I spotted this bright black marker as I passed through the city of Arcadia. It is located in a…read moresmall park and there is some street parking. The historic district looks lovely and perhaps I will get to spend some time here. It reads, "The Arcadia Historic District comprises fifty-eight blocks within 340 acres that embody the city's development from the founding of its post office in 1883 through the late 1920s. The Town of Arcadia was incorporated in 1886 following the arrival of the first train that year and the area's subsequent growth. In November 1888, voters selected Arcadia as the county seat of DeSoto County, which was established in 1887. The City of Arcadia was incorporated in 1901. The heart of the district is a commercial zone extending 18 blocks and consisting of buildings constructed between 1900 and the late 1920s. Three buildings that survived the devastating 1905 downtown fire, and those that were rebuilt, are generally masonry vernacular in style. The district's most imposing structure is the 1912 Classical Revival courthouse. Residential neighborhoods of mostly frame vernacular homes from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries surround the commercial area. Listed on the National Register in 1984, the district retains remarkable historical and architectural integrity as reflected in its churches, residences, and schools, as well as commercial, governmental,and industrial buildings." [Review 12752 overall, 64 of 2020.]

The older lady who helped us was very, very nice! They have an entire room dedicated to the…read moredifferent murals around Lake Placid. At the same time, they have no other information on the other arts of Lake Placid -- nothing about the paintings of birds on plaques by Jayne Ford, nor the ceramic tiles with caladium leaves, nor any info on who is creating the painted trash cans. Neither could they get us on their WiFi network for us to research these things on our own. There is room for improvement, but they are definitely doing a great job here.

There is some confusing info in terms of the city signs, but this is actually located at the A C…read moreFreeman House at the corner of W Retta Esplanade and Cross St 41S. The hours that are stated change from time to time, but I have to say that the location is excellent, there is plentiful free parking in the lot behind it, and they're very helpful. Also, the fliers in the boxes on the deck of the house have some of the most useful info you'll need to explore the city.

This well preserved (or possibly restored) historical marker stands in front of the 1926 Arcadia…read moreCity Hall and provides the background on this small city. It has the same text on both sides. It reads, "The Town of Arcadia was settled in 1883, incorporated in 1886, and became the county seat in 1888. By the late 1880s the population was 300. On Thanksgiving night 1905 the town burned. Three brick stores survived. Using only brick or block, rebuilding began immediately. Most of those buildings remain today. During World War I with its two flying schools, Carlstrom and Dorr Fields, Arcadia became known as the "Aviation Capital" of Florida." "The land for Arcadia's first city hall (140 x 142) was a pineapple patch bought in 1917 for $3,000 from Fred and Ida Gore. City Hall was designed in the Mediterranean Revival style and was furnished in June 1926 at a cost of $45,216, including all furnishings. A section of the original nine-foot office counter and steel shelves for the vault are still in use. The fire station first housed a solid, rubber-tired, auto driven hose wagon with chemical tanks and a 1924 American La France fire truck which is still owned and running. The original 20-foot brass fire pole and the 400-pound siren are to be placed in the City Hall Museum. In 2004, restoration of City Hall began with funding from the Florida Division of Historical Resources and the City." This is marker number F-563 and it was erected in 2005 by the City of Arcadia and the Florida Department of State. There is parking nearby. [Review 1609 of 2025 - 2186 in Florida - 25157 overall]

On a small hill overlooking the Historical Society Depot Museum, I spotted this memorial plaque and…read moreI had to know more about it. Lastinger Memorial Park is dedicated to Joshua and Louisa Lastinger the first white settlers of Lake Placid who have left a lasting impact on the city to this day. This memorial was dedicated on August 29, 1987. Joshua was a Confederate veteran of the Civil War. He married Louisa Bowden Lastinger in 1870 in Lowndes County, Georgia. The couple had their first child two years later, and by 1880 they were living in Hernando County. While on a hunting trip, Joshua discovered the lake-covered south end of the Lake Wales Ridge. He became determined to make a home there. The family packed their belongings and traveled by ox cart over three days to their new home. The settled on the northeastern shore of Lake Sterns in 1890. Over the next several weeks Joshua, Louisa, and their five daughters began clearing and cultivating the land. This area was later renamed Lake June-in-Winter in the 1920's. The federal government officially grant the Lastinger's land patent, consisting of 131 acres, in 1897. Joshua Lastinger became the first carpenter and they were the first settlers to cultivate citrus. Daughter Laura was the first school teacher. When the train came to town in 1916, it passed right through the Lastinger property. Joshua donated the right of way to the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. By the 1920 Census, it was reported that 307 people lived in the town, just 10 years later the number grew to 819 people. Joshua and Louisa Lastinger passed away in 1931. They left behind nine children and there are many grandchildren still in the area today. In addition to the memorial there is a bench and landscaping in the small park.

