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SEGMENTS | U.S. Senator David Levy Yulee | The Johns Committee | Hurricane Andrew
SEGMENTS | The Leon and Jewel Collins Museum | CF African American History and Culture
Seafood dealers, commercial fisherman, and conservationists came together to stop the governor's reckless plan to extend the recreational red snapper fishing season.Independent local journalism is a pillar of democracy. American democracy has evaporated in conjunction with a rapid decline of local media sources in the past 25 years. One of those local media sources in Florida, The Gabber newspaper in south Pinellas County, needs your help to continue its 60-year tradition of local news.Join Craig Pittman, Chadd Charland, and Jason Garcia from the "Seeking Rents" podcast and Substack newsletter for our next in-person event Friday, June 12th, from 6:30-7:30 PM at Happy Medium Books and Cafe in Jacksonville/Riverside.Our guest for this episode is CD Davidson-Heirs who recently wrote a story chronicling the history of Gatorade for Flamingo magazine.
Florida didn't always used to be this way. Unregulated development. Runaway sprawl. Developers controlling the state. What happened?Chadd Charland is running for State House in District 15 (all of Nassau and parts of Duval counties)."Welcome to Florida's" next live event comes Friday, June 12th, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM at Happy Medium Bookstore Cafe in Jacksonville! It's a free event. Come out and say "hello."Joining us today are Bob Kealing and Rev. Billy C. Wirtz to discuss the Chitlin' Circuit in Florida. The Chitlin' Circuit was a network of Black live music establishments during the mid-20th century around which all the greats played. Bob and Billy have produced a documentary about the Circuit in Florida.If you'd like to book a screening of the documentary in your community, contact Bob Kealing at: callingmehomebook@gmail.com.If this subject interests you, check out our Florida Black History YouTube channel for our previous episodes related to Black History in Florida.
SEGMENTS | Confederate Named Neighborhoods | James Moss in Miami's Bahamian Community | The Ma Barker House
What should be done with the site when the Everglades concentration camp closes?Chadd Charland is running for State House in District 15 (Nassau and parts of Duval counties).Diego Waisman spent years visiting and photographing South Florida's mobile home parks. He produced a book from the experience titled "Sunset Colonies: A Visual Elegy to South Florida's Mobile Home Communities." He shares with us what he found.
SEGMENTS | Elliot Kleinberg's 'Hypocrite's Row' | Florida in 1892 | William Healy Dall and Florida Geology
SEGMENTS | Calvin Coolidge at Lakeside Inn | 17th Century St. Augustine | Early Flights in Florida
Martin County wants to prevent a slaughterhouse from being built there. The state says it doesn't have a say in the matter. Another example of state overreach crushing home rule.Chadd Charland is running for State House in District 15 (Nassau and parts of Duval County) on a platform of equity, the environment, and public education.See "Welcome to Florida" and Jason Garcia from the "Seeking Rents" Substack and podcast in person!Jamie Holmes is an author and historian. His latest book provides fresh insights into the Seminole War: "The Free and the Dead: The Untold Story of the Black Seminole Chief, an Indigenous Rebel, and America's Forgotten War."
Join "Welcome to Florida" along with Jason Garcia from "Seeking Rents" for our first in-person event. May 7 we'll be at Tombolo Books in St. Pete and May 9, we'll be at Austin's Coffee in Winter Park. Full details and RSVP here!Chadd Charland is running for Florida State House in District 15 (Nassau and parts of Duval counties). Follow his campaign.The Suwanee River has been named one of America's "10 Most Endangered Rivers."Freelance writer Mike Kane joins us on this episode to discuss his summer trip to the Everglades and the first martyr of American conservation, Guy Bradley."Welcome to Florida" patrons receive exclusive access to our weekly "Florida Conservation Newsletter" for only $5 per month.
SEGMENTS | Historic Cassadaga | Ft. Myers in The Civil War | Andrew Turnbull's New Smyrna Colony
SEGMENTS | Florida Musician Gram Parsons | Florida as a Borderland | Miami Poet Ariel Francisco
Not satisfied with simply being a dictator, Donald Trump allowed for the convening of the Endangered Species Committee "God Squad" at the behest of Secretary of War Crimes Pete Hegseth. Hegseth has declared a phony-baloney "national security emergency" that he says should preempt off-shore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from Endangered Species Act regulations. The regime's "God Squad," a cabal of villains with oil and gas backgrounds, not surprisingly, agreed.Make plans to join us in person in St. Petersburg May 7 and Orlando May 9. More details to follow.This episode centers on Florida's greatest archaeological discovery, Miami Circle. The ancient Tequesta Indian site was discovered and researched by Bob Carr who joins us. Learn more about Bob Carr and purchase his novel here.
