Local historians to talk Sept. 23 about Cross Florida Barge Canal

September 17, 2009

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Samuel Proctor Florida History Lecture Series at the University of Florida begins again Sept. 23 with a presentation by two Gainesville historians.

Steven Noll, senior lecturer in history at UF, and David Tegeder, history professor at Santa Fe College, will present “Ditch of Dreams: The Cross Florida Barge Canal and the Struggle for Florida’s Future.”

They will speak at 7 p.m. in the Pugh Hall Ocora. The program is free. Tickets are not required.

Noll and Tegeder received their doctoral degrees from UF and have written a book about the canal titled “Ditch of Dreams,” scheduled for release in November by the University Press of Florida.

“The Cross Florida Barge Canal is a very timely topic,” said Michael Bowen, assistant director of the Graham Center for Public Service. “The political aspects of its planning, creation, and ultimate abandonment really show the changing dynamics at both the state and the national levels. Steve and David have really dug down into the sources to show the competing interests and how they brought their political power to bear on the situation.”

The lecture begins the third semester of the Proctor Florida history lectures. The theme for this semester is “Florida’s Environmental Politics” and will include talks from policy leaders, journalists and academics. The series is sponsored by the Graham Center and the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program.

The lecture series is made possible by generous donations from the Proctor family and alumni of Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity.

The Graham Center provides students with opportunities to train for future leadership positions, meet policymakers and take courses in critical thinking, language learning and studies of world cultures. Its mission is to foster public leadership and solve issues related to the Americas and homeland security.