Florida Lore The Barefoot Mailman Cowboy Bone Mizell The Tallahassee Witch And Other Tales

This fascinating collection of myths, legends and folktales celebrates the diversity of characters and cultures across the Sunshine State. Florida boasts mysterious tales that stretch back more than twelve thousand years. In Florida Lore, storyteller Caren Schnur Neile shares a treasure trove of colorful, curious tales that capture her home state’s history, mystery, and unique personality. Delve into the lives of the proud Wakulla Pocahontas and the Ghost of Bellamy Bridge. Meet local lawbreakers like John Ashley, as well as transplants like Ma Barker and Al Capone. Stalk stumpy gators or Hogzilla as they prowl Florida's swamps and suburbs. Discover the quintessential Cracker cowboy and the Barefoot Mailman, plus the origin of names like Boca Raton and Orlando.

Florida boasts mysterious tales that stretch back more than twelve thousand years. Dive into the lives of the proud Wakulla Pocahontas and the Ghost of Bellamy Bridge. Meet local lawbreakers like John Ashley, as well as transplants like Ma Barker and Al Capone. Stalk stumpy gators or Hogzilla as they prowl Florida's swamps and suburbs. Discover the quintessential Cracker cowboy and the Barefoot Mailman, plus the origin of names like Boca Raton and Orlando. Storyteller Caren Neile, PhD, shares myths, legends and folktales that reflect the diversity of characters and cultures that make Florida such a fascinating place.

Why Florida has been a smuggler’s paradise for centuries—and how traffic in everything from weapons to exotic flowers has shaped the state’s history. Amateur smugglers may sneak a box of Cuban cigars into the U.S. here and there—but in the big picture, untaxed and untraced commerce, aka contraband, is a trillion-dollar-per-year global business. New technologies to discover and curb smuggling are met by equally well-equipped perpetrators, determined to stay below the radar. With its long coastline, hundreds of remote landing strips, and airports clogged with sun-seeking tourists, Florida is a superhighway of smuggling. It is easy to move illegal goods like weapons, drugs, slaves, exotic birds and flowers, all while avoiding the best efforts of U.S. and international customs authorities. Who does this smuggling? Well one Florida governor and the wife of another, for starters. Everyone from hardscrabble commercial fishermen, Spanish explorers, Mafia mobsters, crew chiefs for fruit pickers, respected attorneys—and even one Florida governor and the wife of another. This fascinating history covers the role of smuggling in Florida history, including its discovery and settlement, the Seminole Wars, and the Civil War. With stories of land booms, money laundering, drug runners, and more, this is a book that leaves no stone unturned—or suitcase unopened

Every year, tens of millions of people flock to Florida for its sunny beaches and world-famous tourist attractions. Most never learn about the strange and unusual locations just off the beaten path. In the beautiful Florida Caverns, a second Rip Van Winkle was woken from one hundred years of sleep. The Green Swamp is home to murders, monsters and mysteries galore. A shining castle made of recycled material, built by an artist like no others, gleams within a Florida swamp. A spectral horse heralds tragedy and caused a notorious scandal in a central Florida city. Join Mark Muncy and Kari Schultz as they share tales of Florida's myths, monsters, massacres and legends and the hidden history behind them.

Suitably, hauntings and paranormal happenings in the Lone Star state are larger than life. Included in this must-read collection are tales of the ghost lights of Marfa, the werewolf of Elroy, and the Devil's brand in the eternal roundup of El Paso. Your hair will stand on end as you read about the mysteries and lore in Spooky Texas.

The author of Freaky Florida shares a unique guide to the state’s strangest attractions—from Florida Bigfoot to lost cemeteries, UFO sightings and more. Most people know Florida as the land of endless sunny beaches, Disney World, and NASA shuttle launches. But the state is also home to many hidden mysteries, eerie legends, and tales of bizarre creatures. In Eerie Florida, author Mark Muncy and photographer Kari Schultz provide a unique guide to these truly unique sites across the Sunshine State. The Everglades is home to the elusive Skunk Ape—also known as Florida Bigfoot—a strange bipedal creature recognized by its odor. An uncanny doll reputed to have a life of its own greets visitors in a Florida Keys museum. An ancient monster is reported to roam the rivers in the northeast corners of the state, and in South Florida, a man built Coral Castle—also known as America's Stonehenge—via mysterious means. Join Mark Muncy and Kari Schultz as they uncover the history behind the state's creepiest stories and unusual locations.

Alabama is a weird and wonderful place with a colorful history steeped in folk tales passed from generation to generation. Mysterious 1989 UFO sightings brought more than 4,000 visitors to the tiny town of Fyffe, population 1,300. Legends of the Alabama White Thang--an elusive, hairy creature with a shrill shriek--persisted in the state for a century. Just outside Huntsville's historic Maple Hill Cemetery lies an eerie playground where the ghosts of departed children are rumored to play in the dead of night. After hundreds of unexplained sightings, the town of Evergreen declared itself the Bigfoot Capital of Alabama. Join author Wil Elrick as he explores the history behind some of the Cotton State's favorite tales.

Short-listed for the 2001 Silver Birch Award, How did we get to be US? Who are WE? This story for the younger reader, set in the period some 50,000 years ago when an almost explosive change in people's behaviour occurred, addresses these questions. From this period on, people, the Cro-Magnon or Homo sapiens sapiens who are considered to be our ancestors, became what we term human. This recreated story presents a sister and brother in a sequence of events that fits what little is known about that time. Learn to create fire, shape tools, partner with wolves and develop into thinking, creative persons who can influence the world around them. Discover what effect a few curious and reasoning people can have on their society. A devoted grandfather and reader of stories to grandchildren, Henry Shykoff has created a classic adventure for the younger reader, answering the question, "How did we get to be human?" "This is an intriguing story that vividly brings to life an exciting moment in human evolution. Full of struggle and adventure, this highly readable tale is as entertaining as it is informative." - Linda McQuaig, Author and Journalist