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Oral History of Sister Gail Grimes
An oral history interview of Sister Gail Grimes, a Roman Catholic sister from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who moved to Apopka, Florida, in January of 1975 to serve the farmworker, low-income and immigrant communities. This interview was conducted by…
Oral Memoirs of Jeannie Economos
An oral history interview of Jeannie Economos, the Pesticide Safety and Environmental Health Project Coordinator at the Farmworker Association of Florida (FAF), who also worked as Lake Apopka Project Coordinator for the FAF, as well as for non-profit…
Lake Apopka: A Fact Sheet for Public Meetings
A fact sheet, published by the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (DER), giving a brief timeline of Lake Apopka's environmental history and summarizing key points related to the proposed restoration of the lake. The fact sheet describes…
Oral History of Warren McFarland
An oral history interview of Warren McFarland, a telegrapher, train dispatcher, railroad station agent, grocery clerk, Railroad Safety and Service Agent, Assistant Regional Director and Regional Manager for the Interstate Commerce Commission, and…
Letter from Harold L. Moody to Lawrence E. Jerome (March 13, 1972)
A letter from Harold L. Moody, fisheries biologist for the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, to Lawrence E. Jerome. The letter gives a detailed analysis of the history of pollution in Lake Apopka, the development of the Zellwood Drainage…
Apopka Restoration Plan Revealed
A newspaper article discussing the approval of a restoration plan for Lake Apopka by the Florida Department of Pollution Control (DPC). The plan was to use grant money from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement a drawdown of Lake…
Memorandum from the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission to the Florida Air and Water Pollution Control Commission (June 13, 1968)
A memorandum from the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission to the Florida Air and Water Pollution Control Commission. This memo discusses the history of pollution in the lakes at the headwaters of the Ocklawaha River basin, specifically Lake…
Rotarians Hear Report on Four-Rivers Basin: Engineer Discusses Lake Apopka
A newspaper article from The Winter Garden Times describing remarks made by Dale Twachtmann to the Winter Garden Rotary Club. At the meeting, Twachtmann, an engineer, discussed the various sources of pollution entering Lake Apopka. Twachtmann also…
Letter from Harold L. Moody to J. W. Woods (April 24, 1967)
A letter from Harold L. Moody, fisheries biologist with the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, to J. W. Woods, Chief of Fisheries for the commission. The letter describes a fish kill first observed on April 23, 1967, by Dewey Smith, and…
Letter from Arthur W. Sinclair to the Hyacinth Control Society, Inc. (November 16, 1967)
A letter from Arthur W. Sinclair, executive manager of the Winter Garden Chamber of Commerce, to the Hyacinth Control Society, Inc., requesting information on herbicides to be used on hyacinth and other aquatic plants along the shores of Lake Apopka…
Letter from Edward A. Zagar to Arthur W. Sinclair (December 22, 1966)
A letter from Edward A. Zagar, a fisheries biologist for the Florida Game and Fresh Water Commission, to Arthur W. Sinclair, from the Winter Garden Chamber of Commerce. In the letter, Zagar discusses the seine survey program for Lake Apopka and for…
Letter from Oland J. Kershaw to Arthur W. Sinclair (May 23, 1966)
A letter from Oland J. Kershaw, chairman of the Indian River Shellfish Association, to Arthur W. Sinclair, Executive Secretary-Manager of the Winter Garden Chamber of Commerce. Kershaw writes in response to a letter by Sinclair published in The…
Letter from Arthur W. Sinclair to Claude Roy Kirk, Jr. (July 13, 1966)
A letter from Arthur W. Sinclair, Executive Secretary-Manager of the Winter Garden Chamber of Commerce, to Claude Roy Kirk, Jr., the 1966 Republican candidate for Governor of Florida. The letter describes Lake Apopka's current polluted state and its…
Letter from Sally Cameron to Arthur W. Sinclair (July 25, 1966)
A letter from Sally Cameron, Director of Research for Claude Roy Kirk, Jr.'s (1926-2011) gubernatorial campaign, in response to an earlier letter from Arthur W. Sinclair, the Executive Secretary-Manager for the City of Winter Garden, asking for…
Letter from Percy D. Blunt to the Editor of The Winter Garden Times (April 1, 1966)
A letter to the editor of The Winter Garden Times from Percy D. Blunt, who served as the Mayor of Winter Garden, Florida, from 1963 to 1965. In the letter, Blunt comments on a previous editorial which called for rejuvenation of tourism and water…
