Doug Gelbert

How Florida Happened: A Story of the Sunshine State in 100 Buildings Doug Gelbert

Imagine a group of settlers arriving in an undeveloped location. First come shelters in which to live and then structures in which to work and shop. There are buildings for worship and education. As the community grows government buildings are required. With prosperity comes places in which to spend leisure time. And each step along the way builds a story only Florida can call its own.



That story is all around you in the work of those who came before you. In these pages you'll learn the explanations behind the quirks, the traditions and the secrets that make Florida uniquely Florida. What city hall looks like a set piece from The Thief of Baghdad? Solved. How did Frank Lloyd Wright come to desing an entire Florida college campus? Mystery solved. The smallest of America's 31,322 post offices? Identified. The only Florida building remaining to be a movie studio in the silent film era? Revealed.



Spanish souvenirs...college football... Art Deco...the "Eighth Wonder of the World"...iron horses...sponges... Black culture...roadside architecture...spring training...cattle...the CCC...speedboat racing...horse racing...auto racing...kit houses...diners...the golden age of motoring...orange groves...early aviation...tourist attractions...shuffleboard...dredging... Frank Lloyd Wright...trailer parks...space travel...miniature golf... Sears kit houses... This book will have you telling stories like a native in no time.



Almost all of the selections within are open to the public, or at least visible from public spaces. So, if you haven't seen these landmarks in person, fire up your GPS and get out and see the story of the Sunshine State standing in plain sight on Florida streets!