Oral History of Julia Nadine Davis Aulin
Dublin Core
Click to View (Movie, Podcast, or Website)
Title
Alternative Title
Subject
Description
Abstract
Table Of Contents
0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:38 Oviedo in the 1960s
0:07:44 How Oviedo has changed over time
0:12:06 Mary Alice Powell Aulin
0:18:24 Oviedo’s Centennial
0:19:37 Andrew Aulin, Sr.
0:28:45 The Lees and the Lawtons
0:33:18 Alice Aulin, Andrew Aulin, Jr., and Oviedo during World War II
0:39:25 Colloquial expressions and historical artifacts
0:46:10 Closing remarks
Creator
Source
Publisher
Date Created
Date Copyrighted
Date Modified
Has Format
Is Part Of
Format
Extent
Medium
Language
Type
Coverage
Accrual Method
Mediator
Provenance
Rights Holder
Contributing Project
Curator
Digital Collection
Source Repository
External Reference
Transcript
Schneider
Alright, so we’re here with, um, Ms. Nadine [Davis] Aulin, conducting an oral history interview. Um, the interview is conducted by myself, Sarah Schneider, at the Alafaya [Library] Branch of the Orange County Library System, um, in Orlando, Florida. It’s Friday, March 13th, twe—2015, and, um, the interview will cover topics about Oviedo’s history and the Aulin family’s history, and, um, this is being done for the UCF [University of Central Florida] Public History introduction class, um, for their project on Oviedo’s history. So welcome. Thank you for talking with us today.
Aulin
Well, I’m glad to be here.
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
[laughs].
Schneider
Um, and so could you start off just introducing yourself, um, to the camera. So tell yourself a little—tell us a little bit about yourself, um, where you grew up, and how long you’ve been in Oviedo.
Aulin
Okay, I, um, was born and raised in Orlando. Um, remember Orlando from when it was, uh, 75,000 until now. uh, I married my husband[1] in 1965, and prior to that, I had been to Oviedo many times. my grandparents lived in Chuluota, uh, but I wasn’t, you know, didn’t really know people from Oviedo, but, uh, my husband, uh, went to Vietnam in 1965 through ’66, and during that time, uh, I lived with his aunt, who was, uh, Nettie [Dorcas] Jacobs Aulin. She was married to, uh, Theodore Aulin, who everybody called “The Judge,”, because he was Justice of the Peace.
Schneider
Ah.
Aulin
And, uh, in addition to that, my mother-in-law,[2] at that time, was living and she lived in Oviedo, and we had a close relationship.
Schneider
Uh huh, great, um, and so what was life like in or—in Oviedo when you moved here—in the area?
Aulin
Well, it was sorta cool. Um, the big events happened through the [First] Methodist Church [of Oviedo] or the [First] Baptist Church [of Oviedo]. uh, anything that was going on it was either through that or the—or the [Seminole County Public] Schools. Um, people—it was a big deal to go into Orlando out to eat. You know, you didn’t just do that willy-nilly. You, eh—it was an occasion.
Um, what I loved about that time is, uh, Oviedo had one police officer, and that was, um, George Kelsey, and his family had been here I think as long as the Aulins, uh, and he, uh, took care of the town. He, uh, would sleep, I think, in the early morning and then be around 18 hours a day doing his job, and he did it well. I don’t think we had too much crime. Uh, one of the things is, uh—Aunt Nettie—when I was living with her, we had an armadillo that bothered us, and she called Mr. Kelly[sic]—Mr. Kelsey to, uh, come get rid of that armadillo, and he says, “Well, Aunt Nettie, I’ll—I’ll be there as soon as I can. I just got in bed,” and she said, “Well, he’s out in our yard now, you need to come by now.” [laughs].
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
So he did. He came, and, uh, he says, “Okay. Well, I’m here. Where’s the armadillo?” And we—of course, the armadillo was gone by the time he got there, and she says, “Well, just hang around. you can shoot it,” and he says, “I don’t think I’m gonna be shooting armadillos, Aunt Nettie,” and—because, you know, everybody called everybody “Aunt” or “Ms.” or—you know, it wasn’t just first names, and she was, uh—one of his best friend’s son, er—her son was one of his best friends, and so, of course, he wanted to accommodate her, but he didn’t [laughs]—he wanted to be shooting armadillos in Downtown Oviedo. We lived right across from the Baptist church.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
So that wouldn’t have gone over very well, but that’s just sorta how Oviedo was back in those days—is that everybody knew everybody, and, uh, like the mayor of the time was, uh—oh, gosh, what was his name?[3] He was so nice. Um, it’ll come to me, but anyway, he used to go to the post office every morning and bring me my mail. You know, you’re not supposed to let somebody have somebody else’s mail, but he would bring me my mail, because my husband, being in Vietnam, he would write to me every day, and so this mayor would, uh—gosh, why can’t I think of his name? Um, he would bring me my mail, and, uh, it was just sorta, you know—sorta like, uh, small town, uh, neighborly kinda things that went on, back in those days.
Schneider
Great, great, and did you mention, um—what year did you come to Oviedo?
