This Is What Florida Looked Like 100 Years Ago…
Have you ever wished you could go back in time? If you could, Florida would be a great place to do so. There’s a reason so many people speak fondly of Old Florida. Florida has a unique and fascinating history, and we’d like to share a piece of it through these photos.
Some dates given are approximate, but they should all be at least a century old. This is what makes photographs so neat!
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Train wreck on a bridge in Tampa , Florida 1906
StateLibrary and Archives of Florida
That looks really scary, like maybe part of the bridge was gone.
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Woman pulling a child on sled in DeLand , Florida 1890
StateLibrary and Archives of Florida
Pulling a what? Never heard of it. But it CAN snow in Florida !
DeLand is about 40 miles north of Orlando .
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People posed on a trolley car in Tampa , Florida 1892
StateLibrary and Archives of Florida
It seems like trolley cars were awfully small back then.
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Young men with Penny-Farthing bicycles in Tallahassee , Florida 1900
StateLibrary and Archives of Florida
This is what I imagine biker gangs looked like 100 years ago.
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Cape Florida Lighthouse,Key Biscayne , Florida 1901
StateLibrary and Archives of Florida
This landmark is still standing, and it's definitely worth a visit.
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Young Cigar makers in Englehardt & Co. in Tampa , Florida 1909
Flicker/TheLibrary of Congress
It's a little hard to tell, but the boy in the middle is smoking a cigar. I guess they figured if they were old enough to make them, they were old enough to smoke them.
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Casino Pool in Alcazar Hotel, St. Augustine , Florida 1905
StateLibrary and Archives of Florida
This hotel, built by industrialist Henry Flagler , is now the Lightner Museum . Recent visitors will recognize this swimming area as the museum's restaurant. It's still a very beautiful space, but it must have really been something to see it filled with water.
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Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, 1880
State Library and Archives of Florida
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July 4th parade in Delray Beach , Florida , 1914
State Library and Archives of Florida
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Family using a railroad car of the Tavares and Gulf Railroad as a home in Tavares, 1915
State Library and Archives of Florida
When I look at this photo, I can't stop wondering about these people and how they came to live here.
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Band awaiting the arrival of President Grover Cleveland in Lakeland , Florida 1894
StateLibrary and Archives of Florida
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Lady in white reclining on the beach in Palm Beach , Florida1896
StateLibrary and Archives of Florida
I just hope this wasn't a summer day.
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