Lake Apopka Studies for Summer, 1968
A list of studies to be performed on Lake Apopka by the Lake Apopka Technical Committee during the summer of 1968. The Technical Committee was formed by Florida Governor Claude R. Kirk, Jr. (1926-2011) in 1967, with C. W. Sheffield as chairman, to…
Oral History of Dann Pottinger
An oral history interview of Dann Pottinger, conducted by Caitlin Baldwin on November 9, 2015. Pottinger was born August 14, 1947, on the British Bay Island in Honduras. He moved to Orlando, Florida as a small child and attended primary school in the…
Letter from Harold L. Moody to James B. Lackey (July 22,1966)
A letter from Harold L. Moody, River Fishery Project Leader for the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, to James B. Lackey. Lackey was hired by Lake County and Orange County to study water quality in Lake Apopka and the Ocklawaha River in…
Letter from Harold L. Moody to John W. Woods (October 21, 1965)
A letter from Harold L. Moody, a fisheries biologist, to John W. Woods, chief of the Fisheries Division for the Florida Game and Freshwater Commission. The letter discusses aquatic vegetation in Lake Apopka. Moody states that heavy rainfall has…
Oviedo Woman's Club 75th Anniversary Scrapbook
A scrapbook for the 75th anniversary celebration of the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC) on February 22, 1981. The scrapbook includes a sign-in sheet, notes, letters, envelopes
Undesirable Factors Cited in Report of 'The Big Pond', Lake Apopka; 1962-1964
A newspaper article discussing a Florida State Board of Health report regarding the condition of Lake Apopka, Florida. The report examines various contributions to the pollution of the lake and makes recommendations towards the cleanup process.
Memorandum from Leesburg Fisheries Experiment Station to John W. Woods (May 28, 1964)
A memorandum from the Leesburg Fisheries Experiment Station to John W. Woods, the Chief of Fisheries Division for the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. The memo discusses a recent report by Joe E. Burgess for the Florida State Board of…
Patron Donations Help Band
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on July 7, 1971. This article is the publication of an open letter by Oviedo High School band director, Richard A. Feinberg, asking for donations for the marching band. The article also outlines…
Memorandum from L. E. Cromwell to John W. Woods (May 20, 1963)
A memorandum from L. E. Cromwell, a fisheries biologist, to John W. Woods, the Chief of Fish Management for the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. The memo describes water samples drawn from Lake Apopka, Florida, by Cromwell and gives his…
Lake Apopka Woes Not Answered
A newspaper article from The Orlando Evening Star from December 18, 1963. The article discusses the current polluted state of Lake Apopka and various theories about the source of Lake Apopka's problems. The article also mentions possible methods to…
Letter from Doyle C. Golden to A. D. Aldrich (August 26, 1963)
A letter of correspondence from Doyle C. Golden, the Administrative Assistant for the Division of Chemistry of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to A. D. Aldrich, the Director of the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. The report gives…
Lake Apopka, Florida Fish Kill Report by Eugene W. Surber
A report by Eugene W. Surber on the May 1963 Lake Apopka Fish Kill. Surber describes his visit to Lake Apopka, Florida, and examines samples of dead and dying fish recovered from the lake. It is estimated that roughly 3 millions pounds of fish were…
Letter from Harold L. Moody to James "Jim" P. Clugston (December 17, 1962)
A letter of correspondence between Harold L. Moody and James "Jim" P. Clugston. In the letter, Moody discusses the changes in Lake Apopka's water quality during the 1940s and 1950s. He provides a brief timeline of the creation of the muck farms on…
Outline of Lake Apopka, July 1957
An outline map of Lake Apopka, created by the Lake and Stream Survey for the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. The outline shows the major towns bordering the lake, Oakland and Winter Garden. It also identifies key landmarks on Lake…
Lake Apopka Chemical-Physical Data, August and September 1956
A water quality survey for Lake Apopka. Samples shown were taken by Harold L. Moody, a fishery biologist working for the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. The samples were drawn from several locations across the lake, over a range of one…
U.S. Department of the Interior Geological Survey of Lake Apopka
A U.S. Department of the Interior, Water Resources Division survey of Lake Apopka's water quality. This data was collected at Winter Garden, Florida, in 1959 and 1961. Winter Garden is located on the southern shore of Lake Apopka.
