A colorful look at a forgotten era of Florida tourism. Filled with rare photographs, vintage postcards and advertisements, and fascinating writing from over 100 years ago, Florida's Healing Waters spotlights a little-known time in Florida history when tourists poured into the state in search of good health. Rick Kilby explores the Victorian belief that water caused healing and rehabilitation, tracing the history of "taking the waters" from its origins in the era of Enlightenment. Nineteenth-century Americans traveled from afar to bathe in the outdoors and soak up the warm climate of Florida. Here, with more than 1,000 freshwater springs, 1,300 miles of coastline, and 30,000 lakes, water was an abundant resource. Through the wealth of images in this book, Kilby shows how Florida's natural wonders were promoted and developed as restorative destinations for America's emerging upper class. The rapid growth in tourism infrastructure that began during the Gilded Age lasted well into the twentieth century, and Kilby explains how these now-lost resorts helped boost the economy of modern Florida. Today, these splendid health spas and elaborate bathing facilities have been lost, replaced by recreational amenities for a culture more about sun and fun than physical renewal. In this book, Kilby emphasizes the value of honoring and preserving the natural features of the state in the face of continual development. He reminds us that Florida's water is still a life-giving treasure.

Juan Ponce de Leon reached the shores of Florida on April 2, 1513. Although the myth of the conquistador's quest for the fountain of youth was debunked long ago, his fabled search remains inextricably tied to the image of the Sunshine State. Featuring reproductions of hundreds of eye-catching postcards, vintage advertisements, vibrant photos, and other "Ponceabilia," Finding the Fountain Youth reveals how Florida itself has been transformed into a veritable fountain of youth, a paradisiacal playground, a utopia of rejuvenating springs and supple mermaids. Kilby's delightful collection of images demonstrates how "magical" waters and their restorative powers have been used to promote the state to tourists and new residents alike. Moving beyond advertising and kitsch, Kilby carries the story into the present day, addressing the very real problem of protecting Florida's fragile springs and aquifers. Once revered by the Timucua and Calusa, then celebrated by writers such as William Bartram and Harriet Beecher Stowe, these pristine waters were rechristened Panacea Springs or Espiritu Santo Springs, new names meant to extol their sacred nature to visitors in polka-dotted bathing suits and Panama hats. Florida, the mythical Land of Sunshine, encompasses over 700 freshwater springs-more than anywhere else in the world. Many of them, including Silver Springs, with its iconic glass-bottom boats, are now cloudy and endangered. Kilby reminds us that more than environmental damage is at stake; the search for the fountain(s) of youth defines who we are as Floridians.