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Smoky Mountain Living magazine April and May 2023

Smoky Mountain Living magazine April/May 2023
Smoky Mountain Living magazine April/May 2023
Smoky Mountain Living magazine April/May 2023

It’s always a good mail day when the new issue of Smoky Mountain Living shows up. The April/May 2023 issue arrived last week and there is plenty to read about.

The cover article, featuring the iconic Dolly Parton sculpture, is titled Reimagining Sevierville. As stated by Amanda Marr, Sevierville Chamber of Commerce marketing director, “The history, culture, and warmth of our community shines in this historic district with an authenticity visitors can’t get enough of.” Make Sevierville part of your Smoky Mountains vacation plans.

 

 

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Jim Casada examines the simple biscuit in his article “Our Daily Bread: The Joy of Biscuits.” Be sure to take note of the recipes included. I am going to have to try the cheese biscuits!

Michael Twitty contributes to the “Crop Stories” program, offering an essay about collards.

Musician Jim Lauderdale answers a few questions in the Listen Here section. Lauderdale has issued over 30 full-length albums covering country, bluegrass, and Americana, styles of music. He’s a true legend in the field.

 

Great Smoky Mountain National Park Superintendent, Cassius Cash, discusses the “Park it Forward” program and how it will benefit the park and visitors. This article is short but quite important and will update you on the new fees at SMNP.

Looking for great bbq in Sevierville? SML suggests trying Trotter’s Whole Hog BBQ. After reading the article and looking at the website, I might have to agree.

Fourteen million visitors leads to a lot of waste and garbage. Read what Sevier County Waste, Inc. is doing to cope with all this trash. Their results are quite impressive.

 

Learn about the ten most beautiful spring wildflowers in the area.

This issue’s book review covers The Puppeteer’s Daughters written by Heather Newton.

Well written, with beautiful photography, Smoky Mountain Living is always a must have for your armchair traveling dreams.

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.


Conde Nast Traveler – $14.97
Aimed at those who travel frequently as part of their lifestyle, Conde Nast’s Traveler Magazine is written for affluent people who can afford to see the world on a first-class ticket and want to avoid the tourist scene. Magazines regularly review top vacation destinations, hotels, shopping, and dining spots, and include tips on transportation. Shipping Info
Please allow 5-6 weeks for weekly titles, and 8-10 weeks for monthly, bimonthly and quarterly titles to ship from the publisherRenewal Restrictions
Per the publisher, please allow a minimum of 90 days to same name and/or delivery address for renewals
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Exhibit by Candace Knapp in New Smyrna Beach

Flower, wood, 24 x 14 x 10
Flower, wood, 24 x 14 x 10
The sculpture Flower is in wood and measures 26 x 14 x 10 Candace Knapp exhibit in New Smyrna Beach, Florida

Make your plans to visit Arts on Douglas in downtown New Smyrna Beach between April 1 and May 27, 2023 for a new exhibit, Rites of Spring: Painting & Sculptures by Candace Knapp.

On April 1, there will be an opening reception from 4p-7p featuring live jazz music from TRio.

On Friday, May 12 at 11 a.m. there will be an artist talk you won’t want to miss.

Arts on Douglas
1213 Douglas Street
New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
386-428-1133

Gallery Hours:
Tuesday through Friday 10a-5p
Saturday 10-4p
Sunday and Monday CLOSED

To learn more about Candace Knapp, I recommend visiting her website (where I have taken this biography and resume from.)

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BIOGRAPHY

 

Candace Knapp portrait photo courtesy the Dabbert GalleryCandace Knapp exhibit New Smyrna Beach Florida
Candace Knapp, courtesy the Dabbert Gallery

My father was a toy designer, and I was encouraged to indulge my imagination. I earned a BFA in sculpture from the Cleveland Institute of Art and an MFA from the University of Illinois. I have had many teachers. I have learned about clarity from the Buddhists, fierce joy from the Sufis, magical holiness from Christian Mystics and life energy from Taoist TaiChi. The main influence in my life and work, however, is my ongoing relationship with nature, with birds, animals, insects, clouds, stars, microbes and especially trees. I have spent most of my life carving wood and feel a strong kinship with trees.

