A great bridge for getting to and fro…read more Imagine if it were not there, though? Swim, or boat or ferry ride Would be the way to cross the tide Though the water is fun to tread I'd rather go over dry instead So thanks to be this bridge I see And to traverse it safely, thankfully!

Before you cross the Wabasso Causeway connecting the mainland to the barrier island there is a…read morehistorical marker in Wabasso Causeway Park. The marker is part of the Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular and valued public history programs. The markers raise awareness of Florida's cultural history while enhancing the enjoyment of historic sites for residents and tourists. The blue historic markers tell the stories of the people and places that were important to Florida's history and they can be found in front of schools, forts, roads, battlefields, cemeteries, churches, historic districts, archaeological sites, buildings, and bridges like this one. Historic marker F-1137 was installed in 2020 by The Indian River County Historical Society, Tourist Development County of Indian River, and the Florida Department of State. The marker provides information about the history of the Wabasso Bridge. The original bridge sat on what was known as Two Dollar Bluff, a navigational aid for ships on the Indian River since 1887. It was located on property of pioneer and citrus grower A.B. Michael who made Indian River citrus world famous. The bluff was an Ais Indian midden, a kind of ancient garbage dump for the original inhabitants of this area. In 1927 the midden yielded shells, pottery shards, and bones that were used for road material. At different times this area was part of Brevard, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties. The bluff became the Michael family dock. Eventually it was replaced in 1927 with a narrow, wooden bridge with a metal swing span that crossed to the community of Orchid. This bridge allowed travel between the Orchid Island groves and the railroad for transport of citrus. It also opened up the northern part of Indian River County to tourism and land development. During World War II you could only cross the bridge if you lived on the island. On October 5, 1964, a 400-foot section of the old wooden Wabasso Bridge burned. Before it was scrapped the bridge was purchased by Walt Disney World and refurbished for use in the Main Street Railroad. In 1970, the old bridge was replaced with a modern, high-arch bridge causeway over the main channel. For years it was the known as the A.B. Mitchell Wabasso Bridge. In 2020, it was renamed the A.B. Michael Bridge to correct an over fifty year old typo. Today the Wabasso Bridge takes travelers to the beaches of the Treasure Coasts which got its names from Spanish Treasure Fleet that sunk off the coast in a hurricane in 1715.

Five stars for the history! The Houses of Refuge were federally operated life saving stations that…read morewere built on the beach so that the keeper could rescue ship wreck victims during a time period when the main form of travel and hauling goods was by ship. The houses were spread approximately 20 miles apart along Florida's coast and were often very isolated. They were all built exactly alike with a main house, a cistern, and boat house. The house that was nearest to where I live, the Orange Grove House of Refuge was the last place barefoot mailman Ed Hamilton spent the night before he disappeared forever into the Hillsboro inlet. What exactly happened to him is a mystery that has never been solved. The houses of refuge are long gone except for the House of Refuge Museum at Gilbert's Bar in Stuart which you can still visit today. I have visited that house as well as discovered several of these historical house of refuge markers along the east coast of Florida as far south as Miami. In 1915 the Life Saving Service became the US Coast Guard. The Bethel Creek House of Refuge is also no longer here. It was the first house of refuge constructed on the east coast of Florida and was active from 1876-1936. It once stood in what is now the Jaycee Beach Park and there is a historical marker in the park dedicated to it erected in 2013 by Florida Society Colonial Dames XVII Century Ann Waggaman, President. Surrounding the marker are blocks from the foundation of the Bethel Creek House of Refuge. The first keeper of this house was John Houston. In 1917 the Bethel Creek House of Refuge was destroyed by a fire and replaced by a building that was removed in 1936. During WWII the station was reopened with a 40 foot watch tower to look for German U-Boats off the coast. In 1950 the Federal Government gave these 8 acres of land the the city of Vero beach who developed it in to the Jaycee Park in 1956.

The Historic Hardee Oak Tree is located in the Old Town of Sebastian Historic District, East. The…read morecollection of 13 buildings is a designated U.S. Historic district. The well to do Hardee family owned a mansion in Sebastian on the east side of Main Street, west of the Indian River. The family owned the Hardees Service Station, the Eagle Co. Fish dock, and citrus groves. The place where the house once stood is marked by the Hardee Oak tree which was planted by Robert Hardee in 1891 when he was 19. Captain Robert C. Hardee became a tax assessor, post master, and a Sebastian Council member in 1926. In the 1950's his daughter Meta became the first woman to serve on the council. Legend has it that when the city put in the sidewalks in 1925, Hardee's mother Emma chained herself to the tree in order to keep it from being uprooted. The tree was further endangered by hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2004. The City Council voted to preserve the tree. During the revitalization of the water front, water pipes were placed underneath the tree instead of taking the easy way out by cutting it down. The tree now stands as a symbol of the history and tradition of the historic city of Sebastian.

In 1919 when Vero Beach was incorporated, the population was 800 souls. Downtown existed primarily…read moreat the intersection of Osceola boulevard and Seminole Avenue. It is fun to check out all of the historic buildings from Vero's early years. Many of the buildings date from the 1920's during Florida's land boom years. During this time period there was a tradition of naming buildings and streets after Native American tribes like in the case with the 1918 Seminole Building. The first county offices of Indian River were located on the second floor of the Seminole building until the Indian River County Courthouse was built in 1935. Today the building houses Napier and Rollins, family law attorneys and the Treasure Coast Newspaper. Nice to see the old building still has life left in her.

