Self portrait of Jefferson Clay Ensminger, likely taken at the same time as his other portraits. Ensminger was born in 1843 in Stark County, Ohio. His father was a photographer and he likely picked up the trade from the family business based out of Ashland, Ohio. Ensminger spent much of his young adult life on the move, intermittently establishing photography studios in New York City, New York; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Independence, Iowa; and eventually Sanford, Florida. Ensminger and his family moved to Sanford in 1884 and shortly after became close friends with the aging General Henry Shelton Sanford Sanford, who commissioned Ensminger to perform a series of photographs. Ensminger would spend the remaining 28 years of his life in Sanford and the studio he established with his brother would be known as a Sanford institution.
Reproduction of glass plate negative by Jefferson Clay Ensminger: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Ensminger, General Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
J. N. Whitner's Celery Farm During Harvest Time
Mecca Hammock Farms during the harvest season in the 1890s . This celery farm was owned by J. N. Whitner and B. F. Whitner Sr. In 1897, the Whitners planted three-quarters of an acre with celery imported from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Sanford was not always known as the "Celery City". The origins of Sanford's connection to celery farming began on December 26, 1894, when a freeze damaged the area's citrus groves. They began to recover during a warm and wet January which promoted new shoots, but a second freeze hit on February 7, 1895, practically wiping them out. The 24 degree temperature was the coldest known in Florida to that point. The freeze was so intense that the sap froze inside the trunks, many of which split open, sounding like gunshots, and crashed to the ground. The population quickly dropped from 5000 to 2000 as the groves were abandoned. I.H. Terwilliger stayed after the freezes and is believed to have planted the first celery grown in Sanford in 1896. By 1898, celery became the crop synonymous to Sanford.
This photograph was incorporated into the Orange County Bicentennial Committee's More than a Memory collection, which explicitly traces the photo's origins to the Sanford Grammar School, located at 301 West Seventh Street in Sanford, Florida. Three circles of young girls are seen in the photograph holding hands with one another. The bottom portion of the original glass plate negative has suffered from significant flaking emulsion, which have been carried over to all subsequent prints. Originally established as Sanford High School, the building constructed at 301 West Seventh Street in Sanford, Florida, in 1902. The building was designed by W.G. Talley in the Romanesque revival style. Due to an increasing student population, a new school building was constructed on the corner of East Ninth Street and South Palmetto Avenue in 1911. The original building on Seventh Street served as Westside Grammar Elementary School, which was later renamed Sanford Grammar School. In 1984, the building was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places and converted into the Student Museum. The building reopened as the University of Central Florida's Public History Center in 2012.
This portrait is of Mary Ensmigner, Jefferson Clay Ensminger's eldest daughter. According to History of Buchanan County, Iowa: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Mary was five years old in 1881; this would place her year of birth between 1875 and 1876. In this portrait, taken during some time in the 1900s, Mary appears to be in her mid- to late twenties.
Steamboats--Florida--Saint Johns River--History
Lake Monroe (Seminole County and Volusia County, Fla.)
The Caloosa was one of many steamboats that operated along the St. Johns River during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Steamboats first appeared on the St. Johns in the 1860s. During the next several decades, the St. Johns River became Florida's first major tourist attraction for vacationing Northerners. The river became the state's first "highway", enabling homesteaders to move into the central part of the state. The steamboat era on the St. John's came to an end in the 1880s with the introduction of the Central Florida Railroad.
W. H. Underwood Buggies and Wagons: Harness and Farm Implements
Carriage and wagon making--United States
Automobile industry and trade--United States
W. H. Underwood established his carriage factory between late 1908 and early 1909, according to a trade news publication from February 1909. The Underwood Factory manufactured carriages, delivery wagons, special-use vehicles, sign painting, and primitive automobiles. Underwood's factory was considered to be "the swellest and largest line of vehicles this side of Jacksonville." He would later become an alderman for the City of Sanford. A 1913 newspaper report indicates that his wife died in 1913 from ptomaine poisoning, an allergic reaction to eating bad oysters.
Letter from Bob Entwistle to Gary I. Sharp (April 24, 1975)
A letter from Bob Entwistle, chair of the Orlando Regional Group of the Sierra Club's Florida Chapter, to Gary I. Sharp, dated April 24, 1975. In this letter, Entwistle finds merit in Sharp's proposal to have the Gourd Neck Springs area considered for purchase through the state's Environmentally Endangered Lands Program (EEL). Sharp states that he considers the site to have value in light of future growth projections of Central Florida, and classifies the site as a "high category 2, or low category 1" area. The Environmentally Endangered Lands Program (EEL) was formed in 1972 as part of the larger Land Conservation Act of 1972. The EEL program was initially funded through the sale of state bonds. The program was designed to help the state acquire lands considered environmentally sensitive and was not designed for creating areas for recreational use. Potential sites for acquisition could be suggested by citizens, county and state governments, and nonprofit organizations. After evaluation for environmental value, potential sites would be approved by the Executive Director of the Florida Department of Natural Resources and finalized by the Governor. In 1979, the former Executive Director, Harmon Shields, was indicted on corruption charges involving the lands-acquisition process. Following this scandal, the EEL program was replaced by Conservation and Recreation Lands Program. This change replaced the program's funding with tax revenues instead of bond sales, and formed the Land Acquisition Selection Committee, made up by six executive directors of Florida environmental agencies, to select sites for approval by the governor. The Division of State Lands was also created as a division of the Department of Natural Resources to oversee mapping and evaluation of potential sites for acquisition. Gourd Neck Springs is a small spring located in the southwest portion of Lake Apopka, in a small cove called “Gourd Neck” due to its distinctive shape. This area of the lake was considered in the 1960s as a potential nursery for fish. The Lake Apopka Technical Committee explored damming the Gourd Neck, separating it from the lake and preventing polluted lake water from entering, but these plans did not materialize. Efforts were also made in the 1960s to have the Gourd Neck area purchased by the State of Florida for use as a public park. The Gourd Neck Springs Park Association was formed in 1961 to study the site’s potential for a park and lobby for support from legislators. The land bordering the area was privately-owned by various individuals. One of these, Gary I. Sharp, continued seeking support for a park into the 1970s. While the project received support from Florida legislators and environmentalists, the land was never purchased by the state.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten letter from Bob Entwistle to Gary I. Sharp, April 24, 1975: binder 1975, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Gourd Neck Springs, Lake Apopka, Florida
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Postcard
A postcard depicting the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston, South Carolina, which was built in 1907 on the site of a former cathedral that burned down in 1861. This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
Original 3 x 5 inch color postcard: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1 (U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Charleston, South Carolina
Lawn Bowling Handbook, complied and edited by Harold L. Esch and published in 1948. The book contains a history of lawn bowling and a description of the rules. On the last page is an advertisement by the Greater Orlando Chamber of Commerce for lawn bowling at Sunshine Park in Orlando, Florida. The Chamber of Commerce office was located at 113 East Central Avenue.
