When the first “Iron Horse” arrived in Southwest Florida―at Charlotte Harbor in 1886―nearly 150,000 miles of railroads already existed in America, the transcontinental route was open, and Pullman sleeping cars were in wide use. But despite a late start, railroads forever transformed this beautiful region of the Sunshine State and connected its people to the outside world. In Railroads of Southwest Florida, the golden age of railroading is documented with captivating images of stations, machines, and the people whose lives were affected by this significant form of transportation. From interior views of well-furnished passenger cars to scenes of hardworking men who made it all possible, this collection provides a thorough look at a fascinating, almost forgotten heritage.

Railroads of Southwest Florida (FL) (Images of Rail)

Arts & Photography

Turner, Gregg M.

Photography & Video

Arcadia Publishing

In the 1920s, a tremendous land boom gripped Florida, and waves of people descended upon the Sunshine State. Between just 1923and 1925 an estimated 300,000 people came to permanently settle in the state, and over a dozen new counties were created in this single decade. Fueled by postwar prosperity, tourists and new residents poured money into the state’s economy and dramatically increased the demand for land, homes, hotels, industry, recreation, commerce, and services. At the height of the boom, when many believed that the bubble had to burst, there came news that a new resort city was under development on the Gulf Coast below Sarasota, and all eyes turned to Venice. Over the decades since its creation, Venice, with its balmy climate, unlimited boating and fishing, and pristine mainland beach, has grown to be a Mecca for thousands of tourists, snowbirds, and retirees. Carved out of a tropical wilderness by America’s oldest and wealthiest union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Venice was made into a Gulf Coast oasis with Spanish-style architecture, beautiful landscaping, and a friendly network of tree-lined streets and boulevards. Visual documentation of this early era has captured a city in its infancy and a valuable piece of Venice’s heritage.

Venice in the 1920s (FL) (Images of America)

During the Roaring Twenties, millions of Americans moved to the Sunshine State seeking quick riches in real estate. Many made fortunes; others returned home penniless. Within a few years thousands of residential subdivisions, palatial estates, inviting apartment buildings and impressive commercial complexes were built. Opulent theaters and imposing churches opened, along with hundreds of municipal projects. A unique architectural theme emerged, today known as Mediterranean Revival. Railways and highways saw a renaissance. New cities--Boca Raton, Hollywood-by-the-Sea, Venice--were built from scratch and dozens of existing communities like St. Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando were forever transformed by the speculative fever. 
 Florida has experienced numerous land booms but none more sweeping than that of the 1920s. This illuminating account details how one of the greatest migration and development episodes in American history began, reached dizzying heights, then rapidly collapsed.

The Florida Land Boom of the 1920s

Business & Money

Real Estate

McFarland Company

Connecticut Railroads: an Illustrated History: One Hundred Fifty Years of Railroad History

Connecticut Railroads: An Illustrated History

Melancthon W. Jacobus

Connecticut Historical Society

The Deadliest Train Wrecks of New England (Disaster)

History

Americas

The History Press

When the first "Iron Horse" arrived in Southwest Florida--at Charlotte Harbor in 1886--nearly 150,000 miles of railroads already existed in America, the transcontinental route was open, and Pullman sleeping cars were in wide use. But despite a late start, railroads forever transformed this beautiful region of the Sunshine State and connected its people to the outside world. In Railroads of Southwest Florida, the golden age of railroading is documented with captivating images of stations, machines, and the people whose lives were affected by this significant form of transportation. From interior views of well-furnished passenger cars to scenes of hardworking men who made it all possible, this collection provides a thorough look at a fascinating, almost forgotten heritage.

Railroads of Southwest Florida

Arcadia Publishing Library Editions

In the 1920s, a tremendous land boom gripped Florida, and waves of people descended upon the Sunshine State. Between just 1923and 1925 an estimated 300,000 people came to permanently settle in the state, and over a dozen new counties were created in this single decade. Fueled by postwar prosperity, tourists and new residents poured money into the state's economy and dramatically increased the demand for land, homes, hotels, industry, recreation, commerce, and services. At the height of the boom, when many believed that the bubble had to burst, there came news that a new resort city was under development on the Gulf Coast below Sarasota, and all eyes turned to Venice. Over the decades since its creation, Venice, with its balmy climate, unlimited boating and fishing, and pristine mainland beach, has grown to be a Mecca for thousands of tourists, snowbirds, and retirees. Carved out of a tropical wilderness by America's oldest and wealthiest union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Venice was made into a Gulf Coast oasis with Spanish-style architecture, beautiful landscaping, and a friendly network of tree-lined streets and boulevards. Visual documentation of this early era has captured a city in its infancy and a valuable piece of Venice's heritage.

Venice in the 1920s

Located on the wide and beautiful Caloosahatchee River, just fifteen miles from the Gulf of Mexico, Fort Myers, the fabled "City of Palms," is known throughout the world for its tropical weather and many local attractions. Exotic flowers and shrubbery dot the city landscape, which today includes a revitalized downtown, inviting neighborhoods, endless shopping, and a breathtaking waterfront. Like many Florida communities, the origin of Fort Myers can be traced to the Seminole Indian wars of the 1800s. The fort itself-named for Lt. Col. Abraham Myers-was established in the frontier region to quell uprisings and help in the Indian Removal campaigns. It was later used by Union forces during the Civil War, was abandoned, and then reoccupied by courageous settlers who relied on the cattle business, and citrus and vegetable farming to sustain their families and their new town. As the years passed, Fort Myers grew and began to attract winter visitors, including such famous Americans as Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, both of whom had homes in the area, as well as wealthy sportsmen eager to try their luck at tarpon fishing in nearby Gulf waters. When the railroad finally reached Fort Myers, tourists, transplants, retirees, and many more would discover the irresistible charms of one of Florida's newest gems.

Fort Myers

Mulford, Stan

Railroads were the first big business enterprises of America and made possible many other industries. They knitted our expansive nation together and ably transported people, materials, supplies, goods, and mail. Literally hundreds, if not thousands, of railroads were built in the United States during the nineteenth century. Among the more colorful was the New York and New England Railroad, which connected Boston with the Hudson River via the uplands of Connecticut. If ever a company had its share of trials and tribulations it was this firm. Yet its fascinating, topsy-turvy past is today largely forgotten. This work brings to life how the New York and New England Railroad evolved from humble beginnings to becoming a potent transportation force. Meticulously researched with many period images and a lively text, our journey begins in the 1840s and lasts until the late 1890s. Climb aboard for a special trip into this unique chapter of American railroad history!

The New York and New England Railroad

Page Publishing

A history of the founding and growth of the South's first great industrial enterprise.

The Plant System Of Railroads, Steamships And Hotels: The South's First Great Industrial Enterprise

Bramson, Seth

Management & Leadership

Garrigues House Pub

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Books by Turner, Gregg M.