Founded in the 1870s and named after pioneer Casper Neil Mims, Mims is an unincorporated community…read morein Brevard County that grew into a thriving citrus and timber center following the arrival of the Florida East Coast Railway in the 1880s. The community also holds a significant place in American history as the home of pioneering NAACP activists Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore. While visiting Mims, I came across this blue historical marker, part of Florida's Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most recognized public history initiatives. These markers commemorate significant people, places, and events throughout the state and can be found along roadways, at archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, colleges, historic districts, schools, and churches. Historical Marker F-408 was erected in 1999 by the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners and the Florida Department of State. The marker stands on the site of the former home of educators and civil rights activists Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore. Both were teachers in Brevard County, Harry served as a principal, while Harriette taught sixth grade before later becoming an insurance broker. Harry was eventually dismissed by the school board because of his activism and efforts to organize for equal pay. In 1937, with assistance from Thurgood Marshall, Harry Moore filed the first lawsuit in the South seeking equal salaries for Black and white teachers. Following his dismissal, Moore became a full-time civil rights activist with the NAACP. He organized the Progressive Voters League of Florida, leading voter registration campaigns that helped register 31 percent of Florida's eligible Black voters by 1950. In 1934, he founded the first Brevard County branch of the NAACP and served as its president for five years. From 1941 to 1946, he was president of the Florida State Conference of NAACP Branches before becoming its executive director, a position he held until his death. On Christmas night in 1951, also the Moores' 25th wedding anniversary, a bomb planted beneath their bedroom by members of the Ku Klux Klan exploded, killing the couple. Harry Moore died that night, and Harriette succumbed to her injuries nine days later. Their murders were the first assassinations of civil rights activists during the modern Civil Rights Movement and the only instance in which a husband and wife were both killed in the movement. Five separate criminal investigations later uncovered evidence implicating four suspects in the bombing, but no arrests were ever made. In 1999, the Moore homesite was designated a Florida Heritage Landmark. Five years later, Brevard County dedicated the Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Memorial Park and Interpretive Center, where visitors can learn more about their lives and legacy. The site also features a full-scale recreation of the Moores' home, so we can all remember their sacrifice and lasting impact on the struggle for civil rights.

At the dawn of the Space Age Titusville became the gateway to America's journey into space. During…read morethe Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs, countless astronauts, engineers, technicians, and aerospace workers called the city home. Today, is known as one of the best places in Florida to experience rocket launches, with spectacular views from its waterfront parks. Approximately 50,000 people live in Titusville, a city known for its rich history, nature, and space exploration. The city maintains 27 parks offering everything from playgrounds and sports fields to scenic riverfront walks and nature trails. Popular destinations include Sand Point Park, Space View Park, Fox Lake Park, and Enchanted Forest Sanctuary. In charming downtown Titusville you can explore historic buildings, unique shops, and restaurants. Visitors should not miss the American Space Museum & Walk of Fame, the U.S. Space Walk of Fame, the restored 1891 Pritchard House, and the North Brevard Historical Museum. I love that there is free parking offered at the Welcome Center and they are always happy to direct you to your next adventure. No visit would be complete without experiencing one of Titusville's most iconic restaurants, Dixie Crossroads. Serving guests since 1983, this family owned seafood restaurant is famous for its wild-caught rock shrimp and its complimentary powdered sugar-dusted corn fritters, a Space Coast tradition. When visiting Titusville you can discover prehistoric history, Victorian architecture, the Space Race, and beautiful waterfront scenery. Come for a rocket launch, history museums, and a walk along the Indian River. While Titusville lives in the shadow of the Kennedy Space Center, there is so much more below the surface worth discovering.

During a mini vacay, we wanted to check out the progress of Titusville over the last ten years…read moresince our last visit where we ate lunch at the iconic Dixie Crossroads. Drove toward downtown from I-95 and was shocked that the area has basically halted in any commercial improvements on Garden Street which is the main thoroughfare. The few dilapidated homes littered with outside junk also did not help with the dull ambiance. The westside of Titusville really needs some updated infastructure. With that said, the east side historic area was absolutely magnificent. Visited a few historic Titusville landmarks and loved the Indian River Lagoon surrounding the Max Brewer Bridge watching the boats pass under was a game changer. Relaxed in the Sand Point Park along the Indian River.

The Christmas Post office is amazing to go to, specially when mailing your Christmas cards…read more Starting December 1, they have plenty of cure stamps out for everyone to use. They have Christmas themes with the general saying of "mailed from Christmas FL" and both red and green ink pads the lines are long-ish but the employees are wonderful. This is my new tradition which I started after reading a similar review from fellow Yelpie Joe S. There's parking right outside as well.

