When Henry A. DeLand sat down to plan a town in the summer of 1876, he envisioned a place that would become "a religious, educational, business, and social center"—the Athens of Florida. He made his dream a reality by investing his livelihood in the town that would be named for him. DeLand donated the land for the first municipal building that doubled as a church and school and funded the school that would become Stetson University. Ever since, the city of DeLand has had an interesting and rich history. Much of this unique history has been captured and preserved in postcards published throughout the past hundred-plus years.