The Wandering Disciple

The largest of the missions near San Antonio, Mission San Jose is known as the Queen of the Missions.  Founded in 1720, the mission served to provide both a physical home and a spiritual home for Coahuiltecan Natives as well as refugees from the closed east Texan missions.   The mission served hundreds until it was closed in 1824.   It would be restored a hundred years later as part of a Works Progress Administration project and today serves not only a reminder to the past but also an active Catholic parish. Mission San Jose is one of five missions that comprise the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.  The missions stretched along the San Antonio River were like little towns in the Texas plains.  Today you can tour each of the missions and four of the five are still active church parishes.  The only mission that does not function as a church is Mission San Antonio de Valero, commonly known as The Alamo. Taken: March 16, 2024 at Mission ...

For decades, the courthouse was the centerpiece of the community. Towering over town in elegant fashion they became the focal point of not only the legal world but everyday life. As time passed, many of these buildings were lost to progress, but there are still many history courthouses that have survives the wrecking ball like this one here in Arcadia. The historic red brick building was built in 1912 and today is protected by the National Register of Historic Places. (Photo: April 26, 2020)

  Rising above the coastal town of Mayport, the St Johns River Light has been guiding ships through the mouth of the St Johns River from 1859 though 1929.  Despite being taken out of service as a lighthouse, it still stands on the grounds of the Naval Station Mayport as the oldest structure on the island.  (Photo: December 30, 2020)

Tampa, Florida: Nestled between the cruise ships in the Port of Tampa sits a historic vessel, the SS American Victory. One of only four remaining operational World War II vessels, the American Victory has seen action in three wars and while her naval service is over, she continues to serve by telling the story of the merchant marines The American Victory was a Victory class ship with a long history. She was built in 1945 at the California Shipbuilding Yard and was named after the American University in Washington DC. The 455 feet long, 10,750 ton ship took just 55 days to build. The shop served in World War II running military cargo into the Pacific theater. She also ferried equipment to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Between military engagements, the ship was in the reserve fleet and was even used at one point as an ice breaker in the Black Sea. The American Victory served the nation proudly from 1951 through 1969 before going into reserve storage in the James Rive...

Standing on the edge of Hammock Park, the Andrews Memorial Chapel has served the residents of Dunedin for over 130 years. The Chapel is named after William Andrews, a resident that was killed while riding a horse during a violent storm. The original church was built on the corner of Highland and Scotland but was relocated to its present location at the entrance to Hammock Park in 1970. The Dunedin Historical Society orchestrated the move which required the church to be cut in two and reassembled. Following a restoration, the church reopened as a popular wedding venue. (Photo: May 24, 2020)

Just outside Safety Harbor, along the north shore of Old Tampa Bay lies a short but picturesque drive. This canopy road through Philippe Park, the oldest county park in Pinellas County. This 122-acre park is rich in history. It was named after the county's first non-native settler, Count Odet Philippe, who introduced grapefruit to the state of Florida. But before Philippe, the area now encompassing the park had a vast Native American history. This was once home to the Tocobaga Indians and an Indian mound still remains here at the park. It was also believed that Pedro Menedez de Aviles, founder of St Augustine, visit here in 1566 to broker a peace truce between the local Tocobaga and the neighboring Calusa. The history of the park is preserved through Pinellas County and through the National Register of Historic Places. (Photo: May 1, 2020)

Miles from the hustle and bustle of coastal Florida, Arcadia lies along the backroads that cross the heart of the Sunshine State. History is around every corner in this little town, with a central historic district over 3,400 acres in size. This large historic district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has over 200 historic structures within the district. (Photo: April 26, 2020)

This open field along Paynes Creek is proof of a fort that once protected central Florida. Tensions remained following the Second Seminole War prompting officials to build a series of forts to help protect the land. On a spot of high land along a creek in a little town called Bowling Green, Fort Chokonikla was built in 1849. Fort Chokonikla was the first in the chain of forts to protect the settlers from the Seminole Indians. The fort did not remain in operation long due to an illness that forced the fort to be abandoned. An empty field is all that remains today of the fort and the adjoining trading post. But the site and the legacy of the settlement can be seen at the Paynes Creek Historic State Park. (Photo: July 3, 2016)

The light of the Boca Grande Lighthouse provides a beacon of light in the night sky. The lighthouse was commissioned in 1890 and remained in service until 1966. It was reactivated in 1986 as an aid to navigation under the US Coast Guard. You can tour the lighthouse which is part of the Gasparilla Island State Park. (Photo: April 16, 2016)

Since 1926 the bright lights of the Edwards Theater, now Sarasota Opera House, have shown over talented artists in Sarasota. From its early days as a theater hosting famous artists like Will Rogers and Elvis to its modern day home to the Sarasota Opera, the historic venue has been in the forefront of Sarasota's performance art scene. (Photo: October 12, 2013)