What does it mean to fight for your people—not on a battlefield, but in courtrooms, in capitals… and even on the global stage?In this episode of Reckoning with Jason Herbert, I'm joined by filmmaker and Miccosukee storyteller Montana Cypress to talk about his powerful new film, Becoming Buffalo. At the center of the story is Buffalo Tiger—a man raised in the Everglades who would go on to lead his people into one of the most unlikely diplomatic moments in American history: a meeting with Fidel Castro during the Cold War.But this conversation goes far beyond the film.We dig into what it means to be Miccosukee—how culture, language, and community are rooted in the Everglades, and why that landscape is not just land, but lifeblood. We talk about the differences between the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes, the importance of preserving Indigenous language, and the weight of telling a story that many people—even within the community—didn't grow up hearing. Montana opens up about stepping into the role of Buffalo Tiger, the responsibility of representing his people on screen, and the challenge of translating a deeply internal, cultural story to broader audiences. And along the way, we explore a larger truth:Some of the most important battles in Native history weren't fought with weapons—but with strategy, diplomacy, and an unshakable commitment to sovereignty. This is a story about identity. About survival. And about what it means to carry culture forward in a modern world.If you've ever wondered about the real history of Florida, the Everglades, or Native sovereignty in America—this is an episode you don't want to miss.
SEGMENTS | Florida's Cracker Culture | The Second Spanish Period | Abandoned Vehicles of The Everglades
The state legislature passed laws preventing Florida municipalities from pursuing clean energy.Mobster Charlie Wall ran Tampa in the 20s and 30s. Author and journalist Paul Wilborn researched Wall's life for a fictionalized version of it he wrote titled " The Everlasting Life of Charlie Wall.""Welcome to Florida" patrons receive exclusive access to our weekly conservation newsletter for only $5 per month.
SEGMENTS | Poet Ann Browning Masters | The ERA in Florida | The 'Memory of Negro Fort' Podcast
Florida U.S. Representative Cory Mills is one of the most unscrupulous politicians and businesspeople in the state, or nation.Colonial history in what is now Florida typically revolves around the Spanish, but for a period between the 1760s and 1780s, the English occupied the state. Andrew Turnbull tried establishing a British-style plantation in the New Smyrna Beach area with disastrous results. Greg Holbrook, Executive Director at the New Smyrna Museum of History, tells us all about it.
SEGMENTS | Timucua Speaking Mocama | Women in British Colonial Florida | Crafting Constitutions in Florida
Acclaimed journalist and historian Eliot Kleinberg has spent over a third of a century chronicling Florida and Florida History. His critically-acclaimed books about the state include his book about the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane which was written in 2003. He spent 33 years at the Palm Beach Post and now has launched a new series of historical novels about prohibition era South Florida. His works can all be found at the link below:https://www.ekfla.com/
Send us your Florida questions! Cathy Salustri and Ryan Worthington talk about Sundown Towns, apologies, and the problems the racism of the past still creates.Links We MentionedTougaloo College's Sundown Town databaseWas Gulfport, Florida a Sundown Town?South Pinellas Sundown TownsFlorida Sundown Towns Support the showQuestion or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com. Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com. Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee). NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
SEGMENTS | George Harrison in Florida Photo Exhibit | Historical Archaeology of La Florida | Battle of Camp Monroe Reenactment
Send us your Florida questions!Rick and Cathy talk about gentrification, the difficult relationship white people have with Black history, its place in Florida's history, and how Florida's Black history impacts modern-day Florida.Links We MentionedLincolnvilleFort MoseAxe Handle SaturdayThe ZorgEatonville's Zora Neale Hurston MuseumKingsley PlantationCarter Woodson MuseumLincolnville MuseumHistoric Hampton HouseAmerican BeachA.L. Lewis Museum Support the showQuestion or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com. Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com. Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee). NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
Send us your Florida questions!Buckle in for a wild ride... this episode starts in Bithlo, detours through Orlando Speed World, gets chased by a cobra, and then goes on an adventure through the springs. Links We MentionedBithloBithlo real estateOrlando Speed WorldSwampySt. Cloud SerpentariumBarberville Yard Art EmporiumDeLeon Springs State ParkQueenie the Waterskiing ElephantGinger Ale SpringsGreen SpringsSam Stoltz housesOrlando ShineGiant inflatable pigeons in OrlandoPhoto of Orlando inflatable pigeons by Rick Kilby.Support the showQuestion or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com. Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com. Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee). NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
