Historic Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach, home of the world's greatest international speedway, grew out of a small settlement established in 1876 and named in honor of its founder, Matthias Day.

Located in central Florida along the Halifax River, the area now known as the Daytona Beach Historical District was once the Orange Grove Plantation, a citrus and sugar cane plantation granted to Samuel Williams in 1787, but it was essentially destroyed during the 1836 Second Seminole War. In 1871, Matthias Day of Mansfield, Ohio, purchased the 3,200 acre tract of the former plantation, and from there, the Daytona Beach we know today began to take shape. Since that time, prominent and obscure individuals alike have created a unique city that is as visitor friendly as it is the ideal home for loyal residents. The striking images in this pictorial history illustrate the evolution on this famous beach town from its beginning in 1876 to the present day.