Established in 1892, this is the small Post Office that services the town of Christmas Florida…read more Christmas is located just east of Orlando on State Road 50 in eastern Orange County. You might think the town was named for the popular winter holiday but it was actually named for Fort Christmas, which was built on Christmas Day 1837 during the Second Seminole War. You can see a replica of the fort and a pioneer village a short drive from the post office. The town does like to capitalize on their holiday name however. St. Nicholas Avenue is the main street in town and nearby reindeer-inspired roads include Rudolph Street, Dasher Street and Blitzen Avenue. Their mascot is St. Nick and the town logo is "It's Always Christmas in Christmas, Florida." Most folks drive through this small town on their way to Orlando but during the holiday season people travel a great distance to mail their holidays cards from here. You can decorate your packages and cards with the rubber stamps that the post office provides. Every year postal workers transport tens of thousands of mailed items to Orlando, where machines mark them with the collectible Christmas, Florida, postmark from ZIP code 32709. Getting a Christmas Florida postmark has become a cherished holiday tradition for many central Floridians.

"Give me your tired, your poor. Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse…read moreof your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Emma Lazarus It is quirky discoveries like this that make it fun to explore. While driving around after having just picked up lunch at the Pastrami Project, I discovered a miniature Statue of Liberty standing in the traffic island at the intersection of North Magnolia and North Orange Avenue across from Lake Ivanhoe. This Statue of Liberty has been keeping watch since 1953. She was a gift from the Boy Scouts of Central Florida Council as part of their Strengthening Arm of Liberty program. The program placed around 200 statues all over the country between 1949 and 1953. This statue costs $350 and the scouts raised the money with the help of the Kiwanis club. The base was paid for by the City of Orlando. After 30 years, Lady Liberty was looking the worse for wear when she was noticed by Robert G. Neel, President of Woodlawn Memorial Park. He raised the money to have her refurbished in Pennsylvania. The city paid to add new walls in her traffic island, add new irrigation lines, floodlights, and landscaping. The statue was rededicated on June 27, 1985. Of the original 200 Statue of Liberty statues, approximately 50 have been lost or destroyed. Orlando is proud to have their statue looking great and promoting the patriotic message of liberty, justice, and freedom.

While certainly not as grandiose as the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island, this miniature creation…read morelocated on the corner of North Magnolia Avenue and North Orange Avenue right by the entrance to Interstate 4 is a nice addition to the local art here in Orlando, Florida. I believe that local art adds a bit of colorful personality to the often impersonal asphalt and steel of our cities and adds a splash of insight into a community's mindset and ambitions. I am glad for this little statue in my community.

While driving through Titusville, I came across this blue historical marker next to a beautiful old…read morechurch. The marker is part of Florida's Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most recognizable public history initiatives. These markers commemorate significant people, places, and events throughout the state and can be found along roadways, at archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, colleges, historic districts, schools, and churches like this one. Historical Marker F-540 was erected in 2005 by the Brevard County Historical Commission and the Florida Department of State. Pioneer settler Tom Johnson Cockshutt arrived in the area in 1868, donated the land, and founded LaGrange Church in 1869. It is the oldest Protestant church on Florida's East Coast between St. Augustine and Key West. Originally built as a simple log cabin, the church also served as the first school in Brevard County and as a community gathering place. In 1893, the original structure was replaced with the picturesque Carpenter Gothic style church that stands today. Its pointed steeple and beautiful stained-glass windows caught my eye and are an example of the architectural style. Adjacent to the church is a historic cemetery where many of the area's founding families are buried, including Col. Henry C. Titus, the man for whom the town of Titusville was named. The church was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 7, 1995. I always enjoy discovering historic churches like this. If only the walls could talk, imagine the stories they would tell after more than 150 years. It's definitely worth stopping for a look and a few photos if you're in the Titusville area.

