengthen any organization’s interpretation.
If food is nourishment to a person, money is sustenance for most nonprofit organizations. Yet many small organizations rely on one-off efforts and get-rich events in place of real fundraising strategies. Just because an organization is small, or volunteer-run, or located in a rural area, does not mean its leaders can’t professionalize their fundraising, establish effective processes, and build genuine relationships that will lead to the ultimate goal: people giving to people.
Beyond the Bake Sale: Fundraising for Local History Organizations meets organizations where they are, cutting through all of the assumptions and mumbo-jumbo, taking professional fundraising strategies and scaling them to an accessible level. Designed specifically for small cultural heritage organizations, this book is written with their unique challenges in mind. From caring for objects-based collections to succeeding with minimal (or no) permanent staff to grant writing for those who’ve never written grants, this book is for local history organization leaders doing critical work to care for our shared history.
Complete with explanations, examples, and thought-provoking questions, this book challenges local history leaders to brainstorm, communicate, experiment, and plan. Blank worksheets encourage readers to put ideas down in writing and establish processes to build upon. Whether read cover to cover or used as a reference text for specific topics, users will find material that begins with a broad overview before narrowing to focus on tips and tactics that will help grassroots fundraisers feel more comfortable, confident and confident in their efforts.
Above all else, this book is grounded in the idea that fundraising is an intentional, people-focused process built on genuine, personal relationships. This philosophy should be as accessible to leaders at small cultural heritage organizations as to anyone else doing important nonprofit work in their communities.
Words are everywhere in the museum. They swarm amidst all the visual exhibits, and throughout many non-exhibition areas, talking to a vast swath of people in ways that visuals cannot. Signage at the information desk, visitor material, scripts for tour guides, scripts for exhibition videos, education plans, posts, blogs, membership brochures, audio scripts for smart phones, apps for in-depth information, and store labels. In a multi-screen world, where information explodes in every corner of the field of vision, clarity comes from the presence of words to organize the feast of visuals and help all audiences feel at home.
Research bears out the need for a range of learning tools and it’s not just visitors who benefit from verbal cues; donors, educators, community partners and volunteers will all engage more effectively with the museum that explains its brand mission with good writing. Whether written by administrators, staffers, freelancers, or interns, words must be delivered by your museum with the confidence they will connect meaningfully with all audiences. Your story is told everywhere, with every narration opening your doors wider.
Museums are changing from static, monolithic, and encyclopedic institutions to institutions that are visitor-centric, with shared authority that allows museum and visitors to become co-creators in content creation. Museum content is also changing, from static content to dynamic, evolving content that is multi-cultural and transparent regarding the evolution of facts and histories, allowing multi-person interpretations of events.
Designing Museum Experiences leads readers through the methods and tools of the three stages of a museum visit (Pre-visit, In-Person Visit, and Post-visit), with a goal of motivating visitors to return and revisit the museum in the future. This museum visitation loop creates meaningful intellectual, emotional, and experiential value for the visitor.
Using the business-world-proven methodologies of user centered design, Museum Visitor Experience leads the reader through the process of creating value for the visitor. Providing consistent messaging at all touchpoints (website, social media, museum staff visitor services, museum signage, etc.) creates a trusted bond between visitor and museum. The tools used to increase understanding of and encourage empathy for the museum visitor, and understand visitor motivations include: Empathy Mapping, Personas, Audience segmentation, Visitor Journey Mapping, Service Design Blueprints, System Mapping, Content Mapping, Museum Context Mapping, Stakeholder Mapping, and the Visitor Value Proposition.
In the end, the reason for using the tools is to empower visitors and meet their emotional and intellectual needs, with the goal of creating a lifelong bond between museum and visitor. This is especially important as museums face a new post COVID-19 reality; only the most nimble, visitor-centered museums are likely to survive.
Creating Meaningful Museum Experiences for K–12 Audiences: How to Connect with Teachers and Engage Students is the first book in more than a decade to provide a comprehensive look at best practices in working with this crucial segment of museum visitors. With more than 40 contributors from art, history, science, natural history, and specialty museums across the country, the book asks probing questions about museum-school relationships, suggests new paradigms, and offers creative approaches. Fully up-to-date with current issues relevant to museums’ work with schools, including anti-racist teaching approaches and pivoting to virtual programming during the pandemic, this book is essential for both established and emerging museum educators to ensure they are current on best practices in the field.
The book features four parts: Setting the Stage looks at the how museums establish and finance K-12 programs, and how to engage with the youngest audiences. Building Blocks considers the core elements of successful K-12 programming, including mission alignment, educator recruitment and training, working with teacher advisory boards, and anti-racist teaching practices. Questions and New Paradigms presents case studies in which practitioners reconsider established approaches to museums’ work with schools and engage in iterative processes to update and improve them—from evaluating K–12 museum programs to diversifying program content, to prioritizing virtual programming. Solutions and Innovative Models offers examples of programs that have been reimagined for the current landscape of museum-school collaborations, including practicing self-care for teachers and museum educators, investing in extended school relationships over one-time visits, and highlighting the stories of enslaved people who lived at historic sites.
