Meet Author Joe Williams at History Fort Lauderdale’s “Florida Scribes & Stories”
Tuesday, 10/14/2025-, 06:00 pm-08:00 pm
History Fort Lauderdale
231 SW Second Avenue,
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33301
RSVP / Register
Cost: Free
History Fort Lauderdale, proud steward of our community’s past by making our heritage accessible and engaging to residents and visitors, will present a free book signing and meet & greet with Joe Williams, author of Unearthed. He will be available to meet guests and autograph copies of his book on Tuesday, October 14, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
His appearance, part of History Fort Lauderdale’s “Florida Scribes & Stories,” also coincides with the grand opening of the new exhibit, “The Growth and History of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.” This engaging exhibition takes a closer look at the department’s progress over the years, from 1915 to the present, while also highlighting the sometimes-scandalous history that has shaped its story. The exhibit features images and narratives from the department’s origins to the prohibition era, organized crime, gambling and outlaws, to mid-century racial tensions and finally, the expansion, modernization, and professionalism of today. Williams is also a major contributor of artifacts and photographs to the new exhibit.
Unearthed captures the dark history of Broward County in the 1940s. A tough-as-nails sheriff who did things his way. The New York mobster Meyer Lansky who profited from his friendship with the sheriff’s department. It is a story of a young cop hired to enforce the Florida gambling laws, ultimately leading to his untimely death. A 75-year-old story of his tragic death from a car accident … or was it?
Drinks and light bites will be provided. Guests may RSVP to bit.ly/FloridaScribesWilliams2025.
History Fort Lauderdale is proud to host a variety of engaging multicultural experiences, year-round. It seeks to bring awareness to the community through both traveling exhibits and multiple permanent exhibits including “Women Trailblazers,” “Roots of Resilience: The Journey of Black Broward,” “Fort Lauderdale – the Early Years,” “Fashion & Musical Theatre,” “From Dugouts to Dream Yachts: the story of boatbuilding along the New River,” Seminole Arts & Culture,” “New River Archaeology,” and “Take PRIDE, a retrospective on LGBTQ life in South Florida.” The nonprofit museum also hosts an artists’ collective collaborative space.
For more information about History Fort Lauderdale, please call (954) 463-4431 or visit us online at historyfortlauderdale.org. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/ftlhistory, on Instagram @ftlhistory and on Twitter @FTLHistory. Subscribe to us on YouTube at youtube.com/user/FTLhistory.
