Finding Aid: Bessie DuBois Collection

compiled by
Bryan Benilous
Spring 1998

Linear Feet: 1.1
Number of Items: 105 plus Books

The DuBois family settled in South Florida in 1892. They lived most of their life in the area of Jupiter, Florida. The patriarch of the family, Henry DuBois, moved to the Jupiter area from Monmouth County, New Jersey in 1892. Bessie Wilson moved to Florida in 1916 from New Jersey and in 1923 married Harry's oldest son John. Over the years Mrs. DuBois collected books and brochures from all over Florida. These items reflect Mrs. DuBois interests in Florida history, shipwrecks, lighthouses and fishing. In 1988 she donated the majority of this collection to the archives at Florida Atlantic University. The rest of the items went to the Palm Beach Historical Society.

This collection consists of books and brochures relating to many aspects of Florida history. The books are separated from the rest of the collection and stored in closed stacks. The brochures are stored separately, next to FAU's Floridiana Collection. They contain mostly travel brochures compiled by counties' chambers of commerce from many regions of Florida. Also contained in the collection are brochures from historical and environmental sites throughout the state. There are also fishing guides, books on ship wrecks and lighthouses, cookbooks and children's literature located in the collection which represent Mrs. DuBois interests. The bulk of these items were written between the years 1950-1970 with items ranging from 1934-1986.

** explanatory note: This collection is organized by subject rather than by region, therefore some regional items may be divided under different headings. For example, information on St. Augustine can be found in both the History and Travel Guides sections. Also the Bessie DuBois collection is closely related to Floridiana, therefore a researcher would be well advised to look in Florida Atlantic University's Floridiana collection as well.

Finding Aid

1. Personal
   1. Correspondence (1988).
   2. DuBois family history
      1. Dr. Kersey's oral history published in journal Tequesta (1981)(Photocopy).
   3. Published books of Bessie DuBois
      1. Shipwrecks in the Vicinity of Jupiter Inlet (1981).
   4. Inventory of books donated in 1988
      ** Books listed in LUIS and located in FAU's Special Collections
   5. Book plates signifying DuBois gifts designed by Hank Schubert

2. Florida
   1. Flora /Fauna /Wildlife
      1. Palms and Flowers of Florida (1946).
      2. The Fairchild Tropical Garden: Catalog of Plants (1949).
      3. Saltwater Fish of Florida (1954).
      4. Wildlife of Florida (n.d.).
   2. Child History Workbook
      1. Florida Arrows to Astronauts (1969).
   3. Sugar
      1. More Talks on Sugar (1937).
   4. Flood Control
      1. Flood Control- Its Story and New Hope (n.d.).
      2. An Old Man a Small Boy and His Dog (1949).
   5. Miscellaneous- Growth
      1. Florida Growth Fund Inc. (!957).
      2. What is Best for Florida- F.E.C. Railroad (1961).
      3. Palm Beach/ Martin County Medical Center (1974).
   6. Literary Florida
      1. Literary Florida (1949).
   7. Treasure Hunting
      1. Treasure in the Sun by Rube Allyn (1961).

3. History
   1. Ponce DeLeon (1513)
      1. The Landing of Ponce DeLeon by Charles B. Reynolds (1934).
   2. Pedro Martinez (1566)
      1. Pedro Martinez S.J.: Martyr of Florida by Reverend Michael Kenny S.J. (1939).
   3. Henry M. Flagler (1830-1913)
      1. The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum (1963).
   4. Historic Preservation
      1. Historic Preservation (1978).
   5. Florida Historic Markers
      1. A Guide to Florida Historic Markers (1972).
   6. Florida Keys
      1. Key West. . . In Perspective (1972).
      2. History of the United States Postal Service on Longboat Key, Fl. by Ola Gladys Hylton Marsh (1962).
   7. Halifax County
      1. Early days in Daytona Beach" in The Journal of the Halifax Historical Society Volume I number 1 by Fred Booth (1951).
      2. Ruins of the Early Plantations of the Halifax Area by Edith P. Stanton (n.d.)
   8. St. Augustine ** see also IV. Travel Guides- St. Augustine
      1. The History of Castillo de San Marco and Fort Matanzas by Albert C. Manucy, editor (1955).
      2. St. Augustine An Early History of the Famous City Told in Pictures by Fredrick Ray (1952).
      3. Historic Architecture of Florida and the Spanish Borderlands (1965).
   9. Tallahassee
      1. "Florida Tots 100 Years of Progress" address by Governor Spessard L. Holland (1944).
      2. A Century of Confidence on Conservatism Culminates in the Lewis Bank of Tallahassee Florida supplement to Florida Historical Quarterly (1956).

