Beginning with the Timucuan Indians around 2000 BC, life along the Indian River in Oak Hill has always been simple. The natural beauty and pristine environment that drew Oak Hill's first inhabitants to the area still abounds, and the waterfront lined with large oak trees continues to inspire a feeling of serenity and relaxation. The first Florida pioneers settled in Oak Hill around 1870 and were drawn by the treasures of a diverse ecosystem of marshland, cypress hammock, and timber pine forest. These first settlers harvested the natural resources of timber, turpentine, and salt, followed by citrus groves and a thriving fishing industry. The selected photographs in this book, many appearing courtesy of local families, document the lives and times of Floridians who chose to call Oak Hill home.

Author Dana Thompson was inspired to preserve the photographs and stories of Oak Hill's past by her grandmother Mary Mosby Baldwin, who settled in this community at the turn of the 20th century. A history teacher for 35 years in local schools, Thompson is a graduate of Stetson University and Nova Southeastern University. She has lived and served southeast Volusia County in a variety of civic and educational capacities for her entire life.