Indian Rocks, As It Was -- A Pictorial History. [Signed].

Signed by Wayne Ayers, Author; and Nancy Ayers, Editor. Quarto, softbound (slick, full-color photo. illus. wrappers), 255 pp. Near-Fine, with sunning to spine. From lower cover: Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, or Indian Rocks as it was called in the early days, has a rich and storied past dating to prehistoric native Indian settlement in the area. The gulf and bay wters, teeming with fish, drew both Indian and later white settlers to the area, and fishing-related pursuits were to become a mainstay of the local economy up to the present day. Indian Rocks grew slowly from the time of the first recorded settler, Capt. John Lowe, in 1859, until the first boom period in the 1920s. At that time wealthy tourists -- many from Tampa -- built summer homes on the beach, and hotels and bath-houses were flourishing. The second boom came in the 1950s when newly mobile middle-class families flocked to motels on the beach, while homes were built on fingers of land dredged from Clearwater Bay. The Indian Rocks area has, from the earliest recorded periods, featured a colorful mix of people and institutions that have given the city of Indian Rocks Beach its eclectic character, which residents prize and visitors seek out year after year. This volume presents the rich heritage of the Indian Rocks community, with over 300 photographs of people and places bringing history to life. Included are landmarks such as the old swing bridge and Tiki Gardens, a fascinating photograph of the train that came to Indian Rocks Beach, and people like "Dad" Hendrick who called this island "the most beautiful place on God's green footstool." Florida, Floridiana, Florida History, Americana, American History, U. S. History, United States History, U.S.-iana. nslic.…