Discover The History
Explore the rich history of the St. Johns River.

Books

Our books and maps are not intended to be a complete collection of information, however, the collection contains a number of books that are either self-published or out of print.

The majority of the books in this section were written by Ed Winn. Mr. Winn is a friend, lifelong Florida resident who grew up on the river has studied it and written about it for more than 50 years

Documents

pdf A History of Southeastern Indians in Cuba 1513 to 1823

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This paper by John E. Worth is about the interaction of the indigenous people with the Spanish from the discovery of Florida in 1513 throughout the end of the first Spanish era 1763 and their lives in Cuba.

pdf DeBary Archaeological Study

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This is a detailed study of the area from Lake Beresford to Lake Monroe and is quite informative.

pdf Early Trade Routes & Languages of Prehistoric Florida

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This book by Dr. Julian Granberry, details the early trade routes of the original indigenous people, their languages, and the origins of their languages and customs. Of particular interest is that he Timucua language originated in what is now Venezuela. This is the language spoken by the original inhabitants of Central Florida.

pdf Fort Caroline

Tagged in florida, floridahistory, stjohnsriver

View (pdf, 1.84 MB)

A short book by Ed Winn that details the exploits of the Laundonniere expedition of 1563 in establishing the first European settlement in what became the United States of America.

pdf Four Short Stories of Spanish Large Ships

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These Ed Winn short stories chronicle four different Spanish expatiations that did not go well for the conquistadors.

pdf Hernando De Soto of 1539 and 1543

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This book by Ed Winn details the expeditions of De Soto to Florida and discusses the life of the man.

pdf History Bruce

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This is a PowerPoint style history of the early days of the Army Corp of Engineers in Florida. The majority of the effort was on the St. John's River. This is centered around F.W. Bruce the first head of the Corp from 1885 to 1913.

pdf I Never Had Enough Money to Leave Home

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Eight short stories as told by Ed Winn as a collection of impressions and recollections of events that happened in Central Florida.

pdf My Florida Soul - Part 1

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By Ed Winn. 

Part 1 of this book explains how our Florida "came to be" and some things about its early people. This is followed by the various periods of influence by the five flags that have flown over Florida. The last part of this section is the history of Florida's early white settlers and all the perils they faced including the wars with the Seminole Indians.

pdf My Florida Soul - Part 2

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Part 2 of the book details some of Florida history and stories about Lake Winder and the Upper St. Johns River.

pdf Pedro Menendez de Aviles Floridas First Governor

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This Ed Winn book introduces the reader to Menendez who was a fierce explorer and a harsh governor it begins with Pedro being named Captain General of The West Indies fleet by the King and his defeat of the French and the destruction of Fort Caroline in 1565. The book goes on to detail the escapades of the warrior governor until 1575.

pdf Ponce de Leon and His Discovery of Florida 1513

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This short book by Ed Winn details the expedition of Juan Ponce de Leon and his discovery of Florida in 1513.

pdf Salt Lake

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Salt Lake by Ed Winn is a little known bit of a very important history of Titusville, the St. Johns River, the Indian River, and nearby areas. This book about Salt Lake is filled with mostly researched martial. Some material in this book is in bits and pieces, as just the immediate references to Salt Lake were used.

pdf Seminole History

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This is a collection of five treaties between the United States Government and the Seminole Nation 1824 to 1866. These treaties cover the period between the First Seminole War to the Trail of Tears.

pdf The Amazing Story of Florida's Prehistoric Animals

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This is a book by Ed Winn that discusses the formation of the peninsula of Florida, the change in landmass over time and the many different animals that once lived here.

pdf The Blood Sank Into The Earth

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The Ed Winn book is about the Seminole's struggle for a place to live in Florida and begins with Florida's early history of its first people (12,000 years ago and ending shortly after 1700). A careful selection of dates and places are offered so you can be better acquainted with some of Florida's unbelievable early history as it evolves.

pdf The Early History of the St. Johns River

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The Ed Winn book discusses the beginning of a prominent place in Europe's American adventure. The St. Johns River has a recorded history of over 400 years. Claimed under the sovereignty of more nations than any other great river in the world, it has seen unfurled flags of Spain, France, England, the Republic of Florida, the Southern Confederacy, and the United States.

pdf The Evacuation of South Florida

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This is a formal paper written by John E. Worth discussing the end of the Spanish era of Florida between 1760 and 1763.

pdf The Rockledge Florida Steamship Line

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This book by Fred A. Hopwood chronicles the era of steamboats in the upper St. Johns River, prior to 1880. But their presence in this region is lost to history. Many names and events have been overlooked, but it is my hope that this book may be useful to history buffs in the future understanding of how and why this Country of Brevard has grown to be the nice county it is today.

Books

Our books and maps are not intended to be a complete collection of information, however, it contains a number of books that are either self-published or out of print.

Books

Oral History

This area is dedicated to the stories and lives of the people who have lived here in Central Florida and contributed to life of the area.

Oral History

Maps

Maps that show the Florida of the past and the relevant river paths.

Maps