Covering All Things Florida
Floyd “Sonny” Tillman spent most of his life working. Not the kind of work that draws attention, but the kind that fills days and wears on your hands. He believed in showing up, doing things the right way, and letting the results speak for themselves.
Florida’s east coast has changed a lot over the centuries, but one thing that’s held its ground—name and all—is Mosquito Lagoon. While other places in the region have shed their buggy branding in favor of more marketable names, Mosquito Lagoon remains the last major waterway in Florida to retain its original moniker.
So where did the name “Mosquito Lagoon” come from, and why did it stick?
Legendary rock musician Ozzy Osbourne died this week at the age of 76 from complications of Parkinson’s disease. Known for his often dark and drug driven personality, Ozzy had a music career that spanned well over 50 years, between his rock band Black Sabbath and his solo career. Ozzy experienced a lot of backlash throughout his life, including some that nearly canceled a concert in the Sunshine State.
The scene on college campuses over the last few years has been pretty chaotic, with student protests erupting over everything from Gaza to gay rights. Social media and news feeds are full of stories of protests, campus takeovers, and vandalism. But this wasn’t the first generation to resort to these tactics, and it certainly won’t be the last.
Florida’s coastline has long been a magnet for treasure hunters, history buffs, and, let’s be honest, anyone who’s ever daydreamed about stumbling upon Pieces of Eight while digging in the sand. Central to these tales is the story of the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet, also known as the Plate Fleet. This fleet’s misadventures off Florida’s coast have left a legacy of sunken riches and countless stories. To this day, treasure hunters and metal detectorists alike search for lost gold and jewelry, and from time to time, they find it.
When one thinks of moonshining — making illegal liquor — more often than not an image of the Appalachian mountains is the first thing that comes to mind. While it’s true that the hollers and hilltops of North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky were hotbeds of moonshining, there was also a great deal of activity here in the Sunshine State, the effects of which can be felt even today.
Florida’s relationship with moonshine and bootlegging is as rich and complex as the state’s vast, varied landscape. From the early days of the Prohibition era to the modern revival of craft distilleries paying homage to illegal whiskey-making traditions, the Sunshine State has long been home to an underground economy of illicit liquor production. Florida’s dense swamps, rural backroads, and expansive coastline provided the perfect conditions for moonshiners and smugglers to thrive both then and now. While often romanticized in popular culture, the business of illegal alcohol in Florida was fraught with danger, ingenuity, and ongoing battles between outlaws and law enforcement, some of which continues even today.
Bushnell, Florida – The 189th anniversary of the Dade Massacre, a battle that helped begin the Second Seminole War, will be commemorated on December 28th at Dade Battlefield Historic State Park in Bushnell, Florida.
When Americans think of Thanksgiving, the image of Pilgrims and Native Americans sharing a meal in Plymouth in 1621 often comes to mind. However, history tells a richer, less-known tale of a thanksgiving that took place decades earlier in St. Augustine, Florida.