SEGMENTS | Opera Orlando Presents 'The Secret River' | Florida Civil Defense in World War II | The Black Political Independent Movement
Send a textThe Battle of Olustee With ( James Cosgrove )In this episode of American Civil War & UK History host, Daz was joined by James Cosgrove, host of Project Past and the Distance Drums podcast, to discuss the Battle of Olustee — the largest Civil War battle fought in Florida.The Battle of Olustee (February 20, 1864) was the largest Civil War battle fought in Florida. A Union force advancing west from Jacksonville was defeated by Confederate troops under General Joseph Finegan near Lake City, halting Union efforts to control the region and secure supplies and recruits.Project Past & The Distant Drums Podcasthttps://www.youtube.com/@UCz1rMpe1CbMgZ7ZTRV6aRfQ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz0tTTyCllfYoq8eLrlGSIcb6NWYgF7P0&si=DXgaCOAvfJ7Ji31rACW & UK History's Website.https://www.acwandukhistory.com/ACW & UK History's Pages.https://linktr.ee/ACWandUKHISTORYSupport the show
Spring Training has marked the end of winter in Florida for more than 100 years. Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Hank Aaron, Mike Schmidt, Greg Maddux, and today's stars have begun their legendary seasons and careers in places like Sarasota, Dunedin, Vero Beach, and Clearwater.On this episode, longtime southwest Florida newspaperman Glenn Miller, who's attended spring training games since the 1960s and covered the games since the 1980s, joins us to discuss Spring Training's history and characters in Florida. Pinch hitting for regular co-host Chadd Scott is his wife, sports reporter, podcaster, author, baseball fan, and annual spring training in Florida attendee, Kristi Dosh.
SEGMENTS | Jacksonville's Eartha White | St. Augustine Hurricane of 1811 | Florida in The Civil War
Send us your Florida questions!Ann McCutchan's book, The Life She Wished To Live: A Biography of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Author of The Yearling, focuses on Rawling's life. Ann, Cathy, and Rick talk about Rawlings' life, how she learned not to be a racist, her struggles with alcohol, and why The Yearling is not the best of her works.Links We MentionedAnn McCutchan's websiteHere is Home: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and Cross CreekThe Life She Wished To Live: A Biography of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Author of The YearlingMarjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society annual conference Support the showQuestion or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com. Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com. Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee). NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
Thanks to our daughter we've just discovered epic new theme music for the show. It's called "Watch Florida Grow (The Cracker Theme Song) and was recorded by the South Ocean String Band. This song speaks to the heart and soul of anyone who truly cares about Florida so we debut it in this episode and discuss the backstory behind it. We then go on a rambling discussion about conservation in general, the Great Florida Cattle Drive 2026, and some general cow culture history before diving into the 2026 Florida legislative session and some of the pending bills that are being misconstrued and highly misunderstood in an effort to help clear away some of that confusion. We bounce back and forth from lighthearted banter to serious discussions to keep things interesting. Be sure to listen for The Cracker Theme Song in its entirety at the end of the episode. You're gonna love it!
SEGMENTS | Retirement Villages in Florida | Highwaymen Artist Willie Reagan and R.L. Lewis | Tampa's Gasparilla Festival
Send us your Florida questions!Author Holly Sprinkle joins the podcast to talk about her book, Florida Natural Springs: A History. The trio talks about — among other things — Naked Ed, the historic marker at Manatee Springs, and why fat mermaids are the best mermaids.Links We MentionedThe William Bartram plaque at Manatee SpringsBuy Holly's book!Support the showQuestion or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com. Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com. Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee). NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
The Florida State Legislature continues its rich tradition of doing the bidding of powerful corporate interests, this time - not for the first time - Mosaic mining company.Carrie Sue Ayvar is a professional storyteller who embodies Dr. Anna Darrow, the 2nd ever female doctor in Florida, in programs around the state. Darrow was referred to as the Swamp Doctor for her work with residents in the Everglades in early 20th century Florida.Ayvar is one of dozens of speakers available through the Florida Humanities that are happy to speak to your local community group if you have one.Thanks again to our "Welcome to Florida" patrons who support the show for $5 per month and receive exclusive access to our Florida Conservation Newsletter.
