![]() Oh, yeah. I had another idea. Because spearheading the One for All conversation isn’t enough, and Bunny only occupies 23 hours of my day, I’m ready to introduce something first hatched two decades ago: Writing a sequel to “Back Home.” I know, I know. That’s quite an undertaking. After all, “Back Home” is…is…what are you talking about Mike? “Back Home” is the 506-page (including index) history textbook of Citrus County from the Ice Age to the opening of the Florida Power nuclear plant in Crystal River.
And so much more than that. Its VERY EXISTENCE is an iconic piece of Citrus County history. Either you know “Back Home”, or you don’t. It’s that simple. No in between. (Try it with your friends. The ones who know it will perk up immediately. The others won’t have a clue what you’re talking about. Think I’m kidding?) I don’t recall when I was first introduced to “Back Home.” Probably very early in my Chronicle career. And, yes, I have read the entire volume, though I’m rereading it as I focus on this project. No clue how many copies are out there. The libraries have them. Amazon came up empty. I can say with assurance this is a book that’s passed around a lot. My current volume is autographed by Hampton Dunn, the author. “With warm regards, Hampton Dunn,” he wrote. I fondly recall the day Hampton handed me that volume…um no, I don’t. I haven’t a clue how it ended up in my bookcase. I either grabbed someone else’s autographed volume, or I grabbed the autographed volume that someone grabbed from someone else. A little about “Back Home”: Dunn was a Floral City native, historian, newspaper writer and friend to Chronicle Publisher David Arthurs. (Dunn died in 2002; Arthurs, in 2022.) It was the mid-1970s. The county had a Bicentennial Committee. According to the book’s introduction, the two friends were having lunch one day when David suggested that Hampton “get up” a history of his beloved home county. Hampton spent two years working on the book. He was guided by a steering committee composed of community leaders from all walks. Some question the historical accuracy of “Back Home,” but I find the book fascinating in every way. Whatever it may lack in official detail is more than made up with hometown writing and photos. I’ve always considered it a true history of the Citrus County community. I started thinking of a sequel about 20 years ago. First off, it’s a gift that Citrus County has a history book. Shouldn’t we keep it up to date? This county had evolved so differently than the one Hampton wrote about, a follow-up seemed natural. I approached a few people, but it didn’t get any traction. I lost interest and kinda let it go, but never forgot the idea. So. Few months back, I’m driving with a friend. Someone intimately familiar with her Citrus County hometown. Out of the blue, she says: “Have you read ‘Back Home’?” My heart started pumping faster. When I said I had, she said: “I think someone should write a sequel to it.” And there you go. We’re in the very, very early stages of a project I named “Back Home, Again.” I’ve had some Cattle Dog chats with folks who are interested, including a potential writer. All very informal. I haven’t yet approached the Dunn family. I hope I’m not stepping on any toes in Floral City. There are gazillion details (Including whether we can use that title). This thing may be a goner before breakfast. But I wanted to get the idea out. I see a steering committee, school and community involvement, an online presence, and fundraising. Hampton Dunn himself expected a sequel. “Citrus County will celebrate its own Centennial in 1987,” he wrote in the “Back Home" preface. “Wonder who will be asked by David Arthurs to ‘get up’ an updated version of this history?” Well, we clearly missed that mark. Next year, however, we’ll hit 50 years since “Back Home” was published. My idea is to have a “Back Home, Again” commemorative publication of some type in time for Christmas 2026. We’ll see. I realize that’s a lofty goal. What’s wrong with aiming high? I don’t know whether it’ll go anywhere or not. But it’s worth pursuing. Got some reading to do. Have a great weekend, friends. Join the discussion on our Facebook page. Enjoying the blog? Please consider supporting it at Venmo, PayPal, or Patreon. Comments are closed.
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AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 36 years. Archives
February 2025
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