A History of Brooksville's Theatres 41 Drive-In 1954 The history of movie theaters in Brooksville began in 1909. Florida actually had movie studios back then with one of the biggest, the Lubin Company, in Jacksonville from 1910 - 1913. A young Oliver Hardy (later of Laurel & Hardy fame) worked there in 1912. The northeast's early movie moguls preferred Florida because of the weather, but soon soured on that because of the intense heat, rain, bugs and humidity and soon moved

Try to imagine a life without radio, TV, internet or your smart phone. That's the way it was before the 1920s. How exciting it must have been to hear a program from far away, a big band or a star-studded show from a big hotel in a big city, or just a man or woman's voice like they are in the same room with you, right here in Brooksville on the radio. These were the exciting early years of radio. We hope we captured that early excitement and how it changed us forever. Thanks t

Old Brooksville Avenue (1913). The Varnada Garage, The Star Theater and a printing business. The house to the far right across Broad Street is Cappleman's Restaurant. Before 1987 and the court house extension project, there was a Street between Broad and Jefferson Street known as North Brooksville Avenue that extended all the way to Ft. Dade Avenue. This issue focuses on the forgotten Street and other old memories along Brooksville Avenue. Hope you enjoy this special issue, "

Building the Hernando State Bank (1905). The first bank in Brooksville since 1897. The Brooksville State Bank opened in 1890, but the citrus freeze drove them under. These are the buildings that have stood the test of time and are one of the best reminders of our past and how it must have been for local citizens living here over 100 years ago. Considering that our local history as an American experience dates back to only about 1835-40, in the scheme of things and compared to

The Hedick family of the Lake Lindsey area (1884) - Smithie Hedick, Lizzie, Franklin M. and Sara h One of the most fascinating things about Old Brooksville magazine is our search for old photos. The older the better. This issue features some of he classic old photos from the 19th century. Directly after the Civil War you began to see more professional photographers as well as local individuals taking up the hobby of photography. Tintypes were popular between 1860 and 1890. Da

This issue covers our local history of baseball. From the very early beginnings before the Civil War and how it spread to the south and ultimately Brooksville. Along the way we'll see the teams and stories that shaped the character of the game and those individuals who succeeded as well. Baseball has been played in Brooksville since around 1900 by various accounts, but it is also fascinating to see how it arrived here. Thanks to the following for their contributions John Whi

Volume 318 - November 2024 of Old Brooksville In Photos & Stories - The Map Book 1680 - 1970. A fascinating visit through the development of Brooksville (and before it was Brooksville) and Hernando County, Florida, plus a few pictures showing the nearby small towns and hamlets, some of them no longer around. Thanks to the following for their contributions John White George Allen Jr. Hernando Historical Society Florida Archives 1853 area map by Thomas Cowperthwait shows the to

Brooksville, Florida, rich in history, showcases a narrative rooted in the lives of the Native American tribes that once inhabited the area. This blog post takes you on a journey through Brooksville's past, highlighting its early inhabitants, the establishment of the town, and the origins of its name. Native American Inhabitants Before European settlers arrived, various Native American tribes, particularly the Timucua and Seminole, thrived in what is now Brooksville. These tr

Our Automotive Scrapbook features a delightful array of old auto ads, photos and Americana that helped shape our Automotive culture which is now a main part of our lives. There are many surprises in this issue. Thank you to the following for their contributions: Sandra Bell Shorter John White Lou Charity Hernando Heritage Museum George Allen Jr. Brooksville's First Car Owners William H. Boswell - June 16, 1908 P.L. Weeks - February 24, 1909 R.N. Chelf - March 1, 1909 William

St. Augustine, Florida, was founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the continental United States. With its stunning architecture and vibrant culture, St. Augustine offers a captivating look into life during Spanish rule. This post will take you through the significant aspects of this era, spotlighting its unique architecture, daily lives of its residents, and cultural exchanges that helped s

It was a hard decision, but we narrowed it down to our Top 25 covers of the print version of Old Brooksville in Photos and Stories. We began in 1997 and in 2026 we will celebrate our 30th year. There are a total of 328 issues so far and our goal is to get them all up here for your enjoyment. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy The Top 25 Covers of Old Brooksville listed here in no particular order.

Jefferson Street (1913) looking east. The bank building on the left still stands as Truist Bank. The famed Varnada Hotel is down the street. Carriages and early cars are few on the new brick streets that Sunday. There have always been three main streets in Brooksville, Main Street, Broad Street and Jefferson Street. We have done pictorial and historical essays on Main and Broad in the past but never one exclusively on Jefferson Street. This issue brings photos covering nearly

1952 ad found in a Brooksvile magazine shows the efforts of cigarette manufacturers to allay the fears of consumers after it was proven that smoking causes cancer. Other manufacturers would also feature movie stars, recording artists and famous sports figures touting how safe they were Advertising has always held a special place with me. I majored in Advertising/English at the University of Florida in 1968 and have been involved in it ever since. As a kid, I was always fascin

The newly paved State Road 5 (later to become US 41) 1925. This is South Broad Street heading north into downtown. The Road. The road is the road of life. It leads us to many cities and towns across America. Each one leading to an adventure in our lives. This is a pictorial essay of the development of roads in Brooksville and Hernando County history. From dirt roads of the 1800's to the roads we have today. It is the old roads and US or state highways that capture the charact

Our 1953 cover photo will bring back many memories of that old orange Gulf sign. This is Webb's Gulf Station, US 41 N. & Old Crystal River Road, there from 1939 until late 1970s. Pictured is Elwood Webb Sr., who began the station in 1939 and remained in business for nearly 40 years. It also served as a convenience store for those near Lake Lindsey and North Brooksville. This issue features our famous Old Photo Review of classic old photos, ads and other cultural artifacts. Th

Starting our 28th year takes us back 100 years to 1925. 1925 may be the most prosperous year in Brooksville history. The economy was at an all-time high, new towns were springing up around Brooksville, homes were being built, many businesses boomed including citrus and the rock mines, and major roads were being paved making 1925 the high-water mark of the roaring 20s in general and throughout the nation as well. By 1928, the Florida boom had died, a precursor to the stock ma

This issue covers how the train changed Brooksville with a pictorial history of train travel in Brooksville and how it spurred our growth tremendously, not only here, but across the nation. We all know how it gave birth to cattle drives from Texas up or Kansas with the newly formed railroad lines connecting directly to Chicago and New York. The same thing in Florida, enabling the citrus and tourist industry to flourish and later on for the rock mines as well. Train travel was

The Wild West gave us many bad men in folklore. In the history of the west, there was no one as despised, feared and prolific a killer as John Wesley Hardin. Legend has it he killed at least 44 men in his lifetime. An 1873 news item in a Savannah, Georgia newspaper led us to this story of his visit to Brooksville, Florida where he killed a man. It is amazing that the deadliest killer in western history would visit Brooksville. Here is the rise and fall of John Wesley Hardin.

The famed Trieman House (originally Coogler House) 1913 Brooksville, a quaint town tucked away in Florida, offers a captivating history...