Manuscript collections contain the non-government historical records of private individuals and organizations that have shaped and influenced the history of Florida. These materials trace the cultural, economic, military, religious, and social development of Florida from a sixteenth century Spanish outpost to present times. The collections include correspondence, diaries, journals, maps, photographs, and the organizational papers of business, fraternal, professional, religious, and social organizations.
The manuscript collections are arranged into Personal, Family, and Organization Papers; Photographs; and Architectural Records. The collections within each section are arranged alphabetically.
The manuscript collections are arranged into Personal, Family, and Organization Papers; Photographs; and Architectural Records. The collections within each section are arranged alphabetically.
Personal, Family, and Organization PapersBilly Lauren Gooding Papers, 1824-1996 (N2014-10)
Born March 15, 1930, Billy Lauren Gooding was a long-time resident of Fernandina Beach, Florida and served as a museum guide at Fort Clinch State Park. The collection contains correspondence, historical accounts, news clippings, photographs, and other materials document Fort Clinch and Fernandina-area history and families. The collection contains records and photographs documenting the construction and history of Forth Clinch and Gooding's incoming and outgoing correspondence as a Forth Clinch Museum Guide. Extent: 0.5 cubic feet Arrangement: By record type or topic Finding Aid: Folder listing Gregory Family Papers, 1861-2003 (Collection N2003-3) Moving to Florida in the early 1800s, Lewis and Mary Gregory built a plantation in Liberty County and purchased several slaves. Their son, William T. Gregory, fought in the Civil War in the 4th Regiment, Florida Volunteers for Liberty County. His grandson, William Gregory Fletcher, was a licensed minister and worked in churches in Quincy, Miami, and Oakland, California. He lived in Oakland in the 1930s when he wrote most of the manuscripts in this collection. The 19th century Gregory family plantation was located near the Apalachicola River. In 1936, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) moved the house to Torreya State Park. In 1961, William Fletcher's daughter, Isobel, donated a trunk from William T. Gregory's service in the Civil War to Torreya State Park, where it is displayed in the Gregory House. The collection consists of correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, and typescripts written by Dr. William Gregory Fletcher during the 1930s about the Gregory family and rural life in North Florida in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The collection also contains information on the Gregory family, including transcripts of several letters written during the Civil War, a family tree, his daughter's birth certificate, a manuscript on Captain William T. Gregory at Fort Gadsden, and a 1860 letter from Gregory opposing Florida's possible secession. The collection includes correspondence between Fletcher's daughter Isobel and the Florida Park Service concerning the donation of a Civil War-era trunk. Extent: 2.5 cubic feet Arrangement: Arranged by topic or record group Finding Aid: Folder listing Koreshan Unity Papers, ca. 1829-2006 (Collection N2009-3) The Koreshan Unity was a late-19th/early-20th century religious utopian community originally founded in upstate New York by Dr. Cyrus Teed. After a few failed attempts, Teed's persuasive oratory finally enabled him to assemble a firm core of followers in Chicago in the late 1880s. After assuming the name Koresh in 1891, Teed began moving his followers to Estero, Florida, where he intended to establish the "New Jerusalem." In Estero, members constructed residences; a publishing house; a machine shop; a bakery; a general store; an Art Hall used for plays, concerts, lectures, religious activities, and other events; and a power plant. Teed died on December 22, 1908, after a fight between the Unity and politicians and citizens of nearby Fort Myers. Hedwig Michel, known as "The Last Koreshan," became president of the Koreshan Unity and worked with state officials to ensure that the site of their original settlement was preserved as a state historic site. The collection consists of original writings, letters, photographs, and other organizational and personal records of founders and members of the Koreshan Unity. It is organized into nine series. The Administrative Files, ca. 1887-2006 (Series 2), contain the Properties and Land Records, ca. 1888-1990 (Subseries F), which documents the deeding of approximately 300 acres to the State of Florida. The advancement, correspondence, report, and tourist materials within this portion of the Properties and Land subseries provide insight to the development of the Koreshan State Historic Site. Extent: 13.11 cubic feet (Series 2, Subseries F) Arrangement: By topic and then arranged either chronologically or alphabetically Finding Aid: Folder listing Rainbow Springs Tourist Attraction Sale Presentation Package, 1954 (Collection N2009-10) Rainbow Springs State Park had its origins as a 1930s tourist attraction, which featured a lodge and cottages, gift shop, and "submarine boats" allowing passengers an underwater view of the springs through portholes in the side. The development of Disney World and other Orlando area attractions resulted in Rainbow Springs attracting fewer customers and finally closing in 1973. The State of Florida bought the park in 1990. With the assistance of local citizen volunteers, Rainbow Springs State Park reopened on weekends in 1992, and was open daily in 1995. The collection consists of a presentation package describing the operations and physical and financial condition of Rainbow Springs as of March 1954. The package includes historical background information, a description of the facilities, past and projected income from the facilities, promotional brochures, and photographs. Extent: 0.1 cubic feet Arrangement: Unarranged Finding Aid: None PhotographsCentral Florida Photographs, 1921-1924 (Collection M87-43)
