Ever since I began researching the many wormholes of the Ashley Gang saga, the lack of photographs linked to the history gave me enough inspiration to want to create my own with a paint brush. In that process, I learned that very few photos exist of one of the key players. The tragic and truncated life of Seminole, Desoto Tiger, deserves way more recognition than what he is given. Tiger's death gets buried in 1911 by the overshadowing of the outlaw of the run; friend, guide,

The story of industrial-scale timber harvesting is what would become Corbett and Hungryland WMA's begins with one of the largest land purchased in Florida history. In 1902, the Southern States Land and Timber Company, a New Orleans-based firm, purchased approximately 2-million acres in the vicinity of Lake Okeechobee for .25 cents an acre. This massive acquisition made Southern States one of the largest landholders in the region and positioned the company to exploit the virgi

Much to no one's surprise, I have been deep in thought on the lumber industry in Palm Beach and Martin Counties circa the 1940s. What did it look like before the trees were felled? Were the pine forests more spread out? How did the lumber makes its way out of the swamp and sloughs of Palm Beach and Martin County? The other night, I was perusing the 1940-1950s aerials from UF's database and I followed a trail south off the old Jupiter-Indiantown grade. I realized the trail was

Jupiter Farms, located in western Palm Beach County, Florida, reflects over a century of development shaped by frontier transportation, pioneer settlement, and citrus agriculture. This history traces the evolution of the region through roads, groves, and local families whose efforts left lasting marks on the landscape. While the pioneer history of Jupiter Farms is short, the history of the area spans more than 5,000 years! The origins of Jupiter Farms' development are closely

Bridges of all shapes and sizes stretch over the waterways of Martin County. Old, new, tall, small. Some bridges are around 100 years old! The Gaines-Annie bridge used to be the gateway to Indiantown but today it is a quaint foot bridge going over the South Fork of the St. Lucie. The bridge onto Hutchinson Island was a toll bridge. Most of the old bridges were either swing bridges or ferry rides. There was even a road named Bridge Road (in Hobe Sound. But why?   The one bridg

This lecture was conducted in the Spring of 2024 at the Historical Society of Martin County on Hutchinson Island, located in Martin County, Florida. The Whiticar family has been a local staple for about 100 years. Curt Whiticar played an integral role in Martin County's famed sport fishing industry. Because of Curt, Stuart was put on the map as the "sailfishing capital of the world!" Curt's meticulously crafted fishing vessels, Whiticar Boatworks, grace the waters of Martin C

Previously, I had written about John Ashley and what was happening in his life leading up to his death 100 years ago this year. According to records, John over the hot summer season of 1924, probably was laying low. Even though John Ashley was out of the papers and seeking refuge, his nemesis, Sheriff Bob Baker, was soon-to-be off the hook on a prohibition law conspiracy trial because the witnesses who testified against Bob were indicted on perjury charges. While we take a br

January 1924 began on a somber note when John’s father, Joseph “Joe” Warren Ashley was killed by a member of the sheriff’s posse at his moonshine camp while putting on his slippers one rainy night after hearing John’s dog, “Shine” barking close by.  Joe was sixty-four years old. At this time, John was almost a year into being on the run again and was staying with his father while helping him in the distilling business. The moonshine still camp ambush was sparked by a train st

Long before strip malls replaced the undeveloped vistas along US1 and Dixie, Florida’s treasure coast was blanketed with miles of pineapple fields. Starting in the 1870’s in our Stuart area, local families began the grow process and within two decades, Jensen Beach was known as the “Pineapple capitol of the world”. But with miles of pineapples and just one family per grove, how did the delicious crop gain its popular success?  Many of Martin county’s migrant worker population

Little is known about the once small town called Fruita. Located just north of what is now Hobe Sound, Fruita was a small farming and fishing community surprisingly nestled between Dixie Highway and the Jupiter narrows north of Hobe Sound. A beautiful hilly landscape coated in fertile soil, fruit trees, colorful gardens, pines and palmettos. This community was prime territory for farming fruits and growing locally famous citrus but also the site permitted easy access to the a

Interview conducted in early December 2021 in Hobe Sound, Florida. Jeff Whittman has been an important part to my research into Palm Beach and Martin County history. As a local, Jeff knew many key players growing up that helped tell the story of the quiet town of Hobe Sound. Throughout the years, Jeff has fought hard against and with county commissioners and the like to help keep Hobe Sound the beautiful, environmentally important and historically complex town it deserves to

I am a Master's student in the Florida Studies program at USF St. Petersburg, Florida! This is a video presentation on my research from this past semester, Spring 2020. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or comments! Correction: In the first image where I say there is perhaps an "auto", my Professor corrected me explaining that it is most likely shorthand for "Audiençia".

Pedro Menèndez was the founder of St. Augustine. In this video, I explore the contents of his contract with Spanish King Philip II and challenge their motivation for sending Menéndez to La Florida in 1565.

The Tristan de Luna expedition is one of mystery, dishonesty, and defiance. It all began in 1554 when four ships were caught in a hurricane and wrecked off Padre Island, Texas. Paul Hoffman describes the tragedy as having a massive impact on how the Spaniards proceeded with future entradas. To prevent more Spaniards from dying by way of the native arrow, the new objective was to build more Spanish settlements for two reasons: protect those who were ship wrecked and also to pa

This interview with conducted by Chessy Ricca on May 28, 2019 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Joel Daves was born July 14, 1928. _____________________________________________________________ Chessy: So my first question would be what is your family background? Joel: I was born in Atlanta, my people we all came from Georgia. We came down here in 1938 when I was 10 years old. So I grew up in West Palm Beach and went to public school to Palm Beach High School and then went to Sew

The scandalous Ashley Gang of Florida, fabled to have been villainous, murderous robbers and bootleggers of the early twentieth century, were not as nefarious as the media portrayed them to be. Instead, based on current research and interviews, the close-knit family were modern day Robin Hoods, working hard to survive in the swampy conditions of early 20 th  century Florida.            A book written in 1928 by Stuart Hix set in stone the infamous reputation of the Ashley Gan

This video was made by Chessy Ricca for a project for class covering Hernando De Soto and his entrada into La Florida in 1539.

Hernando de Soto and the Indians of Florida : Milanich and Hudson          Milanich and Hudson wrote this book with the intention of proving their stance on the Soto route’s location based on archaeological evidence that has surfaced since Swanton’s creation of the Soto route in the early 1900s. Together, they wanted to develop a picture of social geography among the Indians of Florida. Hudson believes that in doing so, he was able to give the Indians life. “Now, the Florida

Every fall and winter, hunting season begins. Another year passes where local boys and girls put on their camo clothing and head west. Palm Beach County has a handful of Wildlife Management Areas (WMA’s) that provide endless days of adventure. It isn’t all fun and games, however. Our local WMA’s have a dark history full of drugs and tales of murder. One particular location is called Hungryland . It is the closest hunting ground to the water and is frequented by hunters, angle

This video and art within were created by graduate student, Chessy Ricca for USF's Florida Studies program. Based off a book written by Eugene Lyon, I will summarize the nature of the Enterprise of Florida and discuss the contract signed by Pedro Menéndez and Spanish King Philip II on March 15, 1565. This project is part of a series called the Florida Stories created by students in the Florida Studies program at USF St. Pete. Artwork and voice done by Chessy Ricca Music comp