The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
Proud to be independently owned.

Arcadia Publishing

She knows local history, and is preserving it

By

If you want to learn a thing or two about local history — particularly as it pertains to Wesley Chapel, Dade City and Zephyrhills — a telephone call to Madonna Jervis Wise will put you on the right track.

Madonna Jervis Wise has written several books, including four which help preserve the history of Zephyrhills, Dade City and Wesley Chapel. (B.C. Manion)

Wise has written books about all three communities.

“I’ve always been interested in history,” she said. “We’re sitting in my dining room, and these are some of my family heirlooms that came on a covered wagon from Pennsylvania,” the retired educator said, during an interview in the Zephyrhills home she shares with her husband, Ernie.

Her interest in the history of people, places and things began early.

As a little girl, she would go with her father, who was a farmer in Indiana, as he went out to plow fields.

As he worked, he would have her wait in the home where he was plowing.

“One of those people that I remember, when I was about 6 or 7, was Mrs. Hefley. And, I remember her showing me the crochet work and the tatting work. She would begin to tell me about the family and the experiences they had. I just always made those connections.”

She also recalls spending an enormous amount of time with her grandparents.

“My grandfather was a blacksmith during World War I,” said Wise, who began her career in education as a history teacher.

Dade City women organized the Alpha Sorosis Club, which met regularly for intellectual pursuits. The club was founded in 1909, and continued through 1968. (File)

She’s always been a writer, for as long as she can remember and, wherever she’s worked, people have turned to her to do newsletters and other writing chores.

Her foray into authoring local history books began while she was working as the principal at West Zephyrhills Elementary School and she began compiling information about the community of Zephyrhills.

“I just started researching it,” she said. “I would get more and more stuff. I was like, ‘This has to be preserved.’ That’s kind of how it happened.”

To capture that history, she self-published a book called “Zephyrhills – An Anthology of its History Through Education.”

The book was a family affair. Her husband and daughter, Mamie, edited the volume.

Downtown Dade City, during the 1940s, was a thriving hub of activity.

Around the same time, she published a book called “Juanita in Blue,” a four-year project showcasing her mother’s recipes.

“My mother was an extraordinary cook. She ran this little restaurant in Indiana. It was called The Rainbow Café.

“After she passed away, I had all these boxes of recipe cards,” Wise said.

So, she created cookbooks for each of her three kids: Jervis, an attorney in St. Petersburg; Mamie, an attorney in Tampa; and Rachel, who is studying to become an attorney, in Gulfport.

The three community history books that Wise has written are part of Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series.

The publisher, which has now merged with History Press, invited Wise to do a local history book about Zephyrhills. After that, the publisher invited her to do books on Dade City and Wesley Chapel.

Before accepting the offer to do the Dade City book, Wise said she cleared the idea with various groups from the Dade City community because she didn’t want to be presumptuous or intrusive.

Any concerns along those lines were alleviated by Dade City folks who not only encouraged her to pursue the local history book, but helped her in tracking down the documents and photographs that she needed to tell the community’s story.

“It really came together,” Wise said.

Pasco Packing was the home of the largest citrus processing company in the world, when citrus was in its heyday in Florida.

Next, she tackled the task of compiling Wesley Chapel’s history.

Figuring out how to approach that took some thought, she said, because unlike Zephyrhills and Dade City — which are municipalities with city records — Wesley Chapel is unincorporated.

So, she turned to genealogy skills to help track down the families who have shaped the community’s history.

Initially, she thought the book would focus primarily on ranching, and would include some ranching artifacts.

But then, she went into some genealogy sites and plugged in some key names, which led to interviews with families.

One interview led to another, and the story of Wesley Chapel emerged.

A desire “to preserve the stories” motivates her to do the research, conduct the interviews, gather the photographs, track other documents and compile the local history books, she said.

Wise said she enjoyed digging into the history of residents who settled in Pasco County, adding they remind her of the people in Patrick Smith’s book, “The Land Remembered.”

“It’s a young history, relatively speaking,” Wise said. It’s an area where “rugged people cleared the land and settled and persevered. I’ve always been drawn to those stories.

“I become really enamored with the people,” Wise added. “That was a hard life. The mosquito-ridden frontier of Florida — no air conditioning.

