Florida's Grand Hotels from the Gilded Age

Florida's Grand Hotels from the Gilded Age PDF

Author: R. Wayne Ayers

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2005-10-05

Total Pages: 134

ISBN-13: 1439617120

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Florida in the late 1800s was a paradise waiting to be discovered. During this period, two visionary tycoons of the Gilded Age set out on separate ventures that would transform the Sunshine State from Americas last frontier into a destination for the rich and famous. The grand hotels that Henry M. Flagler and Henry B. Plant opened at their planned resort sites offered a fantasy stay surrounded by all the accoutrements expected by sophisticated, Gilded Age patrons. Floridas Grand Hotels from the Gilded Age provides a look at these magnificent structures during their glory years, along with the fashionable entertainment and social and recreational pastimes that engaged their gilded guests.

Ormond Beach

Ormond Beach PDF

Author: Ormund Beach Historical Trust Inc

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 9780738502571

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The Ormond Beach area's earliest known inhabitants were the Timucua Indians, whose primitive, blunt-nosed canoes skimmed the waters of the Halifax and Tomoka Rivers in northeast Volusia County. Soon, hardy settlers also made their way to the area--brothers John Andrew and Charles Bostrom were attracted by the mighty oaks and sparkling spring water in 1868 and were soon followed by other rugged visionaries. As the town grew, entrepreneurs began their work, and one of the most famous area landmarks, the Hotel Ormond, was opened in 1888. At the turn of the century, the hard-packed white sands of the nearby beach became a natural proving ground for gas- and steam-driven horseless carriages--the original "birthplace of speed." The region was blessed with abundant resources, a mild and inviting climate, and natural beauty, all of which served to entice John D. Rockefeller, perhaps Ormond Beach's most famous resident, to spend his winters in the area. His three-story home now serves the community as a cultural center and museum.

Hotel Ormond

Hotel Ormond PDF

Author: Donald D. Spencer

Publisher:

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780892183609

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This book is a story of a hotel with a 104-year history. It is also a tribute not only to John Anderson and Joseph Price, who built the hotel in 1887, and Henry M. Flagler, who purchased and enlarged the hotel, but also to all the people associated with the Hotel Ormond over the years. Henry M. Flagler had a vision of Florida's potential as a winter resort, and from the 1880s until his death in 1913 he spent a good part of his fortune (made from the original Standard Oil Company) making his vision a reality. In 1890, Flagler bought the Hotel Ormond and it became a famous part of the Flagler System of hotels, which ran from St. Augustine to Key West and tied into Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway. For over a hundred years the hotel was the skyline signature in Ormond Beach. It entertained the great and near great in every walk of life, saw the city of Ormond Beach grow, and spanned the years of vast changes in the society it served. The Hotel Ormond ruled supreme for many years, however in 1992 the hotel became the victim of the wrecking ball and the historic hotel was gone forever.

Big Bill

Big Bill PDF

Author: H.A. Branham

Publisher: McClelland & Stewart

Published: 2015-03-03

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 0771017685

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The first major authorized biography of NASCAR founder, Bill France Sr. Big Bill is the consummate "insider" book on the life and legend of NASCAR founder Bill France and tells the tale of a classic American success story. France Sr. brought his family to Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1934, put down roots and immersed himself in the business of racing, both as a driver and an owner. Nicknamed "Big Bill" because of his 6-foot-5 stature, he made significant contributions to the racing world - he founded NASCAR in December 1947, built Daytona International Speedway in 1959 and built Talladega Superspeedway in 1969, and landed the landmark R.J. Reynolds/Winston sponsorship deal in 1971 that not only transformed NASCAR but also transformed corporate sponsorship of sports in America. The France family has spent the last 30 years gathering a vast collection of files and material about their family patriarch and has turned over countless interviews -- both written and taped -- as well as NASCAR documents, memorabilia, memos, letters and various other materials to the author for this definitive biography. Big Bill offers NASCAR fans a rich, entertaining, emotional, and detailed story about America's most recognized and admired racing family.

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