Steam engines on display at Florida State Fair give glimpse into Industrial Revolution

TAMPA, Fla. - A unique collection of steam engines gives visitors to the Florida State Fair a look back at Florida's history with a nod to the Industrial Revolution.

Found in the Bruce M. Robbins Jr. Antique Steam Engine Pavilion, the permanent collection takes guests on a trip to an earlier time in the state's development.

"With power, we started out with manpower then we went to animal power, then we went to water power, then we went to steam and water power to today where we have mostly steam engines like this are obsolete and we go to modern steam turbines," Merchant Marine Steam Engineer James Powell said.

"They are very simple engines, they're very fascinating to watch," shared Cindy Horton, director of museum operations for Florida State Fair. "The steam engine collection that we have here at the Florida State Fair we're proud to say is one of the largest stationary steam engine collections in North America."

That collection started a long time ago in the Bay Area.

"Mr. Robbins built all this and turned it over to the fair," Powell explained. "Mr. Robbins had a lumber company, and apparently back to 1985, he built this building and started collecting these steam engines."

"The steam engines were a very important part of our developing industry here in Florida," shared Horton. "They used steam engines for many, many decades in the lumber business."

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Bruce Robbins Jr. was part of the family-owned and operated Robbins Lumber Company that was started in 1938 by his father Bruce Robbins Sr.

That sawmill used steam engines to power their equipment.

"One of the things that steam engines were great for is they're very simple machines, they're very, very sturdy and they run for a very long time," stated Horton.

Powell commented on the Robbins collection, "They picked up these engines reconditioned them and put them into place."

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The steam engines from that collection are still there for visitors to see today.

"The old one that we have powered a cane mill and ran for 90-years, 24 hours a day," said Horton proudly. "Steam really did power the Industrial Revolution."

You can find the steam engine exhibit right on the edge of Cracker Country there at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

Admission to the exhibit is free with your paid ticket to the fair.

Throughout the year, the exhibit is open to the public school system as part of the Cracker Country Tour.

LINK: Learn more about the exhibit here.