I have enjoyed traveling in Europe, Africa and Asia and lived in Sweden for a year with my husband, Bjorn. In Florida we had a company called Andren & Knapp in which we designed and produced furniture and statues for churches. We also worked together on Public Art commissions. All the pictures on this site were taken by Bjorn Andren. He is a gifted photographer.

 

I have done installations at the Brevard Art Museum (later named Foosner Art Museum), Florida
Museum for Women Artists, Florida Craftsmen Gallery in St Petersburg, the Morean Art Center,
and Mt Dora Center for the Arts and sometimes included composed background sounds as part
of the work. My work is in the permanent collection of the Miaoli Wood Sculpture Museum in
Sanyi, Taiwan (where I was invited to have a show in 2007) and in the Memphis Brooks
Museum of Art in Memphis TN. Lately I have been painting.

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RESUME:
COLLECTIONS

Miaoli Wood Sculpture Museum, Sanyi, Taiwan ( 5 sculptures in the permanent collection)
TungHai University, TaiChung, Taiwan (“Flight of Mother Theresa”)
Tampa General Hospital (“Collected Memory”)
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN, (“Tango Solo”)
The Ameriway Bank, Houston, TX, (“The Enfoldment”)
The Mobile Oil Corporation, Stockholm, Sweden, (“Three Sisters”)
The Northwood Institute.Collection, West Palm Beach, FL (“Wind in the Trees”)
HageGården Music Center, Edane, Sweden, (“Nyutsprungen”)
City of Tampa, FL (“Underwater Ballet” and “Sunlight on the Lake”)
Tampa Water Dept., Tampa, FL “The Waterbearers” (bronze fountain )
All Children’s Hospital, St Petersburg FL ( “Daydreamers” 12 mobiles for the emergency room)

PUBLIC ART COMMISSIONS

City of St. Petersburg, FL, “The Enchanted Mangrove Forest”, (Central Avenue) 1995
Hillsborough County, FL (Pavilion Floor and History Walk , Courthouse Square, downtown Tampa)
Hillsborough County, FL (“Litigation” sculpture, County Courthouse)
City of St Petersburg, FL (“The Happy Town Players” nine large sculptures at the Main Library)

EDUCATION

Master of Fine Arts Degree in Sculpture, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, 1974,
Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Sculpture ,The Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH, 1971 ,
Awarded “Helen Green Perry Traveling Scholarship” , traveled through Europe and West Africa
(across the Sahara) looking at art and people.
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, Maine. Summer, 1969, Full Scholarship.

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.


Artists Magazine – $29.95
Artists Magazine subscription. Click for details and to order.Readers learn painting and drawing firsthand from other artists through written instruction and reproduction, guiding them step-by-step through the creative process. The magazine shows readers a wide variety of creative options, teaching the fundamentals of art making, presenting techniques in different painting and drawing media.Shipping Info
Please allow 5-6 weeks for weekly titles, and 8-10 weeks for monthly, bimonthly and quarterly titles to ship from the publisher

Renewal Restrictions
Per the publisher, please allow a minimum of 90 days to same name and/or delivery address for renewals

 

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UNC Press 2023 American History Catalog and sale

The Future of Rock & Roll
The Future of Rock & Roll
The Future of Rock & Roll written by Robin James part of the UNC Press 2023 Catalog and Sale

The University of North Carolina Press has created their new 2023 American History Catalog and are currently offering a 30% off sale on selected items.

Click the link for great new books and a special sale. Categories include Civil War, Labor, Immigration, Native American, Political, Southern, and more. There’s a great selection of books available.

Save 30% off cover price using the code 01UNCP30.

Order $75 worth of books and get free shipping to the United States.

Be sure to check the UNC Press website and review the 2023 catalog and take advantage of the 30% off sale, for a limited time only.

This is NOT an affiliate post and I currently do not know how long this sale will last.

