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About Rev. Alexander Linn Papers

Reverend Alexander Linn (1881-1975) was born in Hamburg, New Jersey, and graduated from Columbia University. In 1905, Linn went to Florida at the advice of his doctor. He became pastor of his first church in Tarpon Springs in 1910 and was ordained a Presbyterian minister in 1914. In 1914, he also married Lucile Gregory from Quincy, Florida. Between 1925 and 1951, Linn worked for the Board of National Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the Presbytery of Southwest and Southeast Florida as a Sunday school missionary. He started Sunday schools and establised churches around Florida. In his travels Linn developed an interest in the Seminole Indians and gave lectures about his trips to Seminole camps. He illustrated his lectures with glass lantern slides that were tinted and painted with watercolors to make them more realistic. Linn retired in 1951 but continued to work as an interim pastor at different churches until he had a stroke at age 92.

Source: Obituary. Englewood Herald. July 2, 1975.

This digital collection contains a photographic record of Linn's visits to Seminole camps. He produced a series of lantern slides that he used to illustrate his talks about the Seminole Indians. Also available in the University of Florida Digital COllections (UFDC) are transcripts of two oral history interviews conducted with Linn. The interview from March 8, 1971 describes specific lantern slides in this collection.

Rev. Linn also maintained reports on his work as a Sunday school missionary, which are supplemented by letters. Linn visited towns all over south Florida, including Punta Gorda, Fort Myers, West Palm Beach, Miami, Pinellas Park, Englewood, Clewiston, Lake Garfield, Bradenton, Lakeland, Key West and Marco. The school reports mention trips to Seminole camps, especially in the mid-1930s.