With the second-longest coastline in the United States, and its position between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, Florida played a key role in the early expansion of American trade routes. But the state’s several capes and dangerous reefs, rocks, and shoals made travel quite perilous to unwary mariners.
In the 19th Century, as commerce and traffic began to grow between ports on the East Coast and along the Gulf of Mexico, it became necessary to construct aids to navigation along the state’s long and treacherous coast. Lighthouses in a variety of styles and sizes were erected on what, at the time, were some of the most desolate regions of the southeastern United States and included lonely offshore islands. Manned and inhabited by vigilant keepers and their families, these towers stood as sentinels that illuminated the dark seas and provided a beacon to guide lost travelers. John Hairr has compiled a fascinating visual tour that tells the tale of that long ago maritime era and the lighthouses that once called sailors safely home.Softcover, 6 x 9, 128 pgs.
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