This two-part text opens with an argument few collections practitioners would contest: Regular inventories are central to meaningful, sustainable, and ethical collections preservation and access. ButVanderwarf and Romanowski argue that in practice—some 25 years working with diverse collections between them—inventories are uncommon: instead of functioning as a commonplace feature of collections care, they tend to be evoked as a last resort when a museum has lost control of its collection.
Part I offers a flexible project management framework that illustrates strategies for reining in control of collections now. From identifying objectives that best serve the collection in question to securing stakeholder support and planning time and resources, Part I eliminates some guesswork around what may be an unprecedented and intensive project. To maintain the benefits of a project-style inventory, the authors then encourage practitioners to embrace inventory as an ongoing, evolving collections care function that reflects changing professional values and expectations from the communities museums serve. By centering computerized databases, barcoding, and digital collections, the authors further acknowledge these technologies as permanent, evolving features of collections and inventory practice that merit increased resourcing.
Part II gives voice to practitioners around the world through case studies that affirm the vital role of inventories in regaining control of collections. Some of these inventories occurred during the course of everyday work, while others were responses to natural disasters and armed conflict. Still others may be seen as expressions of social justice. As much as the authors offer a guide to performing inventories, thereby filling a longstanding gap in the literature, they invite cultural heritage institutions to rethink how the stories held in collections can be better told and preserved through enhanced inventory practice.
The book will benefit seasoned museum collections practitioners as well as those who lack access to formal museology education and training. The book targets stewards of cultural heritage and material culture collections with varying resources
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Chocolate Museum and Cafe–located on International Drive in Orlando, FL
Who doesn’t love good chocolate? I am not talking about the kind you get at the local convenience store but rather hand crafted pieces made from the highest quality beans. OK, I know there are a few of you out there but for the rest of us, the Chocolate Museum and Café can be a heavenly experience. Expensive, but heavenly.
Located in the tourist heavy International Drive area of Orlando, the Museum and Café are just that. A museum and a café. Calling it a museum may be stretch, particularly for those with any kind of museum or history background. More what you have is a collection of items with little explanation or interpretive work. Visitors will mostly rely on their tour guide to provide information on what is displayed. You can visit the two parts of the attraction without the other though the museum tour is really a sales pitch for the café.
When you walk in you are greeted with display cases of beautifully molded chocolates and sweets. If you have not pre-bought your tour ticket, you pay here. The tour is not cheap at $17 for adults. I highly recommend watching Groupon for discounted tickets. That is where we got ours. With that and the sales offers Groupon regularly displays I believe our tickets were below $10 apiece. Much more reasonable and really, much more in line with what I might expect to pay for a tour that lasts around 45 minutes.
Icon Orlando admission is a top priority for visitors to the greater Orlando area.
Your Tour Guide provides background and introductory information
Your tour begins with a casually dressed guide leading you to a short video presentation then taking you into the “jungles” where you will learn about the cacao plant.
In the next room, you will learn about the history of chocolate and how this delicacy was discovered, so to speak. Chocolate has not always been a favorite taste and you will learn more here as to how it has developed over time.
Some early equipment that was used to make chocolate candies
Have you ever wondered how chocolate candies are made? The next room features displays of machinery used to create some of the most famous candies in the world.
Next, visit the chocolate sculpture room, where you will encounter the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, Easter Island, Taj Mahal, Mount Rushmore, the Great Wall of China, and much more, all carved out of chocolate. It really is amazing what these artisans can create.
Mount Rushmore recreated in chocolateThe Eiffel Tower made of delicious chocolateThe Great Wall of China or should it be the Great Wall of Chocolate
Finally, the tasting! Here your guide will prepare each visitor a small sampling of various chocolates where you will learn how different manufacturing techniques lead to differing tastes. SURPRISE! All the samples you just tried are for sale right outside as you step back into the lobby area.
At the end of your tour, sample some chocolates that are available for purchaseDisplay cases to tempt visitors with chocolates from around the world
The café offers a wide variety of chocolates made on site and from artisan chocolate companies. If you are looking for a snickers bar, head on down the road.
The café features a large assortment of coffee drinks, baked goods, pastries, sandwiches and gelatos. I will tell you, the hot chocolate is delicious and the gelatos were amazing. We did not try any of the sandwiches but we did indulge with several pieces of chocolate to go. As would be expected, prices are not cheap and your bill can add up quickly.
We had a good time even though from a “museum” point of view it fell flat. I would not recommend this for families however. It is not a cheap visit and kids probably will not grasp the difference between these chocolates and a Hershey bar. It is good for a couple’s afternoon out or maybe with a few friends.
The museum and café are open noon until 6 p.m. every day. Museum tours begin at 1 p.m. and run every hour with the last tour at 5 p.m.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. All views and opinions provided are my own and are never influenced by affiliate programs or sponsors providing products.
