Gloria Jean is Bringing Tampa's History to Life

I was walking past the vendors at Bloom, a monthly arts and entertainment walk in historic Tampa Heights. I past by this little table with a circular postcard stand and read a sign that said, "Tampa History Postcards." As a Tampa native, I felt like it was my duty to see what was on there.

As I turned the stand, the woman sitting at the table, started to tell me all of these historic tidbits of my home town. "Did you know that the song and dance "the Twist" originated in Tampa?" "Have you seen the bridge named after Madame Fortune Taylor, a female philanthropist from the 1800's?" "Yes, there is a statue of John Lennon downtown!"

How had I never seen or knew these things about the city where I've lived for 37 years?

The woman is named Gloria Jean Royster and she's dedicated to documenting educating newcomers and natives alike about the unique history of our city. She tells everyone who passes her booth about the Tampa history museum and shares stories as we purées her postcards, stickers, and bookmarks.

I don't know what I'm enamored by more ... the stories themselves or the woman telling them.

I feel so blessed to have met Gloria and will always stop by her booth to see what new things she had and stories she has to share. If you live in Tampa, be sure to check her out. Follow her on Instagram to find out the next place she’ll be.

If you're not in Tampa, find this person in your city. Preserving the history of the land we live on and the people who've come before us is so important for understanding more about where we are and our place in it. Gloria Jean has given me a sense of place, even before I knew I needed it.