The Treasure Coast of Florida had been inhabited by indigenous peoples for many centuries when pioneer settlers began arriving from other parts of the United States in the late 1800s. When the town of Vero was incorporated in 1919, it was one of several growing communities in the area. By 1925, when it became known as the city of Vero Beach and was designated the seat of the newly formed Indian River County, this small but prosperous coastal city was poised to become a thriving tropical destination that has managed to maintain a small-town atmosphere. In addition to its captivating natural beauty, Vero Beach has been home to a world-renowned citrus industry, a World War II naval air station, the Dodgers major-league baseball organization, the Piper Aircraft Company, and a vibrant cultural life.

Osborn tells the past and present of the waterway, showing how humans have impacted the region as well as how the lagoon has influenced the human cultures along its shores, to provide much-needed context as debates continue regarding how best to restore this natural resource.

This collection of vintage postcards depicts Indian River County, Florida, from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s, a time of dramatic change. Even after the West was settled, South Florida remained a frontier. The Indian River Lagoon, the most biodiverse estuary in North America, was then the only avenue for travel for canoes of the indigenous Native Americans, sailing vessels, and steamboats that opened the land to settlers. Today the lagoon is part of the Intracoastal Waterway, and the current civic leaders have ensured the preservation of the county's history by limiting high-rise buildings, protecting trees, and purchasing environmentally sensitive and historically significant properties.

Florida in the late 1800s was a veritable jungle frontier. It was hot, dangerous, hostile, and difficult to traverse and settle. Voracious insect swarms, bears, panthers, and alligators were dangerous to the unwary. There were postwar military trails and steamboats on the major waterways, but much of the state was inaccessible. In spite of its untamed nature, stories continued to filter into the north of Florida's exciting potential. This setting attracted all sorts of adventurers: land developers, people desperate for land, and people who wanted to make a quick dollar. The ones who stayed and thrived were tough, innovative, hard-working visionaries. This book focuses on the late 1800s through the 1920s, a truly exciting period in Indian River County history.