Legendary Locals Of Fort Pierce

Whether it was homesteaders and dragoons or cowboys and Indians, they all clashed in the "Wild East" of early Fort Pierce. A natural inlet through the barrier island into the Indian River Lagoon created the perfect location for two Seminole War forts: Pierce and Capron. After the Civil War, the Reuben Carlton family moved their cattle to the area's free range. Today, Alto "Bud" Adams Jr. runs the famous Adams Ranch from its Fort Pierce headquarters. Some time after the Carltons, Elizabeth and C.T. McCarty arrived, she to teach and he to plant pineapples and citrus. Growers like the Bernard Egan family continue to produce prize Indian River fruit. Generations of Summerlin fishermen made their living from the sea. The watered paradise still lures sport fishermen such as Terry Howard, ecotour operators like Lisa's Kayaks, and charter captains like Captain Mark. African Americans farmed, labored, and enriched the cultural environment, culminating in the success of artists such as Alfred Hair. In Legendary Locals of Fort Pierce, the town's diversity is illuminated through vignettes of its legends. Among these are Edwin Binney, the creator of Crayola crayons, and Edwin Link, the inventor of the Link flight simulator.

Fort Worth is the City of Cowboys and Cultureand where the West begins. Its citizens highlight the Texas can-do spirit and the determination and compassion to make a difference, to be legendary. When Buckley (B.B.) Paddock persuaded the railroad to lay track west of Dallas, a city was born and so was opportunity. Cowboys like T.J. Ryon rode into town with their cattle. J. Frank Norris preached against the vices in Hells Half Acre while Jennie Schueber tried to rally support for a free library. Feisty entrepreneurs like Ninnie Baird and John B. Laneri baked bread and sold pasta noodles. Cowtown also boasts such notables as Edna Gladney, who helped countless orphans find a home; the Clark brothers, who brought Texas Christian University home; and Claude R. Platte, who bravely served as a Tuskegee airman. These fine folks are just a sampling of Fort Worths fascinatingand sometimes infamouscharacters.

Since the 1920s, Daytona Beach has sold itself as “The World’s Most Famous Beach,” which, while not literally true, does suggest a city with a big personality and large plans. The people in these pages contributed to that personality and made those plans. These people include Matthias Day, the Ohio industrialist, educator, inventor, and newspaper editor who founded and gave his name to the new city in 1876; Mary McLeod Bethune, the daughter of former slaves, who founded the university that bears her name “with five little girls, a dollar and a half, and faith in God”; Bill France Sr., the race driver and promoter who took stock car racing from the beach sands to a state-of-the-art track and built a racing empire; and his son, Bill France Jr., who turned NASCAR into a national pastime. Other notable Daytonans include the builders, writers, artists, rockers, promoters, business founders, educators, journalists, politicians, pioneers, bootleggers, philanthropists, sports stars, and even a dog that made the city what it is today. They come to life in historical photographs from the Halifax Historical Museum, the Florida Archives, and files of the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

From West Palm Beach’s beginnings as service town to Palm Beach, Standard Oil tycoon Henry Morrison Flagler’s resort village, the city has evolved into a trendy art, cultural, and shopping mecca. Palm Beach County’s largest city serves as county seat and center of business, government, and commerce. Taming America’s last frontier saw the industriousness of pioneers and settlers such as Marion Gruber, the Potter brothers, George Lainhart, and Max Greenberg guide the “Cottage City” of yesteryear to today’s gleaming metropolis. Meet many of West Palm Beach’s pioneers, civic leaders, educators, business leaders, and entrepreneurs. Learn about the heroes, celebrities, philanthropists, and even the villains who have contributed to the mosaic of West Palm Beach.

"Home of the Last Frontier" is how the local radio station aptly describes the Big Bend and Davis Mountains region of West Texas, the sparsely populated area of desert and mountain close to the Mexican border. After 1848, the first settlers started to move in. They came to make a living, and a few made a fortune. Mysterious cattle baron Milton Faver ran 10,000 cattle in the 1870s. Others came for their health, like J.O. Langford, his wife, and young daughters who, seeking a dry climate, came to homestead on the Rio Grande. Today's newcomers are equally pioneering in their own way. Donald Judd was the catalyst that changed Marfa from a moribund cow town to an internationally recognized art center. Edie Elfring, an immigrant from a small island in the Baltic Sea, has picked up trash and tended Alpine's public gardens--unasked and unpaid--for years. They were drawn to what their predecessors found: a boundless landscape peopled by a few hardy, independent souls.

Lakewood was a vibrant community long before it incorporated in 1996, though cityhood helped give the area one name and identity. In the mid-19th century, Lakewood was the site of British farms and the first US military base in Washington Territory. Men who became famous in the Civil War, such as George Pickett, served there. Native American leader Leschi, the victim of judicial lynching by civilians, spent his last days there. As Lakewood became a retreat for Puget Sounds rich and famous, names such as Carman and Alexanderas famous in their day as the name Weyerhaeuser was and issettled here, leaving behind reminders like Lakewold Gardens. One of Lakewoods most famous residents was Ivan, a captive gorilla who captured the hearts of animal lovers worldwide.

A pictorial history of Fort Myers as exemplified by its citizens and their accomplishments.

" ... The following pages feature a sampling of Fort Worth's characters--from the notorious to the unsung to the inspiring ... For every person highlighted in this project, dozens more could be--and should be--included. An encyclopedia could not contain the stories that make the founding and continued growth of Fort Worth legendary ..."--Introduction.