Esch, Harold L. Lawn Bowling Handbook. Wauwatasa, Wisc: Harold L. Esch, 1948.
An oral history interview of Chad Etchison (b. 1974), who joined the U.S. Navy in December of 1992 and served during Operation Active Endeavor and the Global War on Terror (GWOT). Ethicson was born in Anderson, Indiana, on December 12, 1974. He attended boot camp at Naval Training Center Orlando (NTC Orlando) and later served on several Navy frigates. He also served President Bill Clinton (b. 1946) as part of the White House Communication Agency and attended the Fleet Combat Training Center in Dam Neck, Virginia. In Orlando, Etchison served at the Naval Expeditionary Combat Command Operations Force Center and the Navy Operations Support Center. Ethicson achieved the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer (CPO) and earned a Joint Service Commendation Medal, two Navy Commendation Medals, five Navy Achievement Medals, and a Presidential Service Badge. This interview was conducted by Chad Eric Joyner on March 15, 2014, three months before Etchison left the Navy. Interview topics include enlistment, boot camp, NTC Orlando, the Grinder, Ethcison's naval career after Orlando, and how the Orlando area has changed over time.
Ethcison, Chad. Interviewed by Chad Eric Joyner, March 15, 2014. Audio record available. Item DP0014895, UCF Community Veterans History Project, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, Florida.
RICHES of Central Florida
Recruit Training Center Orlando, Orlando, Florida
Naval Training Center Orlando, Orlando, Florida
Naval Training Center Great Lakes, Great Lakes, Illinois
Naval Training Center San Diego, San Diego, California
Naval Station Mayport, Jacksonville, Florida
Navy Operations Support Center, Orlando, Florida
Letter from William H. Falconer to Michael Gladden, Jr. (April 29, 1931)
Fraternal organizations, African American
Letter from William H. Falconer, Supreme Vice President of the Woodmen of Union, to Michael Gladden, Jr., a deputy of the Union. In the letter, Falconer urges all local deputies and officers to attend the Deputy and Officers' School, a instructional course for employees of the Woodmen of Union held in the Woodmen of Union Building, located at 501 Malvern Avenue in Hot Springs, Arkansas, between May 11-16, 1931. The Woodmen of Union, founded in 1883, was a fraternal benefit association that offered insurance benefits for its members and also participated in various social activities. Michael Gladden, Jr. (1899-1982) was the executor of the estate of George W. Oden (1862-1939), a successful businessman and citrus grower in Apopka, Florida. Gladden was born in South Carolina in 1899. He married Elizabeth Gladden and together they had a son, William, who was born around 1904. According to census records, the Gladden family had moved to Jacksonville as early as 1910 and then moved to Apopka. After Oden's death in 1939, Gladden continued to manage the legal documents of Oden's estate.
Original letter from William H. Falconer to Michael Gladden, Jr., April 29, 1931: series I, box 1, folder 171, African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Woodmen of Union, Woodmen of Union Building, Hot Springs, Arkansas
Weeki Wachee Springs' Original Underwater Theater
Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
Weeki Wachee's original underwater theater. Photogrpah taken in 1959. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original Black and white photograph of Weeki Wachee Underwater Theater, January, 1959: Private Collection of Gail Anderson.
RICHES
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida
Weeki Wachee Tourist Standing Near Sign Advertising Mermaid Positions
Color photograph of a tourist visiting Weeki Wachee Springs in 1964. The tourist is standing beside a sign that reads, "Openings for Mermaid Training School Apply Here." Weeki Wachee Springs is a state park that opened to the public in October of 1949 by Newton Perry along with a group of investors. This attraction opened as the roadside era of Florida was ramping up and consisted of an amalgamation of vendors including an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction- the mermaid show that took place in an underwater theatre. The attraction grew to include The May Museum of the Tropics, an ‘abandoned Seminole village’, an show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo. As theme parks became the new norm for Florida’s tourist industry, Weeki Wachee Springs began steadily declining until the state of Florida absorbed the attraction into the state park system in 2008. The attraction now focuses on appealing to a modern audience, while still preserving its rich history.
Original color photograph of Weeki Wachee Springs Tourist, April 1964: Private Collection of Karen Geiken.
