Mark Deeb was a visitor to the museum on Jan. 22, 2020. He is associated with Deeb Inc., a construction company. Mark was a New Port Richey city police officer in 1975-77 and was with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office in 1980-85. He is pictured with Bob Langford, President of the West Pasco Historical Society.
The West Pasco Historical Society Rao Musunuru, M.D. Museum & Library presents The History of Pasco County, Florida: Pioneers, Railroads, Celebrities, Ranchers, Landmarks, and Folktales. This event will be held at Pasco-Hernando State College’s West Campus in New Port Richey, 10230 Ridge Road, in the Performing Arts Center on Saturday, February 1, 2020—Pasco’s Dr. Rao Musunuru Day, at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m.
This event is sponsored by Pasco-Hernando State College and the Musunuru Family. This presentation will be made by the volunteers of the West Pasco Historical Society: Brian Schmit, Jeff Miller, and Bob Langford (pictured).
Admission is free and open to the public. First come, first serve. We hope to see you there!
This geisha doll is on display at the museum, as it is one of several items we recently obtained that were at one time in the New Port Richey home of movie star Thomas Meighan. Thanks to Laurie Baker for providing it. The items from Meighan’s home now on display at the museum ultimately came from James Lynn Shelton, who was Meighan’s chauffeur in 1930 when he married Margaret Faye Baker. It is not known how Shelton obtained the items from Meighan; perhaps they were given to him in lieu of salary at times.
These Gulf High School alumni attended a book signing at the museum of the West Pasco Historical Society on Dec. 19, 2019: Julia Edster Sumner, Sandra Safranek Uzzle, Joan Cummings Koehn, Larry Piper, Phil Chesnut, June Pearson, Beva Stevenson Karay. larger photo
Bob Langford, President of the West Pasco Historical Society, is pictured with John M. Williams and Andy Lee White, authors of Atlanta Pop in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Bob was a crucial element of the explosive Atlanta pop music in the 60s and 70s, and is prominently featured in their book. A book signing was held at the museum on Dec. 19, 2019. Bob and an associate “found” Lynyrd Skynyrd in an Atlanta night club and took them into the studio to record their first album, which included their most famous song, Freebird. Bob also recorded most of Joe South’s biggest hits.
Karen Horst and daughter Mary Washburn were visitors to the museum on Dec. 16, 2019. They donated the Gulf High School 1953 and 1957 yearbooks, a Buccaneer alumni shirt, and some old photos that belonged to the late Shirley (Frederick) Parker, the Gulf High School valedictorian in 1957.
These four personnel from Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park were visitors to the museum on Dec. 13, 2019. They are, left to right, Park Manager Adam Belden, Park Services Specialist Michael Faustini, Park Ranger Karen Strawn, and Hannah King, with the Florida Conservation Corps AmeriCorps program. We and they shared information on the history of the salt springs, which supplied salt to the Confederacy during the Civil War and to local residents after the war. The fourth annual First Day Hike will be held on Wed., Jan. 1, 2020, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the park. A program about the history of the salt springs will be held at the park at 10 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month, beginning in January 2020.
A larger picture is here.
Old Brooksville in Photos and Stories is a very popular monthly booklet published by Robert Martinez and widely distributed in the Brooksville area. Richard Michaels donated to the museum almost all of the back issues starting in 1997, so if you’re from Brooksville and haven’t seen the booklets, come and visit the museum.
A model of stilt house #6. This item was donated to the museum on Nov. 26, 2019, by the office of Pasco County Property Appraiser Gary Joiner.
We’ll have 10% off on all items in the museum gift shop on Black Friday (11/29), so Friday might be a good day to visit the museum in Sims Park!