“It was something else,” she said.

Published September 20, 2017

Telling Wesley Chapel’s story

By

Writing about local history is nothing new for Madonna Jervis Wise.

The Zephyrhills woman traced the history of Zephyrhills, and also of Dade City, for books published by Arcadia Publishing, of Charleston, South Carolina.

Now, she has written another book for the publisher’s Images of America series. This one focuses on Wesley Chapel.

Gator hunting was done at night in the swamps of Wesley Chapel. Lonnie Tucker, at far left with a light on his head, guides two visitors through the swamp. (Photos courtesy of Madonna Jervis Wise)
Gator hunting was done at night in the swamps of Wesley Chapel. Lonnie Tucker, at far left with a light on his head, guides two visitors through the swamp.
(Photos courtesy of Madonna Jervis Wise)

When the publisher asked her to do the Wesley Chapel book, Wise knew it would be challenging.

Unlike Zephyrhills and Dade City – which both have city governments, historic buildings and established town centers, Wesley Chapel offered no clear place for Wise to begin her research.

So, Wise relied on her background in genealogy to help her track down descendants of families with deep roots in Wesley Chapel.

She began her quest by tracking down Marco Edward Stanley, of Gainesville, who arranged for Wise to interview his mother, 95-year-old Lillie Sapp Stanley.

The historian met with members of the Stanley family, and that interview led to others.

When she interviewed David Brown, Michael Boyette, Bill Smith or members of the Stanley family, she discovered the families shared deep bonds.

Ranches were a significant part of Wesley Chapel’s history. An outstanding Texas Longhorn-Ankole bull was 15 years old and had a horn span of 54 inches, when he died at K-Bar Ranch in Wesley Chapel.
Ranches were a significant part of Wesley Chapel’s history. An outstanding Texas Longhorn-Ankole bull was 15 years old and had a horn span of 54 inches, when he died at K-Bar Ranch in Wesley Chapel.

“There was this cohesiveness among the settlers,” Wise said. “They would talk about each other in this real, deep caring way.”

Putting together “Images of America: Wesley Chapel,” meant interviewing scores of pioneer descendants, culling through land records, visiting properties and even putting together a map to get a sense for what it used to be like.

Through U.S. Census records and interviews with primary sources, Wise learned the names of the families of many early settlers, including Asbel, Barnes, Boyette, Bradley, Cooper, Ellerbee, Geiger, Gillette, Godwin, Hill, Kersey, O’Berry, Overstreet, Ryals, Smith, Stanley, Strickland, Thomas and Tucker.

Some of those names, she discovered, had various spellings, such as Stanley and Standley.

She also discovered that the community was known by various names through the years. Those names included Godwin, Double Branch, Wesley, Lemon and Gatorville – and finally, Wesley Chapel.

A car parked at the end of a cypress log in the 1930s illustrates the enormity of the trees that were felled in the Wesley Chapel area. Large timber companies or trusts acquired vast tracts of land that were depleted of lumber. Many deserted the claims, once the limber was harvested and the properties were sold for tax deeds.
A car parked at the end of a cypress log in the 1930s illustrates the enormity of the trees that were felled in the Wesley Chapel area. Large timber companies or trusts acquired vast tracts of land that were depleted of lumber. Many deserted the claims, once the limber was harvested and the properties were sold for tax deeds.

One surprising discovery, she said, was that women have long been acknowledged for the prominent role they played in the community.

“Pioneer women of Wesley Chapel were revered for their tireless days of toil, with a nurturing spirt and the skill to raise large families,” Wise wrote.

For instance, Francis Asbury Barnes’ granddaughters, Martha and Vida, played pivotal roles in Barnes’ ranching operations. The women, Wise wrote, were “industrious managers of land and cattle.”

Photographs and anecdotes in the 127-page volume paint a portrait of a place where people worked hard and cared about their neighbors. It was a community where the church was the central gathering place.

“This was a haven for the Singing Convention,” Wise said. “That’s something that occurred a lot in the South, but it was really, really prominent here.

“It occurred any month that had a fifth Sunday,” she said.

It was described by one descendant as Wesley Chapel’s ‘Grand Ole Opry.’

“It was hosted usually at the Double Branch Church (now known as the First Baptist Church of Wesley Chapel), and people came from everywhere,” Wise said.

