Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Florida’s Featured Author ~ Julia Daniels Moseley



The first time I moved to Florida, after spending the first three decades of my life in Midwestern farming communities, I quickly fell in love with the state’s golden sunshine; the mid-afternoon showers (that didn’t block out the sun’s rays); the complicated history of a harsh, unforgiving land; and the celebration of multiple peoples—including pirates, Florida “crackers” (cowboys), conquistadores, Seminoles, tycoons, inventors, crazies, and quite a few more.

While settling into our new home with our young family, I read all kinds of books—nonfiction and fiction—about Florida’s past. This was one of my favorites.

The Book

“Come to My Sunland”: Letters of Julia Daniels Moseley from the Florida Frontier, 1882-1886 is about a 19th century Midwesterner—a sophisticated writer and artist—who falls in love with her new home despite the isolation and hardship she experiences.


Here’s an excerpt from the back cover copy:
“A frontierswoman of culture and refinement, [Julia] made Florida not only a home, but a canvas on which she painted old scrub lands east of Tampa in the 1880s, with their wild fields and hammock oases, their passion flowers and butterflies, mockingbirds and larks, lake vistas and flaming sunsets.”
Quick Bio
  • Born ~ August 7, 1849 in Illinois
  • Parents ~ Carlos and Elizabeth Daniels
  • Married ~ Charles Scott Moseley on May 18, 1876
  • Children ~ Carl “Karl” and Hallock Moseley
  • Died ~ August 7, 1917 (68 years old)
  • Buried ~ Limona Cemetery, Brandon, Florida
The book’s introduction says this about Julia:
“The embodiment of great personal charm and fancy, she put her roots firmly down into the Florida soil. She was a Renaissance woman and a cosmopolitan in the wilderness” (p. 5).
The Legacy

Julia’s granddaughter, Julia Winifred Moseley, was the co-editor of the collection of letters along with Betty Powers Crislip. Both were officers of Timberly Trust, Inc., the organization tasked with preserving the Moseley homestead.


On March 21, 2019, the younger Julia’s 100th birthday was celebrated as Julia Moseley Day, The mayor of Brandon, Florida, read a proclamation that included this accolade: 
“Julia Moseley is the personification of a protector of Florida history.”
At that time, Julia Winifred Moseley still lived at “The Nest,” the home built by her grandparents in the 1880s. The fourteen-acre property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“When you pull into the property, it is as if you have been transported back in time. Most of the buildings on the property are original to the period of ownership. The main house still has the original wall covering which consists of palmetto fiber on painted burlap. This unique wall covering was taken down and exhibited at the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893” (Osprey Observer).
Home Again

Last April I became a Florida resident for the third time. I’m home again, back to where sandhill cranes stroll through the neighborhood, a family of wild turkeys sometimes scamper across the road, and at least one alligator lives in the pond behind our house.

As a tribute to my adopted state, my posts over the next several months will highlight a few of Florida’s historic authors, artists, and architects.

A virtual tour of the Moseley Homestead can be taken at the University of South Florida’s Digital Heritage & Humanities Collections site.

The latest edition of “Come to My Sunland,” with an updated cover, is available on Amazon.


Johnnie Alexander is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of more than thirty works of fiction in multiple genres. She is both traditionally and indie-published, serves as board secretary for the Mosaic Collection, LLC (an indie-author group) and faculty chair for the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference; co-hosts Writers Chat, a weekly online show; and contributes to the HHHistory.com blog. With a heart for making memories, Johnnie is a fan of classic movies, stacks of books, and road trips. Connect with her at JohnnieAlexander.com.

Photo ~ Moseley Homestead (“The Nest’) ~ Photo taken by Ebyabe; used under CC BY-SA 3.0license. File:Brandon FL Moseley Homestead dwy01.jpg. Created: 9 July 2011. Uploaded to Wikipedia: 12 July 2011

Sources

Osprey Observer ~ https://www.ospreyobserver.com/2019/04/julia-moseley-celebrates-100th-birthday-at-her-family-home-known-as-the-nest/

USF Digital Heritage and Humanities Collections ~ https://dhhc.lib.usf.edu/moseley/

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for posting today, and Happy New Year to you and your family. The Moseley Homestead sounds like a fascinating place to visit!

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  2. Hi, Connie! Wishing you the same!!! I'd love to go there, but I believe it's still private property. So glad to hear from you!

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