"Ever After" by the Sam Rivers Trio
An audio recording of "Ever After," composed by Sam Rivers (1923-2011) and performed by the Sam Rivers Trio live on-air on WUCF-FM on December 11, 2001. Rivers was a jazz multi-instrumentalist and composer from Oklahoma, who helped popularize free…
"Rapture" by the Sam Rivers Trio
An audio recording of "Rapture," composed by Sam Rivers (1923-2011) and performed by the Sam Rivers Trio live on-air on WUCF-FM on December 11, 2001. Rivers was a jazz multi-instrumentalist and composer from Oklahoma, who helped popularize free jazz…
Corner of Main Street and Plant Street
A gathering of Winter Garden citizens on the corner of Main Street and Plant Street around 1913. To the right of the image by the car is a few of James Lafayette Dillard's (1858-1943) family. Dillard migrated to Central Florida from Virginia with his…
Train at the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot in Winter Garden
An Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) Railroad Company train coming in to the depot located at 1 North Main Street in Winter Garden, Florida, around 1915. Aspects of the downtown business district of Winter Garden are noticeable in this photograph, such as…
Aerial View of Downtown Winter Garden
This aerial view from the Winter Garden water tower highlights the business district of Downtown Winter Garden, Florida, and some of it's prominent buildings in the 1920s. Those buildings include the First Baptist Church, South Apopka Supply Company,…
Tavares & Gulf Railroad Depot in Winter Garden
This photograph highlights the Tavares & Gulf Railroad Depot, a water tower, and Winter Garden Light & Water Company around 1913. This depot replaced the original 1889 structure in 1913, at a cost of $1,765. The western portion, built of…
Construction of the Shelby Hotel
James Lafayette Dillard (1858-1943) built the Shelby Hotel in 1913 on 1 West Plant Street in Winter Garden, Florida. In this photograph, it is evident that construction was still in progress. The hotel was located a block away from both the Tavares…
Arthur Bullard Newton's Fourth Store
Arthur Bullard Newton's fourth store in Winter Garden, Florida, the 1920s. Over the years other businesses would take root in the building. However, in the early 1920s the store's interior was burned. Until it was repaired, Newton worked at a…
First National Bank of Winter Garden
The First National Bank of Winter Garden, located at the corner of Plant Street and Boyd Street around 1919. The bank opened on the previous location of Arthur Bullard Newton's dry goods store, which was built in 1909. In 1919, Newton served as the…
Arthur Bullard Newton's Dry Goods Store
The building in the photograph is the third incarnation of Arthur Bullard Newton's dry goods store, which was built at 14 South Main Street in Winter Garden, Florida, in 1909. Across the building is advertising the merchandise sold at his store.Often…
Arthur Bullard Newton, 1909
Arthur Bullard Newton in 1909. Often called "Mr. First," Newton moved to Winter Garden, Florida, in 1892 where he was continually busy with varied pursuits in business, politics, and services. In his long line of being first, he established the first…
Winter Garden City Station, 1924
The City Station, located at the southeast corner of Dillard Street and Plant Street in Winter Garden, Florida, in 1924. Built by James Lafayette Dillard (1858-1943), this building was a combination of a gas station and a grocery store with upstairs…
Bank of Winter Garden, 1912
The Bank of Winter Garden, located on the corner of Main Street and Plant Street in Winter Garden, Florida, in the early 1900s. In 1908, James Lafayette Dillard (1858-1943) founded the Bank of Winter Garden. He would later become the Director and…
Intersection of Plant Street and Main Street in Winter Garden Before the Fire of 1912
The intersection of Plant Street and Main Street in Winter Garden, Florida. This photograph was taken in the winter of 1912, before the infamous fire that same year. The fire occurred on March 12, destroying several bushiness such as the wood…
Main Street in Winter Garden After Fire of 1912
A revitalized Main Street after being rebuilt from two devasting fires devastating fires in 1909 and 1912 in Winter Garden, Florida. Taken around 1912, this photograph shows the new Bank of Winter Garden (1908-1929) and, on the right, the Dillard…
Construction of the First Baptist Church of Winter Garden
The construction of the First Baptist Church of Winter Garden, Florida, around 1922. The congregation was originally organized in Ocoee, Florida, in August of 1888 with nine charter members. After eight years, the church voted to relocate to 125 East…
Orange Hotel
One of Winter Garden's first hotels was the Orange Hotel, located on the east side of South Main Street. The hotel had various types of guests, such as fishermen, salesmen, and regular visitors. The hotel burned down in the fire of 1912.
