Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Historic Photos of Gainesville
    Historic Photos of Gainesville
    Historic Photos of Gainesville
    Ebook235 pages1 hour

    Historic Photos of Gainesville

    By Steve Rajtar

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    What began as a distribution center for shipping agricultural products around 150 years ago became a community noted in the twentieth century for its leadership in research and education. Historic Photos of Gainesville focuses its lens on the unfolding development of this Alachua County town, encapsulating its cultural progress over the last two centuries with nearly 200 compelling black-and-white photos.

    This handsome book chronicles the 1906 founding of the University of Florida and includes rare photos of its rise from modest beginnings to one of the nation’s largest universities and leading research facilities. Historic Photos of Gainesville draws from an extensive collection of rare images, revealing how a once quaint southern town became a modern-day city rich with history and educational opportunity. Archiving the growth of this vibrant community, Historic Photos of Gainesville is a must-have for area residents and historians alike.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTurner Publishing Company
    Release dateApr 1, 2008
    ISBN9781618586315
    Historic Photos of Gainesville

    Read more from Steve Rajtar

    Related to Historic Photos of Gainesville

    Related ebooks

    United States History For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      In Whom We Trust

      Jan 2, 2020

      ON January 12, 1895, The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest and Natural Beauty was registered with the Board of Trade. It was constituted to ‘promote the permanent preservation for the benefit of the Nation of lands and tenements (includi

      2 min read

    • Article

      Front Words

      Sep 15, 2023

      Happy 90th anniversary to City of Vancouver Archives. Its collection captures the city’s story through 7.2 million photographs, 6,800 maps, 2,800 audio recordings, documents measured in kilometres and terabytes of digital material. How did it begin?

      4 min read

    • Article

      Enduring Spirit

      Jul 30, 2020

      Enduring Spirit
      8 min read

    • Article

      British Columbia Bookshelf

      Mar 6, 2020

      British Columbia Bookshelf
      11 min read

    • Article

      Revival Las Vegas

      Aug 22, 2023

      Revival Las Vegas
      3 min read

    • Article

      Celebrating Black History on Staten Island

      Apr 1, 2020

      Celebrating Black History on Staten Island
      2 min read

    • Article

      Beyond the Artifacts

      Jun 25, 2020

      Beyond the Artifacts
      5 min read

    • Article

      Looking Back 200 Years

      Mar 16, 2020

      Looking Back 200 Years
      4 min read

    • Article

      Union Bay Historical Society

      Sep 3, 2019

      Union Bay Historical Society
      3 min read

    • Article

      A Bit Of Everything

      Jun 28, 2023

      A Bit Of Everything
      11 min read

    • Article

      Born of War

      Feb 9, 2021

      Trailside is produced in partnership with Civil War Trails Inc., which connects visitors to lesser-known sites and allows them to follow in the footsteps of the great campaigns. Civil War Trails has to date 1,552 sites across five states and produces

      4 min read

    • Article

      Blueprint for Reconstruction

      Aug 15, 2023

      Blueprint for Reconstruction
      5 min read

    • Article

      Strike a Pose

      Feb 13, 2024

      Strike a Pose
      7 min read

    • Article

      Cast in Iron?

      Apr 2, 2020

      Cast in Iron?
      7 min read

    • Article

      Edwin Drake’s Well

      May 16, 2023

      Edwin Drake’s Well
      2 min read

    • Article

      Miscellany

      Mar 9, 2021

      Miscellany
      6 min read

    • Article

      Queen City

      May 21, 2019

      Queen City
      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Historic Photos of Gainesville

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Historic Photos of Gainesville - Steve Rajtar

      HISTORIC PHOTOS OF

      GAINESVILLE

      TEXT AND CAPTIONS BY STEVE RAJTAR

      In 1918, the University of Florida’s YMCA acquired 20 acres along Lake Wauberg, located south of the campus, for student recreational activities. The land was transferred to the university in 1928 and a recreation center was built in 1939. This photo of a family enjoying a day at the lake, possibly Lake Wauberg, was taken in 1962.

      HISTORIC PHOTOS OF

      GAINESVILLE

      Turner Publishing Company

      200 4th Avenue North • Suite 950

      Nashville, Tennessee 37219

      (615) 255-2665

      www.turnerpublishing.com

      Historic Photos of Gainesville

      Copyright © 2008 Turner Publishing Company

      All rights reserved.

