The History of St. Augustine, Florida - From A Vintage Photo Scavenger Hunt

In this episode: The City Gate of St. Augustine; Antebellum History of St. Augustine; Cathedral Street; The St. Augustine Historical Society; Former Slave Market; Charles Reynolds: The Truth Seeker; The Great Fire of 1914; Castillo de San Marcos; William J. Harris: The Showman; The Fountain of Youth; Walter Fraser: Mayor and Entrepreneur; The Oldest House in the United States; The Congressional Investigation; The Legacy of St. Augustine's History
When we visited St. Augustine we found a beautiful and very historic city - but we had no idea how crazy and convoluted its history actually was! How much of what we found was real? Turns out the answer to that wasn’t obvious.
Get ready to step back in time as we explore the oldest continuously inhabited city in the United States, founded in 1565. The twists and turns of this story are bound to leave you in awe!
Discover the historic city gate, a relic that once protected St. Augustine from English invaders. Built in 1704, reconstructed in 1808, and crafted from coquina, this gate holds many secrets.
A quick rundown of St. Augustine's fascinating pre-Civil War history, from Spanish rule to becoming part of the United States.
Take a stroll down Cathedral Street, past the Catholic cathedral, and the Treasury building with its intriguing past. Learn about John Vedder's transition from dentist to zookeeper, and the birth of a curious museum.
Meet the founders of the St. Augustine Historical Society and explore their collections of insects and shells. Discover how they merged with John Vedder's museum and aimed to preserve the city's history.
Uncover the truth about the former slave market in St. Augustine. Was it a place where slaves were really sold? Dive into the historical controversy surrounding this location.
Meet Charles Reynolds, the passionate advocate against fake historical sites. Explore how he exposed myths and falsehoods in St. Augustine's history.
Learn about the devastating fire of 1914 that destroyed many buildings, including the Vedder museum and the Historical Society's collections.
Visit the iconic Castillo de San Marcos, a centuries-old fortress made of coquina stone. Discover its rich history and its connection to our story's players.
William J. Harris, the photographer and showman, who brought history to life with his creative tours and stories.
Venture to the Fountain of Youth, where legend meets reality. Explore the history of this site, from orchards to the discovery of a stone cross that changed everything.
Meet Walter Fraser, the entrepreneur and mayor of St. Augustine, who added attractions to the Fountain of Youth and faced scrutiny for his claims.
Investigate the controversy surrounding claims of the oldest house in the United States. Learn how the Historical Society changed its beliefs and Charles Reynolds exposed the truth.
Delve into the congressional investigation that shed light on the historical disputes in St. Augustine and its consequences.
Discover how these historical conflicts transformed St. Augustine and the legacy they left behind. From renowned research libraries to ghost tours, the city thrives on its rich history.
If you've ever visited St. Augustine or have a passion for unraveling historical mysteries, share your thoughts in the comments below! Join us on this incredible journey through time and history. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more captivating adventures with View Master Travels!
Much of the information for this video came from these original sources:
CRISES OF AUTHENTICITY IN SAINT AUGUSTINE'S EARLY PRESERVATION HISTORY, 1840-1955
by JOSEPH SHAUGHNESSY, University of Florida, 2009
St. Augustine Historical Society, 1883-1983
by Thomas Graham, 1985
Lots of information came from the Registry of Historic Places documentation for these locations as well as original documents from the Library of Congress.
“Ghost Tours” picture from www.trolleytours.com
William Harris information and pictures from harrispictures.com
Emily Wilson picture and their logo from the St. Augustine Historical Society at staughs.com
Emily Wilson blue marker from Waymarkers.com
John Vedder info and pictures: freepages.rootsweb.com/~wabno...
Postcards of Vedder museum Courtesy of the Jacksonville (Fla.) Public Library
Sound Effects:
Horse and Carriage: freesound.org/s/450325/
Afternoon town by a road: freesound.org/s/691029/
Tourists in the summer: freesound.org/s/586938/
Crowded Park: freesound.org/s/365854/
Museum with whispering children: freesound.org/s/478356/
Fountain in a small town: freesound.org/s/442481/
Museum ambiance: freesound.org/s/478363/
Street market: freesound.org/s/333653/
Cold day in Buenos Aires: freesound.org/s/479357/

[@lenorewelty288]

What a wonderful job you did with St Augustine. I worked in history/tourism for years and always had fun sharing the reality with visitors. Some were interested others just wanted to ride a former Disney parking lot tram around town. Appreciate the amount of background work it took to create this, our history is long and tangled. You let Fraser off easy, it has always been discussed that he didn't get that property in a fully legit manner after 'Diamond Lil (of the Yukon) died.....;-)

[@viewmastertravels5114]

Thanks for the comment! It's always great when someone comments who has some connection with the topic - thanks for watching :-)

[@michaelpowers9307]

What a great historical piece. Road Trip to Florida in very early 1970's, first Florida stop was St. Augustine. As a lover of history, it left a great impression. Your journey brought much of that back.

[@viewmastertravels5114]

Thanks for sharing!

[@harrispicturesFL]

Thank you for featuring my beautiful city! It does have quite the history and I enjoyed your episode very much.

[@viewmastertravels5114]

Thanks for watching, glad you liked it.

[@philmarsh5593]

Great research - congrats on uncovering all that, and fitting it into 19 minutes! Those old historical pamphlets sound fascinating. The little "VM frame" overlay on the modern view is a nice touch!

[@viewmastertravels5114]

Yeah, I cut probably another 15 minutes out, including one entire VM picture (of the Lion bridge) to keep the video shorter. That's the hardest part - keeping it short.

[@mikewatson4644]

Very interesting. I wonder how many tourist sites have their history "embellished" to make a better draw. I have never been to St. Augustine, but I did go to college with a guy that was from there. Thanks for the video.

[@viewmastertravels5114]

Yeah. This one was crazy.