Oral History of Bob Hattaway
An oral history of Bob Hattaway, conducted by Daniel Motta on June 14, 2012. Hattaway was born and raised in Altamonte Springs, Florida. In the interview, Hattaway discusses growing up in Altamonte Springs, working in the fern industry, his real…
Mann and Mills Dry Goods Store and Lafayette Apartments
The Mann and Mills Dry Goods store at 31 South Main Street in Winter Garden, Florida. The building was constructed by James Lafayette Dillard (1858-1943) in 1922. Thomas Franklin Mann and Willie Mills migrated to Winter Garden in 1912, where they…
South Apopka Supply Company
Two men walking on Main Street past the South Apopka Supply Company in Winter Garden, Florida. Located at 32 South Main Street, the building was erected around 1915 and stood directly south of the 1912 Dillard and Boyd Building. The South Apopka…
M. V. Dillard and Company Garage
The M. V. Dillard and Company Garage, located on the corner of Plant Street and Main Street, just north of the Shelby Hotel, in Winter Garden, Florida. The garage was owned by James Lafayette Dillard (1858-1943), a local icon in Winter Garden. The…
James Lafayette Dillard's Packing House
The interior of James Lafayette Dillard's (1858-1943) citrus packing house, located on South Dillard Street in Winter Garden, Florida, just south of the Tavares and Gulf Railroad tracks. Also seen in the photographs are members of Dillard's family.…
James Lafayette Dillard and Mabel Dillard at Dillard's Orange Groves
A photograph of James Lafayette Dillard (1858-1943) and his daughter, Mabel Dillard, riding in a horse-drawn carriage through Dillard's orange groves. Dillard migrated to Central Florida from Virginia with his wife, Mattie Showalter, in 1887. He…
James Lafayette Dillard
James Lafayette Dillard (1858-1943) is a local icon in Winter Garden, Florida. Dillard migrated to Central Florida from Virginia with his wife, Mattie Showalter, in 1887. He established himself primarily as a citrus and vegetable grower, but he also…
South Intersection of Main Street and Plant Street, Winter Garden
A southward view of Main and Plant Street in Winter Garden, Florida, prior to the fires of 1909 and 1912. The large building on the right is A. B. Newton's Dry Good Store, which was later replaced by Dillard and Boyd General Merchandise Store. Behind…
Winter Garden Business District
The business district of Winter Garden, Florida, photographed prior to the 1909 and 1912 fires that destroyed all of the buildings pictured. Winter Garden's business district was located at the intersection of East Plant Street and North Main Street.…
Home of Harold E. and Gladys Hall
The residence located at 235 North Lakeview Avenue in the Bumby subdivision of Winter Garden Florida. Constructed around 1938, platted by Henry "Harry" Edward Bumby (1870-1941) in 1923, this building a classic example of the Tudor Revival-style of…
Black Building
The Black Building, located at 101-121 West Plant Street in Winter Garden, Florida. This two-story brick Masonry Vernacular commercial building was constructed in 1921 by a businessman and citrus grower from Clermont named Robert E. Black. It…
Winter Garden's Original Fire Station
Winter Garden's original fire station, located at 127 South Boyd Street, was built during the Great Depression with funds secured by Mayor George Walker from the Works Progress Administration (WPA). In order to apply to the WPA for funding, the mayor…
Home of Harry Bumby
The one-and-one-half-story bungalow is located at 205 North Lakeview Avenue in Winter Garden, Florida. Built in 1919, this structure historically associated with Henry "Harry" Edward Bumby (1870-1941), the developer of the subdivision in which it is…
49 South Main Street in Winter Garden
The building at 49 South Main Street in Winter Garden, Florida. Evidence suggests that this commercial building was constructed around 1912 and was originally two stories high. In the 1920s, the second story was removed as a result of fire damage. It…
12 West Plant Street, Winter Garden
The structure at 12 West Plant Street in Winter Garden, Florida, was the first brick commercial building built in 1912, after a 1909 fire destroyed all the downtown wood buildings. It was built by James Lafayette Dillard (1858-1943) and Benjamin T.…
126 West Plant Street, Winter Garden
This one-story commercial building in Winter Garden, Florida, was constructed in 1922 as part of land platted by J. D. McMillan in 1915. The building at 126 West Plant Street was originally owned by the McMillan-Bray Hardware Company. The store was…
314 South Boyd Street, Winter Garden
