Florida Peninsular

Florida Peninsular was an early Florida newspaper based in Tampa. Established in 1853 by P. G. Wall and published by William J. Spencer, it belonged to the formative period of the state's newspaper industry, when local papers served as important channels for political debate, civic information, commercial notices, and community news. The publication operated during a period of rapid political change in Florida, including the tensions surrounding slavery, secession, the American Civil War, and Reconstruction. The newspaper's editorial history included Simon B. Turman Jr., an early Tampa resident who worked as an editor during the antebellum period. Turman had arrived in Florida from Indiana in 1843 and moved to Tampa in 1845. In addition to his newspaper work, he served as a probate judge and represented Hillsborough County at Florida's secession convention. He signed the Ordinance of Secession and later died in Georgia in 1864 during the Civil War. Alfonso Delaunay, a Tampa postmaster, subsequently took over the paper. Historical accounts characterize Delaunay as pro-slavery and describe his support for extrajudicial justice in Tampa. After the publisher removed Delaunay from the newspaper, Turman returned to the editorial role. Delaunay then established a separate newspaper, creating a direct institutional and editorial consequence of the dispute. By 1873, Florida Peninsular was reported to have approximately 400 subscribers. That figure indicates a modest but meaningful local readership for a nineteenth-century regional newspaper, although the available reference material does not provide circulation figures for other years, financial information, or a detailed account of its eventual closure. Surviving issues dated from 1855 through 1871 have been archived by the University of Florida library, making the publication an important primary source for research into Tampa and Florida history. The newspaper is now defunct and is principally significant as a historical media institution rather than as a contemporary consumer brand.

Florida Peninsular emerged in Tampa in 1853, when Florida was still developing a durable network of local newspapers and transportation links. P. G. Wall established the paper, and William J. Spencer is identified as its publisher. Like other nineteenth-century community newspapers, it likely combined reporting with political discussion, notices, advertisements, and information relevant to local institutions; the available reference material does not document a complete editorial or commercial format. The paper's early history intersected with the politics of the antebellum South. Simon B. Turman Jr. served as an editor during the antebellum period. Turman had come to Florida from Indiana in 1843 and reached Tampa in 1845. His public activities extended beyond journalism: he served as a probate judge and later represented Hillsborough County at Florida's secession convention. He signed the Ordinance of Secession, reflecting the newspaper's operation within a community and political environment shaped by slavery and the movement toward secession. Turman died in Georgia in 1864 during the Civil War. Alfonso Delaunay, a Tampa postmaster, later took over the newspaper. The historical account describes Delaunay as pro-slavery and as applauding extrajudicial justice in Tampa. The publisher eventually ousted him, after which Turman returned as editor. Delaunay's departure was followed by the creation of his own newspaper, separating his subsequent publishing activity from Florida Peninsular. The publication remained in circulation after the Civil War. In 1873, it was reported to have 400 subscribers, providing one of the few documented indicators of its reach. The available sources do not establish a precise closing date, ownership chronology, revenue history, or the circumstances under which the newspaper ceased publication. Issues from 1855 through 1871 survive in the University of Florida library archives. These holdings preserve evidence of the newspaper's role in Tampa's public sphere and provide researchers with material for studying local political culture, social conditions, and regional history during the antebellum, Civil War, and postwar periods. Florida Peninsular is no longer an operating newspaper. Its contemporary importance rests on its archival and historical value, especially as an early Tampa publication and as a record of the political conflicts and institutional development of nineteenth-century Florida.

1. 1873Reported circulation of 400 subscribers

   The newspaper was reported to have approximately 400 subscribers.

   Source
2. 1871End of the documented archival run

   The University of Florida's surviving issues extend through 1871.

   Source
3. 1861Editorial history during the secession era

   Simon B. Turman Jr. was associated with the newspaper as an editor during the antebellum period and also participated in Florida's secession convention.

   Source
4. 1855Surviving archival run begins

   The University of Florida library holds surviving issues beginning in 1855.

   Source
5. 1853Florida Peninsular established

   P. G. Wall established the newspaper in Tampa, with William J. Spencer serving as publisher.

   Source

A nineteenth-century local newspaper serving Tampa and the surrounding Florida community through news, political commentary, civic information, and advertising.

• Florida Peninsular newspaperLocal newspaper1853

  The publication's principal offering was its newspaper issue, produced for readers in Tampa and the wider Florida community. It functioned as a local information and public-discussion platform during the nineteenth century, covering matters connected with politics, civic life, and community affairs while also providing space for notices and advertising. The surviving issues from 1855 through 1871 are now preserved as historical sources rather than sold as a continuing publication.

1. Florida Peninsular