History

On Saturday, Sept. 29, the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge will reopen its historic lighthouse to members of the public.

From Florida’s discovery in 1513 by Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce De Leon, to our thriving 4.3 million Hispanic population, the Sunshine State is saturated in vibrant Latino culture.

Aretha Franklin was the reigning “Queen of Soul” for five decades. A preacher’s daughter, she spent her youth in his Detroit church singing gospel. While she had earlier recordings, Franklin catapulted to fame in 1967 with her hit, “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You).”

My Chicago born and bred father always dreamed of living in Florida. Prior to our Sunshine State relocation, there is 8 mm proof of summer vacation trips to the most iconic (and random) of attractions, including Six Gun Territory, Cypress Gardens, Weeki Wachee Springs and Tiki Gardens.

Since 1845, Florida’s old capitol has been a symbol of state government. With its iconic dome and red-and-white striped awnings, it remains the jewel of the capitol complex.

Tallahassee, Florida, has long been referred to as City of the Seven Hills. In fact, a 2013 post by Richard Butgereit at the Florida Division of Emergency Management reports that the Seven Hills are:

The National Archives has launched a Citizen Archivist program, enlisting virtual volunteers to improve the accessibility of its records.

As the nation mourned the passing of one of America’s national treasures, former first lady Barbara Bush wouldn’t have wanted anyone to make a fuss.

For some, May 5 means two-for-one margaritas and bottomless chips and salsa, but May 5 is more than a celebration of food and drink specials.

The Boston Marathon has been held every Patriot’s Day since 1897.

Many of us take our right to vote for granted. For women, the legal right to vote was a long-fought battle that lasted for many decades.

Dear Florida,

Rev. James Page was Florida’s first ordained black minister. He came to Leon County as a slave serving as carriage driver, gardener and body servant for his owner, John Parkhill. After he was ordained, Parkhill gave him land on his plantation to build a church.

On March 6, 1865, Confederate troops fought for control over the Natural Bridge that stretches along the St. Marks River.

Joseph W. Hatchett is a pioneer in Florida law. Born in Clearwater, Florida, Hatchett returned to the Sunshine State after attending Howard University Law School. Over his career as a civil rights attorney, he had a direct role in ending segregation.

TCC unveiled its 18th annual Cherry Hall Alexander African-American History Calendar on Jan. 31. This year’s theme, “African-Americans in Times of War,” honors local African-Americans who have served in the U.S. military. In addition to military service, the honorees also share a distinguished record of civilian public service.

It’s something we’ll all be talking about for years: The day it snowed in Tallahassee. Residents from all over the Capital City grabbed their phones to capture videos and photos of the snow flurries that fell from the sky the morning of Jan. 3.

The National Park Service preserves and commemorates military history at more than 156 park units including 25 national battlefields and parks and 14 national cemeteries.

Research shows the main purpose of daylight time (DLS) is to make better use of our daylight, which varies around the globe. After instituting DLS during WWI, Congress repealed the law and DLS became optional, which caused some confusion state to state.

Tomorrow marks the 25th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew – the most destructive hurricane ever to hit our state. Winds of 165 mph and storm tides as high as 17 feet ravished South Florida, particularly what was simply known as Dade County back then. The Category 5 storm caused more than $25 billion in damages across the state.

On Aug. 26, we’ll celebrate 97 years since the 19^th Amendment was ratified. Sadly, Florida didn’t affirm the amendment until 1969, which is even more reason to commemorate those who donned white dresses and sashes for women’s suffrage.

The 2017 summer exhibit at the Florida Historic Capitol Museum, “Clothes Lines: Florida Political T-Shirts” is a sartorial exploration of politics in Florida over the past several decades.

More than 400 years ago, Tallahassee was home to one of the first Spanish missions established in Florida. As the Spanish sought to establish territory throughout Florida, the purpose of the mission was to incorporate natives into the Spanish colonial empire, the Catholic religion and the Spanish culture.

Sitting on 52 acres off of Lake Bradford, Tallahassee Museum is one of the top-ranked outdoor museums in the state.

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson met at the 1775 Continental Congress in Philadelphia and became close friends. They survived disagreements on many subjects, but on one they were aligned:

Independence Day is around the corner and celebrations abound. Florida’s elected leaders, from local officials to U.S. Senators, will be attending barbeques and speaking about freedom and sacrifice. It’s a pleasant change from partisan rhetoric. It’s also a beautiful reminder of the foundation on which our nation was built and the responsibility our government leaders have to the people:

Do you actually know what you’re celebrating on Cinco de Mayo or the significance of that date in Mexican history?

Tallahassee’s reputation as a city steeped in cultural history has been further enhanced with the opening of The Grove Museum, a sprawling mansion Governor LeRoy Collins called home.

This Black History Month, we pay tribute to Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach. She was president of the college from 1923 to 1942 and 1946 to 1947, and she was one of the few women in the world serving as a college president at that time.

A new documentary about former Florida Gov. Farris Bryant chronicles the many contributions he made to the state that continue to impact residents today. Bryant was instrumental in building Florida’s highways and turnpike, expanding the university system and elevating the state’s profile as a tourist destination.