Aulin
I was, uh…
Schneider
I’m not…
Aulin
We got married in ‘65, and he soon left to go to Vietnam right after that. So, yeah, ’65.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
And I was working at the Townhouse Restaurant, and it was like a year old
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
When I started to work there.
Schneider
Wow, uh, huh.
Aulin
And so it’s been an institution…
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
For many years now.
Schneider
Yeah, Um, and what kinds of people—what kinds of jobs did people have in town around that time?
Aulin
Well, most everybody worked at either the packin’ house or in the groves, and you know, of course, there was the insurance companies, and there was real estate, uh, people back, at that time. Oviedo was beginning to build up, because the [Florida Technological] University[4] was in the works…
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
And people were moving out this way and buying houses, and, um—but farming and, um, the citrus was[sic] the main jobs, uh, I think, uh, at the time. At some point in time, I went to work for Citizens Bank [of Oviedo],[5] and at that time, it was like the, uh, only—the—the next largest business that wasn’t, uh, uh, the packin’ house…
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
You know, and, uh, I think it was the only building, at that time, that had an elevator, and it may still be.
Schneider
Huh.
Aulin
I don’t know. I can’t—I don’t know if there’s any buildings in the actual town that has an elevator, besides that. Maybe they do. I don’t know, but that was sort of a big deal that they had an elevator...
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
To [inaudible], uh, but yeah. There was one—I—I I’m trying to think if there was any other major jobs. Uh, there was your, uh—you know, you had school teachers and that kind of thing, but mostly it was farming.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
Something to do with farming.
Schneider
Uh huh, and you mentioned people going to Orlando. that was a special treat. What other kinds of things did people do for fun in town?
Aulin
Oh, back then they, uh—ball games. They were really into, um, the different ball games, so like baseball, football. The Oviedo, um—had just—the [Oviedo] High School had just started over, at, uh, Career Field, and, uh, they had their first football game—a team for the school’s in 1964—maybe ‘63—but it was a very good team. By 1965, they had, uh, uh—were winning a lot of games, and people really supported them, and, eh, little league and—and all that. people were really into that. I remember [laughs] when we came home from, uh, our honeymoon, the—after we took our luggage to his mother’s house—we went to, uh, a baseball game.
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
You know, who does that?
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
[laughs] But, eh, you know, it was the community thing, I think, uh, maybe because the community was so small, but people were active. If, um, you—even if you didn’t have children playin’ ball, you still wanted to go to support them and be there, and, uh, it was just, like I said, small town U.S.A.
Schneider
Uh huh, great. Um, and so what is Oviedo-life like today? What…
Aulin
Well [laughs]...
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
I—I think that, um—I, uh, think that it’s still very neighborly, but more secular. Uh…
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
I think there’s, uh—you know, people who live out on this side of town sort of do their kind of thing with their kids and their schools, and on the other side of town, the same thing, you know? I think that, uh, it—I—I think Oviedo still sort of has a reputation of being friendly and has that small town atmosphere kind of thing. Um, I don’t know if you’ve looked on the website. There’s an Oviedo community web—website, and people…
Schneider
Oh, okay.
Aulin
Go in with their gripes and—or their happy things, or…
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
You know, whatever. So it’s still, uh—technology’s sorta caught up with us, and...
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
But I don’t think in a negative way. I think that’s sort of a good thing.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
So…
Schneider
Great, um, and has—is there anything else that has changed in Oviedo since you’ve lived here that you—that you’ve noticed?
Aulin
Oh, I’m sure they’re lots of changes that I, you know—of course, they’re building new buildings and tearing down old buildings. Um, citrus has not gained or even [inaudible].
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
[laughs] and citrus is leaving us, and so is, uh, when—when we were first—when I first came here to Oviedo, um, out in Black Hammock, there was celery growing and cabbage and onions, and there was always something growing out there, and Now, there’s really nothing. There’s palm trees, but with the building industry not being too hot, they’re just growing and growing. They’re not being sold, uh, and I don’t even see much sod being sold. Um, uh, we, uh—all that has changed. It’s just not agriculture any more, and, uh, you know, then, uh, it’s modern times. I think people are, um, you know, since we’ve started here, there’s been integration, and so, that’s a big difference in Oviedo. um, people working together of different races and things like that, and I think it’s going pretty well.
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
Um, so…
Schneider
Okay, great. Um, so do you have any other stories—memorable stories about your time living in Oviedo, um, while you’ve been living there?
Aulin
Well [laughs]…
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
There’s been like the—I think it was, uh, one of the packing houses out on, uh, [Florida State Road] 46 caught on fire. This was in the early maybe 70s—maybe late 60s…
Schneider
Hm.
Aulin
And, uh, that was a huge deal. I mean, everybody, uh, was going out to see that fire….
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
Uh, but, uh—and of course, there’s been, u, funny things that’s happened, and I—right now, I can’t think of any[laughs], but, uh—you know, personal things—but, uh, eh, Just the change and the times, and the university, like I said, started it all. Uh, people started moving out here and then, because there was now new bedroom communities. Uh, then other businesses, that catered to that, have moved out here. I mean, we’ve got so many food, you know, restaurants and places to get food, and, uh, we don’t—and, you know, we’ve got a [Oviedo] Mall. Who would’ve ever though Oviedo would have a mall, and all these different places? Uh, It’s, uh, a very—like if—if you think back—1965 and today—it’s like two different worlds…
Schneider
Hm.
