Historian Ed Siarkowicz President of the Flagler Historical Society presents

“Hewitt's Revolutionary War Sawmill and Dam.”

John Hewitt was an expert builder and contractor who arrived in St. Augustine before the American Revolution in 1768. He obtained a 1,000 acre property near Pellicer Creek in what is now Flagler County and shortly thereafter built a sophisticated water powered sawmill.

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Presentation by Ryan Lowry,

history researcher and artifact collector:

“Stalemate on Peleliu: A Forgotten Battle”

Hear the tale of Private John McEnroe who was a flamethrower sent to the Pacific front.  On September 15th, 1944, the stage was set for one of the most dramatic clashes between the United States and Japan. Within the first few days, nearly an entire U.S. Marine regiment would be decimated. Only after 74 days of combat on a coral island would the fighting finally come to an end

Presentation by Ashley Andrews Lear, Professor of Humanities at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: 

"Women of To-Morrow: The Social Activism of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and Ellen Glasgow."

For Rawlings and Glasgow, the very act of writing as women was a political act.  Glasgow founded the Richmond SPCA and was a leading advocate for women's rights and the suffrage movement.  Rawlings was an avid conservationist and staunch defender of the Cracker community.  Both women were known for their progressive views on race relations, especially toward the end of their career. This presentation will examine where their activism converged and how it helped to form this important literary friendship.

Presentation by Zach Zacharias,

Senior Curator of Education and Curator of History Museum of Arts and Sciences Daytona Beach, Florida:

Early History of Tourism in Northeast Florida

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Discover the roots of how Florida became one of the great tourist destinations in the world. Learn about the invalids, wealthy northerners, and sportsman all came to Florida not long after becoming a territory in 1821.