Fort George Island FL147

Ft. George Island presents a cross-section of the Florida story. Timucuan Indians inhabited this island when French explorer Jean Ribault landed nearby in 1562. A Spanish mission was established here before 1600 to serve the Timucuans. Known to the Spanish as "San Juan," this island was renamed "St. George" by Georgia Governor James Oglethorpe. He built a fort- Ft. George- here in the 1730's during a British invasion of Spanish Florida. During the 2nd Spanish Period (1783-1821), three American planters in succession owned this island: Don Juan McQueen, John Houstoun McIntosh and Zephaniah Kingsley. Two plantation houses and the ruins of slave dwellings which remain from that period are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Shortly after the Civil War, Ft. George Island was acquired by John F. Rollins. The island enjoyed brief popularity as a tourist resort during the 1880's. Competition from other tourist areas, yellow fever, and fire combined to end this era about 1890. The 1920's brought new prosperity to the island. Hecksher Drive, a road built by New Yorker August Hecksher, brought the automobile to the island. After World War II, a state park was created on a portion of historic Ft. George Island. Shortly after the Civil War, Ft. George Island was acquired by John F. Rollins of New Hampshire. He remodeled the Kingsley Plantation main house and called his new Florida residence the "Homestead." As postmaster, Rollins had the area's post office removed to nearby Batten Island to take advantage of river traffic on the ST. Johns. Although Ft. George Island could be reached only by boat, it became a popular tourist resort during the 1880's. There were new year-round residents as well. The construction in 1881 of St. George's Episcopal church signified the growth of the island's population. But by about 1890, the extension of the railroad along Florida's east coast combined with a yellow fever epidemic and destructive fire to end the tourist era on Ft. George Island. Later, during the Florida "Boom" of the 1920's, the island experienced new prosperity. Two fashionable clubs opened there, and a road - Hecksher Drive - built by New York millionaire August Hecksher brought the automobile to the island. After World War II, part of Ft. George Island became a state park, and tourists once again were attracted to this historic island.

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Green Cove Springs FL178

High ground along the river and a flowing mineral spring drew the first inhabitants to this area some 7000 years ago, but historic development dates from 1816 when George I. F. Clarke erected a sawmill in this vicinity under a Spanish land grant. The first settlement, called White Sulfur Springs, was established in 1854, with a wharf, a store, and several houses clustered around a public square. During the Civil War, Federal troops frequently skirmished with Confederate forces in the vicinity, and finally occupied the town in 1864. Renamed in 1866, Green Cove Springs became the seat of Clay County government in 1871. Tourism flourished, surpassing citrus culture and lumbering as the area's economic base. River steamers brought visitors to the "Saratoga of the South", noted for the healthful qualities of its famous spring and for hotels and boarding houses said to rival the finest to be found in northern resorts. By the 1890s, the population reached more than 1500. But an expanding railroad system carried tourists southward and a great freeze in 1895 destroyed the surrounding citrus groves. The city's tourist industry declined sharply. The advent of the automobile age and the creation of a state highway system provided the basis for economic recovery in the 1920s, when the city shared in the general prosperity of the Florida Land Boom. But the collapse of the boom and the depression of the 1930s marked the end of the early development of the city. Between 1940 and 1945, the city experienced renewed development. The population increased from 1752 to 3026 as a result of the wartime construction of Benjamin Lee Field, a 1500 acre air auxiliary complex, by the U. S. Navy. With the end of World War II, thirteen piers were constructed by the Navy and the Green Cove base became home port to a "mothball fleet" of some 600 ships. With its share of returning war veterans, the community's population grew through the 1950s to a total of 4233 in 1960. In 1961, the Navy decommissioned its base and the reserve fleet was transferred to another facility. In 1984, the city annexed the former naval base into its corporate limits, tying this part of its heritage to its future growth and development.

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M & B Railroad FL232

For 63 years (1909-1972) the Marianna and Blountstown Railroad was Calhoun County's link to the railroads and commerce of the nation. Sometimes known as "Many Bumps" or "Meat and Bread," the M&B had a significant impact on the lives of Calhoun Countians. Until 1929, before automobile travel was commonplace, the M&B provided passenger service. Farmers used the railroad to ship a wide array of agricultural products. In the early years, logging spur lines extended into remote areas of the county and millions of board feet of long-leaf pine lumber were shipped from local sawmills. The M&B also carried mail, manufactured goods and building products. During its operation, the 29-mile-long line was Florida's shortest railroad. Until 1938 it ran 16 miles farther south to Scotts Ferry. Steam locomotive #444 was in operation when the M&B's first diesel engine arrived in 1947 and rests today on the exact location of the M&B roadbed.

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Auburn Automobile Company IN5

Auburn Automobile Company (1900-1937) Art Deco Style Administration building, built 1929-1930. Housed departments of Cord Corporation, manufacturer of Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg automobiles. Became Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum, 1974; listed in National Register of Historic Places, 1978.

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Dan Patch IN116

Side one:
Standard-bred colt (sire Joe Patchen, dam Zelica) foaled 1896 Oxford, Benton County; raised by Daniel A. Messner, Jr. on this farm. A natural pacer, trained for harness racing, a very popular sport in late 1800s and early 1900s. Dan Patch began his racing career at county fairs in 1900; he became famous in Grand Circuit racing and never lost a race.

Side two:
In 1902, sold to M. E. Sturgis, New York, then to Marion W. Savage, owner of International Stock Food Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota, who used horse's racing fame to market his stock food and many other products from toys to automobiles. Dan Patch's 1906 world record 1:55 mile held for thirty-two years. Was retired from racing 1909 for stud. Took part in exhibitions; died 1916.

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Haynes' Horseless Carriage IN435

Here on July 4, 1894, Elwood Haynes made the first test run of an automobile which he designed and built. His car reached a speed of about seven miles per hour over a six mile course on the Pumpkinvine Pike.

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Robert C. Graham IN114

Robert Cabel Graham (1885-1967), a native of Washington, Daviess County, with his brothers Joseph and Ray, contributed much to the economy and quality of life in the city, Evansville, and other towns. Glass factories, truck manufacturing, and Graham automobiles were early endeavors. Graham was active later with his four sons in Graham Farms, Inc., and the Graham Cheese Corporation.

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Dinner Station NV244
Dinner Station stands as a reminder of Nevada's stagecoach era. Established in the early 1870's by William C. (Hill) Beachey as a meal stop for the Tuscarora and Mountain City stage lines, it was originally known as Weilands. The name was later changed to Oldham's Station when a change of ownership took place. A frame structure originally accommodated the traffic, but a fine two-story stone station house, out-buildings and a corral were built following a fire in the 1800's. Early in the Twentieth Century, both automobiles and hose-drawn stages stopped at Dinner Station and it became one of the most popular country inns of the time. After 1910, when automobiles become more common, the station ceased to be used.

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Rock Spring Park WV678
Named for natural springs reputedly used by George Washington. Donated in 1857 for picnics and prize fights. Developed in 1897 as amusement park served by streetcar and boat attracting 15-20 thousand daily. Included dance pavilions, shooting galleries, bowling, theatre and music hall, boating and bathing, and Scenic Railway. Automobile and changing social customs led to disuse and sale by 1970s.

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