As I was leaving Chain of Lakes Park, I noticed this historical marker tucked away among the trees…read morejust off the road. The blue sign is part of Florida's Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular public history initiatives. These markers commemorate significant people, places, and events throughout the state and can be found along roadways, at archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, churches, colleges, historic districts, schools, and other historic landmarks. Historic Marker F-589 was erected in 2006 by the Brevard County Historical Commission and the Florida Department of State. Oliver's Camp was named for the Oliver family who moved from Missouri to this area of the Turnbull Hammock in the early 1870s. They vast timberlands and citrus groves and their main camp located on the land where Chain of Lakes Park now stands. In 1886, L.C. Oliver founded a lumber business in Titusville, selling Georgia pine lumber, shingles, and other building supplies. Two years later, he expanded the business and purchased a half interest in the Budge & Huckabay Hardware Store, renaming it Oliver & Budge Hardware & Lumber. By the mid-1890s, Oliver and his business partner, Budge, had relocated to Miami to establish another hardware and lumber business. Budge eventually purchased Oliver's remaining interest in the Titusville store and, in 1898, sold it to his father-in-law, Captain J. Pritchard. The business then became James Pritchard and Son Hardware. In 1918, Oliver and his wife, Louise, sold their 40-acre Turnbull Hammock property to Florida Senator J.J. Parrish and his wife, Emma, for $15,000. Parrish was one of Florida's largest citrus growers and a prominent businessmen during the early 20th century. The property included a two-story Craftsman-style home, built around 1910, which Parrish used as the residence for his grove caretaker. Years later, Brevard County purchased the property and developed it into Chain of Lakes Regional Park. The historic Oliver's Camp House was originally slated to become a museum showcasing the region's pioneer history. Unfortunately, by the time plans were made to relocate the house, it had deteriorated beyond the point where it could be safely moved. As a result, the structure was demolished in 2023, bringing an end to one of the area's last links to its early settlement. Today all that remains of the pioneering spirit of the Oliver Camp is this historic marker.

While driving through Titusville, I came across this blue historical marker beside a beautiful old…read moreGothic church. The marker is part of Florida's Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most recognizable public history initiatives. These markers commemorate significant people, places, and events throughout the state and can be found along roadways, at archaeological sites, battlefields, colleges, historic districts, schools, churches, and historic cemeteries such as this one. Historical Marker F-488 was erected in 2003 by the Brevard County Historical Commission and the Florida Department of State. Founded in the 1870s and named after pioneer Casper Neil Mims, Mims is an unincorporated community in Brevard County that flourished as a citrus and timber center following the arrival of the Florida East Coast Railway in the 1880s. In the early 1900s, a two-acre parcel of land north of LaGrange Community Church and Cemetery was donated to the Mims African American community to establish a cemetery. Today, it is a resting place for the community and a well spring of local history. The Mims Community Cemetery is the African American section of the historic LaGrange Cemetery. Among its most notable burials are educators and civil rights activists Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore. On Christmas night in 1951, their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary the Moores' home in Mims was bombed. Both died from injuries sustained in the explosion, and their murders remain unsolved. Each December, a memorial service is held at the cemetery to honor their lives and legacy. Nearby are the graves of several pioneering African American families who helped shape the community after settling here during the 1800s, including the Stricklands, Warrens, Cylers, Sheldons, and Highsmiths. While the earliest marked graves date to 1903, many earlier burials remain unmarked. Together, these graves tell hundreds of stories adding to the rich history of Mims and the surrounding LaGrange community.

I found the Bicentennial Memorial during the celebration for America's 250th birthday celebration…read more It seemed fitting to discover a monument dedicated to the nation's 200th anniversary exactly fifty years later. The Bicentennial Memorial in Cocoa Beach was erected by Brevard County and dedicated on July 20, 1976, as part of the nationwide celebration marking 200 years of American independence. Bearing the inspirational phrase, "With inner faith to outer space," the monument reflects both the nation's heritage and the Space Coast's extraordinary contribution to America's journey beyond Earth. Located just minutes from Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach was home to many astronauts during the height of the space race. For that reason Brevard County's Bicentennial monument celebrates not only the nation's founding but also the region's role in one of America's greatest achievements. Facing the roadway, the monument features the Great Seal of the United States and a heartfelt dedication honoring the men, women, and children of Brevard County who generously gave their time and financial support to commemorate the Bicentennial. Their names were inscribed on parchment and placed beneath the monument as a lasting tribute to their community spirit. On the park-facing side, Bicentennial logo is accompanied by an engraved Apollo moon landing scene. The artwork depicts a lunar module, an astronaut, the American flag, and a Lunar Roving Vehicle, the electric rover used during Apollo missions 15, 16, and 17 to explore greater distances across the Moon's surface. The monument also pays tribute to NASA's original Mercury Seven astronauts: M. Scott Carpenter L. Gordon Cooper Jr. John Glenn Virgil "Gus" Grissom Walter M. Schirra Jr. Alan B. Shepard Jr. Donald K. Slayton Although mot very large, the memorial captures the patriotism of the Bicentennial era and the pride Brevard County felt in its community and its connection to the American space program. It serves as a reminder that while the nation was remembering 200 years of history, the Space Coast was also looking to the future of space travel.