Overview
The Winter Sailor is a historical adventure that details the yearly winter travels of Francis R. Stebbins to Florida's Indian River. Stebbins, a writer from Michigan, visited Florida in March of 1878 and became entranced by its pristine beauty. Subsequently, Stebbins and his traveling companions made annual visits to Indian River - until 1888 when tragedy struck and ended Stebbins' yearly journeys. Being an observant traveler, Stebbins began a series of descriptive articles for his hometown newspaper that chronicled his journeys to the Indian River area. Stebbins's articles tell of his own personal experiences during his leisurely visits, which included such activities as hunting and fishing, studying the natural surroundings, and excavating Indian mounds. What Stebbins enjoyed most was sailing down the river interviewing townspeople and examining local attractions as he went. His articles also detail the lifestyle of the region, food, fashion, industry, history, environment, and changes that occurred over time. Stebbins's articles not only entertained and informed but also became a travelogue for his readers. He inspired northern travelers to go south and visit Florida, which contributed to the beginnings of large-scale tourism in the region. The Winter Sailor combines Stebbins's 49 articles along with three by his companions, to provide an enjoyable, historical guide. Unique among 19th-century travelogues, this fascinating look into Florida's past documents a decade of change to the Indian River wilderness and becomes Stebbins's gift to the present.
Full Product Details
Author: Carolyn Baker Lewis
Publisher: The University of Alabama Press
Imprint: The University of Alabama Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.60cm
, Height: 1.80cm
, Length: 23.50cm
Weight: 0.333kg
ISBN: 9780817351298
ISBN 10: 0817351299
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 30 November 2004
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Out of stock
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.
Reviews
The material... provides a wonderful record of the shifting of the coastal lands through that time period, as inlets open and close and human land use shifts accordingly and in response to newly developed technologies. - Patricia C. Griffin, author of Mullet on the Beach: The Minorcans of Florida, 1768-1788
Author Information
Carolyn Baker Lewis is an independent scholar who has published several articles on postbellum agriculture and settlement in Florida and South Carolina.
