Orlando Collection, Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Melbourne Collection, Brevard County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
The Florida Department of Transportation constructed State Road 140 (present-day State Road A1A) in 1935, allowing for increased development. In 1944, a Florida Legislature bill that would have dissolved the city government was defeated. The town was incorporated as a city on June 29, 1957. With the construction of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s John F. Kennedy Space Center (KCS), the city of Cocoa Beach experienced major growth in population and economic development. However, the city experienced layoffs and economic decline during the period between the conclusion of the Apollo Program and the introduction of the Space Shuttle Program.]]>
Cocoa Beach Collection, Brevard County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Daytona Beach Collection, Volusia County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
On March 8, 1936, the first stock car race was held on the Daytona Beach Road Course, which is located in present-day Ponce Inlet. Bill France, Sr. (1909-1992), the founder of NASCAR, began planning the track's construction in 1953 to replace the beach course. The track was engineered by Charles Moneypenney and construction was completed in 1958. The track has been renovated in 1978, 2004, and 2010. New renovations for Project Daytona Rising is scheduled for completion in January of 2016. The track also hosts events for the Auto Racing Club of America (ARCA), the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), Tudor United Sport scar Championship (USCC), the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), and Motocross.]]>
Daytona Beach Collection, Volusia County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>

Located at 70 Boardwalk in Daytona Beach, Florida, this amphitheater was constructed between 1936 1937. The Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) began constructed in September of 1936 and the first program was presented on July 4, 1937. The bandshell was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic places on March 5, 1999.]]>
Daytona Beach Collection, Volusia County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
This is Cinerama, the first feature filmed in the wide-screen format, as well as a string of Esther Williams films and television specials in the 1950s and 1960s.

In the 1950s, young women dressed in the crinolines reminiscent of the Antebellum South. During the American Civil War Centennial, young men dressed in Confederate uniforms would be photographed with the Southern Belles. With the addition of a custom photography boat named Miss Cover Girl in the early 1960s, the park became a popular site for the filming of television commercials. However, Cypress Gardens closed in 2009 and Legoland occupies the former lot at 1 Legoland Way in Winter Haven, Florida.]]>
Winter Haven Collection, Polk County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Heathrow Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Hudson Collection, Pasco County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
In 1973, a Dixieland-theme entertainment complex was established between the railroad tracks and Garland Avenue in seven vacant buildings for $22 million. The depot itself houses retail shops. The depot was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and named an Orlando Historic Landmark in 1978. In 1988, the complex was expanded to include the Church Street Exchange and the Church Street Market. The development was led by Bob Snow and Steve Fuller and sold in 1989 for $61 million. The complex peaked in the 1980s, drawing approximately 1.7 million visitors a year. Due to failure to compete with major theme parks, visitor attendance dwindled and the complex was sold in 2001, only to close shortly after.]]>
Orlando Collection, Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Orlando Collection, Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Orlando Collection, Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Lake County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Rosie O'Grady's was a restaurant that was once part of the Church Street Station entertainment complex in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The original site was occupied by a railroad depot built around 1883 for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). The depot was designed by T. B. Cotter in the Queen Anne/Eclectic Victorian style and constructed by Henry B. Plant (1819-1899). The building was demolished around 1890 and the current Church Street Station Depot was constructed by the South Florida Railroad on the same lot. The site also served the Tavares, Orlando and Atlantic Railroad, and the Orlando and Winter Park Railway. In 1926, the Orlando Health/Amtrak station took over passenger operations, but Church Street Station continued to serve as a ticket outlet and freight station until 1972.

In 1973, a Dixieland-theme entertainment complex was established between the railroad tracks and Garland Avenue in seven vacant buildings for $22 million. The depot itself houses retail shops. The depot was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and named an Orlando Historic Landmark in 1978. In 1988, the complex was expanded to include the Church Street Exchange and the Church Street Market. The development was led by Bob Snow and Steve Fuller and sold in 1989 for $61 million. The complex peaked in the 1980s, drawing approximately 1.7 million visitors a year. Due to failure to compete with major theme parks, visitor attendance dwindled and the complex was sold in 2001, only to close shortly after.]]>
Orlando Collection, Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Silver Springs Collection, Marion County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Special Olympics was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver (1921-2009), the sister of President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), in 1968. The project began as a day camp for children with intellectual disabilities in June of 1962. The first International Special Olympics Summer Games were held in 1968 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.]]>
Lake Mary Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.]]> Orlando Collection, Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Kissimmee Collection, Osceola County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Weeki Wachee, located at 6131 Commercial Way in Spring Hill, Florida, is best known for its famous tourist attraction, Weeki Wachee Springs. Weeki Wachee Springs features performances by underwater mermaids, a glass-bottom boat ride, and other natural attractions. The springs are named after the Seminole words for "little spring" or "winding river." In 1946, former U.S. Navy member Newt Perry (1908-1987) began to develop a tourist attraction at Weeki Wachee. By the 1950s, Weeki Wachee was one of the top tourist stops in the United States. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) purchased the site in 1959 and continued to expand. In 2008, Weeki Wachee was taken over by the state of Florida as a state park.]]>
Laura Cepero Collection, RICHES.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>