citruslandfl

A Merry Christmas Florida Blog by Richard Cronin     Historic Mount Dora, Lake County, Florida   Miami, Florida, Christmas Eve 1925:   Jasper Winslow Crawford married Florida native Dora E. Aman in Miami on Christmas Eve one hundred years ago. The ceremony was a small one, and the marriage lasted only five years due to Jasper’s accidental death, but because their wedding was published in a newspaper, this 24 th  of December 1925 event became the start of my quest to resolve another intriguing...

Rockbridge Alum Springs Pavilion 1991 (Insert: Irma St. Clair-Abrams Smith) Photo Courtesy Calder Loth (DHR 1991)   A Central Florida 2025 Holiday Series – Part 2 First, For Those Who Missed Part 1: Irma & William married 134 years ago, in December 1891, choosing to wed in Orlando’s newly completed Catholic Church rather than in her hometown of Tavares, which did not yet have a Catholic Church. Said South Florida Sentinel  of the bride, “Irma was one of Florida’s fairest daughters, whose...

Welcome to Historic   Florida : I was a young father of three adorable little girls when I first arrived in the Sunshine State. The year was 1971, and the State of Florida had only recently completed its 1970 census, counting a total of 6.8 million residents. I wrote this blog as a promo for my latest book in the fall of 2025, with the state’s population estimated to be approaching 24 million. Three people live in Florida today for every one person living here 55 years ago when I first...