“When I interviewed Cullen Boyette, he said these barbershop quartets that were on the radio would come here. Mostly, it was gospel music,” she said.

“They would have music nearly the entire day, and then they had (what they called) ‘dinner on the ground,’” she said.

They spread blankets out on the ground and enjoyed a potluck feast, Wise explained.

Around 1931, 19-year-old Lonnie Tucker watches for revenuers. He is pictured in Wesley Chapel with his moonshine still.
Around 1931, 19-year-old Lonnie Tucker watches for revenuers. He is pictured in Wesley Chapel with his moonshine still.

She also noted that Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church, for whom many believe the community was named, operated only from 1890 to 1892, at the corner of State Road 54 and Boyette Road.

Besides its church life, Wesley Chapel was known for its moonshining, gator hunting and turpentine stills, Wise said.

The timber and turpentine industries also played a significant role, she said. And, many ranching operations were founded on land where timber had been depleted, and the land was sold off for for tax deeds, Wise wrote.

Over time, many of Wesley Chapel’s ranches and citrus groves have given way to shopping centers, homes, schools, churches, a state college and other developments.

Of all of the changes through the years, Wise thinks the construction of Interstate 75 had the biggest influence on the community’s growth.

“I think that’s the most significant change. Wesley Chapel would not be what it is today without that. It really did change the landscape,” she said.

Two teachers and 33 students are in this photograph taken in the early 1920s at Wesley Chapel School.
Two teachers and 33 students are in this photograph taken in the early 1920s at Wesley Chapel School.

As she conducted interviews, tracked down records and gathered photographs, Wise developed a wealth of knowledge about Wesley Chapel.

Despite her prodigious research, though, there were some questions that she could not answer.

For instance, she couldn’t pinpoint the exact boundaries of the community – an issue still debated today.

And, she couldn’t determine precisely how the community got its name.

Some said it was named after an early settler. Others, claimed it was after John Wesley, founder of the United Methodist Church.

As for Wise?

She’s content, for now, to leave those questions open.

Upcoming book events

  • Feb. 16 at 2 p.m.: Talk at the Hugh Embry Library, 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City. It will include both “Images of America: Dade City” and “Images of America: Wesley Chapel.”
  • Feb. 25 at 12:30 p.m.: Book signing at the East Campus of Pasco-Hernando State College, 36727 Blanton Road in Dade City
  • March 4 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Book signing at the Zephyrhills Library, 5347 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills.

For more information about the book or events later this year, email Madonna Wise at .

Published February 10, 2016

Author unearths details of Wesley Chapel’s past

By

Today’s community of Wesley Chapel is a bustling place with The Shops at Wiregrass, Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, to name just a few community landmarks.

Motorists stream down State Road 54 and State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and there are new subdivisions, restaurants and businesses popping up.

A group of Wesley Chapel natives gathered in what was once considered to be downtown Wesley Chapel on Aug. 10, to discuss local history with Madonna Wise. Shown here are Roy Burnside, former mayor of Zephyrhills, Madonna Wise, Bill Smith, Sue Boyette and Frank A. Scott, Sr. of the First Baptist Church of Wesley Chapel. (Courtesy of Madonna Wise)
A group of Wesley Chapel natives gathered in what was once considered to be downtown Wesley Chapel on Aug. 10, to discuss local history with Madonna Wise. Shown here are Roy Burnside, former mayor of Zephyrhills, Madonna Wise, Bill Smith, Sue Boyette and Frank A. Scott, Sr. of the First Baptist Church of Wesley Chapel.
(Courtesy of Madonna Wise)

But not much is generally known about the history of this place which had settlements dating back to the 1840s.

A book being written by local historian, Madonna Wise, will shed light on that early history.

Wise has been meeting with descendants of families that have deep roots in the Wesley Chapel community and she’ll be sharing photographs and anecdotes in an upcoming book to be published by Arcadia Publishing, out of South Carolina.

Wise has written similar books about Zephyrhills and Dade City for the publishing company.

She expects the Wesley Chapel book will be released in early 2016. It will likely be about 220 pages and will contain at least 180 photographs, she said.

It will have chapters about the area’s pioneers, its ranches, economy and community institutions.