This one-story Frame Vernacular-style building was constructed at 314 South Boyd Street in Winter Garden, Florida, in 1928. Located in Smith's #3 subdivision, platted by G. T. Smith in 1925, it initially served as the clubhouse for the Winter Garden…
Edgewater Hotel
The Edgewater Hotel, located at 99 West Plant Street in Winter Garden, Florida. The hotel is a part of the Winter Garden’s National Historic Register Business District, was completed in 1926 and opened in 1927 with 53 guestrooms available. At…
Central Florida Railroad Museum
The Central Florida Railroad Museum, located at 101 South Boyd Street in Winter Garden, Florida. Originally the Tavares and Gulf Railroad Depot, the building was constructed in 1913 at a cost of $1,765. The western portion, built of Florida sand…
First Baptist Church of Winter Garden
The First Baptist Church of Winter Garden was originally organized in Ocoee, Florida, in August of 1888 with nine charter members. After eight years, the church voted to relocate to Winter Garden on land donated by James Lafayette…
Winter Garden Heritage Museum, 2007
The Winter Garden Heritage Museum, located at 1 North Main Street in Winter Garden, Florida, in 2007. This one-story masonry vernacular building was originally the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad depot. The earliest train depot on this site was a…
Seminole County Public Schools Teachers and Salaries, 1913-1954
Seminole County Public Schools' Teacher Records from 1913 to 1954. When the Seminole County School Board was established in 1913, it began recording teachers' names, ages, certifications, years of experience, number of months contracted, and salaries…
Letter from Chase & Company to G. T. Smith (January 30, 1926)
An original letter of correspondence between one of the Chase & Company and G. T. Smith, chairman of the Light and Water Committee of Winter Garden, Florida. Topics discussed in the letter include the committee's request about utilizing the…
Letter from Joshua Chase to brother Sydney Chase (April 16, 1929)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include obtaining maps of Orange County from the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, obtaining…
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Joshua Coffin Chase (December 6, 1921)
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include a copy of a letter to Cary D. Landis in regards to the Brevard County Road, a copy of a…
RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 43: The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation
Episode 43 of RICHES Podcast Documentaries: The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation. RICHES Podcast Documentaries are short form narrative documentaries that explore Central Florida history and are locally produced. These podcasts can involve the…
RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 25: The Railways of Central Florida
Episode 25 of RICHES Podcast Documentaries: The Railways of Central Florida. RICHES Podcast Documentaries are short form narrative documentaries that explore Central Florida history and are locally produced. These podcasts can involve the…
RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 22: Hannibal Square
Episode 22 of RICHES Podcast Documentaries: Hannibal Square. RICHES Podcast Documentaries are short form narrative documentaries that explore Central Florida history and are locally produced. These podcasts can involve the participation or…
RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 18: Winter Garden's 20th Century: Boom, Bust and Rebirth
Episode 18 of RICHES Podcast Documentaries: Winter Gardens 20th Century: Boom, Bust and Rebirth. RICHES Podcast Documentaries are short form narrative documentaries that explore Central Florida history and are locally produced. These podcasts can…
The Apopka Chief, Vol. I, No. 47
The Apopka Chief, volume I, number 47 for March 7, 1924. This edition of the newspaper announces a new publishing plant, built by Lee F. Lovell, measuring 80 feet by 35 feet and featuring a Single Keyboard 14 Linotype. Published by the Apopka…
History of Orange County, Florida: Narrative and Biographical
Selected pages from History of Orange County Florida: Narrative and Biographical by William Fremont Blackman, Ph.D., L.L.D. Blackman was formally a professor at Yale University and President of Rollins College. The book was published by the E. O.…
Early Settlers of Orange County, Florida: Reminiscent-Historic-Biographic
Early Settlers of Orange County, Florida, printed in 1915 and published by Clarence E. Howard of Orlando, Florida. The book also includes an article "Early History of Orlando" written by J.N. Whitner of Sanford, Florida. This 68-page book contains…