4. Travel Guides
   1. General
      1. Kim's Guide to Florida (n.d.).
      2. Florida Fun in the Sun (n.d.).
      3. Florida Facts by Rube Allyn (1956).
      4. Scenic Florida (n.d.).
      5. Good Camping in Florida (1964).
      6. Moninger's Guide to Fort Lauderdale (1956).
   2. Apalachicola
      1. "Front Porch Florida" by Susan Poole in Travel and Leisure (May 1989).
   3. Cocoa Beach
      1. Visitor Guide Cocoa-Rockledge (1963-1964)
   4. Daytona Beach
      1. What to Do and See in the Daytona Beach Resort Area (May, 1968).
      2. Day By Day (May 4, 1968).
   5. Everglades
      1. Everglades the Story Behind the Scenery by Jack de Golia (1986).
      2. Pa-Hey-Okee: Guide to national Park Areas (1978).
      3. Map- Everglades National Park (1985).
      4. Brochure- Flamingo Lodge Marina and Outpost Resort in Everglades National Park (n.d.).
      5. A Guide to the Miccosukee Language (1978).
   6. Jackson County
      1. Life in Jackson County Florida (1962).
   7. Martin County
      1. Program- Sixth Annual Martin County Fair (1965).
   8. Palm Beach County
      1. The Palm Beach County Story (1955).
      2. Belle Glade (1968).
      3. Bell Glade- South Bay: Guide Tour of Agriculture (n.d.).
      4. Pahokee (1973).
   9. Weekly Guide of the Palm Beaches
      1. Weekly Guide of the Palm Beaches (1959, 1974, 1976) nine issues.
   10. Where Magazine- Palm Beach County Florida
       1. Where Magazine (April and November 1975).

5. Travel guides (con't)
   11. Palm Beach- Miscellaneous
       1. Sailfish Club of Florida (1935).
       2. Palm Beach Private School (1956).
   12. Pensacola Area
       1. Pensacola Historical Markers (1959).
       2. You Belong in Punta Gorda (1963).
       3. Eau Gallie welcomes You (1963).
   13. State Parks
       1. Florida State Parks Invite You (n.d.).
       2. Killearn Gardens (1957).
       3. Stephen Foster Memorial (n.d.).
       4. Historical and Archaeological Monuments by John W. Giffin (n.d.).
       5. Olustee Battlefield by Dorothy Dodd (n.d.).
   14. St. Augustine
       1. Fort Matanzas National Monument (1957).
       2. Turn Left at the Plaza (1976).
       3. Complete Guide to St. Augustine (1977).
       4. Castillo (1949).
   15. Seminole County
       1. You'll Love the Seminole Area (1962).
   16. Miscellaneous
       1. Vizcaya (1953).
       2. Mountain Lake Sanctuary (1957).
       3. Shrine of the Water Gods- Silver Springs, Florida (1947).

6. Fishing/ Boating Guides
   1. South Eastern United States
      1. Harbors of the South Cruise Guide (n.d.).
      2. Inland Waterway Guide (1962).
   2. Skin-diving
      1. Skin-diving Guide (1962-1963).
   3. Miami Herald Fishing Guide
      1. Miami Herald Fishing Guides (1955, 1963).

7. Fishing/ Boating Guides (con't)
   4. Stuart/ Jensen Beach
      1. Fishing Guide- Stuart (1941, 1957).
      2. Resort and Fishing Guide- Stuart (1960, 1965).
      3. Jensen Beach Florida Fishing Guide (1961) two copies.

8. Real Estate Guides
   1. Florida- General
      1. The Florida Buyers Digest (1961).
      2. Buying Real Estate in Florida (n.d.).
      3. Larry Powell Real Estate- map (1951).

9. Maps
   1. Florida- General
      1. A Pictorial Map of Florida (1954).
      2. Florida- Official Road Map (1950).
      3. In and Out- Florida Guide (October, 1946).

10. Miscellaneous
    1. Miscellaneous
       1. Lighthouse Datebook (n.d.).

For more information contact Special Collections and Archives:
phone: 561-297-3787
email: lysca@fau.edu
location: S.E. Wimberly Library Room 261