Photograph of Perry family members in swimming costumes at Hampton Springs, Florida, in 1912. On the back of the photograph is a handwritten caption that partially reads "Kate Perry" and "Augusta Lee". Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Perry family members in swimming costumes, 1912: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida
Annual Worker Plan Schedule for Pilgrim Black
A sheath for Annual Worker Plan Schedule issued by the Farm Placement Service of the U.S. Employment Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor. This sheath was owned by Pilgrim Black (1905-2002), who was born in 1905, although some records list 1907 as his birth year. Pilgrim and his wife, Lula Mae Haynes Black (1917-2007), were migrant crew leaders, and thus migrated to Wayne County in Upstate New York in the summers and back to their home in Sanford for the rest of the year. Pilgrim was the son of Harry Black (d. 1911) and Maggie Benjamin Black (ca.1870-ca.1934), who migrated to Sanford from South Carolina in the 1800s. Harry and Maggie had several children: Leckward Black, Mustar Black, Malachi Black, Leatha Black Walker (1889-1976), Pilgrim Black, Margaret Black Jones (1889-1976), and Harriett Black Lawson. In 1911, Harry owned a grocery store at 206 South Sanford Avenue. One day, he came home from work with pneumonia and passed away shortly thereafter. Pilgrim was nine years old when his father passed away. Maggie was the daughter of former slaves, Isaac and Roseanna Benjamin, and the sister of Nathan Benjamin, Pledge Benjamin, Sam Benjamin, Loui Benjamin, Chainey Benjamin, Lara Benjamin, Melvina Benjamin, and Katie Benjamin. Pilgrim had to quit school at age 11 in order to provide for his mother, originally working in a mill house until he was 18 years old. After declining a management position, he traveled to Wayne County to pick cherries, apples, pears, and other crops. He broke a bone after falling from an apple tree his first year and decided to try farm labor on a potato farm in Red Creek, New York, instead. Don Holdridge, the farmer who owned the land, noted Pilgrim's high rate of productivity and offered him a management position supervising up to thirty workers at once, which he accepted. While in Sanford, Pilgrim also worked as a foreman in Sanford for Chase & Company for over 30 years. He married Lula in 1937 and they had several children together, including Vivian Louise Black (1940-); Lula Yvonne Black (1942-); Charles Samuel Black (1945-); Pilgrim Black, Jr. (ca. 1947-), and Patricia Ann Black (1956-).
Farm Placement Service, United States Employment Service, United States Department of Labor
Original red sheath: Farm Placement Service, United States Employment Service, United States Department of Labor: Private Collection of Patricia Ann Black.
150 MW Class 501F Design to Begin Full Load Factory Testing This Summer
This article was published by the Gas Turbine World magazine in the May-June 1989 issue. It reports on the status of the new Westinghouse 501F advanced gas turbine that was jointly developed with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). At the time, the prototype or first-build was being completed at the MHI factory in Japan. The 150MW-class 501F was the first new gas turbine design to be offered by Westinghouse Electric Corporation following the move of the Combustion Turbine Operations department of the Power Generation Business Unit (PGBU) to Orlando, Florida, in 1987. Originally called the Westinghouse Electric Company, George Westinghouse (1846-1914) founded his manufacturing company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 8, 1886. In 1889, he renamed his business The Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. Westinghouse's primary products include turbines, generators, motors and switchgear related to the generation, transmission, and use of electricity. The company changed its name to Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1945. In 1981, the company began to relocate its division headquarters for the Steam-Turbine Generator Divisions from Pennsylvania (turbines from Lester and generators from Pittsburgh) to Orlando, Florida. The Power Generation Business Unit (PGBU) building was located in The Quadrangle, at 4400 Alafaya Trail. Originally, Westinghouse had purchased a large plot of land for future development that extended westward from Alafaya Trail to Rouse Road. The original headquarters was located on several acres of that land parcel close to Alafaya Trail. In 1994, after a major corporate management shuffling, and a top-level decision to change from an industrial manufacturing company to primarily a broadcasting/communications company, Westinghouse bought the CBS Network and changed its name to the CBS Corporation. As the PGBU grew in size, other buildings in the area were leased and then, after PGBU was sold to Siemens Corporation of Germany in 1998, additional buildings (Quad II and Quad III) were added to the original complex at the Quadrangle. From 1998 to 2003 the Orlando operation was known as Siemens-Westinghouse, after which the name of Westinghouse was dropped. The operation has been known as Siemens from that time forward.
Original 7-page magazine article: Farmer, Robert. "150 MW Class 501F Design to Begin Full Load Factory Testing This Summer." Gas Turbine World, Vol. 19, No. 3, May-June 1989: Private Collection of Harry Jaeger.
Gas Turbine World
Westinghouse Electric Corporation, The Quadrangle, Orlando, Florida
Steam-Cooled 501G Rated 230 MW with 2600°F Rotor Inlet Temperature
The item is a copy of a reprinted article from the Gas Turbine World magazine issue for November-December of 1994. The subject of the article is the Westinghouse-Mitsubishi 501G gas turbine that had been introduced at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) International Gas Turbine Conference earlier that year. The 501G was a new gas turbine engine design featuring the results of a joint design effort of Westinghouse Power Generation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of Japan. Other input to the design was provided by other members of a multi-national alliance, which included FiatAvio of Italy and Rolls-Royce of the United Kingdom. The 501G was touted as the "largest and most efficient" gas turbine in the world. Introductory simple-cycle power rating was 230MW and simple-cycle efficiency was 38.5 percent (8,860 Btu/kWh, gas, LHV, ISO conditions). The combined cycle performance being quoted at the time was 345MW with a heat rate of 5,883 Btu/kWh (58% efficiency). The 501G was last of the long line of Westinghouse gas turbines before the company was acquired by Siemens AG of Germany in 1998. The first 501G was built at Westinghouse's factory in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and installed at the McIntosh Station in Lakeland, Florida, in 1998.
Original 8-page magazine article: Farmer, Robert. "Steam-Cooled 501G Rated 230 MW with 2600°F Rotor Inlet Temperature." Gas Turbine World, Vol. 24, No. 6, November-December 1994: Private Collection of Harry Jaeger.
