news release

The Historical Society of Indian River County has announced the release of their 14th video. The topic is the history of Winter Beach.

The video has a focus on the original settlement with interviews that provide great stories told by native Winter Beach residents: Dr. Harry Hurst, Janet Walker Anderson, Faye Dukes Estes, Peggy Hamilton, and Bobby Lindsey. The video also tells the story of the former two names of Winter Beach – Woodley and Quay with the name Winter Beach given following a community renaming contest in 1925.

The video is narrated by County Historian Ruth Stanbridge and produced by the Historical Society using the talents of local videographer Nick Verola, Verola Studios.  Funding for the videos was made possible through an Indian River County tourist development grant. All completed videos in the Vero Beach Historical Series may be viewed from the home page of the Historical Society website http://www.irchistorical.org/  The Historical Society has several new videos in production to be released in the coming months.

Other historical videos produced by the Historical Society can be viewed on their website and include The War Years, The Dodgers, Women’s Suffrage, History of the Vero Beach Airport, Jungle Trail, History of the Old Gifford High School, Indian River County Bridges, Mosquitos, Old Vero Man Dig, Hallstrom House and Farmstead, Indian River Farms History, Treasure Coast History, and The Sebastian Inlet (produced by Sebastian Inlet District).

For over thirty years, the Indian River County Historical Society has contributed to preserving the historical and environmental resources of Indian River County, the Indian River Lagoon area, and the State of Florida. The Historical Society office is located in the 1903 Vero Beach Railroad Station on 14^th Avenue in historic downtown Vero Beach. In addition to the railroad station property, the organization owns, operates and maintains the 1918 Hallstrom House on Old Dixie Highway. Both of these properties are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Among the many accomplishments of the Historical Society are saving Jungle Trail, a historic 7.5-mile greenway along the Indian River Lagoon; implementing the countywide historic marker program; and successfully securing registration of local historic properties on the National Registry of Historic Places.

For more information on becoming a member or to volunteer with the Historical Society, call 772-778-3435 or email indianriverhisto@bellsouth.net.