History Fort Lauderdale’s “Meet the Author” Zoom Series Launches February 11 with Donn Colee, Jr.

×

Expand

Donn Colee, Jr.

Donn Colee, Jr.

History Fort Lauderdale, proud steward of our community’s past by making our heritage accessible and engaging to residents and visitors, will launch the first segment of its “Meet the Author,” interactive Zoom series with Palm Beach County-based Donn R. Colee, Jr. author of Legends & Lore of Fort Lauderdale’s New River (Arcadia Publishing/The History Press), on February 11, at noon. The series, featuring local writers of all genres, will continue on the second Thursday of each month.

Colee Jr. is a seventh-generation Floridian and a direct descendent of George Colee, who immigrated to the St. Augustine area from England in 1821. Donn grew up in Orlando but frequently visited relatives in the ancient city, where his curiosity was piqued by stories about a massacre of long-ago family members at Fort Lauderdale’s New River. While the “Colee Massacre” story was later debunked, it refused to die. His Legends & Lore of Fort Lauderdale’s New River began as an attempt to finally resolve the last vestiges of that myth, but the power of New River quickly propelled the book to become a history of the river, its fascinating people, and the transformation of its wilderness into a metropolis. This is his second book. His first, Towers in the Sand, is the history of radio and television stations in Florida and the people who brought them to life. His family has been engaged in Florida broadcasting for three generations. Colee is a member of the Florida Historical Society, History Fort Lauderdale, St. Augustine Historical Society and Historical Society of Palm Beach County. He is a former commissioner of the Florida Inland Navigation District, the state agency responsible for maintenance and improvements of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway from Fernandina Beach to Key Biscayne. It was built by a company that was cofounded in 1881 by his great-great-great-grandfather, who became its civil engineer. Donn and his wife, Martha, reside in Palm Beach Gardens.

Upcoming authors will be announced. Viewers may register at http://bit.ly/HFLMeetTheAuthor.

History Fort Lauderdale is currently open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., with

docent guided tours, daily, at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Group walking tours are available upon special request. Admission is $15 for adults; $12 for seniors and $7 for students (through age 22 with a valid student ID). Admission is free for members, military and children ages six and under. Tickets are available online at HistoryFortLauderdaleTickets.

In compliance with local and state health guidelines, visitors to History Fort Lauderdale will be required to wear a mask, have a digital temperature reading and practice safe social distancing of six feet apart. Hand sanitizer will be available at the front desk admission point and all surfaces will be thoroughly cleaned multiple times a day, per CDC guidelines. Additionally, guests will be asked to sign-in, daily, for contact tracing.

For more information, please call (954) 463-4431 or visit historyfortlauderdale.org. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/ftlhistory, on Instagram @ftlhistory, on Twitter @FLLhistory and subscribe on YouTube at youtube.com/user/FTLhistory.