Once the crown jewel of Henry Plant's rail empire, the moorish revival style Tampa Bay Hotel was the premier travel destination on the west coast of Florida. In a day when the rail was king, both rail magnates Plant and Henry Flagler wanted to build luxury hotels along their rail lines in Florida. The Tampa Bay Hotel featured the first elevator in Florida and its 511 guest rooms were some of the first to have electric and phone lines. The hotel remained in operation from 1891-1930. Today it serves as the administration building for the University of Tampa as well as home to the Henry Plant Museum. (Photo: July 27, 2013)

Sitting high atop Iron Mountain, the famous singing tower of Bok Tower Gardens serenades the countryside several times a day.  The tower features a 60-bell carillon which rings hourly and twice a day there is a concert played on the clavier located within the tower. The tower is built at the summit of Iron Mountain, a peak that rises 225 feet above sea level, one of the tallest points in Florida. (Photo: May 11, 2019)

Lake Wales, Florida: A city built by the railroad, the City of Lake Wales sits along the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in the heart of Central Florida. Once the rails put the city on the map, trade and tourism followed. The history of this quaint little town along the rails is on display at the Lake Wales History Center. Located in the historic train depot, the Lake Wales History Center tells the story of Lake Wales. From its early days as a stop on the railroad through modern day, there are exhibits to help tell the story of this Central Florida town. The museum features exhibits on the railroad history, Lake Wales connection to the war effort, the trade industry featuring citrus and cattle farming and an exhibit on tourism in Lake Wales. The museum also features a revolving gallery which during our visit the gallery focused on Native American cultures. Outside the museum on a section of abandoned train tracks there are a few rail cars in the process of restoration. The...

The light atop the Boca Grande Lighthouse has served as a guiding light for vessels navigating ships to the Boca Grande Pass, the mouth of Charlotte Harbor.  First lit in 1890, the Boca Grande Lighthouse provided an aid to navigation until being decommissioned in 1966.  After being rescued from deterioration, the light was reactivated by the US Coast Guard in 1986.  Together with the Gasparilla Rear Range Light further down the island, the lighthouse helps guide ships in and out of Charlotte Harbor.  While the light itself is maintained by the Coast Guard, the lighthouse is now a museum and part of the Gasparilla Island State Park operated by the Florida State Parks system.  (Photo: March 27, 2010)

Stonework and some machinery are all that remain to give us a glimpse into the past of the plantation of David Levy Yulee.  Once a prominent political figure, Yulee owned 5,00 acre plantation that raised sugarcane, citrus and cotton.  The plantation was destroyed during the Civil War.  Today the ruins are preserved by the National Registry of Historic Places and is now the Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins State Park operated by the Florida Park Service.  (Photo: November 11, 2009)

Like a beacon of liberty in New York Harbor, Lady Liberty has been a symbol of American freedom, welcoming immigrants to a new life in a new world.  The Statue of Liberty was the first sight immigrants saw as the reached America before coming ashore at the Ellis Island immigration center to find new freedoms in America.  (Photo: August 28, 2005)

Located at the tip of Manhattan in Battery City lies a circular fort that was once a crucial defense of the mainland from British troops during the War of 1812. Today the fort is attached to Manhattan however when it was constructed 1808 it was located on an island off the coast. But years of landfill now connects the fort to the mainland where it is now part of Battery Park. While Castle Clinton never saw action during wartime, it served as the nation's first immigration port prior to the opening of Ellis Island. (Photo: April 27, 2004)

While most people think of his "I Have a Dream" speech on the National Mall in Washington DC as his most notable works, Dr King's Letter from Birmingham Jail is my favorite piece that he has written.  From a tiny jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr King wrote one of the most important pieces of the civil rights movement.  In the letter, Dr King urged the peaceful protesters to take action by breaking the unjust laws rather than wait for the courts to deem these laws unjust.  In the letter Dr King wrote that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." You can learn more about Dr King and his impacts on the civil right movement by visiting the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo: December 20, 2014)

A coin press sits on display in the basement of the Old US Mint in New Orleans.  A small museum in here pays tribute to the New Orleans Mint that was in operation from 1838-1909.  The mint was the only one in the country to print currency for two nations, the United States of America and the Confederate States of America.  (Photo: November 21, 2017)

A cannon helps protect the rampart at the edge of the Chalmette Battlefield, the last line of defense for New Orleans during the War of 1812.  It is here on this battlefield just outside of town where the Battle of New Orleans. American General Andrew Jackson was able to hold off the British troops from conquering the city in the last major conflict of the War of 1812.  (Photo: November 20, 2017)