 

 

 

UNC Press 2023 American History Catalog and Sale

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Book Review Sharpsburg (Images of America)

Sharpsburg

Sharpsburg Images of America Book ReviewBelow is my book review of Sharpsburg Images of America where authors Vernell and Tim Doyle strive to show the history of the town other than just the Battle of Antietam.

Doyle, Vernell and Tim Doyle. Sharpsburg (Images of America.) Charleston: Arcadia Publishing. 2009. ISBN 9780738568058, 127 pages, b/w photos, bibliography, $21.99.

The town of Sharpsburg, MD is a small community located in Washington County, near the border with Pennsylvania and is home to less than 1,000 residents. Sharpsburg was founded in 1763 and incorporated in 1832. The town is best known for the Civil War battle that occurred in September 1862, better known as the Battle of Antietam.  There, more than 130,000 combined Union and Confederate men fought it out to what many consider a stalemate that was ultimately a Union victory as Robert E. Lee and Confederate troops retreated south across the Potomac. The casualty toll from the battle was horrific, more than 22,000 dead, wounded, missing, or taken prisoner. More than 3,600 men would be killed. Today, many of the Union dead from this battle are interred at Antietam National Cemetery. Abraham Lincoln used the seeming Union victory as his opportunity to announce the Emancipation Proclamation.

In their Images of America series book, authors Vernell and Tim Doyle, a retired teacher and retired journalist respectively, try to remind us that the community of Sharpsburg is much more than the Battle of Antietam.  If you are unfamiliar with the series, authors pull together  around 150 images around their subject, providing concise captions to help further their story. In five chapters, the Doyles lay out a history of Sharpsburg where the battle plays only a partial role. Only one chapter is tied directly to the September 1862 fight. In fact, they make their point right from the start. The cover photo of the book features the J. Hammond General Merchandise store and was taken in August 1932.

In their five chapters, the Doyle’s outline the history of a small Maryland community, from its earliest days of small farms and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal through more modern days using a mix of photographs from their own collection, locals, the National Park Service, and other sources. This diversity of sources becomes one of the strengths of the book rather than relying on images from the Library of Congress that have been recycled over and over. Sure, there are quite a few  images from the National Park Service and the Washington County Historical Society, but I bet the vast majority of these photos will be new to readers.

Chapters include the Town, the People, the Battlefield, the Canal, and the Area. In less than 130 pages, the battlefield is only given fifteen direct pages. I don’t find that to be a problem and neither should other readers, even those interested primarily in the Civil War. Even with the destructive impact that the Battle of Antietam had, it is important to realize the community was there before and still remains there today.

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If you have a love for history, stunning architecture, and charming small towns, then the Walking Tour of Frederick, Maryland is a must-do activity.

 

Interesting photos to me included that of Nancy Campbell (page 61) a freed slave, who at the time was described at a woman of “extraordinary good conduct and good character as proven to us by the testimony of William Rulett.” The chapter dealing with the C&O Canal showed just how important this was in diversifying job opportunities at the time. Other photos show just how similar our worlds are. Smiling groups of school children could be from most any community. Church groups  and choirs could be interchangeable with towns in the south or the west. Local baseball teams might play on fields across the country if not for SHARPSBURG being emblazoned on their uniforms.

Each image is accompanied by a few lines of text, explaining to readers/viewers what they are seeing. The authors do not have a lot of space available for these captions and many are quite short thought others do go into more detail. These are easy to read and make each chapter easily digestible at a sitting.

And yet, while the Doyle’s do an admirable job of trying to keep the focus off the battle, one can’t help but return to September 1862. Period prints, with images of the Dunker Church, and armed men in rows ready for battle mix with later views of the Bloody Lane and Burnside Bridge. While president Franklin Roosevelt pays his respects during the 1937, 75th anniversary commemoration, a Lions Club meets on the battlefield for a group photo with a piece of artillery in 1962.

Can Sharpsburg ever shed its Civil War association? No, and the question really should be, would it want to.

Antietam Photographic Legacy of America's Bloodiest DayFor those looking for insights into the Battle or a heavily Battle focused book this is not for you. If battle images are what you seek, I strongly recommend Antietam: The Photographic Legacy of America’s Bloodiest Day. For those interested in the community, and perhaps what the real Sharpsburg has been in addition to a bloody battlefield, this book is recommended.