SEGMENTS | Zora Neale Hurston's Life and Career | F. Evan Nooe 'Aggression and Sufferings'
Send us your Florida questions!While working as a journalist, Pete Gallagher investigated Florida stories that made a difference. He joins the podcast this week to talk about two of those stories, people buried under Tropicana Field, and his book (in progress) about his life in journalism.Links We MentionedJames RichardsonEmateloye Estenletkvte: Polly Parker Got AwayFlorida Folk Showradiostpete.comSupport the showQuestion or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com. Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com. Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee). NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
SEGMENTS | The Hungerford School Property and The 37th Annual Zora! Festival | The History of Colonial Plaza
Send us your Florida questions!Florida has a significant history with enslaved people escaping their oppressors in the United States. If you want to see history, these are places you can visit to learn the real history of Florida's underground railroad.Links We MentionedFort MoseBill Baggs State ParkGulf Islands National Seashore in Pensacola Podcast episode about Prospect BluffFernandina Plaza Historic State ParkKingsley PlantationFitzpatrick Plantation RuinsAngola Settlement (more about Angola)The Fort at Prospect Bluff by Dale Cox Support the showQuestion or comment? Email us at cathy@floridaspectacular.com. Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Keep up with Rick at studiohourglass.blogspot.com and get his books at rickkilby.com. Find Cathy on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy and everywhere else as @CathySalustri; connect with Rick Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Bluesky (@oldfla.bsky.social), and IG (@ricklebee). NEW: Florida landscape questions — Send us your Florida plant questions and we'll have an expert answer them on the show! Use this link!
SEGMENTS | Bob Carr - 'The Python Conspiracy' | 16th Century Florida in The European Imagination | Adventure Tourism and The Florida Frontier
SEGMENTS | Greek Orthodox Epiphany in Tarpon Springs | Florida in The French Revolution | Bob Kealing on Jack Kerouac in Florida
SEGMENTS | The Historic Town of Cassadaga | The Legacy of Ponce De Leon | History of The Orange County Courthouses
In the upcoming legislative session, Florida politicians will be considering a bill which would give the biggest Florida land developers and land developments the least oversight and opportunity for public input.Jason Garcia's fantastic "Seeking Rents" podcast episode about the scheme.This week's episode focuses on who Craig considers to be the ultimate Florida man: James Weldon Johnson. Johnson wrote the lyrics to "Lift Every Voice and Sing," the Black National Anthem. Joining us to discuss Johnson is Florida State College of Jacksonville English professor, author, and historian Tim Gilmore.Nature DisturbedMother Nature is one weird ladyListen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
SEGMENTS | Christmas Community Pioneers | Christmas From Florida's Past | Silent Christmas in Cuba
SEGMENTS | Henry Flagler's Whitehall Estate | Harvest V. Board of Public Instruction | Orlando International Airport - MCO
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is proud to acknowledge that it didn't follow science when recommending a black bear hunt.Our guest this episode is documentary filmmaker Rob Hoovis. In November of 2025, he premiered "Outlaws of the Everglades," a film detailing the marijuana smuggling pipeline from Central America and the Caribbean that flowed through the 10,000 Islands area of rural southwestern Florida during the 1970s and 80s.Our "Florida Black History" YouTube channel has been updated with our past episodes on Fort Mose, Harry and Harriette Moore, and Reconstruction and Freedmen in the state.The next state legislative session is weeks away with the groundwork already being laid in Tallahassee. Jason Garcia's "Seeking Rents" and Ryan Smart and Ryan Worthington's "As Bad As It Is" are the two best podcasts to keep you informed on all the treachery.Nature DisturbedMother Nature is one weird ladyListen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
SEGMENTS | Orlando Collected Exhibit | Ft. Myers in The Civil War | Abandoned Vehicles of The Everglades
With the gubernatorial election less than a year away, now is the time to ask the crowded field of candidates about their positions on conservation and the environment.Three episodes ago, we discussed the impact America's lead-up to World War II had on Florida, bringing hundreds of thousands of servicemen and dozens of military installations to the state. That was the 1930s. In this episode with Florida author and historian Gary Mormino, we discussed what else was going on across the state during the 1930s - the heart of the Great Depression.If the Jeffrey Epstein scandal interests you, here's the link to our previous episode with Julie Brown, the Miami Herald investigative journalist who would not let the story die, even after Epstein initially got away with it.Nature DisturbedMother Nature is one weird ladyListen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
3HL - 11-20-25 - Hour 2 - A Tennessee-Florida History LessonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Big O talks Coach Spo 111325
Fort Mose roughly 1 mile north of St. Augustine has the distinction of being the first free Black settlement in what is now America. Despite that august history, the site remains little known inside or outside of Florida. Kathleen Deagan and Jane Landers have spent the last 40-plus years attempting to uncover and promote the history at Fort Mose. Their book, "Fort Mose: Colonial America's Black Fortress of Freedom," combines history and archaeology to provide as accurate an account of the Fort as exists.