DOCSLIB.ORG

News Dispatches from the Tampa Bay Hotel

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
News Dispatches from the Tampa Bay Hotel Sunland Tribune Volume 24 Article 4 1998 Waiting for War to Begin: News Dispatches from the Tampa Bay Hotel Alexandra Frye Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/sunlandtribune Recommended Citation Frye, Alexandra (1998) "Waiting for War to Begin: News Dispatches from the Tampa Bay Hotel," Sunland Tribune: Vol. 24 , Article 4. Available at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/sunlandtribune/vol24/iss1/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sunland Tribune by an authorized editor of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Henry Bradley Plant's recently opened Tampa Bay Hotel and its magnificent lawns and gardens stand ready in this 1892 scene to capture the world's attention in 1898 as headquarters for the U. S. Army and hundreds of news correspondents who arrived to report on the "splendid little war" with Spain. Photograph courtesy of the Tampa Historical Society. Troops of the New York 71st Infantry bound by rail for Tampa, stop over in Lakeland for coffee and rest from the long train ride. Photograph courtesy of the H. B. Plant Museum. WAITING FOR WAR TO BEGIN: News Dispatches from the Tampa Bay Hotel Alexandra Frye volunteer soldiers and sailors, and our nation, would be changed forever A recent acquisition to the archives of Tampa's Henry B. Plant Museum is a col- By the turn of century there were, according lection of news clippings from the Spanish- to Charles Brown in his book, The American War period. A. E. Dick, manager Correspondents' War, about 14,000 of the Tampa Bay Hotel in the 1890's, weeklies and 1,900 dailies throughout the subscribed to the clipping service owned by nation serving a highly literate American Henry Romenke. The service, located at 110 population (near 90 percent). Competition 5th Avenue, New York, NY, was billed as the was fierce for readers. New York alone had "most complete newspaper cutting bureau in eight morning and seven evening dailies and the world." Drawn from publications at least two dozen weeklies.1 The names of throughout the nation and world, these the most important publishers and editors of clippings offer a window into life amongst that era still resonate today, Joseph Pulitzer, the thousands of regular and volunteer William Randolph Hearst, James Gordon troops and officers gathered in Tampa in Bennett Jr. among them. Popular writers preparation for embarkation to Cuba. On enjoyed celebrity status: Richard Harding behalf of the Henry B. Plant Museum, Davis, for example, served as the model for Alexandra Frye choose from all the "The Gibson Man," (masculine counterpart clippings ones which best describe the town of The Gibson Girl).2 Stephen Bonsal, James and residents of Tampa, the Tampa Bay Creelman, Ambrose Bierce, and Peter Finley Hotel and the general conditions of camp Dunne were names well known to reading life as reported by correspondents to an audiences in cities from coast to coast. eager reading audience throughout the Illustrators such as Frederic Remington world. shared in the star status; although photography was used to document events, When the Spanish American War burst onto its reproduction in books and newspapers the stage of history on February 15, 1898, had not yet reached its full potential. with the sinking of the U. S. Battleship Maine, it was only to last until the signing of These elements came into confluence during the Treaty of Paris on December 10. As the Spanish-American War, the first time the short as the actual fighting may have been, United States sent troops to fight far from the "splendid little war" occurred during the home and its last amateur war. There were era when Americans obtained their fewer than 30,000 regular army soldiers information, entertainment and opinion when the war was declared. President through the print medium, and daring cor- McKinley issued a call for 125,000 respondents went to great (and sometimes volunteers and later for another 75,000. An dangerous) lengths to bring back 'the news.' estimated 60,0003 soldiers passed through This was America's first military incursion Tampa, Florida, chosen as the base of onto foreign shores, and our regular and embarkation for the army because of its Tampa's tall trees, scrub grass, palmettoes, and sand is the setting for the men of K Troop. Pictured in an original photograph by William Dinwiddie is Sgt. Philip K. Sweet, Henry S. van Schaick., Colton Reed, Allen M. Coville, Henry Fletcher., and Sherman Bell. Photograph courtesy of Burgert Bros. Collection. deep water port, its rail line and its Fiorello LaGuardia, and fame would come proximity to Cuba. to him at another time as mayor of the City of New York.5 To their surprise, these The first troops arrived April 20, 1898.4 reporters would remain in Tampa for a They continued to pour in through May and month or more, waiting for the invasion to into June. Along with the soldiers came begin. Stringent army censorship precluded correspondents from newspapers throughout strategic information reports. Consequently, the nation, as well as foreign observers from many of the dispatches they sent back home such countries as Great Britain and gave readers news of their volunteer sons Germany. By May 22, the Tampa Daily and sweethearts, announced the latest Tribune reported that 125 journalists were in promotions within the ranks and described town, with more arriving. One rather young day-to-day life in the camps of Tampa. reporter, the audacious 16-year-old son of Missouri's 11th Infantry