Upcoming Programs

February 9: “The Fort at Prospect Bluff”
Speaker: Dale Cox, author and researcher

Thursday, February 9, 2023, 5:30 reception; 6:00 PM program
The Theater, Mission San Luis, 2100 West Tennessee Street

Members, guests and the public are welcome. Please register here.
Watch the following video for a preview of our February program.
Food for the February meeting is sponsored by Bob and Marjorie Holladay.

The deadliest cannon shot in American history was fired at the “Negro Fort” at Prospect Bluff on Florida’s Apalachicola River on July 27, 1816. The resulting explosion killed more than 270 men, women, and children, and destroyed the largest free black settlement in North America. Dale Cox’s book The Fort at Prospect Bluff is a remarkable look at this shocking episode of American history. The author digs deep into the letters, documents, eyewitness accounts, and military reports to tell the story with more depth and clarity than ever before. This book tells an amazing story of Native Americans fighting to preserve their lands, Maroons (escaped slaves) making a desperate stand to protect their freedom, U.S. and British troops confronting each other during the War of 1812, and a shocking attack and its bloody aftermath.

About the Speaker

Dale Cox is a story-teller with a yen for Northwest Florida history. He’s a publisher. He’s got his own TV channel, Two Egg TV. Despite his prodigious output, he seems to exemplify the idea that history is too important to be left to the academicians. He likes to relate Florida history both in print and in person. His February appearance at the Tallahassee Historical Society is one of many that he is making as the pandemic gradually lifts. His book, The Fort at Prospect Bluff and the Battle of Negro Fort was published in January of 2020, mere weeks before the Covid swept over us. You might say his promotional tour is a tad overdue, no fault of his own. With his easy-going manner, and love of the visual, it’s easy to overlook the scholarship that goes into his books, but it’s there. He is a very serious person, and we are pleased that he will be speaking to us on February 9.

A Message From the President

I would like to welcome you to the website of the Tallahassee Historical Society, founded in 1933, and, with the exception of the statewide Florida Historical Society, the oldest organization of its kind in the state.

We are proud of our efforts in investigating, presenting, and advocating for the importance of historical knowledge and its interpretation in Florida’s capital city area. Tallahassee and Leon County have a storied past involving unique individuals and diverse groups of people, all of whom have contributed to the rich culture of our area.

Please consider joining the Tallahassee Historical Society as a member so that you can take part, and be part. As the novelist William Faulkner said, “The past is never dead; it’s not even past.”

Bob Holladay
President, Tallahassee Historical Society

For People Interested in the History of Tallahassee

Founded in 1933, the Tallahassee Historical Society, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) organization that welcomes individuals who enjoy learning about and sharing state and local history. Evening meetings on the second Thursday from October to April offer programs by experts on topics ranging from history and culture to architecture, archeology, and preservation. In May, members gather for a festive picnic. The society also schedules daytime lectures and partners with other organizations to present special events. Every activity features stimulating conversation and rewarding fellowship.