FACTS AND PHOTOS OCALA, FLORIDA MARION COUNTY [wrapper title]

[Lynchburg, Va.: J.P. Bell Company Incorporated, ca. 1910].. 44pp. including illustrations, plus two postcards. Oblong octavo. Original pictorial wrappers, stapled. Minor wear. Near fine.

A rare promotional booklet for Marion County, Florida around the turn of the 20th century, primarily focused on attracting farmers. The county's slogan, "Good as the Best for Fruit and Vegetables/ Better than the Rest for 'Hog and Hominy'", adorns the first page. The final page drives home the point, stressing that "This county contains good land within its boundaries....Her resources are unlimited; the industrious farmer can succeed." The pamphlet itself is mostly made up of photographic illustrations, with occasional text about the climate, schools, and other amenities in the region. The illustrations show homes, farms, street scenes, flora, golf clubs and other recreations, and more. An insert at the end comprises two postcards to be detached and mailed to the Marion County Board of Trade for further information. Marion County was greatly affected by the Great Freeze of 1894- 5, which saw Orlando reach its all-time record low temperature of eighteen degrees Fahrenheit and wreaked havoc on Florida's citrus crop. Land that had cost as much as $1000 per acre in the early 1890s dropped dramatically in value, and even at the time of this pamphlet's printing per-acre prices in Marion County were advertised in a range from ten to a hundred dollars. This pamphlet is quite rare; OCLC locates only two institutional copies, at Duke University and the State Library of Florida. OCLC 21247139.