"Grandfather's Waltz" by The Jazz Professors
An audio recording of "Grandfather's Waltz," composed by Lasse Farnlof (1942-1994) and Gene Lees (1928-2010) and performed by The Jazz Professors live on-air on WUCF-FM on December 10, 2007. The Jazz Professors are a sextet of professors from the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Florida, who play professionally and have released two albums with Flying Horse Records, a professional jazz record label operated by the university. They have recorded and toured with a number of prominent guest musicians. "Grandfather's Waltz" was first recorded by Stan Getz (1927-1991) and Bill Evans (1929-1980) in May 1964 and released on their self-titled album in 1973.
Original 5-minute and 1-second audio recording: Farnlof, Lasse and Gene Lees. "Grandfather's Waltz," by the Jazz Professors: WUCF-FM, Orlando, Florida, December 10, 2007.
WUCF-FM
WUCF-FM, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
An oral history told by Nancy Harris Ford, an actress in the Creative Sanford, Inc. and Celery Soup: Florida's Folk Life Play production of Remade - Not Bought. Ford was raised in Sanford, Florida, and lived there until she graduated from Seminole High School in 1973. She returned to Sanford around 2009 and became involved with Celery Soup, a community theater project operated by Creative Sanford. This interview was conducted by Drew Fedorka on November 16, 2013, and focuses on the historical figure and character of Dr. George H. Starke, an African-American physician in Georgetown in Sanford. Other topics include Ford's biographical information, her decision to return back to Sanford after 36 years elsewhere, how she became involved with Creative Sanford and Celery Soup, her involvement in Touch and Go and Remade - Not Bought, and segregation.
Ford, Nancy Harris. Interviewed by Drew Fedorka. UCF Public History Center. November 16, 2013. Audio/video record available. RICHES of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Creative Sanford, Inc., Sanford, Florida
Dr. George H. Starke's Office, Sanford, Florida
Dr. Edward D. Strickland's Office, Sanford, Florida
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 upcoming football games and marching band performances. Oviedo High School is a Seminole County Public School located in Oviedo, Florida. Originally called the Oviedo School, the institution was first established in 1922 as a K-12 school. In 1948, the secondary grades separated from the elementary school. The upper grade levels formed Oviedo High School and moved to the campus at 601 King Street. Oviedo High School is notable for The Lion's Tale, the award-winning school newspaper recognized by various national and state scholastic press associations; its high ratings from the Governor's A+ Plan for Education; and its successful athletics programs.
Original newspaper article: Feinberg, Richard A.. "Patron Donations Help Band." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 7, 1971: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
The Oviedo Outlook
Birth Certificate for Vivian Louise Black
Certificate of birth for Vivian Louise Black (1940-), the daughter of Pilgrim Black (1905-2002) and Lula Mae Haynes Black (1917-2007), who got married in 1937. According to this document, Vivin was born at the Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital in Sanford, Florida. She was delivered by Dr. George H. Starke on October 11, 1940. Vivian is also the oldest sister of Lula Yvonne Black (1942-); Charles Samuel Black (1945-); Pilgrim Black, Jr. (ca. 1947-); and Patricia Ann Black (1956- ); as well as the half-sister of David Harry Black (1929-2012). Vivian graduated from Crooms High School around 1958. She married Benjamin Moore Hawkins in the 1960s and moved to Rochester, New York. The couple had two children together: Benjamin Moore, Jr. (1960-) and Fejetta Michelle Hawkins (1972-). Vivian worked for several years in a factory until she suffered a stroke at age 35, when the left side of her body became completely paralyzed. She moved back to Sanford, Florida, after her stroke.
Original birth certificate, 1940: Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital, Sanford, Florida: Private Collection of Patricia Ann Black.
A page from the Ferris Institute yearbook from 1907. The page features a black and white photograph of the September shorthand class, group 1. A notable student pictured is Jane "Jennie" Margaret Gadde (1888-1963), who earned a degree in shorthand. Gadde was born on August 17, 1888, in Ludington, Michigan. The second oldest of four sisters, she was born to immigrant parents, Nels and Carrie Gadde. The family lived in Ironwood, Michigan, where Gadde’s father worked as a foreman and her mother raised her and her sisters. The family moved in 1905 to Sanborn, Wisconsin. Gadde went to school at the Ferris Institute in Big Rapids, Michigan, and earned a degree in shorthand in 1907. She then worked as a stenographer for a building contractor. After a few years, Gadde changed professions, training as a nurse at the Illinois Training School for Nurses, where she graduated in 1915. She enlisted in the United States Army Nursing Corps in October of 1918. She trained at the United States Army Camp Base Hospital at Camp Mead, Maryland, where she was assigned to a psychiatric unit. She embarked from the United States to France in November 1918, serving as a nurse for roughly eight months in a psychiatric unit. She returned to the United States in August 1919, and was honorably discharged from service shortly thereafter. She returned to Chicago after the war, working in the Cook County Public Hospital until 1942. She enlisted again as a nurse in the Nursing Corps during World War II. She worked at Gorgas Hospital in the Panama Canal Zone until 1947, returning home and again being honorably discharged. After the war, Gadde moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, and volunteered for the Delano American Legion Post #122. She was also involved with the Panama Canal Society in Florida in the 1950s. Gadde passed away in September 1963, and is buried in the Bay Pines National Cemetery. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for K-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original yearbook page.
RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 2: The Legacy of the Ocoee Riot
Episode 2 of RICHES Podcast Documentaries: The Legacy of the Ocoee Riot. RICHES Podcast Documentaries are short form narrative documentaries that explore Central Florida history and are locally produced. These podcasts can involve the participation or cooperation of local area partners. Episode 2 examines the legacy of the Ocoee Race Riot and the efforts to commemorate the African-American experience in 21st-century Ocoee. This podcast includes interviews with William Maxwell of the Ocoee Human Relations Diversity Board. The Ocoee Race Riot erupted on Election Day, November 2, 1920. Up to 56 African Americans were killed and many African-American buildings were razed. Those who survived were threatened or forced to leave. The riot began as a white mob responded to Moses Norman's persistence of voting in the presidential election. The mob also targeted Julius "July" Perry, a wealthy African-American farmer and contractor, who was believed to be hiding Norman.