The Tangelo House was formerly known as Ryburn's Apartment Building. It is located in the Royal…read morePark subdivision developed by Waldo Sexton and the Atlantic Construction Corporation. Arthur G. McKee was an early investor in the company and handled the lot sales. Mr. Ryburn purchased lot 8 on July 21,1926 for the construction of an right unit, two story apartment building. The building was designed in the Mission Revival style of architecture. One of the most notable early tenants was Bud Holman who was instrumental in bringing the Dodgers to Vero Beach. The Tangelo is the last remaining of four similarly built apartment from the 1920's along Royal Palm Blvd. The Waverly, The Penn, and the Flora are no longer standing. Mr. Ryburn sold the apartments to his son Alexander in 1931. In 1947 the carriage house in the back was remodeled into two apartments. In the 1950's the building became known as the Tangelo and there are three tangelo trees on the property. The Tangelo is the first apartment building to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Current apartment owners, Garrett and Stephanie Puzzo have restored the building back to its originally glory and today it was open for $6 tours in an event benefitting the Indian River Historical society. It was a lot of fun exploring the apartments. They are very small, but charming with arched doorways, built in shelves, and the original tubs. Most of the floors are original too as are the steel doorknobs and brass window cranks. In the center of the building is an eight foot by eight foot atrium letting in light and channeling rainwater from the roof. There was also art for sale in each room. When the building was constructed, apartments rented for $60 a month. Now most of the apartments have already been rented for between $1,400 and $1,800 a month. The upstairs apartment are larger with an additional corner room and balcony. The Tangelo Apartments in Vero Beach has been named the most haunted location on the Treasure Coast by the Florida Bureau of Paranormal Investigations. During investigations they have encountered a little girl. After the day time apartment tours finishes, Indian River Hauntings conducted a paranormal investigation open to the public for an $11 donation to the Indian River Historical Society.

Beautifully restored building in a beautiful part of Vero Beach. Great job for the people that did…read morethe restoration!

Five stars for the history of this Vero Beach downtown landmark. In the 1900's there was a…read moretradition in Florida of naming buildings after Native Americans. Originally named the Pocahontas Arcade, this is a Mediterranean Revival building that was built in 1923 by Blackford and Davis. It was a one story building with nine offices with a wrap around covered exterior corridor. On the parapet, artist A.A. Thomas sculpted the life-size image of Native American Pocahontas. In 1926 a second floor was added with 23 apartments. In 2000 to the building was bought by the Haggerty family, who restored it between 2002 and 2003. Today you can dine at the Rio Coco Cafe and the Italian Kitchen. Other businesses include The Grove, Haggery Family Management, Embassy of Hope, and His and Hers Hair Styling. Upstairs are cozy 300 square foot apartments.

This is the historic cracker style home of the poet Laura Jackson Riding . It was moved from its…read moreoriginal location and now stands next to a public library. The house is preserved to look the same way it did when Laura lived here. There is also a replica mailbox library of the house and a garden. It's only open on Saturdays or by appointment. Recommend checking it out wheN you are in the Vero Beach area. The address is 6155 College Lane in Vero Beach.

I love a historic courthouse. They have seen so much history in their communities. The historic…read moreIndian River County Courthouse is located across the street from Pocahontas Park. The three story building was designed in the Masonary Vernacular Art Modern style by architect W.H. Garns and built between 1926 and 1937 by James T. Vocelle with money he received from the Public Works Administration to build a courthouse for the newly formed county. In later years the courthouse became too small for the growing community and the court moved to a new building. On July 19, 1999 the courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today the building has a 2,400 square foot banquet hall on the second floor that can be rented for weddings and receptions, lectures, seminars, business meetings, fundraisers, and parties. There are some sculptures in front of the building but my favorite feature is the classical cherub light poles in the front.

The original rail line between Sebastian and Fellsmere was built in 1896. The 10 mile railway was…read morereplaced in 1910 and officially opened to the public on May 1, 1911. The line was originally used by the Fellsmere Farm Company to haul the heavy equipment that allowed them to excavate the drainage canals allowing them to build the town of Fellsmere. The Fellsmere Depot opened on January 23, 1913, and Edward Nelson Fell, the founder of Fellsmere, purchased the first ticket. The train was then used for passenger transportation. By April 1915, another 6 miles of track was added to extend to the next extinct town of Broadmoor. The Trans-Florida Central Railroad took over railroad operations on June 2, 1924. They operated the trains until November 30, 1952,when the railroad officially ceased operations after 42 years of service. The old railway corridor has now been transformed into the rails to trails project. The abandoned Trans-Florida Central Railway trails have been turned into hiking and mountain biking trails. The trail is a 2 mile hiking and biking pathway sitting in a former railroad corridor that once connected Sebastian and Fellsmere. The centerpiece of the trail is the iconic bridge over Interstate-95 where the name of the trail is displayed prominently in huge letters across the span of the bridge. It was designed to look like an old trail bridge. Though the railroad trail is about 15 miles long, only 2 miles of trail have been completed. You can enter the trail at the end of Fellsmere historic district where this marker is located. There is another entrance across from the Brookside Historical Cemetery.