University of Central Florida Department of History, Orlando, Florida.]]> University of Central Florida Department of History]]> Florida Photographic Collection]]> State Library and Archives of Florida]]> Library of Congress]]> Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture]]> Harry T. &amp]]> The Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida.]]> The Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> University of Central Florida Department of History and is provided here by RICHES for educational purposes only.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Sanford Riverfront Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
In 1821, the United States acquired Florida from Spain and Americans began to settled in the state. Camp Monroe was established in the mid-1830s to defend the area against Seminoles during the Seminole Wars. Following an attack on February 8, 1837, the camp was renamed Fort Mellon in honor of the battle's only American casualty, Captain Charles Mellon. The Town of Mellonville was founded nearby in 1842 by Daniel Stewart. When Florida became a state three years later, Mellonville became the county seat for Orange County, which was originally a portion of Mosquito County. Citrus was the first cash crop in the area and the first fruit packing plant was constructed in 1869.

In 1870, Henry Shelton Sanford purchased over 12,000 acres of land west of Mellonville to form the community of Sanford. which he called "The Gateway City to South Florida." Sanford was incorporated in 1877 and absorbed Mellonville in 1883. The Great Fire of 1887 devastated the city, which also suffered from a statewide epidemic of yellow fever the following year. The citrus industry flourished until the Great Freezes of 1894 and 1895, causing planters to begin growing celery in 1896 as an alternative. Celery replaced citrus as the city's cash crop and Sanford was nicknamed "The Celery City." In 1913, Sanford became the county seat of Seminole County, once part of Orange County. Agriculture dominated the region until Walt Disney World opened in October of 1971, effectively shifting the Central Florida economy towards tourism and residential development. In 2003, Sanford began the redevelopment of the waterfront with the RiverWalk Project to revitalize the city's riverfront. ]]>
RICHES of Central Florida]]> Sanford Riverfront Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
RICHES of Central Florida]]> Sanford State Farmers' Market Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Sanford State Farmers' Market Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Milane Theatre Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Milane Theatre Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> ]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Milane Theatre Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.]]>
RICHES of Central Florida]]> Milane Theatre Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
RICHES of Central Florida]]> Milane Theatre Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Milane Theatre Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Milane Theatre Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally created by Laura Cepero and owned by RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Milane Theatre Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally created by Laura Cepero and owned by RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Milane Theatre Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally created by Laura Cepero and owned by RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> Milane Theatre Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally created by Laura Cepero and owned by RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.]]>
RICHES of Central Florida]]> Milane Theatre Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally created by Laura Cepero and owned by RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
RICHES of Central Florida]]> Milane Theatre Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>