bandmaster, The vignettes they penned described heat, persuaded the St. Louis Post Dispatch to pay dust, monotony, and military frustration--but his way to Tampa in exchange for some also offered humor and insight. articles. The young entrepreneur's name was Cavalry troops of the 1st United States Volunteers, Rough Riders, are shown in their corral area. Arriving in Tampa ready for mounted action against the Spanish, most of the army's cavalry were ordered to leave their horses behind when they finally sailed for Cuba. Photograph courtesy of the H. B. Plant Museum. In the first week of May, the editor of the vicinity in eight months and the black, grimy Plattsburgh (PA) Press, reported that the dust is enough to choke you. It gets into 21st Infantry was in camp as were some six your eyes, your nose, your food and, were it thousand men, all waiting for the 'expe- not for the ample bathing facilities in the dition' to Cuba to begin--although no one vicinity, it would be unbearable." quite knew when that would be. "The troops have not been idle since coming here," the Dean A. C. Peck wrote to the Denver (CO) editor wrote. "Drills in extended order and Republican, charitably describing the area as practice marches are the order of the day. "beautifully located at the head of ... Bright These are made with full equipment to inure Tampa Bay with crystal spray"' and an the men to the climate and hard service and adjacent countryside dotted with clear lakes, with the thermometer in the nineties are no many swamps, and "a species of ragged, pleasure jaunts. shred like moss hanging from the trees … "The climate is torrid, sure enough" he which is "self-propelling." When it came to continued. "At mid-day the thermometer the town, A. C. Peck wrote: "We do not call hovers in the nineties but the nights are cool Tampa much of a place in the North or West and pleasant. There has been no rain in this where our eyes are accustomed to well U.S. Army officers, newspaper writers, war correspondents, and a foreign military observer gath er on the grounds of Plant's Tampa Bay Hotel. The group includes Stephen Crane (center in white suit.) Richard Harding Davis (in helmet.) and Captain Arthur H. Lee of Great Britain (seated front right.) Photograph courtesy of the H. B. Plant Museum paved and kept streets and fine business that would not prefer going to Cuba at once blocks ... The soil is a fine, gray sand. With to waiting here in the heat and sand glare one or two exceptions, where dilapidated and monotonous inaction." and uneven pavements of wooden blocks make locomotion dangerous, the streets, There was something everyone agreed on: including the main shaft, have this sand to a The Tampa Bay Hotel, "a magnificent depth of at least a foot, through which teams winter resort built of brick in the Moorish and pedestrians alike must struggle … There style, with spacious grounds, wide verandas, are few business blocks of any pretension. a casino, bicycle track and natatorium ... There are some fine residences." only a quarter of a mile from the business part of the city ... Every night the electric That was about as kind as descriptions of lights shine on handsome uniforms and Tampa ran. The New York Times reporter elaborate summer costumes. A regimental wrote: "There is no shade at the artillery and band plays on the broad veranda and the cavalry camps, and very little at the infantry walks are full of young couples whose talk camps near Tampa. There is not a regiment is certainly not of war," wrote the New York Press on May 6, the same day the than stay with other officers at the Tampa Providence (R. I.) Journal called the Tampa Bay Hotel. The dispatch ended with "That is Bay Hotel a "magnificent 'caravansary' built the way for an American general to treat by Mr. Plant ... a beautiful place and good American soldiers, and they appreciate it." hotel.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Short History of Florida
    A Short History of MUSEUM OF FLORIDA HISTORY tiger, mastodon, giant armadillo, and camel) roamed the land. The Florida coastline along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico was very different 12,000 years ago. The sea level was A Short History much lower than it is today. As a result, the Florida peninsula was more than twice as large as it is now. The people who inhabited early Florida were hunters and gatherers and only occasionally sought big game. Their diets consisted mainly of Florida of small animals, plants, nuts, and shellfish. The first Floridians settled in areas where a steady water supply, good stone resources for Featured on front cover (left to right) tool-making, and firewood were available. • Juan Ponce de León, Spanish explorer, 1513 Over the centuries, these native people • Osceola, Seminole war leader, 1838 developed complex cultures. • David Levy Yulee, first U.S. senator from Florida, 1845 During the period prior to contact • Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of Bethune-Cookman with Europeans, native societies in the College in Daytona Beach, 1923 peninsula developed cultivated agriculture, trade with other groups in what is now the southeastern United States, and increased social organization, reflected in large temple mounds and village complexes. EUROPEAN EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION Written records about life in Florida began with the arrival of the Spanish explorer and adventurer Juan Ponce de León in 1513. Florida Indian people preparing a feast, ca. 1565 Sometime between April 2 and April 8, Ponce de León waded ashore on the east coast of Florida, possibly near present- EARLY HUMAN day Melbourne Beach.
