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The history flowing from the Silver Springs dates make centuries. Whether it's in the form of a mammoth bone, or a glass bottom boat, there's loads of stories to tell. This week we dive in and find surprising tales, of Black Lagoons and dugout canoes and truck driver scuba divers. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!   Read more about the Glass Bottom Boats in the Ocala Style! Read more about the Mammoth bones at Silver Springs!   All of the music was originally composed.

The richest man on board the Titanic had a town bearing his family name in the heart of Florida. His death in the frozen waters of the Atlantic changed the future of the small town in the heart of the Ocala National Forest. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!   Thank you to Chrystel Hopkins and Paul Burns from the Titanic Museum for their help in this episode!   All of the music was originally composed.

Cattle roam the middle of our state, and for a hundred years, their ranchers took up rest at Yeehaw Junction. But what today appears to be just an intersection of the highway is loaded with history just below the surface. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!   Read more about the military testing in Yeehaw Junction right here!   All of the music was originally composed.

NEW EPISODES JUNE 3RD! We spent a week at the Florida Film Festival back in April, and now it's time to recap the most exciting movies we saw! Plus, a preview of our next episode, coming this upcoming Monday!   All of the music was originally composed. 

At the 1933 World's Fair, Florida presented its vision of a home of the future: pink, shiny, with a view of the water. Throughout our trip to these fairs, Florida sold many ideas, from tobacco to citrus - and everything in between. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here!   Read more about the Philippines exhibit at the 1904 fair. Read more about about the Florida Tropical House.  Read more about Florida at the 1964 fair.   All of the music was originally composed. 

In 1893, Florida tried and nearly failed to bring an exhibit to the World's Fair in Chicago. It was our first major foray into an international event with decades of popularity - but not the last. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here!   Read the incredible article about Florida at the Chicago World's Fair here! Read more about the 1851 World's Fair here!   All of the music was originally composed.

Follow Betty Osceola, and learn more about what's going on with the Everglades right here Learn more about the Seminole Tribe of Florida here, and the Miccosukee Tribe right here Visit the Seminole museum, Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum In 1836, the first full year of the Second Seminole War, the American troops were constantly on the losing end. Using nature and speed to their advantage, the Seminoles raised hell at any opportunity. At Wahoo Swamp, things began to change. Listen to our episode about the origins of the Seminole Tribe Read more about the Battle of Wahoo Swamp here   All of the music was originally composed.

Under the tiny town of Mount Dora, Florida, there is a massive bunker, built at the height of the Cold War, designed to house a hundred people in case the worst was to occur. It remains there to this very day. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here!   Read more about the bunker at Abandoned Florida and on the Mount Dora Buzz website!   All of the music was originally composed.

The Florida Legislature recently passed a bill that environmental advocates have called dangerous for the future survival of our state's black bears. This week, we dive into the bill and the arguments against it. Thank you to Bear Warriors United for their help in this week's episode! Check out more at their website. Watch the full committee where the bill was discussed here. Read the bill, HB 87 Taking of Bears, right here. Read about the frequency of black bear encounters here. Read about bears and their relationship to trash here. Read about bear encounters dropping in Seminole County here. Read the article about bear gallbladder usage here. Read the article about the bear hunting penalty here, and more on the usage of poached bear gallbladders.    All of the music was originally composed. 

Last week, we spent the day at the Florida State Legislature, and today, we're breaking down the events with Rep. Anna V. Eskamani! We dive into the complicated relationship between Republicans and Democrats, how legislators plan out their debates, and the usefulness of a can of tomato juice. Listen to last week's episode before you dive in!   Check out more from Rep. Eskamani at her website or her Instagram! Read HB 1639 about gender and sex in Florida here. Read HB 999/SB 266 about higher education here. Read the ACLU response to that bill here.   Read Rep. Eskamani's bills about student elopement and veteran benefits   All of the music was originally composed.

I shadowed Rep. Anna V. Eskamani for an entire day in January of this year, winding the hallways of our legislature, meeting politicians, sitting in on their meetings, and witnessing their debates in committees. This week, we're talking about the inner workings of life in state government, and life as a legislator in 2024. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here!   Thank you Rep. Anna V. Eskamani for hosting me for the day. Check out her website right here. Read House Bill 87 right here, about black bears. Read House Bill 395 right here, about historical monuments.  Read more about black bear attacks in Florida here.  Read more about driver's licenses and gender identity here.   All of the music was originally composed.