Original 19-minute and 39-second podcast by Julio R. Firpo, February 1, 2011: "RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 2: The Legacy of the Ocoee Riot." RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Orlando, Florida.
Dr. Annye Refoe and Dr. Stephen Caldwell Wright
Dr. Annye Refoe and Dr. Stephen Caldwell Wright in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. Dr. Refoe, the daughter of Herman L. Refoe, Jr. and Shellye L. Refoe, was born on January 29, 1951. Since her parents both taught at Midway Elementary School, Refoe also attended the school, as opposed to attending Hopper Academy in Georgetown, an African-American neighborhood in Sanford. Refoe graduated from Seminole High School in 1969. After her treatment in the newly integrated Seminole High School, she decided to enroll in a historically black college/university. She graduated from Fisk College in Nashville, Tennessee, with a bachelor's degree in English in 1973. Upon her return from college, Refoe began teaching in August 1974 at Lake Howell High School in Winter Park. In 1982, she started teaching at Seminole Community College, where she later became the Dean of the Arts and Humanities. Dr. Wright was born and raised in Goldsboro, an historic black community in Sanford. He lived in Sanford for most of his early life, except for one year that he attended school in Lakeland during ninth grade. He attended Goldsboro Elementary School and Crooms High School, where he graduated in 1964. For his college education, Dr. Wright attended Volusia County Community College in Daytona for one semester, Gibbs College (now merged with St. Petersburg College) in St. Petersburg for the first part of his bachelor's degree in English, Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton for the second part of his bachelor's education degree in English, Atlanta University for his master's degree in English, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania in for his doctoral degree in Linguistics and Rhetoric.
Original color digital images by Julio R. Firpo, April 15, 2011.
The Hopper Academy was the first African-American school in the Georgetown district of Sanford, Florida. Established in 1886, the school was originally named Colored School No. 11. A new building for the school was constructed at 1110 Pine Avenue in 1906. The school served the African-American community in the surrounding region. Although it was the first black school in Sanford, Hopper Academy only went up to grade 10. While today it has fallen into disrepair, Hopper Academy remains a symbol of Georgetown, representing the enduring legacy of Sanford’s African Americans raising themselves through education. Hopper Academy served as a black elementary school for grades 1 – 6 from 1926 to 1961. Professor Joseph Nathaniel Crooms was principal of Hopper from 1906 to 1926, thereafter becoming principal of Crooms High School in Goldsboro. Key individuals who studied at the school include Harlem Renaissance author Zora Neale Hurston and Sanford’s midwife Marie Francis. In 1968, the Hopper Academy ceased to operate as a school.
Original color digital image by Julio R. Firpo, April 26, 2011.
Hopper Academy, Georgetown, Sanford, Florida
The home of Reverend John R. Hurston, the father of Zora Neale Hurston, in 2011. Later, Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford," converted the house to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. Francis became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown. Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.
Jones-Francis Maternity Hall, Georgetown, Sanford, Florida
The Refoe residence, located at 619 South Sanford Avenue in Georgetown, an historic African-American neighborhood in Sanford, Florida. The house was the home of the Refoes, a family of educators who served the black community of Sanford. The Refoe family moved into the house on December 15, 1950. From 1946 to 2010, the Refoes taught in Seminole County continuously for 64 years. Herman L. Refoe, Jr. and Shellye L. Refoe began teaching at Midway Elementary School in 1946. They quickly became involved with the school and the students, starting clubs and coaching teams, along with teaching African Americans in the Midway and Canaan areas. Their daughter, Annye Refoe, was born on January 29, 1951. Herman became an Assistant Principal of Goldsboro Elementary School in 1959. About two years later, he became the Principal. Herman remained the school principal for over 11 years, until his retirement in 1972. Shellye continued teaching at Midway until 1962, when she began teaching at Crooms High School, followed by South Seminole Middle School, Milwee Middle School, and finally Lyman High School. She moved around as a result of Seminole County’s School Board’s attempt to integrate black teachers. Shellye retired in January 1974. Annye graduated from Seminole High School in the class of 1969. After her treatment in the newly integrated Seminole High School, she decided to enroll in a historically black college/university. She graduated from Fisk College in Nashville, Tennessee, with a bachelors’ in English in 1973. Upon her return from college, Annye began teaching in August 1974 at Lake Howell High School. In 1982, she started teaching at Seminole Community College, where she later became the Dean of the Arts and Humanities.
Home of the Refoe Family, Georgetown, Sanford, Florida
Wilson-Eichelberger Mortuary, located at 1100 Pine Avenue, in 2011. The mortuary is a long-standing business within the historic African-American district of Georgetown of Sanford, Florida. Georgetown was established by the city's founder, Henry Shelton Sanford, as a suburb for African-American residents in the 1870s. The neighborhood spans along Sanford Avenue, with its commercial district between First Street and Fifth Street and its historic district between Seventh Street and Tenth Street. Though originally much smaller, Georgetown spanned to its present boundaries from East Second Street to Celery Avenue and from Sanford Avenue to Mellonville Avenue. Georgetown thrived at its height from circa 1880 to 1940, particularly in agriculture and transportation.
Wilson-Eichelberger Mortuary, Georgetown, Sanford, Florida
The former location of Hawkins' Meat Market on West Thirteenth Street in Goldsboro of Sanford, Florida. The Hawkins family owned the grocery store next door to their home, and provided meat and other goods for both Goldsboro and Sanford residents from other neighborhoods. At the time that the photograph was taken in 2011, the building appeared to be vacant, but still retained the business sign for Peggie's Caribbean Take Out Kitchen.