Aulin
Until you get down to the nitty gritty of it and start talking to people that actually live here. They still—still, I think, sorta have the same mindset.
Schneider
Hm.
Aulin
Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what I think.
Schneider
Huh. Um, alright. So what family stories have you heard, uh, about Oviedo’s early history? So before you lived here.
Aulin
Well, my, um, mother-in-law, who I, uh, learned so much from, she, uh, came here when she was I think 17—maybe 18 years old—from Lake Monroe, Florida, which is right outside of, uh, Sanford. Uh, she came out here because there was a lady that was running the hotel in Oviedo, that was right where the main red light is, um, in Oviedo. It was sort of east, uh, or south of that, and, uh, since then, of course, it’s burned down, and—but, uh, she came out to actually take care of the lady’s children while the lady ran the hotel. The [?] t turned into—she became like the telephone operator there, and, uh, I think she is noted as the first telephone operator in, uh, Oviedo, because, you know, that was a big deal back then too, and she, uh—that’s where she met her husband.[6] Uh, he worked across the way at the packing house with his, you know—his—the people who owned the packing house were relatives of his. Not that—I—I don’t think it was nepotism that he had a job there. It’s just there were not many other places to work, but, um, she met him there, and she learned how to pack fruit just by sittin’ around. I guess that was their courting days, you know?
Schneider
Hm.
Aulin
“Here, let me show you how [laughs] to pack fruit.”
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
But, uh—and she used to tell me, um, or she told me once that, uh, she—when they courted, uh, her husband’s, uh, cousin, would loan him his car, and it was a roadster, and I never quite got the concept of what a roadster is, but I do know that, uh, one of the cars that they rode around in had the rumble seat in the back
Schneider
Ah.
Aulin
And when they would double date, she and her husband always had to be in the rumble seat, but when it was just the two of them, they would—a big date would be him taking her to Lake Monroe to visit her parents [laughs].
Schneider
[laughs] Oh.
Aulin
So—but anyway, they, uh—they—she used to tell me stories about how they dressed, and, you know, her husband, um, was sort of dashing. I think he wore this straw, Panama hat or somethin’, and, uh, she was a great seamstress, so she made all her clothes, and she was seamstress for Oviedo. She, uh, made so many wedding dresses for people, and, uh, I think she sewed for about—oh, gosh. I want to say about 40 years…
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
And she was really great. Uh, she would make you clothes that—as a matter of fact, there was one person in Oviedo that used to take her to, uh, Winter Park, and they would sketch out the dresses in the windows…
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
And then she would come back and make them for this person, and, you know, for hardly any money at all, and in Winter Park, it would cost like, 20 times whatever she charged…
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
Because they were very nice dresses, but, uh—and she did that up until she was in her ‘60s.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
And, uh, everybody loved to have her make them a dress, and she always was—loved to do it, because it was like her calling. It was her art. It was her thing, and, uh, she really enjoyed that very, very much, and, uh, of course, it was the different people that would come there. She had these, um—what do they call them? Dress models?
Schneider
Uh…
Aulin
Uh, and she had one that was—one lady that was sort of heavy, and that’s what she called it—by this lady’s name, and, um, I’m not saying their names, ‘cause their families all—still are here.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
And then there’s another one that the lady was quite tall, and she called it that, and then finally she got this little short, fat, one and she called it Nadine [laughs].
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
And she used to make me my clothes, even when we were stationed in Germany or wherever. She’d send me, uh, my clothes, and they would be perfect every time. So, um, she was very, very talented at that, and I, uh, think that, uh—like I said, I think that it was her art, and she enjoyed doing it, and I think a lot of people, uh, of that era enjoyed working. I don’t think you see that so much anymore.
Schneider
Yeah.
Aulin
And I think people, uh, of my father’s age and, uh, Andy’s parents, they just sorta took their job very, very seriously, and it was their thing. It was, you know—they had pride in what they were doing. It wasn’t just—and of course, they had to earn money, and they didn’t earn that much for whatever they were doing, but still it was their—their art. It was their art.
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
So there’s, um—some of the funny stories would be, uh, Andy’s uncle, eh, Theodore, who they all called Fifi, um, he didn’t [laughs] believe in change. So like, if they put in a traffic light or a stop sign where they never had had one before, he never paid—after he got old, he never paid any attention for—to it.
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
And, uh, he was just—and George, the policeman, would just say, “Well, that’s Uncle Fifi. We just have to watch out for him.” [laughs].
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
And there was other people like that. there were what you call “characters” around the town, and—and that’s what people did—is they just sorta said, uh, “Well, that’s who they are,” and, you know, you just have to watch out for them, and I think that’s where the lovely—lovely thing about Oviedo and small towns everywhere, I’m sure.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
And so, uh, don’t know what else…
Schneider
Yeah, that’s great, um, and you mentioned the—being a telephone or switchboard operator. Um, so what were the name—what was her name? [inaudible]…
Aulin
Her name was Alice.
