1880 Summer weather in Florida, during the days of the pioneers, was much like it is today. But warnings of upcoming storms came from old-timers who had survived the elements, rather than meteorologists. In the last week of August 1880, a hurricane (they didn’t have names then) of immense power was just off the east coast of Volusia County. It pounded West Volusia communities for three days with torrential rain and howling winds. When it was safe to venture outside, residents found debris from buildings and trees strewn everywhere. They quickly gathered to clean up and repair the damage. Among five ships lost to the storm near New Smyrna Beach was the S.S. City of Vera Cruz, carrying a cargo of mostly food items. Scavengers descended upon the beach to collect washed-up provisions. Among them was a DeLand teenager, Perkins Smith, who as an adult became the tax collector for Volusia County. The wreck of the Vera Cruz, in which 69 people died, ranks among the worst maritime disasters in the area's history.  

Sources: A Better Country Beyond, by Karen Ryder. The photo, from Wikipedia Commons, shows the SS Columbia, built in the same year and similar in design and size to the City of Vera Cruz.