 

 

 

If you would like to read more of my book reviews, please use this link.

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.

 

Civil War Times

SUBSCRIBE to Civil War Times and save. Keep up with the latest scholarship from well known historians. Published 6 times per year, your first issue will be in your mailbox quickly.

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Frank Fanovich Major League Baseball Player New York City Police Officer: In Memory

Frank Fanovich

Frank Fanovich       

Frank Fanovich lived a life many boys have dreamed of. Frank Fanovich became a major league baseball player and then served as an officer with the  New York City police department.

On January 11, 1923, in the Bronx, NY, Frank and Mary Fanovich welcomed the birth of their son, Frank Joseph. The eleventh was a beautiful, winter New York day with the high temperature reaching 34 degrees Fahrenheit. Overnight temperatures fell to 25 degrees Fahrenheit. No snow fell on the city that day. It was without doubt a blessed day in the Bronx.

RMS PannoniaFrank Fanovich Major League Baseball Player
RMS Pannonia

Frank, Sr. was born in Pesino, Italy on November 27, 1892. He was five feet, eight inches tall, and weighed 161 pounds. His hair was brown, he had gray eyes, and a fair complexion. He worked as a chauffeur. On August 24, 1912 he arrived at the Port of New York aboard the RMS Pannonia, set to start a new life in a new country, one full of opportunity. On March 8, 1927, married and with a young son, his Naturalization papers were submitted.

As a boy, Frank, Jr. played sandlot baseball and grew to love, and become good at, the game. Later in life he was to play professional baseball, reaching the pinnacle, the Major League, if only for a short period of time.

While it appears, Frank did not complete high school, his World War II Draft Card and his enlistment records show him working for Phelps Dodge as a skilled lineman and serviceman. Frank was a tall and lanky young man, standing six feet tall and weighing 160 pounds. He had brown hair and eyes with a ruddy complexion and a scar on his right cheek.

As a member of the “Greatest Generation,” Frank proudly served his country during World War II. He enlisted in the United States Army on November 25, 1942, in New York City as a private in the Signal Corps. His enlistment was “for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law.” Frank provided his service stationed in England. Private Fanovich returned to the United States aboard the Queen Mary, docking in New York City on July 11, 1945.


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from: Flagshirt

Shortly after arriving home, Frank, Jr. married his childhood sweetheart, Yolanda Franco, who often went by the name Gloria, on February 2, 1946, in Kingsbridge, Bronx. The happy couple were married for 65 years before Frank’s passing on August 27, 2011. Yolanda and Frank do not appear to have had any children, as none were mentioned in Franks obituary.

Shortly after exchanging their nuptials, “Lefty,” as Frank was nicknamed, was signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent. The young copule hitched their immediate futures to the whims of the baseball gods; i.e. managers, general managers, owners, and the talent in Frank’s left arm. He played for three different teams during the 1946 season, bouncing between the B and C minor league levels.

In 1947, Fanovich was sent/traded to the unaffiliated Watertown Athletics of the Border League; a team on the C level. Pitching in twenty-three games Fanovich compiled a 16-3 record and recorded a 2.85 earned run average. Playing in multiple positions as required, he played in a cumulative 59 games that season, In 99 at bats he legged out 32 hits for an impressive .323 batting average. Fanovich showed no power as a hitter with only three extra base hits, all doubles.

Frank Fanovich major league baseball player and later an officer with the New York City police department
Frank Fanovich major league baseball player with the Cincinnati Reds organization. Photo courtesy Baseball Reference

The Cincinnati Reds saw something they liked in the young pitcher and purchased his contract from Watertown, assigning him in 1948 to their AAA affiliate in Syracuse. For the Chiefs, he produced mixed results, compiling a 9-13 win/loss record for a team with an overall record of 77-73. While Fanovich struck out 120 batters, he struggled with control, walking 110. In a different era of baseball, the young pitcher threw thirteen complete games. With the stronger level of pitching, Franks batting numbers plunged. He hit only .219 in 64 at bats.

