Whether it was homesteaders and dragoons or cowboys and Indians, they all clashed in the "Wild East" of early Fort Pierce. A natural inlet through the barrier island into the Indian River Lagoon created the perfect location for two Seminole War forts: Pierce and Capron. After the Civil War, the Reuben Carlton family moved their cattle to the area's free range. Today, Alto "Bud" Adams Jr. runs the famous Adams Ranch from its Fort Pierce headquarters. Some time after the Carltons, Elizabeth and C.T. McCarty arrived, she to teach and he to plant pineapples and citrus. Growers like the Bernard Egan family continue to produce prize Indian River fruit. Generations of Summerlin fishermen made their living from the sea. The watered paradise still lures sport fishermen such as Terry Howard, ecotour operators like Lisa's Kayaks, and charter captains like Captain Mark. African Americans farmed, labored, and enriched the cultural environment, culminating in the success of artists such as Alfred Hair. In Legendary Locals of Fort Pierce, the town's diversity is illuminated through vignettes of its legends. Among these are Edwin Binney, the creator of Crayola crayons, and Edwin Link, the inventor of the Link flight simulator.

From West Palm Beach's beginnings as service town to Palm Beach, Standard Oil tycoon Henry Morrison Flagler's resort village, the city has evolved into a trendy art, cultural, and shopping mecca. Palm Beach County's largest city serves as county seat and center of business, government, and commerce. Taming America's last frontier saw the industriousness of pioneers and settlers such as Marion Gruber, the Potter brothers, George Lainhart, and Max Greenberg guide the "Cottage City" of yesteryear to today's gleaming metropolis. Meet many of West Palm Beach's pioneers, civic leaders, educators, business leaders, and entrepreneurs. Learn about the heroes, celebrities, philanthropists, and even the villains who have contributed to the mosaic of West Palm Beach.

Since the 1920s, Daytona Beach has sold itself as "The World's Most Famous Beach," which, while not literally true, does suggest a city with a big personality and large plans. The people in these pages contributed to that personality and made those plans. These people include Matthias Day, the Ohio industrialist, educator, inventor, and newspaper editor who founded and gave his name to the new city in 1876; Mary McLeod Bethune, the daughter of former slaves, who founded the university that bears her name "with five little girls, a dollar and a half, and faith in God"; Bill France Sr., the race driver and promoter who took stock car racing from the beach sands to a state-of-the-art track and built a racing empire; and his son, Bill France Jr., who turned NASCAR into a national pastime. Other notable Daytonans include the builders, writers, artists, rockers, promoters, business founders, educators, journalists, politicians, pioneers, bootleggers, philanthropists, sports stars, and even a dog that made the city what it is today. They come to life in historical photographs from the Halifax Historical Museum, the Florida Archives, and files of the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Fort Pierce celebrates a rich and colorful history. The city, located along the Indian River, established in 1837 as a fort during the Seminole Wars, and named for commander Lt. Col. Benjamin Pierce, is an idyllic place to live and play. Long before Flagler extended his railroad south, this area was a tropical wilderness with only the Native Americans to enjoy the warm climate, the waters teeming with fish, oysters, and clams, and the roaming wildlife. The pioneering families that homesteaded the area in the 1860s developed a community that would become the county seat of St. Lucie County and what is now Fort Pierce. Today, Fort Pierce is a thriving city with an abundance of cultural and educational facilities-yet it retains its small-town friendliness and residents take pride in preserving the area's natural beauty.

CATCH THE WAVE Have you always thought surfing looks like so much fun but lacked the confidence to try it? Do you dream of having sun-bleached hair and surf-toned arms? Maybe you’d like to join those surfers you watch from the comfort of your beach towel? With women’s surfing booming as never before, now is the perfect time to grab a board and get out there! If you’re a girl who longs to mix it up with the boys in the surf, carve graceful lines across the face of a wave, and feel the exhilaration of surfing, this book is for you. Surf’s Up has it all, including • what to look for when buying a surfboard • how to find the right waves • how to paddle out, catch waves, stand up, and turn your board • a colorful history of women’s surfing, from Gidget to Beachley • where to find North America’s dream surfing spots Writing with the passion that comes from living the surfing life for more than fifteen years, Louise Southerden brings her love of surfing to every page, offering a glimpse of surfing subculture, surf lingo, the rules of the waves, and helpful tips from other surfer girls who have survived the learning-to-surf journey. Surf’s Up is encouraging and empowering: a book no surfer girl should be without!

Few Florida communities felt the impact of World War II as much as the Atlantic-coast town of Fort Pierce. With a population that soared along with its economy, the small city made an important contribution to Allied victory by hosting a major military training base. Prior to that, the war had come only as close as the German submarines stalking targets off the southern coast of the peninsula. In 1943, however, the U.S. Navy commissioned its newest amphibious training base in Fort Pierce, and tens of thousands of young men would eventually prepare for combat on the towns sunny shores. The intensive physical and mental training was hardly a day at the beach, and within a few months, Fort Pierce had become a major military post with a national reputation. It also became the training site of some of the most elite units of the armed forces, including the Scouts and Raiders, U.S. Army Rangers, and the legendary frogmen.