Hawkins Meat Market, Goldsboro, Sanford, Florida
Peggie's Caribbean Take Out Kitchen, Goldsboro, Sanford, Florida
Letter from Hazel Skjersaa to Marie Jones Francis (June 13, 1975)
Letter from Hazel Skjersaa, the Maternity Nursing Coordinator at Valencia Community College, to Marie Jones Francis, a midwife in Sanford, Florida. In the letter, Skjersaa thanks Francis for a series of lectures she gave students in her home during April and May of 1975. Francis, the "midwife of Sanford," left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown. Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.
Original letter from Hazel Skjersaa to Marie Jones Francis, June 13, 1975: Private Collection of Daphne F. Humphrey.
Valencia Community College, Orlando, Florida
The Hawkins residence near West Thirteenth Street in Goldsboro, an historic African-Amercan neighborhood in Sanford, Florida. The Hawkins owned the grocery store next door to their home called Hawkins' Meat Market, which provided meat and other goods for both Goldsboro and Sanford residents from other neighborhoods. At the time that the photograph was taken in 2011, the house was being occupied by Marva Y. Hawkins. Hawkins lived in Goldsboro her entire life and attended Goldsboro Red School and Crooms High School, where she graduated in 1954. She has worked in various positions, such as for Family Services, as an insurance agent, and as a columnist for The Sanford Herald.
Home of Marva Y. Hawkins, Goldsboro, Sanford, Florida
In this oral history, Marva Y. Hawkins recounts her life living in Goldsboro, a historic African-American community in Sanford, Florida. Her mother was the owner of the neighborhood grocery store, Hawkins' Meat Market, located off of West Thirteenth Street, originally called Goldsboro Avenue and now called Historic Goldsboro Boulevard. Hawkins lived in Goldsboro her entire life and attended Goldsboro Red School and Crooms High School, where she graduated in 1954. Hawkins has worked in various positions, such as for Family Services, as an insurance agent, and as a columnist for The Sanford Herald.
Hawkins, Marva Y. Interview by Julio R. Firpo. Home of Marva Y. Hawkins. April 6, 2011. Audio record available. RICHES of Central Florida.
Daphne F. Humphrey was born in Sarasota, Florida, but migrated to Sanford at age 5. In this oral history, she first describes Georgetown, an historic African-American community in Sanford. She then talks of her mother, Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford," in great detail. She then spends time speaking of her own life and becoming a teacher. Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford," left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown. Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.
Humphrey, Daphne F. Interview by Julio R. Firpo. Home of Daphne F. Humphrey. April 8, 2011. Audio record available. RICHES of Central Florida.
John R. Hurston House, Georgetown, Sanford, Florida
Annye Refoe, the daughter of Herman L. Refoe, Jr. and Shellye L. Refoe, was born on January 29, 1951. Since her parents both taught at Midway Elementary School, Refoe also attended the school, as opposed to attending Hopper Academy in Georgetown, an historic neighborhood in Sanford, Florida. Refoegraduated from Seminole High School in the class of 1969. After her treatment in the newly integrated Seminole High School, Refoe decided to enroll in a historically black college/university. She graduated from Fisk College in Nashville with a bachelor of arts degree in English in 1973. Upon her return from college, Annye began teaching in August 1974 at Lake Howell High School in Winter Park. In 1982, she started teaching at Seminole Community College, where she later became the Dean of the Arts and Humanities.
Refoe, Annye. Interview by Julio R. Firpo. Home of Dr. Stephen Caldwell Wright. April 15, 2011. Audio record available. RICHES of Central Florida.
Midway Elementary School, Midway, Sanford, Florida
Crooms High School, Georgetown, Sanford, Florida
Lake Howell High School, Winter Park, Florida
Oral History of Dr. Stephen Caldwell Wright
Dr. Stephen Caldwell Wright was born and raised in Goldsboro, an historic African-American community in Sanford, Florida. He lived in Sanford for most of his early life, except for one year in Lakeland for ninth grade. He attended Goldsboro Elementary School and Crooms High School, where he graduated in 1964. For his college education, Dr. Wright attended Volusia County Community College (now Daytona State College) in Daytona for one semester, Gibbs College (now merged with St. Petersburg College) in St. Petersburg for the first part of his Bachelor of Arts degree in English, Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton for the second part of his B.A. in English, Atlanta University for his Master of Arts degree in English, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania in for his Ph.D. in Linguistics and Rhetoric.
Wright, Stephen Caldwell. Interview by Julio R. Firpo. Home of Dr. Stephen Caldwell Wright. March 27, 2011. Audio record available. RICHES of Central Florida.
Crooms High School, Goldsboro, Sanford, Florida
Volusia County Community College, Daytona Beach, Florida
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania
The Winter Springs Veterans Memorial, located at the corner of Tuskawilla Road and Blumberg Boulevard, was constructed by the City of Winter Springs along with the local Rotary Club. The monument is dedicated to all United States military veterans who lived and died serving their country during warfare. The centerpiece of the memorial is a pair of empty boots with a rifle placed in between and a soldier's helmet on top. The memorial represents the men and women from the Winter Springs community that have served in the military. The project was started by the Rotary Club and the City of Winter Springs in 2005 and was completed in 2008.
Original digital color image by Daniel Fitzsimons, October 9, 2013, image number 0767.
