Afternoon with Local History

Event Description

Join us in the Root Family Auditorium for a fun and exciting afternoon of local history. From West Volusia to Florida Colonial times, it is sure to be a day of great history in Volusia County! 

The St. Johns River and Its Relation to West Volusia History
Join Executive Director of the West Volusia Historical Society, Larry French, for a glimpse through time of the natural attraction that the St. Johns River has had on people. Discover the history of the people who lived on the river over time, the changes they have made, and the relevance of this history to those who live here today. 

The Incredible Story of the New Smyrna Colony
Join local historian, Joe Vetter, and discover the story of the largest British colonial attempt in the history of North America! Dr. Andrew Turnbull, a Scottish physician, brought 1400 indentured servants from Minorca, Greece and Italy to the new colony of East Florida in 1768. Their odyssey craving out an indigo plantation and horrible treatment under Turnbull's overseers forced them up the Old Kings Road, and by 1777, in the middle of the Revolution up north, the survivors settled in St. Augustine. Descendants today can trace their names to the list on the statue of Father Pedro Campos that stands in the Basilica's courtyard. Come experience this remarkable story of 18th century East Florida. 

Legendary Locals of Daytona Beach
Join author and journalist, Mark Lane, for a presentation and book signing for his new book of local history that has profiles of around 130 men and women from the area. They range from the famous, like Mary McLeod Bethune and Bill France, to less remembered people, like Helen Williams Post, founder of Seabreeze and turn-of-the-century New Thought Movement publisher, and Ed Armstrong, the town's notorious political boss from the 1930s. Learn about how the selections were determined and how their stories were uncovered. 

Free for members or with paid museum admission.