Memory can be a funny thing. It changes over time. People change, times change, interpretations change, what we consider important changes.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of Civil War memory and monuments. In the years immediately after the war, monuments and memorials were constructed for several different reasons. In some instances, it was to remember and honor those who served and maybe did not return from battle. In the south, these monuments were often meant to recall what those of the time considered a better time. Words carved into granite were chosen with great care as to meaning.
Confederate Monument in Monticello, FL erected by the Ladies Memorial Association of Jefferson County. Image courtesy State Archives of Florida.
Ladies Memorial Associations and similar groups were often at the head of constructing these memorials; raising funds and dealing with stonemasons to make sure these reminders of the past were exactly what they wanted. Most scholars consider these memorials a key component of Lost Cause mythology.
In the years after the passing of Civil War veterans and their direct descendants, memorial creation has passed to new generations. These newer monuments often have a different, and many times politically charged rhetoric. As memorials, particularly those honoring the Confederate cause, are removed from publicly owned lands; new monuments are usually placed on privately held lands. Historians have often questioned the need or motives for placing new memorials.
The fate of memorials removed from public lands is a thorny one that does not have a clear and easy answer. Many people are against removal of any type of monument, often claiming it is erasing history. On the other side are those who would not just remove what they deem offensive memorials, but they would destroy them, often in a public scene in order to gain attention to their cause.
An often-cited answer is to put them in a museum. It is not as easy as that. Museums have collection policies and goals that Boards of Directors must abide by. Housing a large Civil War monument in usually not in those goals. Space is often a concern. How many museums have room to house a twenty-five foot tall memorial? Are museum facilities structurally able to hold the weight of what might be a several ton piece of granite or a large bronze piece? Finally, who will pay for the moving and exhibit upkeep? Even if a museum can address these concerns, community input is important. Do museum patrons feel owning a Civil War monument is in the best interest of the organization? Finally, again we come to the thorny question, who and how would these pieces be interpreted.
A final concern with any type of public memorial is interpretation and context. Interpretation and context are areas that some of the public do not appreciate. They feel they should be left as is with no attempt to explain what a viewer is witnessing. Also, should monuments to the Confederate cause be placed at government buildings no matter the interpretation.
Some memorials are blatantly obvious what they are trying to achieve. Others are more nuanced with carefully chosen language and symbolism. While maybe not obvious to everyone today, to contemporaries, these monuments were understood in their day.
As stated above, interpretations change. No matter where a monument may be located, it is important today that some level of interpretive work be included to let visitors know the who, what, and why of a monument or memorial. It is then up to the viewer to make a determination what they think. Are these memorials to lost soldiers and family members? Are they memorials to a prior way of life? Are they monuments meant to hurt and intimidate others? Are they a reminder of a way of life we should not allow to be forgotten? Can they be a teaching tool? Are they strictly now a work of art like any other sculpture?
The African American Civil War Memorial located on the National Mall in Washington D.C. Photo courtesy National Park Service
Today, there is increasingly an effort to memorialize those who have been forgotten in the past. This includes memorials to women, those on the home front, and the telling of stories of slavery and African American soldiers. No longer are cities, states, and organizations scared of telling the true horrors of war and what it was like for those outside the sphere of battle. While this movement has not proven universally popular, it is one that will continue, particularly as further scholarship develops these previously unknown stories.
What I have gathered below is a listing of materials related to Civil War monuments, memorials, and memory. These works are often from academic presses and may have a scholarly bent. Some of these titles tackle head on the controversy of Civil War memorials while others are concerned with cataloging memorials by state or battlefield.
While I do own quite a few of these titles, I have not reviewed all of them. If I have included them I feel they are appropriate to the subject and worthy of your consideration.
Please note, the intent of this bibliography is not to take sides or promote an ideology, but rather it is to provide you, the reader, with resources allowing you to better understand the topic. Titles that appear to be intentionally inflammatory are excluded.
I have not yet mined academic journals and other periodicals regarding the subject. I hope to do so in the not too distant future. I will create a separate section on this post for these materials.
Please feel free to reach out to me or leave a comment regarding books I have not listed. Materials dealing with Civil War memorials, groups who erected these memorials, artists and those who created monuments, and related topics are encouraged. If you have read any of these titles, please feel free to leave a comment about the book. An open and respectful dialogue is encouraged.
I will periodically be updating this list based upon reader input and especially as publishers release new titles.
To keep up with all things Civil War including modern interpretation, I strongly recommend subscriptions to Civil War Times and Civil War Monitor.Both offer writing by top notch scholars and have excellent photos and maps.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. All views and opinions provided are my own and are never influenced by affiliate programs or sponsors providing products.
You may examine the life of artist Eduardo Paolozzi in more detail in this work by art historian Judith Collins. 
Wallace, Margot. 
Young, Tara. 
