In less than one hundred years, Fort Lauderdale grew from a wilderness stagecoach stop and trading post to become one of America's favorite tourist destinations and the seat of government for Florida's second-most-populous county.Historic Photos of Fort Lauderdale captures the story of that remarkable growth, through striking black and white photographs carefully selected from the finest collections. In these pages are seldom-seen images of a dramatic past: the Seminoles, early residents of the tropical wilderness; the arrival of railroads and the growth of tourism; farmers and their crops; and the creation of canals and roads and airfields.From the days of wooden stores and empty beaches to the era of high-rises and Spring Break crowds, through hurricanes, wars, and times of boom-and-bust, Historic Photos of Fort Lauderdale tells the story of the "Venice of America," presented in a unique collection of never-to-be-gotten images.