Things were looking up for the twenty-six-year-old pitcher as the 1949 season began. He made the roster for the Cincinnati Reds pitching out of the bullpen. He had been a starter during his minor league career but a chance in the majors was too good to overlook.

The season was not what the Reds and Fanovich might have hoped. Fanovich appeared in 29 games, compiling an 0-2 record with no saves, and a 5.40 earned run average. In only 43 innings pitched he logged 27 strikeouts and 28 base on balls. In his defense, the 1949 Reds were a poor team, finishing the season with a dismal 62-92-2 record. Fan support is what might be imagined for a team with a record like this. They finished with the lowest home attendance in the National League at just under 708,000 at Crosley Field.

With a not so grand start to his Major League career, Fanovich found himself back in the minors for the 1950 season, playing for the New York Giants AAA team, the Minneapolis Millers. Despite Fanovich providing an underwhelming 7-12 record, the Millers finished a league best 90-64. An amazing 24 players from the team spent some time in the Majors including Baseball Hall of Fame member Hoyt Wilhelm who led the team with fifteen wins.

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Frank Fanovich major league baseball player and New York City police officer
Frank Fanovich major league baseball player courtesy Findagrave 

Fanovich led a journeyman’s lifestyle for the next couple of years, bouncing around the minors, playing for four different teams before landing back in the Majors in 1953 with the Philadelphia Athletics. For Fanovich the results were much the same as in 1949. In his first game pitching for the A’s, he faced three batters, walking all of them. Pitching in only 26 games he compiled an 0-3 record and an earned run average of 5.55. His control had still not come around, issuing 37 bases on balls to go with only 37 strikeouts. The Athletics were to remain in Philadelphia for only one more season before moving to Kansas City.

The final two years of Frank Fanovich’s baseball career were spent in Richmond and San Antonio in the minor leagues. His stint in San Antonio at the AA level may have been the best of his career. He put up a 14-11 record, a 3.47 earned run average, while striking out 118 and walking only 97. His 210 innings pitched were a career high. He pitched eleven complete games including four shutouts. At age 32 it was a great way to leave the game that he had given so much to.

Fanovich posted a career MLB record of zero wins and five losses in 55 career games. His earned run average was 5.49. Fanovich was to fare better in the minors, compiling a 73-74 career win/loss record including 52 complete games. As might be expected, some minor league statistics from the period are incomplete or unavailable so it is not possible to make a full assessment of his success.

After retiring from baseball, Fanovich went on to a successful career with the New York City Police Department, eventually joining the Manhattan North Narcotics Division. He would work for NYPD for 27 years before he and Yolanda would retire to New Smyrna Beach in 1987.

In his retirement years, Frank enjoyed a good game of golf, often on the Hidden Lakes course near where he and Yolanda lived. He also retained his love of baseball, keeping up with his beloved New York Yankees.

 

After having led a full life, Fanovich passed away on August 27, 2011 at the age of 88. His remains are interred at Sea Pines Memorial Gardens in Edgewater, FL, in the All-Faiths Mausoleum.

Frank Fanovich was a major league baseball player and later officer with the New York City police department. Frank and his wife Yolanda are interred at Sea Pines Cemetery in Edgewater, FL in the All Faiths Mausoleum.
Frank & Yolanda Fanovich are interred in the All Faiths Mausoleum at Sea Pines Memorial Gardens in Edgewater, FL

An online memorial to Frank Fanovich may be found HERE. A memorial for Yolanda Fanovich may be found HERE.

Frank Fanovich was as major league baseball player and New York City police officer, living the dream of millions of boys and young men.

To read the stories of other Major League Baseball players associated with Volusia County, click 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.

 

Subscribe to Baseball America and keep up with everything going on in the sportFrank Fanovich Major League Baseball player  blog post
Every issue features coverage of the majors, minors, college and high school baseball as well as prospects, prospects and more prospects. Whether you’re looking to win your fantasy league or stay on top of the game at all levels, Baseball America puts it all in your hands. Click the image or link for information and to subscribe at a great discounted price. 

