State Archaeologist, B. Calvin Jones excavating at the de Soto Encampment site, note the Governor Martin House in the background, 1987.

I have recently realized that having been an archaeologist for awhile now, there are some resources that I have become accustomed to using on a regular basis that many people may not even know exist. Many resources that archaeologists or historians use can be of use or interest to other folks as well. One of my favorite research tools is the Florida Memory Project. The Florida Memory Project is an online collection of documents, photographs, audio recordings, video clips and other similar resources. This project is part of the Florida State Library and Archives.  You can search for over 160,000 historical photographs on the Florida Memory Project. You can also access  veteran’s records, land grants, family papers, folk music and much more online. It is a wonderful resource that I have used many times in my research, but many people don’t know that such a wonderful online research tool exists. You can access the Florida Memory Project at www.floridamemory.com.

Another wonderful thing about the Memory Project is that it is constantly expanding. Anybody that has any photographs of their family in Florida can create a lasting legacy by donating historic photographs of their family. To donate you will need to contact the Florida State Archives at archives@dos.state.fl.us.

Scuba divers recovering mastadon bones at Wakulla Springs, 1950s.photos to the project.

The Florida Memory Project is a great resource for educators as well. There is a whole online classroom dedicated to helping teachers and educators use photographs, documents, sound recordings and film footage from the State Library and Archives. This resource is also great for genealogists, historians, and for those that are just interested in the history of a particular period or place in Florida. The great thing about the Florida Memory Project is that it is constantly expanding and that it is a searchable database. I have used it in the past to look at historic neighborhoods to see how they have changed over time. I have also searched some of my favorite tourism locations in Florida to see what they used to  look like. As a Historic Archaeologist, I have  often used it to research archaeological sites, such as turpentine camps or historic home sites.

To show you how interesting and informative the Florida Memory Project can be, I have searched several popular tourist destinations in the North Central Region. All of the photos for this blog were found on the Florida Memory Project using a simple search! So the next time you are doing some historical research visit the Florida Memory Project and see what you can find!

Archaeologist excavating at San Marco de Apalache in St. Marks, 1970s.