Ybor City Florida

[Meika]

As a few of you know, just before christmas my Dad was diagnosed with Infarct Dementia, Paranoid Ideations and few other things. He was fine but in November he started to get weird and things are going downhill ever since. He lives in a Memory Care Unit now at an assited living home about four hours from me. Since I dont get to see him often and his mind is starting to go I thought something visual might help him to not lose all of his memories and cheer him up some.

He was born in Tampa Negro Hospital (yes segregation was going strong then <_< ) in Ybor City Florida. He grew up there and in Tamp Florida. I am trying to find historical items based on those two places from the 1930's through the 50's to put in an album for him. I've had a little luck but not too much. His father was a no show and his mother gave him away to a friend so there isnt any family on his side that I can ask for pictures from childhood etc. The woman who raised him died years ago. He had a rough childhood but he turned out okay. :) Anyway.....

Long story short if anyone has anything from those places or can point me in the right direction to get some I'd be eternally grateful. The next phase of his dementia is due fairly soon according to his doctors predictions so I'd like to get this done pretty soon if I can.

[asullenriot]

I am sorry to say that I can't help you. I just wanted to say that I wish you and your father all the best and I hope that you will be able to find what you are looking for. xo

[joliejoliebobolie]

That sounds like such a nice thing to give him Meika! Unfortunately, I'm not from FL so I wouldn't be able to help you there ~ but I wonder if contacting any of the public libraries in Ybor City or Tampa would help. Some of them have geneology sections....oh, and the newspapers also (ours runs a historical section every now and then with old pictures). They might have a link to online photos that you could download & print?

Wish I could be of more help!

[Meika]

Thank you asullenriot.
Jolie you are helping by making suggestions. I hadnt even thought of those ideas.

[Meika]

*Bump* Nobody here is from Florida? Not one single person?

[chaosisorder]

I'm in Florida, about 2 hours from Ybor City. I regularly go to Tampa (about once a month), but I've never done any geneaology research etc. If there's something I can do- let me know. Most of Ybor has been destroyed and rebuilt as a club-hopping area, but I know they have some museums for the area...

Just tell me what you need, and I'll see what I can do.

[chaosisorder]

Also, there is a University in Tampa - they provided this photo

here. (http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/florida/photos/gov/health/0368.htm)

The univ. is USF - Univ. of South Florida. This (http://www.cas.usf.edu/history/) is their history dept.

And this (http://zerver.thpl.lib.fl.us/archive03/8118.jpg) makes it clear that the libraries are a good way to go.

[tinyangel]

let me first make my side note after vising one of your links that you are a kick ass mail artist! :wub: okay, sorry sorry, um, i can go see what i can find and i'll ask my Aunt Nettie who lives in Gainesville if she knows of anything but she's only lived there for like 20 years or so. i'll run a few internet searches, too. Is there any way i can help otherwise? i feel a little embarassed that this is all you wanted and i cannot really deliver much... can i still send something for you & him? let me know if that's okay and ill go poke my nose aroung the net.

love,
tinyangel

[Meika]

Thansk alot. I had found that first one and bookmarked it but the other two are new to me.

What I need is pictures mainly I guess. Ybor will be hard since it's all different but if you have any pictures of historical spots in Tampa that would be fantastic as would some shots of tampa nowadays. If there is anything left of Ybor from back in the day, some snaps of that would be good also. Maybe just some buildings, an original theatre, grocery store or something. Any flyers related to past or present events would be good too. I'm going to see if he remembers what high school he went to so I can maybe get some info on that as well.
I'll take anything you can get. Just let me know what you'd like in return. I'll make something, buy something, stuff and envie full of something, whatever you want.

[tinyangel]

Ybor Museum info (http://www.ybormuseum.org/ybor.html)
ybor dot org (http://ybor.org/)

i also found some things by doing an image search on Ybor via Yahoo, i hope this helps.

[Meika]

Tinyangel thanks so much for the offer. Anything you can scrape up would be great. If you want to send something just because that would be super sweet. My dad loves old Mowtown music and blues and jazz so anything relating to that would make him smile. Maybe some pictures or old concert adverts of the old greats like Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Domino, Muddy Waters. Anything Mowtown related too. I've been wanting to burn him a few CD's of music but my burner is toast. :( He just loves music. Thats were I get my love and appreciation of music from. He's not too keen on the newer stuff but anything like The Teptations, Lou rawls, Isley Brothers and so on, is his thing.
If you come up with anything just let me know what I can give you in return. :)

[tinyangel]

i can make a mix cd, my burner is up & cranking. not to worry dear, this project WILL happen, i'll make sure of it. i am going shopping to find some treats for him after i finish online.

[Meika]

You are too sweet. :wub: Please dont go shopping and spend any extra money. Really. I don't want anyone to go out of their way like that. I'm just asking for things that can be sent for the cost of an envelope and a stamp. I wouldn't feel right about folks going out and buying stuff. Please don't take offense okay? It's incredibly sweet of you to go out of your way for someone you've never even met ( so much so that it's making me tear up) but please don't go spending any extra money. (((((HUG)))))