 

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Great Floridians 2000 William Amory Underhill DeLand, FL

William Amory Underhill Great Floridians 2000 plaque, located at the Volusia County Historic Courthouse.

Great Floridians 2000

Individuals were recognized by the Great Floridians 2000 program                                                                            who distinguished themselves through their philanthropy,
public service or personal or professional service, and who have
enhanced the lives of Florida’s citizens.

Anyone could nominate an individual to be designated a Great Floridian
2000 by submitting a Great Floridians 2000 application. The appointed Great
Floridians 2000 Committee, a group of seven distinguished historians
from throughout Florida, periodically reviewed applications.

The program, begun in 1998, was completed in 2000.

The distinctive blue plaques honoring the men and women in the
program are attached to buildings or structures in the cities where the
designee left their mark. The plaques do not contain biographical information.

William Amory Underhill

 

William Amory Underhill
William Amory Underhill
Photo courtesy United States Department of Justice

William Amory Underhill was born in 1910, received his law degree
from Stetson University and served from 1940 to 1942 as a Volusia
County prosecuting attorney. During World War II, he was a special
attorney for the U.S. Justice Department in Washington. He was an
Assistant U.S. Attorney General during the administration of President
Harry Truman and a special Washington counsel to the Florida
Comptroller. He was a Stetson University Trustee from 1977 to 1986
and a member of the College of Law Board of Overseers from more than
20 years. He was a member of the Bert Fish Foundation and treasurer of
Florida House, the first state house in the nation’s capital. He was the
founding president and a life member of the DeLand Jaycees and a life
member of the DeLand Area Chamber of Commerce.

William Amory Underhill died in 1999.

William Amory Underhill Great Floridians 2000 plaque, located at the Volusia County Historic Courthouse.
William Amory Underhill Great Floridians 2000 plaque, located at the Volusia County Historic Courthouse.

 

 

Underhill’s Great Floridians plaque is located at the Volusia County Historic
Courthouse, 120 W. Indiana Avenue, DeLand.

 

A brief biographical summary of Underhill’s career can be found HERE.

An online memorial for William Amory Underhill may be found HERE.

As mentioned, Underhill served as a member of the Bert Fish
Foundation. You may find the Bert Fish Great Floridians 2000 post HERE.

The remains of WIlliam Amory Underhill are interred in the Mausoleum at Oakdale Cemetery.
The remains of William Amory Underhill are interred in the Mausoleum at Oakdale Cemetery.

 

To read all my Great Floridians 2000 posts click 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. Affiliate programs or sponsors providing products do not impact or affect the views and opinions shared in my posts.

 

 

Get this incredibly haunting image of the Volusia County Historic Courthouse, shrouded with fog, in puzzle form. Order your 252 or 520 piece jigsaw puzzle  HERE.

Pressed paper chipboard with adhesive, 0.06″ (1.53 mm) thick
252 pcs puzzle size: 10.62″ × 13.62″ (27 × 34.6 cm)
520 pcs puzzle size: 15.74″ × 19.74″ (40 × 50.1 cm)
Digitally printed
Semi-gloss finish
Vibrant colors
Can be used as wall decor
Blank product components sourced from the US

A haunting image of the Volusia County Historic Courthouse in DeLand, FL
Fog shrouds the Volusia County Historic Courthouse in downtown DeLand, FL
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Florida Black Heritage Trail Guide from Visit Florida

Florida Black Heritage Trail Guide

Florida Black Heritage Trail Guide

Florida Black Heritage Trail Guide
Florida Black Heritage Trail Guide available free from the state of Florida

In recognition of African American History month (history that really should be studied every day as a part of any study of history) I want to make you aware of a terrific FREE resource produced by the State of Florida Department of State Division of Historical Resources.

The division has created multiple booklets in a series titled “Florida Heritage Trails.”  I want to bring the Black Heritage Trail guide to your special attention. This guide is now in its third edition and is a must have for any historian, armchair historian, librarian, parent, teacher, or person concerned with the direction the state is taking in regard to teaching history.