Schneider
Alice?
Aulin
Mary Alice Aulin.
Schneider
Okay.
Aulin
Um, yeah. Uh, she did that, and, uh, as a matter of fact, when they did the centennial here, I, uh—they recognized her for that, and, um, it was very nice, um, and that was a nice thing too. I don’t know if you, uh—I’m sure you got information about that, but that centennial thing was really a nice thing that Oviedo did. Uh, brought everybody together, and then people that were new got to know more about what was going on. uh…
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
There was, like, memorial celery vase.
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
Have you heard that or seen that? Uh…
Schneider
I haven’t seen it. no.
Aulin
Well, uh, most of us have one that were around at that time, uh…
Schneider
Huh.
Aulin
And that’s when, um, Mr. Neely’s book[7] came out.
Schneider
Oh, okay.
Aulin
Uh, or Miss [Donna] Neely’s. I guess it was Ms. Neely’s. Uh, Dr., uh—what was his name?[8] Doesn’t matter.
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
That’s okay. Uh, [inaudible] another one of those things that will come to you, but, um, that all sorta gelled at the same time for the centennial, and It was a big celebration, and, um, it was very, very, very nice.
Schneider
Mmhmm, nice. Yeah, um, and have you heard any family stories about Andrew Aulin?
Aulin
Oh, yes, he…
Schneider
That you’d like to share.
Aulin
Was, uh—now, the first Andrew Aulin? You know, there’s…
Schneider
Yeah.
Aulin
The first Andrew Aulin, and then there was my husband’s father, Andrew Aulin, and my husband, Andrew Aulin, and none of them have middle names, and, uh, [laughs]…
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
So it’s just…
Schneider
Confusing.
Aulin
Uh, but anyway, the first one, uh—it’s was my understanding that he traveled a lot before he settled down and came to Florida, but, um, one of the places that he traveled to or was in was, um, Oviedo, Spain. There was a big University [of Oviedo] there, and evidently, he was a scholar, and he had gone to, uh, [Uppsala] University in Uppsala, Sweden. he was Swedish, and, um—so when he came to Oviedo and they decided they were gonna make a town, and as a postmaster, they had him choose the name, he chose Oviedo, because this area reminded him of that town—city—I guess it was—and, uh—so therefore, he named it Oviedo, because—and—and also it had the Spanish name and Florida has a Spanish name—is a Spanish name. So he all thought it all sorta fit.
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
And, um, it’s also my understanding—and this is sorta—I’ve heard people sorta joke about it—that he really cared more about reading and his books and doing scholarly things that, uh, he didn’t really care much about his business. He—he had a business, and I heard someone say—I think it was Mr. W. A. Ward’s father, uh, Bill Ward—said, um, that he would like—and maybe it wasn’t Mr. Ward—but anyway it doesn’t matter—it was somebody from that era—said that, uh, you would go into the mercantile store and say, you know, you wanted—I don’t know, um—seven yards of material or whatever, and he’d say, “Well, it’s back over that way,” and he’d go right back to his book [laughs].
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
And, uh—so whether people paid him or not he wasn’t real [laughs]…
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
But I’m sure they all did pay, because it was a different era, again, at that time, but, uh, they said that they[?]—they would often see him sittin’ outside his—his store—just sittin’ there reading a book…
Schneider
Huh.
Aulin
And, uh, he—it’s also my understanding that he, uh, taught, was one of the first like little school situations here. Not that it was really a school. I don’t know about that. I just know that he taught people whatever he taught them, I don’t know if it was Greek or, uh, some, uh—something more than just grade school kind of things. I’m not sure about that. I just know that, uh—that was, uh,—has been told to me several times—was that he, um—and it may be even—there’s a letter written by, uh, Steen Nelson, uh, who…
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
Nelson and Company.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
And, uh, in that letter, there’s a descript—description of, uh, Andrew Aulin, and, uh, I think in there, he mentions him being a scholar, and, um, his store, and naming the town, and—and those kind of things, and I have—I just thought of it. I think I have a copy of that letter that I’ll try to provide for you, if I can find it. Uh…
Schneider
Yeah, that’d be great.
Aulin
Uh, then there’s[sic] other people in town that have a copy of it too, so I’m sure that we can locate it, and that’s sorta interesting too. I don’t know much about Steen Nelson, other than Nelson and Company was originally his business.
Schneider
Okay.
Aulin
And, uh, I don’t know if he became a partner with Mr. [Benjamin Franklin] Wheeler[, Sr.], or if the Wheelers just bought it out, or what.
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
I don’t know that, but, uh, yeah. that’s, uh, how it all started with him.
Schneider
Uh huh, and do, you know, anything about, um, Andrew Aulin’s role as sort of an entrepreneur or stockholder—I think was the word. That I think he was involved in some entrepreneurial ventures with those people. I don’t know if you’ve heard anything about that.
