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Tree of Knowledge Park, Downtown Arcadia

 

The DeSoto County Historical Society, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation dedicated to the saving, storing securely, and displaying, as much of the history of DeSoto County as we possibly can.

We now have a building and are planning our first historical museum.

We are actively working to gather valuable and interesting things of our past history.

Welcome to our home on the web, and we hope you will stay awhile and learn a bit about the past of this county that we call home.

 

  

Gordon Ford demonstrating his whipcracking skills.

Made from a series of photos taken at the First Annual Pioneer Days.  

 

                        

Howard Melton's series of historical books on DeSoto County's past, people & places.

 

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Recollections I (copies sell for $7), Recollections II (copies sell for $8) and Recollections III.  Click on the cover image to read the table of contents for each issue.  These books are for sale at the following businesses in Arcadia:

  • Glass Antique or Not - 219 W. Oak Street
  • Mary Margaret's Tea & Biscuit - 10 S. Polk Avenue
  • Oak Park Inn - 2 W. Oak Street
  • Peddler's Boutique - 108 W. Oak Street
  • The Whole Shebang - 101 W. Oak Street

OR, add $2 shipping and handling for each book and send a check or money order to the DeSoto County Historical Society, P.O. Box 1824, Arcadia, FL  34265. All proceeds will help the Society preserve and promote the history of DeSoto County for future generations.

They are getting great reviews! Read one here and here.

 

 

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We now have "South Florida Pioneers," a 35-volume set of magazines compiled, edited, and written by Richard Livingston, available through our Web site.  The fee for the entire set is $150 and $20 for each set purchased through our Web site will be donated to the Society. Click here for the downloadable order form.

 

Please visit our friends on the web:

Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo

Arcadia Main Street Program, Inc.

Carol Mahler

Crowley Museum & Nature Center

DeSoto County Chamber of Commerce

DeSoto County Fair Association

DeSoto County GenWeb

History Out of the Box

Southwest Florida Veterinary Services, PA

 

 

  

 

 

 

Website designed and built by Katie Willis of A Little Bit Of A Lot.

Photo credits: DeSoto Sun, Arcadia's Weekly News, Forest Reynolds, Clel Shore, Katie Willis, Jerald & Raynelle Newberry, John Lawhorne.