Fast Facts | Clues Corner | Hideaway Times | Learning Links | Teacher Tools | Games & Family Fun | About Us

Thursday, November 15, 2007

If these walls could talk

By ROBIN ROPER
Daytona Beach News-Journal Correspondent

Every year, historic downtown DeLand becomes a Mecca for art lovers from around the country the weekend before Thanksgiving.

News-Journal/ROBIN ROPER Sally Bohon, creator of DeLand's historic plaques project, stands by one of West Volusia Historical Society's plaques on the Landis-Fish Building.

More than 50,000 people will buy, sell, look or display art of all kinds from sculptures to handmade jewelry.

As they stroll along the streets eager to find their treasures, they will pass many historic buildings and some of the best untold stories of DeLand’s history — until the last couple of years, thanks to the placement of historical plaques on some of the city’s most prominent buildings.

According to Sally Bohon, the creator of DeLand’s historic plaques project, these colorful tales are not mere urban legends but actual events that have played a pivotal role in our city’s development.

“We have such a rich local history and these buildings have seen it all unfold,” Bohon said. “Since they cannot speak for themselves, we have to tell the stories for them.”

The historic plaques project was conceived from a landmark program in Granbury, Texas.

“Well, Texas invented the concept of telling tall tales, so if you want to learn how to tell a really good story then go there,” Bohon said. “Texans have such pride in their history like no other state I have ever seen.”

The inspiration may have come from the Lone Star State, but the organization, presentation and detailed approach toward relaying DeLand’s tales is a direct result of Bohon’s dedication to preserving downtown’s history.

“She is a true asset to our downtown community. It’s people like Sally that make our town so wonderful to work and live in.

“The merchants especially appreciate her ongoing commitment and drive to make our downtown a better place for both locals and visitors,” said Cherry Smith, executive director of MainStreet DeLand Association.

Bohon has raised funds, researched buildings, written the text for the plaques and even helped hang plaques to make sure future generations can understand and enjoy DeLand’s history.

“This is really a one person job in the sense of the research and writing, but I have not done this all by myself. From city officials like Mike Abels and Dempsey Hadley and his crew to community members who have contacted me with suggestions, this project belongs to the community of DeLand and really represents them well since many people have played a critical role in making this project happen,” Bohon said.

Her eyes light up while she recaps the stories of the various buildings and even adds extra side stories on the many families or historic spots associated with those structures.

Bohon isn’t the only one excited about the plaques. Roger Baumgartner, owner of The Baumgartner Co. located downtown, is thrilled to have his building’s story come alive for all to enjoy.

“There’s a sense of pride. You have to be able to be a part of the plaque program. These buildings that we use on a daily basis are not just serving as our offices but they also tell our town’s history,” he said.

So far, there are 27 plaques on historical buildings throughout DeLand. Although the majority of them are downtown, the program extends beyond Woodland Boulevard.

“We go where the stories are. The most important thing is the quality of the story,” Bohon said.

Despite her eagerness to continue with more plaques, Bohon is forced to put the program on hold due to lack of funds. Until now, the plaque program has been funded mostly by a Faith, Hope and Charity Society grant and the occasional donation.

Each plaque costs about $360 to produce.

“As with everything, we have run out of money to continue the project. We have lots of people interested in having plaques on their buildings or are making suggestions of places to highlight but we just have simply run out of funds to continue,” she said.

One of the projects sitting in the works is a plaque featuring the College Arms Hotel, which was one of John B. Stetson’s business endeavors in DeLand.

“He took a rather small hotel which was located at where our new courthouse is today and he renovated it into a magnificent Victorian resort for the wealthy.

“The hotel even had its own railroad spur. It played a major role in bringing Northern visitors to this area when the town was young.

“See, these are the significant landmarks or segments of our history that you wouldn’t know otherwise,” Bohon said.

Digging into the unknown has been an ongoing process for Bohon for the last year. She is adamant about researching the buildings and making sure that each building has a significant enough story to tell.

“The West Volusia Historical Society’s name is on every plaque so I have a duty to make sure that each plaque is accurate with the information and that it is significant enough to document.

“I’m just not putting plaques on every building because not every building has a good enough story and I’m not just listing names or businesses on plaques. This program is about storytelling, not just listing,” she said.

For more information, contact the West Volusia Historical Society at 386-740-6813 or visit the group’s Web site at delandhouse.com.

The organization is accepting donations toward its historical plaques project. All checks should be made out to the West Volusia Historical Society Historical Plaques Project and mailed to the organization, 137 W. Michigan Ave., DeLand, FL 32720.

Copyright © 2009 NIE WORLD (www.nieworld.com). All content copyrighted and may not be republished without permission. The News-Journal has no control over and is not responsible for content on other Web sites. Privacy Policy.