    [Show full text]
  • Florida Bibliography
    A HISTORICAL BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT IN MIAMI AND SOUTHERN FLORIDA Originally compiled by Malinda Cleary, Richard Longstreth, and Aristides J. Millas Edited by Richard Longstreth 1999, revised 31 December 2017 This bibliography focuses on historical accounts written during the past three decades. Owing to the extent material, and the nature of much of its contents, I have made no attempt to separate popular from scholarly accounts or general histories from those that are devoted to the built environment. The basic divisions are geographical, followed by one on architects and landscape architects in the region. My gratitude goes to Melinda Cleary and Aristides Millas for compiling the core of these listings. Donald Curl kindly reviewed a draft and made valuable contributions as well. -- Editor F L O R I D A Akin, Edward Nelson, Henry Flagler: Rockefeller Partner and Florida Resort King, Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1988 Ayers, W. Wayne, Florida’s Grand Hotels from the Gilded Age, Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia, 2005 Bailey, S. Keith, et al., Florida Architecture, A Celebration: The History of the Florida Association of Architects, A.I.A, 1912-2000, n.p.: Florida Association of Architects, 2000 Blake, Nelson Manfred, Land into Water -- Water into Land: A History of Water Management in Florida, Tallahassee: Florida State University Press, 1980 Bloodworth, Beth E., and Alton C. Morris, Places in the Sun: The History and Romance of Florida Place- Names, Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1978 Braden, Susan R., The
    [Show full text]
  • The Miami Metropolis and the Spanish-American War
    "Watch Miami:" The Miami Metropolis and the Spanish-American War By Thomas F. Fleischmann Fought in 1898, the Spanish-American War marked the ar- rival of the United States as a world power. Few institutions celebrated this event more than the print media, especially the New York World and the New York Journal. During the three years preceding the outbreak of hostilities, these tabloids led the way in arousing a national mood of militarism through the tech- niques of sensationalism and yellow journalism. 1 However, not all newspapers followed the lead of the nation- al press. Founded on May 15, 1896, more than two months be- fore the city incorporated, The Miami Metropolis was one such journal. It was an eight page weekly published Fridays at five cents a copy. Walter S. Graham and Wesley M. Featherly were the paper's first editors and publishers whose policy was to boast of Miami's weather and location as a means to boost the city and its commercial expansion. 2 Preoccupied with his insurance business, Featherly quickly leased the paper to Edward Bying- ton, who became its manager and editor. Byington also saw the newspaper as an important factor in Miami's future, centering primarily on commercial and social growth. This practice was not uncommon for nineteenth century frontier tabloids and their editors. 3 Thomas F. Fleischmann is currently on active duty with the United States Navy stationed in Miami. He recently received a second Masters Degree in History from the University of Miami. 32 TEQUESTA This study will analyze The Miami Metropolis' coverage of one event, the Spanish-American War, as a case study of the nature of the newspaper and how it reflected the aspirations of the recently established city.
