Melbourne Beach: Memoirs from Coastal Florida

In addition to the beautiful palmetto lined beaches and the rhythm of the rising and falling tides, one of the major attractions of Melbourne Beach is that, unlike the space age communities of concrete block in the surrounding area, the town had a history. Thomas introduces readers to an array of unique characters, describes the changes that Melbourne Beach has undergone since the turn of the 20th century, and relates his concern about the effects of progress on the natural beauty of his adopted home. Learn about the town’s excitement over its first stop sign, and how a woman makes a second one for weekends after she becomes the victim of Melbourne’s first automobile accident. Meet Orval Gardenour, the town’s first real policeman, who finally gained respect by rescuing a loggerhead turtle from the trunk of a poacher’s car, and experience the Great Cat Hunt of 1930, in which seventy-four strays met their demise.

During the forty-five years that Frank Thomas has lived in this small community on Florida’s eastern coast, he has taken it upon himself to dig into old records and document the oral histories of the old timers who made the town what it is today. The result is a witty, poignant account of Melbourne Beach residents’ adventures, victories, tragedies, and comedies,