Tracing the history of Wesley Chapel has been challenging because the community, unlike Zephyrhills and Dade City, has no city government or nucleus of old town buildings to help reveal its past, Wise said.

But she has found a wealth of information through families who still live in the area and who have vivid recollections of the community long before Interstate 75 sliced through it and developments, such as the Saddlebrook Resort, began to be built.

Malinda Jane Gillett Stanley, born in 1892, was a midwife in Wesley Chapel. She’s from one of the families featured in a book about Wesley Chapel currently being researched by Madonna Wise, a local historian. Photo by Weimer Studio, Courtesy of Marco Stanley, Marlo Hilton and Charles Estepp (Photo by Weimer Studio, Courtesy of Marco Stanley, Marlo Hilton and Charles Estepp)
Malinda Jane Gillett Stanley, born in 1892, was a midwife in Wesley Chapel. She’s from one of the families featured in a book about Wesley Chapel currently being researched by Madonna Wise, a local historian.
(Photo by Weimer Studio, Courtesy of Marco Stanley, Marlo Hilton and Charles Estepp)

Wise said she relied on her background in genealogy to help her track down families to interview.

By using those resources, she found Marco Edward Stanley, of Gainesville, who arranged for Wise to interview his mother, Lillie Sapp Stanley, a 95-year-old, who still lives here.

“She (Lillie) lived in the area on a ranch. She knew everyone,” said Wise, who met with her and other members of the Stanley family.

As she conducted her research, Wise said she discovered that many families with deep roots in the community still live there.

“Everybody is related to everybody,” Wise said, mentioning the Coopers, the Stanleys, the Hills, the Smiths, the Barnes, the Boyettes and others.

“There is this close nucleus of families. They really deeply care for each other. They know all about the cousins. Who moved here. Who moved there,” Wise said.

David Brown, a descendant of the Barnes family, told Wise: “We cared about each other. If you didn’t show up for church one Sunday, somebody would come check on you.”

Much like in Dade City, Wise said, one interview led to another.

Marco Stanley encouraged Wise to talk to his cousin, Bill Smith.

“So they set up a meeting for me to talk to Bill,” she said. “Bill’s sister is 92. Her name is Ruth Smith Adams. She’s still sharp as a tack.”

“Bill says to me on the phone, bring butcher block paper,” Wise said.

To his knowledge, nobody had ever drawn a map of the settlements, she added.

Wise’s book will have that map.

“We’re talking 1900. It’s not right at the beginning because the settlements started in the 1840s,” she said.

John Boyette, born in 1875, is shown with his wife, Blanche, and children, Johnnie, William, Ruby and Vera. (Courtesy of Cletia Pierce)
John Boyette, born in 1875, is shown with his wife, Blanche, and children, Johnnie, William, Ruby and Vera.
(Courtesy of Cletia Pierce)

“They told me where to draw,” said Wise, noting they worked on the map for about four hours and have revised it since.

“It shows where early families lived, including Ped Tucker and Thomas Boyette and Jacob Godwin, she said.

“And then they would tell me things like, ‘This is where we held the rodeo. And this is where the old log school was before the Wesley Chapel school. And this is where we went swimming.’,” the author said.

Wise conducted 15 interviews, each lasting four to five hours, or more.

During those chats, she also found out about some of the area’s clandestine activities, including moonshiners and gator hunters.

Tracking down the area’s history has been fun and interesting, Wise said.

Published September 16, 2015

Barnes & Noble showcases local authors

By

If you enjoy stories about second chances, about family life or about history, a selection of books by local authors at an upcoming authors’ event may be right up your alley.

Barnes & Noble at The Shops at Wiregrass is hosting its annual Local Author Signing on May 30 at 2 p.m., at the bookstore, at 28152 Paseo Drive in Wesley Chapel.

Book lovers will have a chance to meet the authors, chat with them and get their books signed.

Some of the authors scheduled to be at the Barnes & Noble annual Local Authors Signing have taken part in the event in previous years. Shown here, from left are Susan Noe Harmon, Madonna Jervis Wise, Evelyn Taylor and Jamie Elizabeth Tingen. (Courtesy of Madonna Wise)
Some of the authors scheduled to be at the Barnes & Noble annual Local Authors Signing have taken part in the event in previous years. Shown here, from left are Susan Noe Harmon, Madonna Jervis Wise, Evelyn Taylor and Jamie Elizabeth Tingen.
(Courtesy of Madonna Wise)

Local authors featured at the event offer a wide range of titles.

