Family Heritage Festival

10th Annual Family Heritage Festival

Sponsored by the Friends of the John F. Germany Public Library.

From Saloons to Steak Houses: A Conversation with Andy Huse

Join us for a conversation about Tampa history with USF Special Collections librarian Andy Huse. Huse will discuss his book From Saloons to Steak Houses: A History of Tampa. This takes readers on a journey into historic bars, theaters, gambling halls, soup kitchens, clubs, and restaurants, telling the story of Tampa's past through these fascinating social spaces, many of which can't be found in official histories. Beginning with the founding of modern Tampa in 1887 and spanning a century, Huse delves into the city's culture and traces the struggles that have played out in public spaces. He describes temperance advocates who crusaded against saloons and breweries, cigar workers on strike who depended on soup houses for survival, and civil rights activists who staged sit-ins at lunch counters. These stories are set amid themes such as the emergence of Tampa's criminal underworld, the rise of anti-German fear during World War I, and the heady power of prosperity and tourism in the 1950s.

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