Bettinger to Speak on “The Vineyard Era at Mission San Luis”

Tallahassee –

On Thursday, October 20, 2016, at 6:00 p.m., Mission San Luis invites the public to meet area author and literary journalist Julie Strauss Bettinger when she speaks about The Vineyard Era at Mission San Luis.

“We encourage the public to come hear about the fascinating time and characters at Chateau San Luis between 1883 and 1907,” said Secretary of State Ken Detzner. “Learn about Emile DuBois, a true Florida entrepreneur, his successes, and what eventually doomed his vision of grape cultivation rivaling that of the orange in our state.”

 Caption: (top) Julie Strauss Bettinger (juliebettinger.com) (bottom) Workers at harvest time at San Luis vineyards (State Archives of Florida/Harper)

In the second of Mission San Luis’s Florida Histories: Past to Present lectures, Bettinger will discuss the 19th century history of the Mission San Luis site, focusing particularly on Emile DuBois’s San Luis vineyards. DuBois owned the San Luis property during the last quarter of the 19th century, and established a flourishing wine and spirit industry on the site.

Julie Strauss Bettinger holds an M.A. in Creative Writing from Florida State University and a M.F.A. in Creative Nonfiction from Goucher College. She is a literary journalist who has written about crime, healing and community trends for over 25 years.  Her work has appeared in Florida Trend, Research in Review and Style magazines. She was the editor of Tallahassee and Emerald Coast city magazines, as well as The Sheriff’s Star, and All Points Bulletin. Julie is the author of a collection of essays and co-authored four books, including Blasted by Adversity: the Making of a Wounded Warrior and The Book of Bowden. Her published works also include “My Year With Marie,” and her narrative nonfiction book, Encounters With Rikki: From Hurricane Katrina rescue to exceptional Therapy Dog.

This event is free and open to the public. Come meet Julie Strauss Bettinger at a reception starting at 6 p.m. The lecture is scheduled to start at 6:30. Share the event on social media at facebook.com/MissionSanLuis/events.

This program is part of a six-lecture series entitled, Florida Histories: Past to Present that will extend through spring 2017. The series features topics in Florida history that span from its indigenous and colonial past to the present-day. Funding was provided through grants from Visit Florida and the Florida Humanities Council with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Join us on January 19, 2017, for an evening with David Hurst Thomas, Curator of North American Archaeology from the American Museum of Natural History, New York City.

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About Mission San Luis

Mission San Luis, Florida’s Apalachee-Spanish Living History Museum, was the western capital of Spanish Florida from 1656 to 1704. The Mission, now a National Historic Landmark, brings the1700s to life with living history interpreters in period dress, reconstructed period buildings, exhibits, and archaeological research. The site is managed by the Florida Department of State, and support is provided by the Friends of Mission San Luis. Mission San Luis is located at 2100 West Tennessee Street in Tallahassee, Florida, and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call 850.245.6406 or visit missionsanluis.org.