    [Show full text]
  • The History of Florida's State Flag the History of Florida's State Flag Robert M
    Nova Law Review Volume 18, Issue 2 1994 Article 11 The History of Florida’s State Flag Robert M. Jarvis∗ ∗ Copyright c 1994 by the authors. Nova Law Review is produced by The Berkeley Electronic Press (bepress). https://nsuworks.nova.edu/nlr Jarvis: The History of Florida's State Flag The History of Florida's State Flag Robert M. Jarvis* TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ........ .................. 1037 II. EUROPEAN DISCOVERY AND CONQUEST ........... 1038 III. AMERICAN ACQUISITION AND STATEHOOD ......... 1045 IV. THE CIVIL WAR .......................... 1051 V. RECONSTRUCTION AND THE END OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY ..................... 1056 VI. THE TWENTIETH CENTURY ................... 1059 VII. CONCLUSION ............................ 1063 I. INTRODUCTION The Florida Constitution requires the state to have an official flag, and places responsibility for its design on the State Legislature.' Prior to 1900, a number of different flags served as the state's banner. Since 1900, however, the flag has consisted of a white field,2 a red saltire,3 and the * Professor of Law, Nova University. B.A., Northwestern University; J.D., University of Pennsylvania; LL.M., New York University. 1. "The design of the great seal and flag of the state shall be prescribed by law." FLA. CONST. art. If, § 4. Although the constitution mentions only a seal and a flag, the Florida Legislature has designated many other state symbols, including: a state flower (the orange blossom - adopted in 1909); bird (mockingbird - 1927); song ("Old Folks Home" - 1935); tree (sabal palm - 1.953); beverage (orange juice - 1967); shell (horse conch - 1969); gem (moonstone - 1970); marine mammal (manatee - 1975); saltwater mammal (dolphin - 1975); freshwater fish (largemouth bass - 1975); saltwater fish (Atlantic sailfish - 1975); stone (agatized coral - 1979); reptile (alligator - 1987); animal (panther - 1982); soil (Mayakka Fine Sand - 1989); and wildflower (coreopsis - 1991).
    [Show full text]
  • Final Corals Supplemental Information Report
    Supplemental Information Report on Status Review Report And Draft Management Report For 82 Coral Candidate Species November 2012 Southeast and Pacific Islands Regional Offices National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Department of Commerce Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Background ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Methods .................................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 MISCELLANEOUS COMMENTS RECEIVED ...................................................................................................... 3 SRR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................... 4 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 4 2. General Background on Corals and Coral Reefs .................................................................................... 4 2.1 Taxonomy & Distribution .............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Florida Historical Quarterly
    COVER A typical summer Sunday afternoon at Jacksonville Beach during the early 1930s. Promoted as the “World’s Finest Beach,” visitors came from all over Florida and Georgia. Forty miles long and 600 feet wide, the hard-packed white sand made the beach a “mecca of autoists,” and it was said that some- times as many as 15,000 cam were parked there on a weekend. Originally called Pablo Beach, the community was established by the Jacksonville and Atlantic Railroad in 1884. Murray Hall, an enormous wood- frame hotel with accommodations for 350 guests, was completed two years later. It was one of the South’s most popular seaside resorts until it was destroyed by fire in 1890. It had attracted many visitors to the beach com- munity. This photograph is from the collection of Mr. Richard Martin of Jack- sonville. The uarterly THE FLORIDA HISTORICAL SOCIETY Volume LII, Number 1 July 1973 THE FLORIDA HISTORICAL QUARTERLY SAMUEL PROCTOR, Editor THOMAS S. GRAHAM, Editorial Assistant EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD LUIS R. ARANA Florida-Caribbean District Office National Park Service, Tallahassee HERBERT J. DOHERTY, JR. University of Florida JOHN K. MAHON University of Florida WILLIAM W. ROGERS Florida State University JERRELL H. SHOFNER Florida Technological University CHARLTON W. TEBEAU University of Miami Correspondence concerning contributions, books for review, and all editorial matters should be addressed to the Editor, Florida Historical Quarterly, Box 14045, University Station, Gainesville, Florida 32601. The Quarterly is interested in articles and documents pertaining to the history of Florida. Sources, style, footnote form, original- ity of material and interpretation, clarity of thought, and interest of readers are considered.
