Many of you know that I grew up in South Florida..actually lived in several areas of South Florida as a kid...but at the age of 10 my folks moved to Arcadia, Florida and that is where I spent my growing up years until I met and married my husband.
Growing up in Arcadia was fun....back then it was... and to this day.. still remains one of those tiny little cow towns that ...as you are driving through..if you blink your eyes..you'll miss it.
Seemed back then that every one and their neighbor knew every one else..it was a nice town to grow up in.
Seems at some point or another if you lived in Arcadia for any length of time..you'd soon learn about the local legends , history and lore.
Bones Mizell was such a legend..as was ole "Acrefoot" Johnson. Characters that lived..."way back when"....in Florida's golden days of the late1800's..when the cracker cowboy was a common site on the Florida prairie.
If you'd like to learn about these characters..I encourage you to do so.Here is a website with information about "Bones" Mizell...
The Mizell family still has a farmhouse and land in the Arcadia area..outskirts of the town..and my dad actually was hired one year to paint the farmhouse.The Mizell family also used to own one of the local farm feed supply stores in the town.
Here is the story about "Acrefoot " Johnson...
He was a pioneer mail carrier.
I'm sharing a few old pictures of the town...from way back when...things really haven't changed very much in the way it looks..... even today. Alot of the buildings still look like the postcard images shown here..although some damages to a few old buildings did occur during Hurricane Charlie several years ago..the downtown area still looks pretty much like what these old postcards depict.The downtown area now plays host to many antique shops.
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~The Garden Goose~
6 comments:
Dont you just love the history behind every town... Thanks so much for the print. I have itin my livingroom, Very Pretty. Thanks again.
hey Allison! Glad you like the print.:0) and yes..I like the history behind old towns.:0)
What a small world we live in...I grew up in Orlando!
What a lovely little town! I haven't travelled much in Florida, just the west coast south of Sarasota where we stayed on Manasota Key. . . it is so different from the midwest! I imagine growing up in Arcadia was similar to my little area in Michigan, though. Love the old postcards and pictures. And those characters! Thanks for telling us about your hometown.
Loved the photos and the history. Thanks for sharing.
I ove these old postcards...almost could be Selma, Alabama! Arcadia sounds like a great place to have grown up. I know I have fond memories of Greensboro, and I remain a fan of small town living! (to use the name of your magazine)
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