History of Ponte Vedra Beach Told Through Photographs

April 18, 2012 - PRLog -- The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is Ponte Vedra Beach from local author Maggie FitzRoy and the Beaches Museum & History Park. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images and memories of days gone by.

Many historians believe that Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon was describing the landscape of Ponte Vedra Beach when he first stepped ashore the land that he named La Florida, or “place of flowers.” After exploring the area north of present-day St. Augustine, he proclaimed it a place of lush landscapes and beautiful beaches.

Since that day in April 1513, people from all walks of life have delighted in the natural beauty of the area. They were drawn to the charming land for many reasons, but miners who came to dig minerals out of the beach sand were the first to visually capture its history. They brought cameras with them when they arrived in the early 20th century and left behind a rich trove of photographs. Those who followed recorded their own history in photographs, and the charm and character of the land is evident in the images that fill this book.

Highlights of Ponte Vedra Beach:
•   Mineral City
•   The Ponte Vedra Club
•   Palm Valley
•   World War II
•   Beach scenes
•   Golf and tennis
•   Growth and development

Journalist and photojournalist Maggie FitzRoy and Beaches Museum & History Park archivist Taryn Rodriguez-Boette selected photographs from the historical society’s collection of thousands of images to tell the story of the Ponte Vedra Beach community’s fascinating past.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or
(888)-313-2665.  

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States.  Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places.  Have we done a book on your town?  Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.

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With more than 7,500 local history titles published to date, Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Widely recognized sepia books feature hundreds of vintage historical images.