Aulin
Uh, he probably was…
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
I mean, because he was very much involved in the very beginning of Oviedo, and if you look at the land, uh, plats from that time, his name’s everywhere.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
So I, um—that part though I don’t really know, but I…
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
Do know that once upon a time, he owned a lot of land in Oviedo, and then I think, by the time he passed, there—he had sold it or, uh—I know that my mother-in-law used to talk about, uh, there were boom times and not-boom times, and, uh, in the boom times, everybody had money and had high hopes, and then it would all crash, and—but that’s all throughout history. You know, they…
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
That—early 1900s, and on, and in 1929, and then on and on, and so…
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
People would have stuff and then they’d have nothing.
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
And—but, fortunately, back in those times, if you were a farmer, you could always grow your crop, but—as long as you didn’t have a dust bowl, like they did out West, and that kind of thing, but—yeah.
Schneider
Okay, um, and have you heard about anything in terms of Andrew Aulin, uh, growing citrus? Have you heard any…
Aulin
Yes.
Schneider
Stuff about that? Uh huh.
Aulin
He did. He grew, um,—he had orange groves, um, and I—he had, uh, different properties around. I know that on the, uh, south side of town, uh, he had properties, and then down—what we now call Downtown Oviedo, uh—I think he had properties down there that he grew not oranges on. I think it was, um, other kinds of crops. Uh, I’m thinking strawberries and celery. I don’t think celery was the big thing particularly, at that time. I think celery came along a little later, but, uh, yeah, uh, he did, and I—I that part—I’m sorry to tell ya—I haven’t ever delved into it, but I have always liked to hear the character stories, ya know?
Schneider
Uh huh [laughs].
Aulin
[laughs].
Schneider
Yeah, um, and have you heard anything about him as a postmaster, beyond what you were saying? Have you heard any stories about that, or…
Aulin
Nothing other than him naming the town.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
And, uh, I don’t know how it came about that he was the first postmaster. Uh, I do know that, uh, prior to that, everybody got their mail from, um, White’s Wharf, but, uh, then I guess they decided they needed a post office in Oviedo.
Schneider
Uh huh, great, and, uh, you mentioned earlier, uh, the Swedish background of the family. Um, do you know anything more about that?
Aulin
Uh, no, other than they’re from a place, um—it’s a big— it’s a big town in, uh, Ov—I mean Spain, uh—Sweden. Um, it’s right on the—the ocean. I, uh, don’t[?]—I have all this stuff at my house, because, um, I have sort of like a history, but I can’t think of it now. Uh, it’s called “getting old.”
Schneider
Did you say before Uppsala? [inaudible]…
Aulin
Well, Uppsala was where he went to university.
Schneider
Oh, okay. That was the university. [inaudible]…
Aulin
Yes, he went to school there, and, um, I can’t think of the name of the town where he was born, but that’s as far back as, uh, we’ve been able to go in his genealogy is to that town. Um, it starts with an M. I can’t think of it, but anyway, uh, he—I think it was a relatively young age when he left Sweden. I mean, um, not as a child, but [inaudible] probably in his early, early 20s, and then he traveled, and I think he even lived for a time in, uh, Ohio, and then, um—but it wasn’t until he came to Oviedo that he met his wife,[9] who was a Lawton, and, uh, her, uh, family was one of the main fam—founding families of, uh, Oviedo.
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
Uh, the Lawtons, uh, and Wheelers, and, uh, Aulins—they were sorta—and they sorta—and the Lees—the Lees also is another…
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
Name. Speaking of Lee, my mother-in-law, when she was a child, went with, uh, her uncle and her father on a, uh, river trip to Rockledge to get some—her uncle was the grocer. So they went on a skiff. She’s always called it that. I don’t know a skiff—from Lake Monroe to, uh, Rockledge, er, you know, by the coast, and, uh, I didn’t even know that the waterway would—would go that far, uh, on the St. Johns [River], but, um, back then, it did for sure, and she talked about how they camped on the way, and—but another person in their party was a gentleman named Thee Lee. I’m thinking his name was Theodore Lee. Uh, uh, I don’t know, but anyway, uh, we called him Thee Lee, and, um, he was a young man and he was—I guess knew her father or the uncle or somethin’. Anyway, he went on this trip with them and he would kill duck or whatever for their supper, and then she would always laugh and she says, “And then, 10 years or so later, I met him, because I was gonna marry his cousin.” So he was…
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
Andrew’s cousin.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
And, um—so I—I just thought that was so neat. She was just she had to be under 11 years old, because her father, uh, got killed on the railroad when she was, uh, 11. So she had to be pretty little kid when she went on that trip, but she remembered so much about them killing the geese and roasting them on the fire at night.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
And isn’t that an adventure for an 11-year-old? I mean golly.
Schneider
Yeah, wow.
Aulin
Uh, sounds so cool [laughs].
Schneider
Uh huh, awesome. Yeah, and what else have you heard about the Lawtons, and, uh, Lona Lawton, and everybody?
Aulin
Well, um, I just know that, uh, there was a Mr. Lawton, uh, here in Oviedo that, uh, when he—he found out that I was married to—and I worked in a bank—when he found out that I, uh, was married to an Aulin, uh, his wife would send me cookies every once in a while.