    [Show full text]
  • Multi-Cultural Encounter and Exchange Among Spaniards, American Indians and Africans in Colonial Florida and the Caribbean”
    Deagan- Multi-cultural Encounter..10/2012 p.1 Multi-Cultural Encounter and Exchange among Spaniards, American Indians and Africans in Colonial Florida and the Caribbean” Kathleen Deagan, University of Florida Introduction: History and Archaeology One of the most striking aspects of Hispanic-American society today is the vibrant blend of Native American, African and European elements that is apparent in so many areas of life. We see this in cuisine, architecture, clothing, language, crafts , folklore and the very faces of people throughout Latin America. This cultural blending is not a modern phenomenon, but rather one that has its roots in the early years of colonial encounter among Spaniards, American Indians and Africans in America. This colonial pluralism is perhaps most evident in the material household life of early Spanish colonists, which is principally revealed through archaeology. Because American cultural encounters were shaped by engagements between literate and non- literate peoples, it is impossible to rely exclusively upon either written sources or material evidence alone when examining colonial exchange and its outcomes. Historical archeology (sometimes called text-aided archaeology) is the study of the past through the integration of written documents, material remains and stratigraphic contexts in the dirt. Florida and the Spanish Caribbean were among the very earliest place in America to be colonized, and most of my comments about the nature of early cultural convergence are based on archaeological research carried out in those areas . Historians have abundantly documented and dissected Spain’s colonial policies and practices in America i .These are essential contributions, but they tend to reveal the policies and practices of the literate European elite - a tiny minority of people in colonial America.
    [Show full text]
  • CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E1465 HON
    August 1, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1465 as she embarks on this new chapter of her compete for discretionary funding to improve tions. This year’s parade travelled a mile-long life. their infrastructure systems. Each of our terri- route through the city and featured fire fighters f tories has a unique economic situation but we from Camden and Philadelphia on their trucks. all recognize the importance of having a ro- In addition to the parade, the day included tra- PERSONAL EXPLANATION bust infrastructure system to facilitate com- ditional singing, dancing, and foods, all culmi- merce and economic opportunities in each of nating in a concert on the beautiful Camden HON. STEVE KING our jurisdictions. For example, on Guam, as Waterfront. I thank the Puerto Rican commu- OF IOWA the realignment of military forces begins imple- nity for all they do to enrich and support South IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES mentation, it may be necessary to develop a Jersey, and I pay special recognition to this Monday, August 1, 2011 ferry system so that civilians and military alike year’s Parada San Juan Bautista. can go between Guam and ports within the f Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is- No. 325 I was unable to cast my vote on the lands. In any of the 50 states, the develop- IN TRIBUTE TO HENRY ‘‘HANK’’ House floor because I was ill. Had I been ment of a ferry system could be aided, in part, LACAYO ON HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY present, I would have voted ‘‘no.’’ by federal funding through the Ferry Boats f and Ferry Terminal Facilities Program.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Florida
    16 Facts & Photos Profiles of Florida History of Florida Early Human Inhabitants The Apalachee One of the most powerful and influential native groups of People first reached Florida at least 12,000 years ago. The rich Florida was the Apalachee. At the time Europeans began arriv- variety of environments in prehistoric Florida supported a large ing in America, the Apalachee controlled the fertile area near number of plants and animals. The animal population included the Tallahassee hills between the Ochlockonee and Aucilla most mammals that we know today. In addition, many other rivers. The fertile clay and loam soils of the hills supported the large mammals that are now extinct (such as the saber-tooth ti- heaviest, most concentrated aboriginal population in the state. ger, mastodon, giant armadillo, and camel) roamed the land. The first Spaniards to explore Florida extensively were drawn The Florida coastline along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of to this same region. Panfilo de Narvaez journeyed there from Mexico was very different 12,000 years ago. The sea level was Tampa Bay in 1528. Hernando de Soto wintered there from much lower than it is today. As a result, the Florida peninsula October 1539 until early March 1540. was more than twice as large as it is now. The people who in- habited Florida at that time were hunters and gatherers, who Searching for gold, Narvaez and his expedition moved through only rarely sought big game for food. Modern researchers think swampy unpopulated flatwoods until they reached the that their diet consisted of small animals, plants, nuts, and Apalachee area, near present-day Tallahassee.
