Goldenrod Collection

Dublin Core

Title

Alternative Title

Goldenrod Collection

Subject

Goldenrod (Fla.)

Description

Collection of digital images, documents, and other records depicting the history of Goldenrod, Florida. Series descriptions are based on special topics, the majority of which students focused their metadata entries around.

Goldenrod is a unincorporated community in Orange County and Seminole County. The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans, although they fled their land during the Seminole Wars. During Reconstruction, Goldenrod came under military rule. New settlers arrive in the 1870s, although the environment was difficult to homestead. Many settlers engaged in growing orange groves, but after the freeze of 1894, many left Goldenrod. In 1890, the Osceola and Lake Jesup Railway Company completed a track running through Goldenrod. The East Florida and Atlantic Railroad Company purchased the Orlando and Winter Park Railway Company in 1891 and a station was built in Goldenrod in 1908. This line became known by the locals as the “Dinky Line” and allowed residents to travel easily to and from Winter Park and Orlando.

In March of 1926, James F. Wellman organized the Goldenrod Corporation and began developing “Suburban Homes.” The Goldenrod Corporation also brought electricity and water to Goldenrod and also established a park for residents. However, growth was halted following rumors of Florida land fraud and the stock market crash in 1929. Growth picked up again in the latter half of the 1930s, with the help of the Rural Electrification Program (REP) and the Work Progress Administration (WPA). In the 1950s, various organizations were established to further advance the development of Goldenrod, including the Goldenrod Civic Club, the first Goldenrod Post Office, the Goldenrod Volunteer Fire Department, and the Goldenrod Garden Club.