
Historic Photos of Florida Ghost Towns
Unlike the movie ghost towns of the Old West, the ghost towns in Florida don’t have tumbleweeds rolling on deserted dirt roads, abandoned wooden saloons, and lone drifters on horseback. Although the landscape may have dramatically changed, many of these once-thriving communities declined due to widespread economic changes, disastrous weather, company closings, or vital industries disappearing or moving elsewhere. In fact, some of these so-called ghost towns have been absorbed by larger cities still inhabited by Floridians today.
In Historic Photos of Florida Ghost Towns, author Steve Rajtar takes readers decades back in Florida’s history to discover these ghost towns through the lens of two hundred black-and-white photographs—in some cases, the only remains of these forgotten towns. Explore the landscapes, houses, schools, businesses, organizations, places of worship, and people who once called these now-nonexistent towns home. Imagine what life was like in hundreds of these tight-knit communities as you explore a century and a half of this sunny, populous state that many still call home.
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Book details
- Author
- Steve Rajtar
- Imprint
- Turner Publishing Company
- Published
- Formats
- Hardcover
- Subjects
- History › United States › State & Local › South (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV)
Photography › Subjects & Themes - Topics
- Florida history · historic photography · abandoned communities · black-and-white photography · pictorial history · American South
- ISBN-13
- 9781684420995
About the author
STEVE RAJTAR is an American attorney and historian who has written more than 20 books focused on Florida history. His recent books include Historic Photos of Tampa in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, Historic Photos of Florida Ghost Towns and Historic Photos of Florida Tourist Attractions.
Rajtar holds degrees in mathematics, anthropology, law, and taxation from the University of Central Florida and the University of Florida, and has practiced law in Florida since 1979. He has received multiple Boy Scouts of America honors, including the Silver Beaver Award in 1995.
When not writing, Rajtar has established over 150 historical tour routes through Central Florida communities, work that connects directly to his focus on Florida’s local and regional history.
Steve lives in Orlando, Florida.