    [Show full text]
  • Second Spanish Period St. Augustine Society
    University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2015 Persons, Houses, and Material Possessions: Second Spanish Period St. Augustine Society Daniel Velasquez University of Central Florida Part of the Public History Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Velasquez, Daniel, "Persons, Houses, and Material Possessions: Second Spanish Period St. Augustine Society" (2015). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 1256. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/1256 PERSONS, HOUSES, AND MATERIAL POSSESSIONS: SECOND SPANISH PERIOD ST. AUGUSTINE SOCIETY by DANIEL VELÁSQUEZ B.A. Harriett Wilkes Honors College at Florida Atlantic University, 2012 A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of History in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Summer Term 2015 Major Professor: Anne Lindsay ABSTRACT St. Augustine in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries was a prosperous, multi-ethnic community that boasted trade connections throughout the Atlantic world. Shipping records demonstrate that St. Augustine had access to a wide variety of goods, giving residents choices in what they purchased, and allowing them to utilize their material possessions to display and reinforce their status. Likewise, their choice of residential design and location allowed them to make statements in regards to their place in the social order.
    [Show full text]
  • In the Beginning the Birth of Kendall – Part 1
    In The Beginning The Birth of Kendall – Part 1 Scott F. Kenward, DMD May, 2009 When Florida achieved statehood in 1845, Dade County was little more than a vast block of dense, mosquito-infested wilderness. Stretching from the Hillsboro Inlet at the northern edge of present-day Broward County to Indian Key, 5 miles south of Islamorada, Dade County hosted only 159 residents in 1850. That same year, in order to encourage the development of agriculture, transportation and other productive uses for federally-owned swampland, the US Congress enacted into law the Swamp Land Act of 1850. This legislation, with its loose and ill-defined definition of what constitutes a wetland, allowed the state of Florida to eventually claim, between 1880 and 1903, all the land west of Red Road (SW 57th Avenue), between SW 104th Street and N W 7 th Street. The state of Florida could then sell the land to individuals, reserve it for state use, or donate it to developers and entrepreneurs for construction of canals and railways. By the time of the nation’s Centennial in 1876, railroads had already spanned the continent and united the country in an unprecedented transportation network. The economy began a huge expansion, growing almost ten-fold in the last quarter of the 19th Century. This explosive growth required massive infusions of capital – more than Americans alone could supply – and so, European entrepreneurs invested in American railroads, mining, cattle ranches and land in prodigious amounts. One such entrepreneur was Sir Edward James Reed, a retired Chief Constructor of warships for the Royal Navy and a member of the British Parliament, representing South Wales.
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix A: Historic Context and References
    APPENDIX A: HISTORIC CONTEXT AND REFERENCES FROM THE HISTORIC PROPERTIES RESURVEY, CITY OF FERNANDINA BEACH, NASSAU COUNTY, FLORIDA, BLAND AND ASSOCIATES, INC. 2007 Colonial Period, 1565-1821 Founded in the early nineteenth century and incorporated in 1824, Fernandina Beach is one of Florida's oldest cities. The principal city of Nassau County, Fernandina Beach is located on the north end of Amelia Island, which has a colonial heritage associated with early French explorers, the First Spanish period, the British period, and the Second Spanish period. Early French explorers named the island "Isle de Mai" and Pedro Menendez built a fort there in 1567. In 1598 and 1675, Spanish missions built on the island contributed to a larger system implemented by the Spanish Crown to convert the Indians to Catholicism. In 1702, an English incursion from Charleston, South Carolina, attacked St. Augustine, but also invaded an outpost on the island and threatened the missions. Later, in 1735, when James Oglethorpe attempted to secure the St. Marys River as the southern boundary of his new colony, the Georgian scouted the island, which he named Amelia for one of King George II's daughters (Johannes 2000:3-4). Between 1513 and 1763, Spain failed to settle permanently any area of Florida except the immediate environs of St. Augustine. Besides establishing a permanent base at the port city and a chain of missions into the interior, the Spanish accomplished little of lasting significance. Farmers and ranchers cleared land for cattle, and planted crops and fruit trees. But, the growth of English colonies to the north in the 1700s and forays by settlers and militia into Florida destabilized Spain's nascent agricultural economy and mission system.
    [Show full text]