The Transition from Tranquil Town to Technology Titan: Orlando in the 1950s and 1960s

For much of the 18th and 19th centuries, Florida remained a relatively undeveloped state on the eastern coast of the United States. Orlando itself was home predominantly to wealthy seasonal residents and a small, local population. However, at the end of World War II and during the onset of the Cold War in the 1950s and 1960s, the city underwent one of the most rapid and sudden economic surges in the country, resulting in an influx of companies and economic migrants to the City Beautiful. This boom in new businesses, such as the Martin Company, and subsequent new job opportunities would transform Orlando from an agricultural frontier town into one of Florida's largest and most productive commercial centers. To invite this tide of change and development to Orlando, the local government opened its doors to companies looking to expand or gain a new start by offering cheap land and tax incentives. The Orlando Chamber of Commerce began to promote the city as the next inheritor of a new, modern age through the creation of marketing strategies to attract prospective residents. Economic migrants flooded into the city: young families seeking to put down roots, immigrants searching for a better life, and skilled workers looking for greater opportunities. These newly arrived individuals—along with new, booming industries—transformed the development of Orlando into the economic, political, and cultural capital of Central Florida.