Winter Springs Veterans Memorial, Winter Springs, Florida
Sixteenth Census Population for Lincoln Park City, Wayne County, Michigan, 1940
The Sixteenth Unites States Census records for Lincoln Park City, Wayne County, Michigan, for 1940. The census divides the population by name, age, sex, race, marital status, residence, home owned or rented, value of home or monthly rent, whether living on a farm, other residents of same address, relation to head of house, attended school or college after March 1940, highest grade completed, state or foreign country of birth, employment status, hours of work per week, duration of employment, and wages. Supplemental questions include the father and mother's birthplace, language spoken in home during childhood, veteran status, father's veteran status, social security, usual occupation and industry, class of worker, if women have been married more than once, age at first marriage if so, and number of children born. A notable resident listed in the record is Gerald Wilford Near (1922-1995). Born on May 27, 1922, in Detroit, Michigan, Near married Ruth Marie Harris in Fulton County, Ohio, on August 17, 1941. On October 15, 1942, Near enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He was assigned to the 12th Defense Battalion in January 1943, where he would remain for the majority of his military career. Near’s unit arrived at Woodlark Island, New Guinea, in June 1943, where they protected a United States airfield that screened the landings in the Solomon Islands. Near left the 12th Defense Battalion around June 1944, when the unit became redesignated as the 12th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion. He returned to the United States and reported to the Marine Barracks at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in July 1944. Near was discharged from the Marine Corps as a Corporal on February 14, 1946. He died on November 17, 1995, in Venice, Florida, and was memorialized at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida, on January 9, 1996. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
United States Census Bureau
Digital reproduction of original census record by Anna Flatley, April 10, 1940.
Quarters of U.S. Army Air Forces, Vinoy Park Hotel Postcard
A postcard depicting the Vinoy Park Hotel, which is a Mediterranean Revival-style resort located at 501 Fifth Avenue Northeast, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Aymer Vinoy Laughner purchased the site of the Renaissance Vinoy in 1923 and hired architect Henry L. Taylor to design a new building, which opened in 2915. In the early 1940s, the building served as a training facility for U.S. Army Air Corps, and has also been used as a training facility for military cooks and bakers. The Vinoy reopened as a hotel in 1945, but closed in 1974. After a $93-million restoration and expansion in 1992, the hotel opened again as the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort and Golf Club. This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
Original 3 x 5 inch color postcard by Florida Card Company: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1 (U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Vinoy Park Hotel, St. Petersburg, Florida
Florida Public Service Company Bill for the Oviedo Woman's Club (September 3, 1926)
A receipt from the Florida Public Service Company, located at 100 East Central Avenue in Orlando, Florida, for September 3, 1926. The bill was issued to the Oviedo Woman's Club for $2. The Florida Public Service Company provided electric light and power, gas power, water, and ice to various communities in Central Florida. The company was controlled by the General Gas and Electric Corporation and was operated and managed by the W. S. Barstow Management Association, Inc
Original financial statement, September 3, 1926: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Oviedo Woman's Club
Between the Celery Stalks: Theodore Mead Sure Left His Mark on Oviedo
A newspaper column in The Oviedo Outlook entitled "Between the Celery Stalks." Here, local residents could submit interesting stories or tidbits for inclusion in the newspaper. This particular column, written by Janet Foley, was about horticulturalist local Oviedoan, Theodore "Teddy" Luqueer Mead and his housing development called Mead Manor. Originally from New York, Mead's long interest in biology and botany brought him to Florida during the late 19th century, when he settled first in Eustis, then later Oviedo on Lake Charm, with the intent of growing oranges. Mead and his wife would become integral members of the social fabtic of the Oveido community.
Original newspaper article: Foley, Janet. "Between the Celery Stalks: Theodore Mead Sure Left His Mark on Oviedo." The Oviedo Outlook: Private Collection of Sue Blackwood.
A History of Central Florida, Episode 1: Windover Burial Site
Episode 1 of the second season of A History of Central Florida: Windover Burial Site. RICHES Podcast Documentaries are short form narrative documentaries that explore Central Florida history and are locally produced. These podcasts can involve the participation or cooperation of local area partners. Episode 1 features the Windover Burial Site in Brevard County, Florida. This podcast also includes interviews with Rachel K. Wentz of the Florida Public Archaeology Network, Dr. Jerald T. Milanich of the University of Florida, and Dr. Glen Doran of Florida State University. The Windover Archaeological Site was discovered in 1982 and funding to excavate the pond was awarded in 1984. Windover Pond, along with other sites excavated since 1970, contributed to the major reassessment of Florida's Archaic Period.
Original 14-minute and 4-second podcast by Chip Ford, November 19, 2013: "A History of Central Florida, Episode 1: Windover Burial Site." RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Orlando, Florida.
Florida Memory Project
Florida Department of State Division of Historical Resources
Orange County Regional History Center
Windover Burial Site, Brevard County, Florida
A History of Central Florida, Episode 3: Indian Canoes
Episode 3 of the second season of A History of Central Florida: Indian Canoes. RICHES Podcast Documentaries are short form narrative documentaries that explore Central Florida history and are locally produced. These podcasts can involve the participation or cooperation of local area partners. Episode 3 features a discussion of the canoe transportation networks used by Native Americans in Central Florida during the Archaic Period. This podcast also includes interviews with Dr. Jerald T. Milanich of the University of Florida, Dr. Mark Howard Long of the University of Central Florida, and Donna Ruhl of the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Original 13-minute and 29-second podcast by Chip Ford, November 19, 2013: "A History of Central Florida, Episode 3: Indian Canoes." RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Orlando, Florida.
Kate's Fish Camp
Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando, Florida
Osceola County Welcome Center and History Museum, Kissimmee, Florida
A History of Central Florida, Episode 5: Hontoon Owl Totem
Episode 5 of the second season of A Hisory of Central Florida: Hontoon Owl Totem. RICHES Podcast Documentaries are short form narrative documentaries that explore Central Florida history and are locally produced. These podcasts can involve the participation or cooperation of local area partners. Episode 5 features the Hontoon Owl Totem at Hontoon Island State Park, located between the St. Johns River and the Hontoon Dead River in Volusia County, Florida. This podcast also includes interviews with Craig Morris of the Fort Caroline and the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Dr. Neill J. Wallis of the University of Florida and the Florida Museum of Natural History, Dr. Jerald T. Milanich of the University of Florida, and Donna Ruhl of the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Original 12-minute and 16-second podcast by Chip Ford, November 19, 2013: "A History of Central Florida, Episode 5: Hontoon Owl Totem." RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Orlando, Florida.
