Daytona Beach Florida is home to Native Americans, Motor, and Civil Liberties.
Florida's natural history is its most precious asset. The vegetation, wildlife, rivers and swamps by the ocean make the place for what it is worth to the nation and to visitors from around the world. A tour of the historical sites in the Daytona Beach area should start with a pilgrimage t the Fairchild Oak. This magnificent tree is many centuries old and a lasting symbol of man's subservience to nature.
The United States acquired Florida from Spain in the early part of the 19th century. The Administration decided to drive the Seminole Indians who lived there due south in order to develop the area. Several plantations were destroyed in the fighting that ensued. The Bulow Plantation Ruins State Historic Site has remnants of the Seminole Indian War. A visit here will tell you about the origins of modern Florida. You can make it in to a picnic and rent a canoe after a visit to the open air museum. The Tomoka Mounds houses remains and objects from the days of the Native Americans who first inhabited the area.
Florida soon became a favorite of the rich and many such people established homes and estates in the area. Debary Hall was one such place and an invitation from the owner for a visit was highly prized in upper-class circles. The place is now open to the public and offers an intriguing glimpse of Florida's history. It is on the banks of the St. John's River and is a visual delight to this day. Florida has continued to attract famous people over the years and the Casements contains artifacts from the life of John D. Rockefeller who spent his winters in this State. Old Daytona is a quarter by the ocean where the common and original Florida settlers lived.
The first motor race was held on Daytona Beach in 1903. The place has become almost synonymous with motor racing during the past century and racing enthusiasts vie with beach lovers to visit Daytona in droves. The Birthplace of Speed Park has been established very near the site of the first race. Admission to this site is free and it is on the ocean front. It has a picnic area and should be on your list of places to visit on a Daytona Beach vacation. Speeding through Time is another related attraction, with the history of the sport in Daytona etched in the concrete of the walk by the ocean.
Florida's rich habitat has been ideal for agriculture ever since it joined the United States. Sugar production was once a mainstay of the local economy. The ruins of the Drummett Sugar Mill has machinery that uses steam to crush cane and is an educative foray in to the history of agricultural engineering.
The years after the Civil War saw a movement to settle and to rehabilitate emancipated slaves in Florida. Freemanville still has a few structures that had been constructed when the site was first established and is a must for those who would like to pay homage to the first batch of settlers. The Howard Thurman home, where the person who inspired Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived is another attraction for tourists who are interested in the history of Civil Liberties in the United States, as is the home of the educator and leader of the oppressed, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune.
The Halifax Hauntings and the Daytona Ghost Walk will be of interest for those who believe in the occult. There are buildings, walks and shows here that are reputed to be frequented by spirits and ghosts.
The Jackie Robinson Park is a tribute to the legend. He played the first baseball game here in 1946, and the Park will be a joy for those who live by the sport. The Ponce de Leon lighthouse is over a century old and one climb to the very top. These two stops will complete an exhaustive review of the heritage of Daytona Beach.
