Fountain in Lake Eola Park Postcard
Dublin Core
Title
Fountain in Lake Eola Park Postcard
Alternative Title
Sperry Fountain Postcard
Subject
Orlando (Fla.)
Postcards--Florida
Parks--Florida
Fountains--Florida
Description
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."
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."
Creator
Genuine Curteich-Chicago
Source
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard by Genuine Curteich-Chicago: Orange News Company, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Publisher
Orange News Company
Date Created
ca. 1951
Date Copyrighted
ca. 1951
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of original color 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard by Genuine Curteich-Chicago: Orange News Company, Orlando, Florida.
Is Part Of
Postcard Collection, Thomas Cook Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Requires
Format
application/pdf
Extent
8.44 KB
Medium
5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard
Language
eng
Type
Still Image
Coverage
Sperry Fountain, Orlando, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
Lake Wales, Florida
Spatial Coverage
28.543825, -81.375185
29.894532, -81.313305
27.901559, -81.586368
Temporal Coverage
1951-11-29/1951-11-29
Accrual Method
Donation
Mediator
History Teacher
Geography Teacher
Provenance
Originally created by Genuine Curteich-Chicago and published by the Orange News Company.
Rights Holder
Copyright to this resource is held by Genuine Curteich-Chicago and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.
Curator
Cook, Thomas
Digital Collection
Source Repository
Private Collection of Thomas Cook
External Reference
Rajtar, Steve. A Guide to Historic Orlando. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2006.
Transcript
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
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
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
1 color postcard
Physical Dimensions
5.5 x 3.5 inch
Collection
Citation
Genuine Curteich-Chicago, “Fountain in Lake Eola Park Postcard,” RICHES, accessed December 11, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/1359.