|
|||||
|
HISTORY OF DE LAND, FLORIDA John Rich was the first settler in the area known as Persimmon Hollow. Several others followed. The century-old history of De Land, however, can be traced to its founder, Henry Addison De Land. When De Land was vacationing here with his daughter Helen, visiting his brother-in-law, O. P. Terry, he decided he wanted to locate here. He returned to his home state of New York where he was a successful business man, settled his business affairs and then returned to Persimmon Hollow to help develop the area. He became a generous benefactor to the settlers enabling them to build schools and churches. The settlement was located near what is now Woodland Boulevard and New York Avenue. The De Land House (top of page), Home of the West Volusia Historical Society, is a refurbished 1880s home furnished in period pieces and artifacts relating to the history of De Land. It is open from noon to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. In 1882 a small number of townspeople voted to incorporate the town and to name it De Land. It became the county seat in 1888. The Steamboat Landing at Enterprise, 15 miles to the south, on the St. Johns River served as an avenue for incoming settlers. The steam-powered sawmills provided a source for building materials. In 1886 the Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railroad was extended to De Land, which enabled De Land to develop into a thriving community. |
|||||
|
|||||
|
In 1885 De Land College was opened. Originally sponsored by the Florida Baptists, it was later named Stetson University in honor of benefactor John B. Stetson. (Elizabeth Hall, above left; Oldest building on Stetson campus, above right.) The freeze in 1894-95 devastated the citrus industry that had been the main livelihood of many area residents which forced a move to diversify the economy. The bust in the late 1920s and early 1930s again brought difficult times to the town. In time, however, the town regained its economic foundation and continued to prosper. Once known as the "Athens of Florida," De Land's historic downtown area retains the small town qualities of the old South. |
|||||
|
|||||
|
During World War II between 1942 and 1946, the De Land Naval Air Station (above left) was a training base for dive bomber pilots. The De Land Naval Air Station Museum (above right) is filled with artifacts from that war and others. Its hours are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. |
|||||
|
|||||
|
The Memorial Hospital Museum and Apothecary (pictured above) features a restored operating room from the 1920s, the Veterans Museum, the Electric and Ice Museum, the Black Heritage Museum, and an antique toy and elephant collection. The museum is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. |
|||||
[Home][Colonel Arthur Erwin Bio] [Chapter History][Past Regents] [Officers] [Programs][Patriots][In Memoriam]
|
|||||
|
Web hyperlinks to non-DAR sites are not the responsibility of the NSDAR, the state organizations, or individual DAR chapters. |