Schneider
Aw.
Aulin
And also Andy’s cousin’s wife lived there, uh—worked there, and so they were all—they were very kind to us, uh, just because of the relationship, I guess, and, um, I just thought that that was so cool that he would, uh—that she would do that, and now, I can’t remember which Lawton they were, because, uh, at that time, there was[sic] several older Lawtons living in Oviedo.
Schneider
Hm.
Aulin
And, uh—but that was so cool that he—that she would send us those cookies just because we were [laughs]…
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
Aulins. It was just this family ties, I guess, but, um, the—I’m trying to think of some of the—there was, um, a lot of Lawtons. Uh, I think there was like—it was of two different mothers, but there was like a bunch of ‘em. I—I’m wantin’ to say eight, or maybe even more than eight…
Schneider
Hm.
Aulin
Children, and, um, so they, um, settled here in Oviedo, and then, uh, I’ve since learned that there’s some Lawtons of that same group that live up in, uh, Northwest Florida.
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
And, uh, I’ve been in contact with their, um, great-grandchildren, um, but, uh, they—they were big farmers, and, um—then also, I think they, uh, were teachers, and, uh, I know that, um, another one of my husband’s aunts was a teacher, and she, uh, married a gentleman and they lived out—and went out to live out in Texas, and that’s where the original Andrew Aulin died. He was in Texas. that’s where he’s buried—is in Texas, because he was living out there with his daughter, and, um—but yeah, they—I think they sort of have a—a legacy of teaching and farming.
Schneider
Mmhmm, yeah. Um, have you heard anything about, uh, Lona Lawton as—and her role as a switchboard operator after the [World] War [I]?
Aulin
Lona Lawton?
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
Or Alice Aulin?
Schneider
Um, I believe it was Lona Lawton that they mentioned in the book.
Aulin
Nah, I…
Schneider
Maybe.
Aulin
What war?
Schneider
Um, I said after World War—World War I?
Aulin
Uh, that would have had to have been Andy’s mother,
Schneider
Oh, okay.
Aulin
Alice.
Schneider
Okay.
Aulin
Mary Alice Aulin.
Schneider
[inaudible].
Aulin
Because Lona Lawton…
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
Was, um, Andrew’s mother.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
And she died before, um, Andy’s mother met him.
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
So I—she met him, um, around 1920.
Schneider
Hm.
Aulin
Something like that.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
Um, maybe twe—even ’22—something like that, ‘cause she was, uh—well, she was born in 1904, and, um, so she was only like 18 in ’22, so yeah.
Schneider
Hm.
Aulin
So Lona had—had died…
Schneider
Ah.
Aulin
Before then.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
Uh, and she, uh—I think way before then. I think in the early 1900s.[10] Uh, Andy’s father was the youngest child, and he was born in like 18-something.
Schneider
Oh, okay.
Aulin
Like, uh, 1893, I’m thinking—somewhere in that area.
Schneider
Hm.
Aulin
So, yeah, she had been dead a long time.
Schneider
Hm, mmhmm.
Aulin
Um, so it wasn’t her. It was Andy’s mother, and I don’t remember, um, I mean it was after World War I that she, uh, did that because, uh, she was like 18 when she started.
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
And then, at one point, uh, she got married and—but then, at a later time, they came and put the switchboard in her house.
Schneider
Ah.
Aulin
They lived on Graham [Avenue].
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
And then she ran it from there, and then, um, another time, when she lived on Myrtle Street, they’ve[sic] moved it there, and she—but she had the—it, like, blew up in her ear, or…
Schneider
Uh huh [laughs].
Aulin
I don’t know what you’d call it. Uh, it had a short somehow and it made her, uh, almost deaf in one ear from doing that, and that was—I think that was like in the ‘30s…
Schneider
Hm.
Aulin
When that happened.
Schneider
And have you heard anything about Andrew Aulin’s experience in World War I, uh, so [inaudible].
Aulin
Yes, I know that he was, um, uh—now, this is Andrew Aulin, Jr.
Schneider
Oh, okay, sorry.
Aulin
Uh, Andy’s father—my husband’s father.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
He was, uh, in, um, France during World War I, and he was, um, gassed. He got injured, uh, or, you know, not wounded, but, uh, harmed or disabled, uh, somewhat, by having, uh, gas, because, you know, that was the war when they did the—did that. he was in the trenches, and one of the funny or odd things, I think, is, um, they don’t eat—eat potatoes very much in the Aulin family, uh, or that part of the Aulin family, because all he got to eat when he was, uh, overseas was potatoes, and he said he hoped he never saw another potato, so…
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
[laughs] Andy’s mother cooked rice every day, and, uh, when I got married, I cooked rice every day for many, many years, and then I finally taught my husband that, you know, life will go on without rice, so [laughs]
Schneider
[laughs] [inaudible].
Aulin
But, uh, rice was the big thing. They ate rice instead of potatoes, and another thing, because of his, uh, eating habits, or lack of, when he was over there, uh, he wouldn’t eat gravy that was white—you know, made with milk.