It's hard work finding a historical marker in Florida that hasn't already been added to the Yelp…read moreuniverse by Ariel W. so I'm counting this one as a win. The marker is in front of the church and there is plenty of parking to stop and read it. On the front, "The town of Nocatee originated as a lumber manufacturing town during the 1880s. During the late 19th century. two businesses stimulated the town's growth. One was the King Lumber and Manufacturing Company, established by W.G. Welles in 1896. The second was the Nocatee Crate Lumber and Manufacturing Company, opened a few years later. The two businesses were next to each other west of the Florida Southern Railroad tracks and south of County Road 760/Welles Avenue. The Nocatee Crate Company eventually became the largest employer in Desoto County, which prompted the construction of many homes and businesses. The company's success due to the development of a packing crate that made it cheaper and was partly easier to ship fruits and vegetables to market. These "4-One" crates, built of wire wrapped around wood corners and veneer strips, were used throughout the U.S. The crates could be flattened and stacked, and their light weight reduced shipping costs and waste. Several buildings along the west side of U.S. 17 were constructed by the Nocatee Crate Company and rented to its employees. When the company closed, the homes were sold to the residents at auction." On the reverse, "The Nocatee Baptist Church (later known as the First Baptist Church of Nocatee) was organized around 1890, and held its early services in a local school under the pastorship of the Rev. T.J. Sparkman. In 1915, B.F. Welles, brother of Nocatee Crate Lumber and Manufacturing Company co-founder W. G. Welles, donated land for the construction of a brick church east of U.S. 17. The building used a Greek cross plan with a cross gable roof, Gothic style windows with Queen Anne colored glass, and a bell tower. The church held its first service in this new location in 1916. The church split temporarily in 1935 because of a controversial divide in the congregation, which was reunited by 1936. From 1949-1956, a new classroom building as well as a kitchen and recreation hall were constructed. Although the church was taken down in 2014, the Florida Department of Transportation assisted the congregation with salvaging the arched windows and bell. The top of the bell tower or cupola, was removed and relocated to the DeSoto County Historical Society property in Arcadia." This is marker number F-830 and it was erected in 2014 by the Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Department of State. [Review 1579 of 2025 - 2160 in Florida - 25129 overall]

DeSoto County was created in 1887 from Manatee County to the west. It is named after the great…read moreSpanish conquistador and Florida explorer Hernando De Soto. The area's original inhabitants were the Caloosa (alternate spelling: Calusa) Indians. In early Florida history, the region was the scene of numerous Indian battles. The county's 416,640 acres offer a diversified economy of citrus, cattle, agriculture and industry. Arcadia is the county seat. I don't have anything to add to Ariel's review of the courthouse. The building was closed on this early Saturday morning and not open for a tour. DeSoto County originally included several other present-day counties until 1921, when the Florida legislature created the following new counties: Charlotte, Glades, Hardee, and Highlands. During World War II, DeSoto County operated the Carlstrom Field Air Base, which provided training for both American and British pilots. In 1945, the base turned out its last cadets and was decommissioned. [Review 16804 overall - 1528 in Florida - 317 of 2022.]

The DeSoto County Courthouse is a historic red brick courthouse designed in the Classic Revial…read morestyle by architects Bonfoey & Elliott of Tampa. It was built between 1912 and 1913 by the Read Parker Construction Company. It is DeSoto County's third courthouse and the second one built in Arcadia. The first DeSoto Courthouse was a wood frame structure built in 1888. The 1912 courthouse that is still in use today was constructed on the same property. The courthouse was restored in 1976 and it is part of Arcadia's historic district which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

This marker is just south of the bridge as you enter Punta Gorda from Port Charlotte. There is…read moreparking nearby. It has the same text on both sides. It reads, "The Punta Gorda Bank was operating by June 1894 as a branch of the State Bank of Fort Meade. It was chartered by the state as a separate bank in July 1899, with a capital of $15,000 and Perry Wadsworth McAdow as president. McAdow had earned a fortune as the owner of the Spotted Horse gold mines in Fergus County, Montana, and decided to relocate to Punta Gorda after vacationing here with his wife. McAdow constructed a one-story, brick facade commercial building on this location to house the bank. The Punta Gorda Bank occupied the corner storefront, with Earnest Dry Goods, the Punta Gorda Trading Company, Wade's Drug Store and a community social hall known as McAdow Hall filling the remainder of the building. "By December 1912, the bank's assets had grown to $147,000, and a competing bank, The Merchant's Bank of Punta Gorda, opened in April of 1912. The Punta Gorda Bank underwent some years of uncertainty, and on April 23, 1917 was reorganized as the State Bank of Punta Gorda. The new bank assumed the deposits and liabilities of the old Punta Gorda Bank and was relocated to a new building." What the marker doesn't say outright is how deeply the McAdow family shaped the look and feel of early Punta Gorda. Perry Wadsworth McAdow arrived with serious wealth, but it was his wife, Clara, who left an equally lasting mark. She was an avid horticulturalist, and according to the Babcock Ranch historical timeline, she took it upon herself to beautify downtown Punta Gorda with plantings and landscaping that softened what had been a rough frontier town. There is no number on the marker. It was erected in 2008 by the Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners. [Review 1583 of 2025 - 2164 in Florida - 25133 overall]