Fountain in Lake Eola Park Postcard

Fountain in Lake Eola Park Postcard

Sperry Fountain Postcard

Orlando (Fla.)

Postcards--Florida

Parks--Florida

Fountains--Florida

Postcard, posted in 1951, showing the Sperry Fountain on the southern shore of Lake Eola in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The fountain was named in honor of Frank Sperry, a mayor of Orlando. Lake Eola and the surrounding park are one of the unusual features that sets the city of Orlando apart from other places. From its earliest days, Downtown Orlando was situated on the west side of the lake. As the town grew into a city, Lake Eola continued to be a focal point for the inhabitants, who used it for bathing, swimming and fishing, while on its shores people picnicked, listened to concerts and religious services. Much of the land around Lake Eola was donated to Orlando by Jacob Summerlin who designated that it be a public park. It has remained one ever since. The rest of the park land was donated by the Musselwhite Family and Mayor Frank Sperry.

Once Frank Sperry had settled in Orlando, he started the South Florida Foundry and Machine Works, which developed into a large enterprise and Orlando's first real industry. Sperry was active in the business for a number of years, but sold out his interest because of failing health. He also began to have a great interest in the growing of citrus in the county. He served as mayor of Orlando and was also a member of the Park Commission. In 1913, while serving with the Park Commission, he donated the final piece of land on Lake Eola that completed a ring around the lake. On that land, he donated $2,000 to place a fountain that stands to this day and bears his name as a reminder of his generosity. The fountain, made of wrought iron was described as a "large acanthus leaf with a duck base surmounted by a bittern set in an octagonal masonry basin with eight vases." At the base of the fountain there is a plaque with the following statement: "This fountain donated by Frank E. Sperry, Mayor 1914 - 1916."

Genuine Curteich-Chicago

Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard by Genuine Curteich-Chicago: Orange News Company, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.

Orange News Company

ca. 1951

ca. 1951

Digital reproduction of original color 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard by Genuine Curteich-Chicago: Orange News Company, Orlando, Florida.

Postcard Collection, Thomas Cook Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.

application/pdf

8.44 KB

5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard

eng

Still Image

Sperry Fountain, Orlando, Florida

St. Augustine, Florida

Lake Wales, Florida

28.543825, -81.375185

29.894532, -81.313305

27.901559, -81.586368

1951-11-29/1951-11-29

Donation

History Teacher

Geography Teacher

Originally created by Genuine Curteich-Chicago and published by the Orange News Company.

Copyright to this resource is held by Genuine Curteich-Chicago and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.

Cook, Thomas

Private Collection of Thomas Cook

Rajtar, Steve. A Guide to Historic Orlando. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2006.

0-94-- Fountain in Lake Eola Park, Orlando, Fla. "The City Beautiful"
ORANGE NEWS CO., ORLANDO FLA.
GENUINE CURTEICH-CHICAGO "C.T. ART-COLORTONE" POST CARD (REG. U.S. PAT. OFF.)

ORLANDO NOV 30 12:00 PM 1951
Mrs Flossie Martin
102 C.C. Ave
Liberty Indiana

Orlando Florida 11-29-1951
Dear Mrs. Martin:
We arrived here at 4P.M. from St. Augustine. We are having a fine time seeing lots of oranges, pine trees + trees hanging with moss + the ocean roaring + Everything which you have seen too. Go to Lake Wales in a.m.
Love Mrs. Marlin

1 color postcard

5.5 x 3.5 inch