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
Because that was just—that’s all they got over there—was white gravy. Er, he thought it had no taste. So Mrs. Aulin—even if the gravy didn’t come out dark enough, she would put like instant coffee in it or somethin’ to make it dark.
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
[laughs] And that’s a good trick.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
It makes it taste better, if you just put a li’l coffee in it.
Schneider
Huh [laughs].
Aulin
That’s one of the tricks I’ve learned from her, uh, but yeah. I don’t know of any, uh—I just know that he went over there, uh, and got more or less wounded, and, uh, that whole family, I think, is, uh, been in World War—his—my husband’s oldest—older brother[11] was in World War II and in the Korean War. My husband was in, uh, [the] Vietnam [War], and, um, so they’ve all, you know, served their country.
Schneider
[inaudible].
Aulin
And I, uh, think that’s sorta something that most of the people in Oviedo did. I mean, there was a lot of people in Oviedo that, uh, served in World War II, and, uh, even some of the people that weren’t in the military, they served by, uh, manning the—they had a tower that they watched for…
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
Airplanes and what have you, like a civil defense kind of thing…
Schneider
Okay.
Aulin
And, uh, I know that Andy’s sisters did some of that and the, uh, other girls in town, uh, volunteered to do that, and there was—the tower was downtown, uh, by the red light too…
Schneider
h huh.
Aulin
From what I understand. I think that’s where it was. Have to ask somebody who was here then, but I think that’s where it was from the stories...
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
They tell.
Schneider
Mmhmm, um, and you mentioned some of the founding families of Oviedo. What—is there anything else—any other stories you know about them, or, um—besides [inaudible]…
Aulin
Well, I do know that, uh, it—I think this is sort of funny. Uh, When I came and I was living with Andy’s aunt and she would mention someone or I would mention someone, and she would say something like, “Oh, they’re one of the new people.”
Schneider
Oh [laughs].
Aulin
[laughs] And I would say, “Oh, when did—when did they come to Oviedo?” And she says, “Oh, I think they came in like the 20s.”
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
[laughs] And—she—her family was the Jacobs, and they—her father settled on—at—at Lake Pickett…
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
Way back in the 1800s. Uh, his brother settled on Lake Mills.
Schneider
Yeah.
Aulin
And then his sister was married to, uh, a Kilby, I think, and they settled in, um, Geneva on Lake Harney.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
So it—out of the same family, they all settled on lakes, and then Aunt Nettie married, uh, an Aulin, and so she was like from first—a first family of two different places, and, uh, she used to say—and not only she—when I would first come to Oviedo and I’d be like at my grandmother’s, somebody would say, uh, “Oh, we’d better get back to Oviedo before the creek rises,” or if you were in Oviedo, uh, they would say, “Well, we’d better get back to Chuluota before the creek rises,” and Aunt Nettie explained to me what that was—is that once upon a time there was a—a low bridge, where the regular bridge is going from Oviedo to Chuluota, but it was a low bridge, and if the water got high, you couldn’t go across it, because you couldn’t see the bridge, and, uh, so it was true that if it was raining or something like that and the bridge got overflowed, then you were stuck. You had to…
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
[laughs] stay there. So that’s why they said that. They—and they still say it as far as I know, to this day, “If, you know—if the creek rises, we’d better,” just as a sort of joke or whatever, and, um, I [laughs] always thought that—well, I liked it when I found out what it—what it meant, and there was something else I was gonna tell you around those lines, but, um, every little town has its—its little sayings, and funny things, and, um—but I can’t think of what else I was gonna tell you. Anyway…
Schneider
Uh huh [laughs]. So tell me about, um, you mentioned some of the artifacts that you had, um, so tell me a little bit about what those were or if you have any stories about them.
Aulin
Well, I don’t really have any artifacts. I have some copies of things that…
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
Uh, have been handed to me, because of my interest in genealogy.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
Uh, I have, uh, copies of some pages out of a Lawton, uh, Bible that, uh—these people I’ve met in Northwest Florida—and it has, of course, the names of people that were here, you know, like, uh, Lona, and Narcissa [Melissa Lawton], and those, um, Lawtons, and, um, then I have, uh, different, you know, writings, and newspaper clippings, and, um, things like that. I had some, um, things that belonged to my husband’s, um, father, but I sent them to, uh—or had his grandmother send them—send them to her son—her grandson in Tennessee, because he was interested in that stuff…
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
And not many people, you know, really are, and so…
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
I thought that would be a good thing for him to have, but as far as, uh, actual hold-it-in-your-hand kind of thing, other than copies and—and writings, I don’t— I don’t really have anything.
Schneider
Uh huh, and what were some of the things that were sent? what were some of the, um…
Aulin
Uh, well, I’ve got, uh—we have a copy of, uh, Nar—Narcissa’s diary.
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
A portion of it that she did
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
In World War…
[child cries]
Aulin
I mean in the Civil War.
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
Uh, and that’s very interesting.
Schneider
Wow.
Aulin
And I mean it really takes you back in—in time.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
And there—one of the things she writes about is, uh, having to make, uh, shoes for, uh, some of the people that worked there, and she didn’t—obviously, they were slaves, but she didn’t call them that.
