November 2010

Ernest Hemingway finished the final draft of his masterpiece, "A Farewell to Arms," and composed the short stories "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" during his eight-year stay in this Key West house. Visitors can walk in his footsteps while touring the grounds, the house, and his writing studio.*

This regional history museum features an extensive collection of antique automobiles.

The Elliott Museum, currently undergoing reconstruction, houses an extensive collection of automobiles, including the historic 1902 Stanley Steamer and a 1904 Indian Motorcycle. Visitors will also be able to tour a turn-of-the-century general store, a recreated 1917 parlor, and a 1928 dining room furnished with pieces from the estate of silent movie star "Fatty" Arbuckle. Baseball fans will delight in the museum's vast assortment of memorabilia.

These estates feature changing special exhibits that explain the history and innovations of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.

Nine National Register Historic buildings as well as the Botanical and Research Gardens. The historic research and contemporary gardens consist of approximately 20 acres of lush tropical botanical gardens, 500 unique plants, flowers and trees, including 4 champion trees, federal C.I.T.E.S. orchid program and propagation greenhouse and nursery. The Estates are ADA accessible and wheelchairs are available. Parking for 400 vehicles and buses.

The offices of the Society are located on the second floor of the 1914 Plant City High School, a National Register Historic Site, owned by the City of Plant City and operated under partnership with the East Hillsborough Historical Society. The general purpose of this Society, as set forth in Article II of the Articles of Incorporation, is to foster and encourage interest in historic inquiry and study generally, but especially among its members; to collect, preserve, and house historic documents and objects, especially those pertaining to eastern Hillsborough County and the State of Florida; to collect, preserve, and house genealogical books and materials to aid genealogical research; and further, to encourage and participate in historic preservation.

Advertisements described the building as the “South's Most Beautiful Fish Market” when it opened as Miller's Fish Market in 1926. East Coast Fisheries moved into the building in 1933 and continued its wholesale seafood operations and eatery until 2000.

Interpretive signs recount the history of this famous 16th century sugar mill and of the pioneers who braved the harsh New World conditions in an effort to make a living refining sugar cane.

The Dunlawton Sugar Mill Botanical Gardens features original sugar mill equipment, such as a sugar cane crusher that was once powered by a horse. Paths run through the scenic gardens past replicas of dinosaurs and to the ruins of the sugar mill.

The Bonita Springs Historical Society was formed in 1984 by a small and dedicated group of individuals who shared an interest in discovering and preserving the unique heritage of the area. The Society strives to build enthusiasm about Bonita Springs, and to share historical knowledge with the community. The members are involved in Historical Preservation on the local and county levels. Members receive a monthly newsletter covering all the Society's programs and events. Some of the many exciting Member Events scheduled throughout the year: Exhibits at the Liles Hotel in Riverside Park on Old41., Walking Tour of Historic Bonita/Picnic., Mayor of Survey, 4th of July., Historical Society Tea., Historical Tours., Dinner/Dance.

In 1921, Edward W. Bok was spending the winter months in the residential mountain lake community located adjacent to the highest hill of Florida's Lake Wales Ridge, 298 feet above sea level. He enjoyed taking evening walks to the top of "Iron Mountain," among the virgin pines and sandhill scrub, to enjoy Florida's dramatic sunsets and bird life. The idea came to him to preserve this hilltop and create a bird sanctuary - a place of beauty, serenity and peace.

Integral to Bok's idea was the availability of a famous landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. Having made arrangements to buy land on the hilltop, Bok commissioned Olmsted to change this arid sandhill into "a spot of beauty second to none in the country." The first year was spent digging trenches and laying water pipes for irrigation, after which rich black soil was brought by the thousands of loads.

With the requisite conditions for a subtropical garden in place, planting of bushes and trees was begun that would provide food for visiting birds. Today, these plantings provide shade to visitors as well as refuge for squirrels and more than 100 bird species.

Historic Brattonsville is a 775-acre historic site that includes a Revolutionary War battlefield. Each July a two-day event commemorating the Battle of Huck's Defeat (a revolutionary war skirmish) is recreated near its original battlefield site. The site features more than 30 historic structures, which may be toured and are also used during living history programs where costumed-interpreters relive the past by demonstrating a variety of programs.

Of interest to many visitors is Historic Brattonsville's role in the making of the Revolutionary War epic, The Patriot. Several buildings on site were used in the production.

For visitors looking for a comprehensive experience of Boca Raton's history, nothing will benefit them more than a stop at the Boca Raton Historical Society's offices. The Society's docents lead historical tours of the Boca Express Train Museum, the Boca Raton Resort & Club, and the City of Boca Raton. In addition, the Society often cooperates with other cultural organizations to stage exhibitions dealing with various topics, from history and architecture to arts, crafts, and photography.

The BRHS is known primarily for its stewardship of two landmark buildings in Boca Raton: Town Hall and the F.E.C. Railway Station (the Count de Hoernle Pavilion). Both buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and have received the Florida Trust’s prestigious Historic Preservation Award. These restorations, paid for by private and public funds, are testaments to the community’s dedication to preservation. Through these projects, the Historical Society has set the architectural tone for the city and achieved a leadership role in downtown redevelopment and new development in Boca Raton.