The collection documents the natural and cultural landscape of Central Florida in the early 1920s and the various social and economic activities of the area. The contains images of Wekiwa, Silver, Blue Rock and De Leon springs; Apopka, Harris, and Dora lakes; Withlacochee, St. Johns, and Silver rivers; canals; industries such as sawgrass harvesting, citrus picking, and cane grinding; and several African-American structures and cemeteries. The collection documents the original conditions of the region, which has been developed or become state parks. Extent: 91 photographs Arrangement: Arranged by subject Finding Aid: Folder listing, Florida Photographic Collection Number P1987-43 Coconut Grove Photographic Postcards and Clippings, ca. 1930s (Collection M82-103) Royal Palm State Park was a privately owned park on Paradise Key, created in 1915 by the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs. May Mann Jennings, wife of Governor WIlliam Jennings and president of the FFWC, was the driving force behind the park's creation. In 1915, the Florida State Legislature gave a one-time donation of $1,000, and bestowed the name Royal Palm State Park, despite never being a property within the Florida Park Service. In 1948, the FFWC donated Royal Palm State Park to the National Park Service. The collection consists of several photographic postcards of the Coconut Grove area, circa 1930s, including images of Royal Palm State Park and natural scenes. The collection also contains a brochure for Royal Palm State Park. Extent: 0.1 cubic feet Arrangement: Arranged by subject Finding Aid: Folder listing Additional Resources: For more materials on Royal Palm State Park, see the Library of Congress American Memory web site at: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award98/fmuhtml/everhome.html J.K. Small and Charles Mosier Photographs, 1913-1924 (Collection M82-40) John Kunkel Small, renowned for his research on the flora of southeastern United States, traveled to Florida in 1901. He explored and photographed the forests of tropical hardwood trees and the interesting variety of tropical plants scattered throughout the state. Small continued his Florida research for the next 36 years. Charles Mosier, caretaker for Royal Palm State Park when it was a privately owned park on Paradise Key, worked with Dr. Small on his expeditions. The collection contains over 500 photographs taken by J.K. Small and Charles Mosier between 1913 and 1924. The photographs document the flora and fauna of the Everglades; the many human activities in the Everglades, including Seminole people villages, Royal Palm State Park, hunting and fishing, cane grinding, timber industries, and various residences; and Indian mounds and various views of hammocks before early development destroyed them. The collection also contains photographs of North Florida from 1924, including the Mayport lighthouses; the Apalachicola and Suwannee rivers; the Crystal River, Turtle, and Green mounds; pine lands near Perry and Lamont; and farming in Quincy and Liberty County. Extent: 1.25 cubic feet Arrangement: Arranged by photographer, then by topic, date, or numerical order; or by subject Finding Aid: Searchable index to selected images available on the Florida Photographic Collection web site at http://www.floridamemory.com/PhotographicCollection/ Additional Resources: Collection M83-2, J.K. Small Correspondence and Photographs, contains additional images created by J.K. Small. Also see the J.K. Small collection housed at the New York Botanical Garden. North Florida Photographs, 1933-70 (Collection M87-2) The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a part of the New Deal relief program, began in 1933. Working in connection with the U.S. Army, the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Labor, and the National Park Service, men worked on forestry, soil reclamation, park construction, and fire suppression projects. Florida maintained an annual average of twenty-five CCC camps throughout the program's existence. The collection contains eight images of CCC camp P-63 in Bronson, Florida. , including two, rolled group portraits, an aerial image of Ft. Clinch State Park, and a couple of unidentified images. Extent: 0.25 cubic feet Arrangement: None Finding Aid: Searchable index to selected images available on the Florida Photographic Collection web site at http://www.floridamemory.com/PhotographicCollection/, Florida Photographic Collection Number P1987-002. Tamiami Trail Photographs, 1925-1926 (Collection M98-24) The collection contains photographs of Tamiami Trail and Miami Harbor depicting men fishing and hunting in the area. The collection also includes images of Indian Village in Alford City and Royal Palm Park. Extent: 24 photographs Arrangement: Unarranged Finding Aid: Florida Photographic Collection Number P1998-11, Searchable index to selected images on the Florida Photographic Collection web site at: http://www.floridamemory.com/PhotographicCollection/ Architectural RecordsFort Clinch Architectural Drawings, 1847-1900 (Collection M96-21)
After setting aside 420 acres of land on Amelia Island in 1842, construction began on a fort in 1847 and continued through the outbreak of the Civil War. The fort, placed under Confederate control in 1861, was regarrisoned by Federal troops in Mach 1863. The fort saw some auxiliary use during the Spanish-American War, but was sold in March 1929, as it was no longer needed for military purposes. The collection contains microfiche copies of the drawings that provide the plan and engineering basis for the construction of the fort; illustrations of the range and sighting charts provided for the fort's complement of guns; and maps. Originals are located at Fort Clinch State Park, Fernandina, Florida. Extent: 94 microfiche Arrangement: Numerical Finding Aid: Microfiche list Wekiwa Springs Blueprint Map, circa 1924 (Collection M83-10) Wekiwa Springs, located near Apopka in Central Florida, was a popular destination for wealthy tourists and health-seekers at the turn of the century. An overnight hotel, dining hall, watchtower, and trails were built near the spring. Tourism decreased in the 1920s. The springs became a state park in the late 1960s. The collection contains a blueprint map for a proposed development at Wekiwa Springs by the M.E. Miller Realty Corporation. The blueprint shows the various lots for sale and the existing features at the spring Extent: 1 item Arrangement: None Finding Aid: None |