Book Description

Nestled between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean, Deland, Florida has a history all its own. Perfect for fans of Florida history. When Henry A. DeLand sat down to plan a town in the summer of 1876, he envisioned a place that would become a religious, educational, business, and social center--the Athens of Florida. Deland made his dream a reality by investing his livelihood in the town that would be named for him. He donated the land for the first municipal building that doubled as a church and school and funded the school that would become Stetson University. Ever since, the city of DeLand has had an interesting and rich history. Much of this unique history has been captured and preserved in postcards published throughout the past hundred-plus years. Author L. Thomas "Tom" Roberts is a past president and historian of the year of the West Volusia Historical Society. The majority of the imagery used for this book comes courtesy of Jim Cara, owner of the most complete collection of DeLand postcards in existence.