Collections

The Bird and Ulmer papers consist of photocopies of correspondence, land deeds, tax papers, political and other speeches, resolutions, and papers pertaining to church, lodges, last will, accounts of executors of estates, reports of estate, division of land, and the division of enslaved people with values assigned. These papers pertain chiefly to the plantations of Bunker Hill, Nacossa, and Freelawn, which flourished before the Civil War. The majority of the papers are dated from the 1850s through the late 1800s, although a handful are from the 1920s.

The papers include letters and one diary written during the Civil War (1863-1864) by Black to his wife, Mary Ann Black, from various places in Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia and contain descriptions of army life and of the battlefields.

The collection of Dana A. Dorsey is comprised of the legal and financial records of his vast real estate holdings. Mortgages, leases, rental and loans agreements represent the focus of the collection. Of special interest to researchers are those documents which detail the growth of both black and white Miami, deeds which describe in detail the properties and location of what were the newly created sub-divisions in the city. In a period of racial segregation these documents show a blurring of racial lines as exemplified by Dana Dorsey business relations with the founding families of the city.

Personal, family, and business correspondence, land deeds, letter of testamentary, papers of the administrator of the estate of Dr. F.A. Byrd. Business and personal papers, certificates of membership, licenses to practice as Physician and Surgeon, 13 early envelopes (some with stamps attached); business correspondence, statements, invoices, and one bound account book.

The collection consists of materials of the E.H. Tomlinson and Son Real Estate Company from 1893-1958. The series include client records, correspondence, day books, maps, blueprints, and scrapbooks. Contained in these series are family correspondence, financial records, legal documents, deeds, contracts, reports, photographs, newspaper clippings, postcards, and pamphlets.

The Florida Railroad Company Papers document the early history of this company during its period of construction from Fernandina to Cedar Key, FL., and includes articles of agreement, articles of copartnership, deeds, and a resolution. It is significant to researchers studying the history of Florida's 19th Century railroads.

The Florida State University Southern Business History Center Records include, correspondence to and from the center, including memos, form letters, responses, questionnaire, annual reports, photographs and publications; and oral interviews recorded in May and June, 1954 and August 1956 on 1/4 inch audio tape reels. They also include a group of historical records of the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company at Cedar Key, Florida.

The Frost Family Collection contains materials documenting the Frost family, one of Dania's first and most prominent families. The collection materials date from the 1890s through 2009. The collection includes newspaper clippings collected by and about the Frost family. notes on Frost family and Frost family tree, a printout of email correspondence concerning Frost family history, and a small book on Port Everglades in Florida. Correspondence concerns the Frost family business. Financial papers includes deeds and ledgers of payroll dating from the 1890s to 1940s, an abstract of title, Certificate of Membership of M.C. Frost in the National Highway Charts Association, a tax sale certificate, a receipt, and checks. The photographs in the collection are of particular interest as they document the earliest history of Dania as well as the Frost family. Also included are photographs of the Seminole New Dania Reservation from 1927.