Florida History in The Measure of Their Days Florida history will be revealed to you through The Measure of Their Days in a way that you are not likely to have experienced with other books. Hundreds of letters, spanning generations, reveal Florida history to the reader as it was lived by the writers of those letters. Florida history is central to the book as most of the letters in the book were written to or from Lake Helen, Florida between 1910 and 1935. Those interested in Florida history will also find the letters written between 1912 and 1923 by George Reuben Frisbee, Middleburg, Florida, to his family in Lake Helen, Florida, a fascinating personal account of Florida history during that time. His letters often reflect on his youth, taking the reader even further back in time. They are filled with comments on current events and happenings in the community in which he lives, his family, neighbors, as well as stories of floods and drought, life and death and provide a vivid picture This is not another book of historical facts and figures. The Measure of Their Days was not written with the thought in mind of writing a book about Florida history, or even a book of general historical information, but the hundreds of letters and photographs that the book contains, along with the additional information included by the author, takes the reader on a fascinating journey through time and history as lived by the writers of the letters. Those interested in Florida history will find hundreds of photographs in The Measure of Their Days, many taken in or near Lake Helen, Florida. They include photographs of many of the writers of the letters, their homes, friends and relatives, schools and churches, railroad stations, sawmills, as well as other interesting subjects. Many rare personal snapshots that might have been discarded and lost to time have been carefully researched and identified and inserted into the appropriate sections of the book. The letters and photographs will be of great interest to those who enjoy books about Florida history. Because so many of the letters in The Measure of Their Days were written to or from Lake Helen, Volusia County, in central Florida, the book will have special appeal to those interested in Florida history. While some may conclude interest in this book might be limited to those interested in Florida history, many have discovered the historical significance spans far beyond Florida history as many of the letters were written from other areas of the country including Colorado, New York, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Readers of the book span across the country and the historical significance of the book has resulted in the book being purchased and placed in libraries in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Florida, as well as the Clay County Florida Archives and the Orange County Florida Regional History Center. Readers of The Measure of Their Days will discover a unique story of Florida history because, unlike books about famous or well-known persons of historical significance, this is the story of the common man living Florida history. Those who never become well known seldom leave a legacy considered worth sharing, but it is the very fact that the letters in The Measure of Their Days were written by common people that makes this book so unusual. Although Florida history will be the most significant element of the historical aspect of The Measure of Their Days, letters written by Rufus King Frisbee of Colorado, or Clara Kinnan Brown of Pennsylvania, as well as many others, provide historical information that extends well beyond Florida history. Rufus King Frisbee would become the first Superintendent of Public Schools in Colorado. The farm where Clara Kinnan Brown lived, established 1857, has been declared a Pennsylvania Family Century Farm and continues to be operated by the Kinnan family, producing hay and maple syrup. Many surnames are included in the book, either as writers of the letters, or are mentioned in the letters, including Aston, Butterworth, Chalker, Coxe, Geiger, Huff, Kenyon, Knight, Long, Nettles, Powell, Putnam, Rhodes, Sirmans, Stewart, Thurber and others who may be of interest to those researching family history or who are interested in the connection of these families to Florida history. Maybelle Kinnan Anderson's legacy is the letters and photographs that have become the key element of The Measure of Their Days, providing a rare personal view of Florida history. Home • About the Book • About the Author • Reader Comments • How to Purchase ©2006 JoAnn Kinnan Bushman |
of Florida history as it was lived by him and those of whom he writes.
While many obtain this book for its historical significance, others read and treasure the book not with history in mind but for the personal story the letters reveal, which was the original intent of the book.