In the 1930s, St. Petersburg, Florida, became a spot for filmmakers to attempt to relaunch their career. It was a short-lived and disastrous endeavor that produced only three movies - and a new chapter in the failing career of a Hollywood legend.  Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here!   Check out the main source for this episode, Camera Man by Dana Stevens! Read more about the history of Weedon Island! Watch Buster Keaton's movie Sherlock Jr. or watch this clip from Seven Chances discussed in today's episode!   All of the music was originally composed.

In 1956, Satchel Paige pitched in the biggest game in minor league baseball history. He was fifty years-old, the ageless wonder, making an appearance in Florida near the end of his long, storied and career. And somehow, that wasn't the end. All that, plus Miami baseball, a no-hitter record, and the surprising Cuban baseball rivalry in the 1940s. (CORRECTION: At 23:30, the year 1955 is said. In actuality, the year was 1958, as mentioned in the previous sentence.) Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Read more about Satchel Paige in Miami right here!   All of the music was originally composed. 

What White Publishers Won't Print by Zora Neale Hurston In 1957, The Fort Pierce Chronicle started publishing a newspaper aimed at the local Black community. Enter Zora Neale Hurston, near the end of her life, looking for a new opportunity. The rest is a history we are still looking to preserve.   Thank you to Gregory Enns of the Indian River Magazine for his help! If you have any copies of the Fort Pierce Chronicle, find out where to send it to right here!   All of the music was originally composed. 

During Prohibition, rum running had a king. Based out of Florida, with a special brand of criminal dealing, Bill McCoy became known for his truth in advertising - and his ability to avoid capture. Until he couldn't any longer. That, plus the history of rum, more musical theater references, and an invitation to Nevada. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here!   Thank you to Claire White from the Mob Museum! Check out the museum, and pay them a visit if you're ever in Las Vegas!   All of the music was originally composed.

During his farewell tour, the great showman of the West, Buffalo Bill Cody brought his show to Florida. What did the show look like, and how did it change over its four decades of existence? That, plus Annie Oakley, 1940s musicals, and one scathing review! Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here!   Thank you to Jeremy Johnston from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West! Check out their incredible museum right here! Read more about Annie Oakley in Florida right here! Read more about Bill Cody's history right here!   All of the music was originally composed.

Happy Holidays! Today we dive into a handful of stories: of rebuilt schoolhouses and holiday decor, of festive slashers and a Florida Christmas tree all our own. Thank you to the Sanibel Historic Museum and Village for having me! Thank you to Rachel Williams from the Orange County Regional History Center for her story, and for joining the show this year! Thank you to Tim Anderson from the Enzian Theater here in Orlando! Thank you to Jack Prator from the Tampa Bay Times! Read his full story about Florida Christmas trees right here!   All of the music was originally compossed.   See you on February 5th!

In Sarasota, Florida, there is a historic home, an art museum, and two buildings dedicated to the circus all in one property. We dive into the Ringling, looking for clowns and trains and the incredible history of the Greatest Show on Earth. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here!   Check out the Ringling and plan your visit here!   All of the music was originally composed.

This week, we go searching through a stack of magazines for new faces and new stories that reveal bits of Florida's rich and complex past. Topics include Spaceship Earth, a diving fin, circus photography, Civil War veterans, Apollo 11, Florida Citrus Queens, and Henry Flagler. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here!   Read more about Walter Cronkite and EPCOT here! Read more about John Hinde in Florida here! Read our friend Gabrielle Calise's article about alligators here!   I do not own the rights to the Walter Cronkite audio used in this episode. Below are links used in the episode. You are There Spaceship Earth Walter Cronkite   Unless otherwise stated, all music used in this episode is originally composed.  

After the Second Seminole War, a man came to Florida to found a town that he would name after himself. His legacy would be one of violence, but his name lasts as the predecessor to Orlando. Plus, a mystery and a surprising connection. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here!   Thank you to Rachel Williams from the History Center! Plan your trip to the Orange County Regional Historic Center here.   All of the music was originally composed.