      This book or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2007941401

      ISBN-13: 978-1-59652-433-0

      Printed in China

      09 10 11 12 13 14 15—0   9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2

      CONTENTS

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      PREFACE

      EARLY DAYS (1860S–1899)

      BECOMING A COLLEGE TOWN (1900–1919)

      GROWTH OF THE CITY AND THE UNIVERSITY (1920–1939)

      MODERN GAINESVILLE (1940–1970S)

      NOTES ON THE PHOTOGRAPHS

      Gainesville resident Dudley Reed was a master violin maker, and the instruments he crafted during the 1950s are prized by collectors today. He used maple for the back, sides, neck, and scroll, and spruce for the top. The story of his life is recounted in Dudley Reed, Fiddle Maker: A Memorial by Howard Reed.

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      This volume, Historic Photos of Gainesville, is the result of the cooperation and efforts of many individuals and organizations. It is with great thanks that we acknowledge the valuable contribution of the Florida State Archives for their generous support.

      PREFACE

      Today’s Gainesville is difficult to imagine without the University of Florida. The campus occupies a large portion of the land near downtown. Nearly every business displays Gator logos, the colors of orange and blue, or other images to cater to students and those who work for the university. One might think that the university came first, and then a town grew up around it.

      On the contrary, Gainesville existed long before the university moved to town. The University of Florida traces its roots to 1853, but that date refers to one of its parent institutions, which was located in Ocala. The university moved to Gainesville in 1906, when the town was already a bona fide municipality.

      Like most of Florida, the area was settled by individuals engaged in agriculture. Various industries later located there and, unlike much of the state, tourism never assumed a position of primary importance. From the early days, the town has had a broad-ranging reputation for education.

      Its schools attracted students from several regions. The Gainesville Academy was founded in 1856 for white students and the Union Academy began a decade later for black students. The educational environment in Gainesville also attracted schools. After the Civil War, the East Florida Seminary arrived and merged with the Gainesville Academy. In 1873, Maggie Tebeau founded a private school with a focus on English and music that lasted for more than 60 years. Chateau-Briant was another well-known institution that helped turn children into well-educated adults.

      The biggest coup in the educational field was the merger of several schools to form the University of Florida, and its move to Gainesville. The town was irrevocably changed and now is a world leader in many areas of academia. There is still agriculture, largely as an extension of the university. There is still industry, largely conducted in connection with the university. There is everything an area needs to be a modern city—all connected in some way with the university.

      The pages that follow hold images which chronicle more than a century of Gainesville’s people, architecture, events, and growth, from its origins as a small distribution center for shipping farm produce to its rise to leadership in research and education.

      —Steve Rajtar

      This project represents many hours of research. The editors and writer have reviewed hundreds of photographs housed in the Florida State Archives. We greatly appreciate the generous assistance of the individuals and organizations listed in the acknowledgments, without whom this project could not have been completed.

      The goal in publishing this work is to provide broader access to these extraordinary images, to inspire, furnish perspective, and evoke insight that might assist those who are responsible for determining the future of Gainesville. In addition, we hope that the book will encourage the preservation of the past with adequate respect and reverence.

      With the exception of cropping images where needed and touching up imperfections that have accrued over time, no other changes have been made. The caliber and clarity of many photographs are limited by the technology of the day and the ability of the photographer at the time they were made.

      We encourage readers to reflect as they drive or walk the streets of Gainesville, enjoy the beaches and parks, and experience the amenities of this bustling metropolitan area. It is the publisher’s hope that in utilizing this work, longtime residents will learn something new and that new residents will gain a perspective on where the region has been, so that each can contribute effectively to its future.

      —Todd Bottorff, Publisher

      Bordering the north side of Courthouse Square was Alachua Avenue (now known as University Avenue), which in the early days of Gainesville was lined with wooden store buildings. From left to right are the Chris Matheson store, the medical office of Dr. James F. McKinstry, the post office, and the Vidal Drug Store owned by Dr. Adolph J. Vidal. From 1915 until 1921, Dr. McKinstry also served as the postmaster.

      EARLY DAYS

      (1860S–1899)

      Settlers began arriving in what is now Gainesville in the mid-1820s, but the county seat was established in Newnansville, to the north. Local farms produced cotton, citrus, and other crops, and it wasn’t until the 1850s that there was much interest in establishing a town, which was founded on January 24, 1854.

      The first thing the new town needed was a name, and that was left up to the citizens of Alachua County. County commissioner William R. Lewis proposed the name

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1