Mention Daytona Beach and most people think of brilliantly painted stock cars roaring past at over 200 mile per hour, or of sun worshipping beach-goers covering the beaches during spring break. But the Daytona Beach area has a colorful history that reaches back many years before the town became one of the word's key auto racing centers as well as one of the most famous and beautiful beach communities.

Mention Daytona Beach and most people think of brilliantly painted stock cars roaring past at over 200 miles per hour, or of sun-worshipping beach-goers covering the beaches during spring break. But the Daytona Beach area has a colorful history that reaches back many years before the town became one of the world's key auto racing centers as well as one of the most famous and beautiful beach communities.

Daytona Beach, Florida, home of the world's greatest international speedway and a tourist haven, grew out of a small settlement established in 1876 and named in honor of its founder, Matthias Day. Located in Central Florida along the Halifax River, the Daytona Beach area developed after Day purchased Williams's Plantation, which was essentially destroyed during the 1836 Second Seminole War. Since that time, prominent and little-known individuals have created a unique city that is as visitor friendly as it is the ideal home for loyal residents. The striking images in this pictorial history illustrate the evolution of this famous beach town from its beginning in 1876 to the present day.

From the Daytona 500 to driving on the beaches, Bike Week to Spring Break, Historic Photos of Daytona Beach is a photographic history collected from the areas top archives. With around 200 photographs, many of which have never been published, this beautiful coffee table book shows the historical growth from the mid 1800's to the late 1900's of ?the Birthplace of Speed? in stunning black and white photography. The book follows life, government, events and people important to Daytona Beach and the building of this unique city. Spanning over two centuries and two hundred photographs, this is a must have for any long-time resident or history lover of Daytona Beach!

From the 1890s through the 1920s; the postcard was an extraordinarily popular means of communication, and many of the postcards produced during this "golden age" can today be considered works of art. Postcard photographers traveled the length and breadth of the nation snapping photographs of busy street scenes, documenting local landmarks, and assembling crowds of friends and neighbors only too happy to pose for a picture. These images, printed as postcard and sold in general stores across the country survive as telling reminders of an important era in America's history.

From the Daytona 500 to driving on the beaches, Bike Week to Spring Break, Historic Photos of Daytona Beach is a photographic history collected from the areas top archives. With around 200 photographs, many of which have never been published, this beautiful coffee table book shows the historical growth from the mid 1800's to the late 1900's of ?the Birthplace of Speed? in stunning black and white photography. The book follows life, government, events and people important to Daytona Beach and the building of this unique city. Spanning over two centuries and two hundred photographs, this is a must have for any long-time resident or history lover of Daytona Beach!