Author Leigh Kenyon tells an adventure story about a girl who trains Zebras in her book, “The Zebra Riders.”

She wrote that book while attending Centennial Middle School.

Now a student at Land O’ Lakes High School, Kenyon has written a second book, “The Essence of Fear,” a young adult fictional account that explores darker themes.

Local author Susan Noe Harmon transports readers to mid-19th century Appalachia in her book, “Under the Weeping Willow.” The book features three generations of women whose strength prevails despite poverty, floods and tragedy.

In another book, “To Hide the Truth,” the author tells a story about a disturbing relationship between a daughter and her father during an era when family abuse and alcoholism were taboo topics for discussion.

Author Jamie Elizabeth Tingen writes about making the most of second chances in her book, “Butterfly Messages.”

Author Madonna Wise shares her knowledge of local history in a book she wrote about Dade City for Arcadia Publishing’s iconic Images of America series.

Wise, a retired educator, has written a number of other books, including “Tapestry,” “Wildcat Creek Kids,” “Sam & Company,” and “Juanita in Blue.”

She’s also co-author of “Kachina and the Bully.”

Wise said Barnes & Noble does an excellent job of giving local authors a place to sell books, sign books and chat with readers.

The writers enjoy meeting each other, too, Wise said.

Wise also enjoys meeting aspiring writers who drop by to ask questions about writing and get advice on publishing their work.

Other authors who will be featured at the bookstore’s event include Federico and Ruby Agnir, Jenice Armstead, Shelby Bender, Liz Dunham, Shea Ford, Chonta Haynes, Jack Hipple, C.M. Johnson, Evelyn Johnson-Taylor, Jim Kay, Judie McCarty, Ria Prestia, Elizabeth Rivera, Dave Robbins, Telisha Thompson, Jamie Elizabeth Tingen, Vincent Vinas and Paul Wartenberg.

Annual Local Author Signing
More than 20 local authors will be on hand to sign copies of their books and chat with patrons.
When: May 30 at 2 p.m.
Where: Barnes & Noble at Shops at Wiregrass, 28152 Paseo Drive, Wesley Chapel
How much: Free admission

Published May 27, 2015

Book captures Dade City’s history through photographs

By

When visitors drop by downtown Dade City, its stately historic courthouse, unique shops and good restaurants likely will impress them.

But there’s so much more to Dade City’s story, and Madonna Jervis Wise has captured that through 200 photographs of the people and places in this city that initially was known as Fort Dade.

Downtown Dade City, during the 1940s, was a thriving hub of activity. (Courtesy of Madonna Jervis Wise)
Downtown Dade City, during the 1940s, was a thriving hub of activity.
(Courtesy of Madonna Jervis Wise)

Wise began working on the volume about a year ago. She’d done another book called “Zephyrhills” for Arcadia Publishing, and the South Carolina publisher approached her to see if she had an interest in writing a book about Dade City.

Wise wasn’t sure initially if she wanted to take it on. But her family encouraged her to pursue the opportunity, and Wise decided to meet with some local leaders to see if they’d like to have a book about their community published.

John Moors, the executive director of the Dade City Chamber of Commerce, greeted the idea with enthusiasm and set up a meeting for Wise with the city’s development director. She also met with the Dade City Preservation Advisory Board, which encouraged her to write the book and provided invaluable suggestions, she said.

Wise said her husband Ernie played an instrumental role, too.

The book includes photographs of everything from old railroad depots to stately homes, from ballet dancers to orange packers. It includes photographs of the sons and daughters of Dade City, who shaped the community and played an instrumental role in Pasco County and beyond.

“Dade City is a rich historical hub,” Wise said. “For many, many decades, this county was run by Pasco High graduates.”

The book showcases the community’s diversity, covering the history of the African-American community and its migrant farmworkers.

Wise used information and photographs she gleaned from a multitude of sources. Jeff Miller of the West Pasco Historical Society provided about 3,000 photos for her to consider from his collection.