To quote from the official webpage,

In 1990, the Florida legislature created the Study Commission on African-American History in Florida to increase public awareness of African Americans contributions to the state. The commission was asked to recommend methods to establish a “Heritage Trail” to identify sites, buildings, and other points of interest in black history that should be preserved and promoted as tourist attractions.

This 64-page full color booklet features an incredible assortment of locations, some open to the public, others that are not. The guide is broken into three geographic area; North Florida, Central Florida, South Florida. Each region is then broken down by county and then by city. It is a bit unwieldy at first but once you use the guide it becomes easier.

I have a print copy from a while back but to use it as an example. I live in Volusia County, in the central region and find Volusia County beginning on page 40. Sites listed are both well known and lesser known. Examples include

Bethune-Cookman University

Howard Thurman House

Jackie Robinson Ballpark

African American Museum of the Arts

J.W. Wright Building

Mary S. Harrell Black Heritage Museum

Mount Moriah Baptist Church

and several others.

Each listing includes an address and some list website information. In the version I have, phone numbers are not included.

Visit the website to view this guide online or download a copy for yourself. It used to be available in print and you may be able to find a copy through your library or in a Florida museum. I have even seen these guides available in used bookstores priced at varying prices. These are free so don’t pay unless you absolutely want a printed copy.

The state of Florida also offers a free bibliography of African American cemetery resources. Learn more HERE.

In addition to Black History, the state offers trail guides on these additional subjects related to Florida history. All are highly recommended.

1773 Spanish Galleon Trail

British Heritage Trail

Civil War Heritage Trail

Cuban Heritage Trail

Florida Historic Golf Trail

French Heritage Trail

Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail

Florida’s Underwater Archaeological Preserves

Jewish Heritage Trail

Native American Heritage Trail

Seminole Wars Heritage Trail

Spanish Colonial Heritage Trail

Women’s Heritage Trail

World War II Heritage Trail

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. Affiliate programs or sponsors providing products do not influence the views and opinions shared in my posts.

 

Driving While Black
In Driving While Black, the acclaimed historian Gretchen Sorin reveals how the car―the ultimate symbol of independence and possibility―has always held particular importance for African Americans, allowing black families to evade the many dangers presented by an entrenched racist society and to enjoy, in some measure, the freedom of the open road. She recounts the creation of a parallel, unseen world of black motorists, who relied on travel guides, black only businesses, and informal communications networks to keep them safe.

From coast to coast, mom and pop guest houses and tourist homes, beauty parlors, and even large hotels―including New York’s Hotel Theresa, the Hampton House in Miami, or the Dunbar Hotel in Los Angeles―as well as night clubs and restaurants like New Orleans’ Dooky Chase and Atlanta’s Paschal’s, fed travelers and provided places to stay the night. At the heart of Sorin’s story is Victor and Alma Green’s famous Green Book, a travel guide begun in 1936, which helped grant black Americans that most basic American rite, the family vacation.

Order your copy of Driving While Black by clicking the link or the photo to the left.

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Great Floridians 2000 John Anderson Ormond Beach

John Anderson

Great Floridians 2000

The Great Floridians 2000 program was designed to recognize individuals who distinguished themselves through their philanthropy, public service or personal or professional service, and who have enhanced the lives of Florida’s citizens. John Anderson, of Ormond Beach, is included in this group of important contributors to Florida history.

Anyone could nominate an individual to be designated a Great Floridians 2000 by submitting a Great Floridians 2000 application. These applications were periodically reviewed by the appointed Great Floridians 2000 Committee, a group of seven distinguished historians from throughout Florida.

The program, begun in 1998, was completed in 2000.

The distinctive blue plaques honoring the men and women in the program are attached to buildings or structures in the cities where the designee left their mark. No biographical information is included on the plaques.

John Anderson

John Anderson
John Anderson

Born in Portland, Maine on August 6, 1853, to parents Samuel J. and Jane W. Anderson, John Anderson is considered Ormond Beach’s greatest promoter. He came to the city, then called New Britain, in 1876 from New York City. From 1876 to 1878 and 1881 to 1882 he was the Volusia County Tax Assessor. He built the Santa Lucia Plantation and, in 1888, the Hotel Ormond. Anderson also built Volusia County’s first golf course. His friendship with James Ormond III led to the proposal to name the community after the Ormond family, rather than to use the name New Britain. In 1902, along with Joseph Price, he organized the first auto-racing tournament on the beach. He later promoted a professional baseball team in Ormond Beach. John Anderson died February 17, 1911. An online memorial for Anderson may be found HERE.