Schneider
Hm.
Aulin
It was “our people,” you know?
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
And she had to make them some shoes, and, uh, she talked about the war, and, she, you know—she heard bad news that would come down from Virginia, and she was in, uh—right outside Thomasville, Georgia, is where they lived at that time.
Schneider
Huh.
Aulin
And, uh, it’s really, really a treasure having—having that, uh, but it’s, uh, a copy of it, and it’s, uh—I don’t even know who’s got the original. Oh, I do. I[?] happen to be—the original, uh, got washed away in a flood they had out in Texas, where…
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
Where it was—where it was kept, uh, which is regrettable, ‘cause, I mean, now it’s gone, but fortunately, we all have—or not all of us—but a lot of us have copies of it.
Schneider
Wow[?].
Aulin
So that’s really, really another treasure.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
And, uh, then I have these like—I think I had already told you—these copies of that—pages out of that Bible, where they note the family happenings—you know, deaths, births—that kind of thing—weddings, Um, and like—like I said, the Steen, uh, Nelson letter. I’ve got, I think, probably, uh, all the books and things that were written, and—and I have treasures from the, um, centennial, and newspaper clippings, and things like that.
Schneider
Awesome, very cool. Um, so are there any other stories that you want to share about—in general, that you’ve been thinking about? Um…
Aulin
Well, I, you know—I can sit here and tell you stories, uh, about, uh, my mother-in-law [inaudible], but I don’t know if they would have any interest to, um—I mean, it’s just—you would just be interested if you were her granddaughter or something like that, you know? It’s just sorta family things.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
But, um, Aunt Nettie, uh, as I said, you know—she—her husband was the one they called “The Judge.” he was the Justice of the Peace, and, um, she, um, also had, uh—it wasn’t a boarding house, but she had extra rooms in her house, and there was a time when the railroad people were working here or whatever, uh, and, you know, Oviedo used to be really busy with all of the fruit, vegetables being shipped in and outta here—or being shipped out of here.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
And, um, so she would, um, let out a room to these people that work for the railroad, and, uh, she used to tell me little saying—like one of ‘em would, uh, put cheese in his coffee, and [laughs]…
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
I’ve never heard of that before, and then she would always say, uh—she was a swe—sweet, old lady. She was so precious, and she would say, uh, “Nadine, you want some cheese in your coffee?” I said, “No, Aunt Nettie. I don’t want any cheese in my coffee.”
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
That’s what the man would say. He would say…
Schneider
Oh.
Aulin
“I want some cheese for her coffee.” [laughs]
Schneider
[laughs].
Aulin
Just little stories like that…
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
You know, that doesn’t mean anything to anybody, but…
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
Just, uh, you had to know the people. You had to be there, you know, sort of thing. So…
Schneider
Uh huh, great, and, um, so do you have any last words about maybe what impact that your relatives and—have had in the town in the early history or just any other thoughts about Oviedo’s history in general?
Aulin
Well, I [inaudible]—I think that Oviedo has a, uh—a good history, you know? You don’t really think of too many bad things happening in Oviedo. I don’t know—don’t know that I recall anything bad. I did[?]—I know that there’s been some, uh—there used to be a prison camp out on the way to Winter Park, on that road.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
And, uh, I think there was an escape, uh—escape there, and I think, uh, that’s when Mr. John Courier[sp] got hurt. Now, this you’re gonna have to talk to other people about, because I don’t really know, but I do know that there’s been things like that that have happened…
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
That are tragic.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
But, um, I—I don’t know any firsthand information about that, and—but as far as Oviedo is concerned, I think that, uh, like I said in the beginning, the—the churches is[sic] what it was all based on, and I think pretty much, it still has that, uh, heritage, that rock, that—that keeps it sorta held together, and I think all that’s important. Uh, we have a lot more churches now than just the Methodist and the Baptist.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
And, uh, the, uh, church that’s, uh, mainly black people on the, uh, way out of town…
Schneider
Mmhmm.
Aulin
Uh, I think that’s been there for years and years and years and years, and, uh, I noticed the other day, it’s growing like gangbusters, just like the other churches.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
And that’s really great, and that’s really a good foundation, and I think that they’ve—we’ve maintained that foundation.
Schneider
Uh huh.
Aulin
So that’s a good thing.
Schneider
Great, alright. Well, thank you so much for talking with us. this was really helpful.
Aulin
Oh, well, thank you. I hope that it was. I, uh, enjoyed it. Sorta nice bringing those memories back. Sorry I couldn’t remember some things.
Schneider
No, no. It’s—that’s great.
[1] Andrew Aulin III.
[2] Mary Alice Powell Aulin.
[3] Lee Gary.
[4] Now the University of Central Florida.
[5] Now the Citizens Bank of Florida.
[6] Andrew Aulin, Jr.
[7] Oviedo: Biography of a Town.
[8] Richard R. Adicks, Jr.
[9] Emma “Lona” Leonora Lawton Aulin.
[10] 1904.
[11] Charles Warren Aulin.