She also used photos from the collections of Helen Eck Sparkman and of Oliver and Barbara DeWitt, who provided them to Eddie Herrmann, one of the authors of “The Historic Places of Pasco County.”

The Pasco County Genealogical Society and the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System’s Genealogical Collection, as well as the librarians, were invaluable resources for the work as well, Wise said.

She used photographs from The Memory Project, produced by the Florida government.

The book’s photographs convey the city’s history through its people, residences, churches, social and civic clubs, and commerce. It points out that Pasco Packing, later known as Lykes Pasco, was the largest orange packing plant in the world, in the days before freezes, blight and development wiped out much of Florida’s citrus industry.

The photographs also show homes of early residents, with many of the structures still standing today.

“My husband photographed many of the houses,” Wise said, noting some of the photos had to be taken more than once, to be sure that alarm signs and air conditioners didn’t show up in the frame.

When they were out in the neighborhoods taking the photographs, people would approach them and ask what they were doing, Wise said. When she told them about the book, she said, “they would add other pieces to the story. It was great. It was just great.”

The actual work of culling photographs, writing captions and arranging the layout was a gargantuan task. But Wise enjoyed learning about Dade City’s history and spending time with the people who helped on the project.

Besides Herrmann, other primary sources included William G. Dayton and J. Thomas Touchton.

“I probably talked to Eddie (Herrmann) nearly every day,” Wise said. “And Bill is a real storyteller. He can give you the feel for the different eras. He knew a lot of the inside of what was going on.”

Touchton, a Dade City native and leader of the effort to establish The Tampa Bay History Center, also provided valuable insights, she said. Touchton has an international reputation for the collection of maps he’s acquired, and has fond recollections of Dade City.

“He told me the most fabulous stories about growing up there,” she said.

As she conducted her research, Wise was struck by the realization that Dade City remains a cohesive community, something that’s not all that common in the 21st century.

As people page through the volume, Wise hopes it will inspire them to learn more about Dade City.

“The book is intended to be an invitation to learn more about Dade City and serve as an enticement to walk through Church Avenue, visit the historic courthouse, dine in a vintage café, or visit the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village,” Wise writes in the acknowledgements section of the book. “History must be shared to pass it on to the next generation.”

If you go …
WHAT: Author Madonna Jervis Wise will offer some remarks regarding her new book, ‘Images of America, Dade City’
WHERE: Historic Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., Dade City
WHEN: Oct. 4, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
DETAILS: Other speakers at the event will include Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri, Dade City councilman Scott Black, Trilby historian Angelo Liranzo, and J. Thomas Touchton, founding board member of the Tampa Bay History Center

Published September 24, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Pasco historian publishing new book on Dade City

By

The Historic Pasco County Courthouse will be the backdrop for a book-signing event featuring local writer Madonna Jervis Wise on Oct. 4.

Wise has released her latest book, “Images of America: Dade City,” which will be released by Arcadia Publishing in September. The book features more than 200 photos and images throughout the 150-year history of Dade City.

Several people and historians who helped Wise on the book will speak at the event, which starts at 1 p.m. at the courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City. They include Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri, Dade City councilman Scott Black, Trilby historian Angelo Liranzo, and Tampa Bay History Center founding board chairman J. Thomas Touchton.

Those attending will then be invited inside the courthouse for the cook signing in the commission chambers on the second floor, which will last until 4 p.m.

“Dade City is the historical hub of Pasco County history,” Wise said, in a release. “Oh, the stories. The book provides glimpses of institutions that have shaped history. This project gave me an opportunity to connect and learn from some of my favorite people.”

Wise has authored several books, including a comprehensive historical book on Zephyrhills. She also wrote “Sam & Company” and co-authored “Kachina and the Bully.”

Her Dade City book has been endorsed by the Historic Preservation Advisory Board of Dade City.

“I think the historic Dade City courthouse is the perfect backdrop to hold this event,” Mulieri said, in a release. “Many of the people and history described in this book have walked through the halls of the historic Dade City courthouse, and to have a book-signing event there is a fitting way to remember Dade City and its great history.”

Arcadia Publishing specializes in publishing books dealing with local and regional history in the United States. Its mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places, and have published more than 8,500 small towns and downtowns.