John Anderson Great Floridians 2000 marker
The John Anderson Great Floridians 2000 marker as displayed at the Hotel Ormond Cupola

His Great Floridian plaque is located at the Hotel Ormond Cupola, Fortunato Park, 2 John Anderson Drive, Ormond Beach.

To learn more about the history of Ormond Beach, please visit the Ormond Beach Historical Society.

The John Anderson Papers, which focus on the development of the Hotel Ormond, are available at the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida.

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John Anderson His Life and Times in Ormond, FloridaThe only biography of John Anderson that I am aware of has been written by Ormond Beach transplant Ronald Howell. You may order a copy of John Anderson: His Life and Times in Ormond, Florida through Amazon by clicking the link or the photo.

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In Memory: Officer Thomas M. Coulter Daytona Beach Police Department

Thomas Coulter headstone Courtesy Findagrave

 Thomas M. Coulter

Thomas M. Coulter Courtesy Findagrave
In Memory Officer Thomas M. Coulter
Courtesy Findagrave

In Memory Officer Thomas Coulter of the Daytona Beach Police Department. Having only graduated from the police academy at Daytona State College in 2017, Thomas M. Coulter was beginning to live out his dream of being a police officer when hired by the Daytona Beach Police Department in 2018.

Thomas M. Coulter was born January 29, 1993 in New Jersey to parents Ann and Michael Coulter. He later earned his high school diploma and A.A. degree in 2011, finishing early with the assistance of dual enrollment credits. Later, he attend would attend the University of Central Florida.

Coulter began his recruit training on May 14, 2018 after passing a preemployment physical with the Daytona Beach Police Department. On the morning of Friday, May 18, Coulter, along with twenty-three other recruits and three trainers, were participating in what police chief Craig Capri said was a team building exercise. This was was jogging and walking exercise that included stops for pushups and stretching. The group was moving at the speed of the slowest participant.

Around 8:00 a.m. Coulter collapsed during training. Doctors at Halifax Health Medical Center  initially believed the young officer would recover. His condition began to decline on Saturday the 19th and he passed away at 4:30 a.m. on Monday, May 21. Autopsy reports would in fact later show the Coulter died of a heart attack.

Fellow recruits were allowed that Monday off training before being required to return on Tuesday morning. DBPD provided counseling for those in need.

According to Chief Capri, Coulter had made neither a complaint of discomfort nor did he complain of feeling ill before collapsing and as noted prior, had passed the required physical. Capri stated that Coulter was in “average shape” for a 25 year old.

The local newspaper quoted Chief Capri, “This young man, all he wanted to do was be a police officer. Talking with the family he wanted to be a police officer. That was his life’s dream, since he was a little kid. That was his goal and he did meet his goal.”

The News-Journal Center in downtown Daytona Beach was the site of Coulter’s memorial service. Law enforcement officers from numerous agencies along with then Florida governor Rick Scott attended the memorial service. Capri stated, “I’m just very proud of the community, the support of the community. And we had police officers from all over.”

Thomas Coulter left behind a wife of only six months, Jazmin, his parents, a brother, Mikey, and sisters Sandy and Bridgette, along with extended family members.

Thomas Coulter headstoneCourtesy Findagrave
Thomas M. Coulter headstone
Courtesy Findagrave

Officer Coulter is buried at Daytona Memorial Pak in the Hero’s Garden of Glory section. His marker includes the words, Have a Great Day Officer Coulter. 

Officer Coulter is memorialized on the Law Enforcement Memorial Volusia and Flagler Counties located adjacent to the Historic Courthouse in DeLand, FL.

An online memorial for Officer Coulter may be found HERE.

 

 

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All Gave Some Law Enforcement Mens T-Shirt

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