1926 Rinaldi Map of Florida promoting Zephryhills

'This map is valuable. Preserve it.'

This is a 1926 map of Florida issued by H. C. Rinaldi of Tampa, Florida. This map was issued at the peak of Florida's Third Land Boom to promote Zephyrhills.

A Closer Look

Coverage encompasses all of Florida with a focus on roads, which are divided into: Hard Surfaced, Semi-Hard, Graded, Unimproved, and Under Construction. The Seminole Reservation is noted just north of the Everglades. Red overprinting points to Zephyrhills, 'City of Pure Water and Golden Opportunity' - referring to its famous fresh water springs and nearby citrus plantations.

Zephyrhills

Zephyrhills, Florida, was founded as Abbott in April of 1888. From its founding, Zephyrhills was known for its pure spring water - a commodity difficult to come by in many early Florida communities. In 1909, Captain Howard B. Jeffries, a Union Army veteran from Pennsylvania, acquired 35,000 acres and created the Zephyrhills Colony Company, intended as an idyllic retirement community for Civil War veterans. The town quickly developed, growing into a prosperous community rooted in patriotism and agricultural promise. A year later, in 1910, the town voted to adopt the name Zephyrhills for the entire community. Like many Florida towns, Zephyrhills prospered during the Third Florida Land Boom - reflecting the purposes of this map.

Third Florida Land Boom

In the second half of the 19th and throughout the early 20th century, Florida experienced a series of land booms and crashes. This map corresponds to the peak of the Third Florida Land Boom (1920 - 1929), a period of rapid real estate speculation and explosive population growth, catalyzed by Henry Flagler (1830 - 1913) to develop the Florida East Coast Railway and other railroads. The Third Land Boom particularly influenced the development of South Florida cities like Miami, West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale. Improved transportation infrastructure, aggressive marketing, and the allure of Florida's warm climate drew investors - many from northern states - to aggressively buy up land, often sight unseen. The boom led to skyrocketing property prices, with some parcels resold multiple times in a single day. However, by the late 1920s, the frenzy slowed due to overbuilding, transportation bottlenecks, natural disasters like the 1926 Miami hurricane, and, ultimately, the 1929 Stock Market Crash.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn and published by the staff of the Rinaldi Printing Company, likely by Henry C. Rinaldi himself. We see just one other known example, located at the Touchton Map Library at the Tampa Bay History Center. That example, while bearing the same date, features different overprinting, instead promoting BOTH Dade City and Zephyrhills, and includes additional highlighting of roads. These two constitute the only known examples.

Cartographer

Henry Clyde Rinaldi (May 10, 1878 - August 21, 1952) was a Tampa, Florida-based publisher of maps and guidebooks active in the early 20th century. Rinaldi was born in Cochran, Georgia. He moved to Tampa around 1900 and, from 1905, established Rinaldi Printing Company there. The firm filed for bankruptcy in 1918, but must have recovered, as they remained active until at least the 1930s. From around 1912, he began publishing Rinaldi's Official Guide Tampa and South Florida, with at least 17 editions following through 1933. He also published a separate issue Rinaldi's Official Road Guide Map of Florida, which is considerably scarcer, being issued only in 1926.   Further Details...

Condition

Good. Map has been stabilized on verso with archival tissue, which repairs partial splits on several fold points. Accompanies original binder.

References

OCLC 39551700. Touchton Map Library, Tampa Bay History Center, L2018.058.011 (slightly different edition).