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve
The Florida Anthropologist
Hontoon Island State Park, DeLand, Florida
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Jacksonville, Florida
A History of Central Florida, Episode 9: St. Benedict Medal
Episode 9 of A History of Central Florida Podcast: St. Benedict Medal. A History of Central Florida Podcast series explores Central Florida's history through the artifacts found in local area museums and historical societies. These podcasts can involve the participation or cooperation of local area partners. Episode 9 features a discussion of the St. Benedict Medal found in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. This podcast also includes interviews with Dr. Emily Graham of Oklahoma State University, Dr. Roger Grange of the University of South Florida, and Dr. Daniel S. Murphree of the University of Central Florida.
Original 13-minute and 5-second podcast by Chip Ford, 2013: "A History of Central Florida, Episode 9: St. Benedict Medal." A History of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
A History of Central Florida
New Smyrna Museum of History
New Smyrna Museum of History, New Smyrna Beach, Florida
A History of Central Florida, Episode 11: Tobacco Pipes
Episode 11 of A History of Central Florida podcasts: Tobacco Pipes. A History of Central Florida Podcast series explores Central Florida's history through the artifacts found in local area museums and historical societies. These podcasts can involve the participation or cooperation of local area partners. Episode 11 features a discussion of the use of tobacco pipes by Precolumbian Native Americans in Central Florida, particularly the Timucua. This podcast also includes interviews with Dr. Jerald T. Milanich of the University of Florida, Dr. Neill J. Wallis of the Florida Museum of Natural History, and antique pipe collector Frank Burla.
Original 14-minute and 4-second podcast by Chip Ford, 2014: "A History of Central Florida, Episode 11: Tobacco Pipes." A History of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center
Library of Congress
Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center, Ocala, Florida
A History of Central Florida, Episode 21: Townsend House
Episode 21 of A History of Central Florida podcasts: Townsend House. A History of Central Florida Podcast series explores Central Florida's history through the artifacts found in local area museums and historical societies. These podcasts can involve the participation or cooperation of local area partners. Episode 21 features a discussion of Townsend House, part of the Clermont Historic Village, located at 490 West Avenue in Clermont, Florida. This podcast also includes interviews with Dr. Anne Lindsay of the University of Central Florida, Dr. Julian C. Chambliss of Rollins College, and Dr. Charlie Hailey of University of Florida.
Original 14-minute and 50-second podcast by Chip Ford, 2014: "A History of Central Florida, Episode 21: Townsend House." A History of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Clermont Historic Village Museum
Clermont Historic Village, Clermont, Florida
A History of Central Florida, Episode 24: Gatch Family Farm Equipment
Episode 24 of A History of Central Florida podcasts: Gatch Family Farm Equipment. A History of Central Florida Podcast series explores Central Florida's history through the artifacts found in local area museums and historical societies. These podcasts can involve the participation or cooperation of local area partners. Episode 24 features a discussion of Willard Gatch and the Gatch Family farm equipment housed at the Lake County Historical Museum, located at 217 West Main Street in Tavares, Florida. This podcast also includes interviews with Dr. Mark Howard Long and Dr. Connie L. Lester of the University of Central Florida, as well as Willard Gatch.
Original 13-minute and 8-second podcast by Chip Ford, 2014: "A History of Central Florida, Episode 24: Gatch Family Farm Equipment." A History of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Lake County Historical Museum
Archive.org
Lake County Historical Museum, Tavares, Florida
A History of Central Florida, Episode 31: Quilt Stories
Episode 31 of A History of Central Florida Podcast: Quilt Stories. A History of Central Florida Podcast series explores Central Florida's history through the artifacts found in local area museums and historical societies. These podcasts can involve the participation or cooperation of local area partners. Episode 31 features a discussion of quilts located at the Lake Mary Historical Museum in Lake Mary, Florida, and Winter Garden Heritage Foundation in Winter Garden. This podcast also includes interviews with Dr. Amanda Sikarskie of Western Michigan University and quilter Dorothy MacDougall.
Original 14-minute and 46-second podcast by Chip Ford, 2014: "A History of Central Florida, Episode 31: Quilt Stories." A History of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Clermont Historic Village
Lake Mary Historical Museum
Winter Garden Heritage Foundation
Harry & Harriette Moore Memorial Park
Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida
Harry & Harriette Moore Memorial Park, Mims, Florida
Lake Mary Historical Museum, Lake Mary, Florida
A History of Central Florida, Episode 33: Salt and Pepper Shakers
Episode 33 of A History of Central Florida Podcast: Salt and Pepper Shakers. A History of Central Florida Podcast series explores Central Florida's history through the artifacts found in local area museums and historical societies. These podcasts can involve the participation or cooperation of local area partners. Episode 33 features a discussion of souvenir salt and pepper shakers sold to tourists during the 20th Century. This podcast also includes interviews with Andrea Ludden of the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum, Dr. Tracy J. Revels of Wofford College, and Dr. Nick Wynne of the Florida Historical Society.
Original 14-minute and 20-second podcast by Chip Ford, 2014: "A History of Central Florida, Episode 33: Salt and Pepper Shakers." A History of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Orange County Regional History Center, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Oral history of Jackie Caolo, a resident of Groveland, Florida. Caolo was born in Texas but raised in Florida. As an adult, she traveled with her husband for 20 years while he was in the United States Navy. In 1956, the Caolo's husband was transferred to the Naval Technical Training Command in Sanford. The Caolos stayed in Sanford for a year and then were transferred to Texas. After Caolo's husband retired, the couple settled back in Sanford. Caolo spent much of her time working as a swim instructor. This interview was conducted by Frank "Chip" Ford at Caolo's home on October 20, 2012.
Caolo, Jackie. Interviewed by Frank "Chip" Ford. UCF Public History Center, TOSH0002. October 20, 2012. Audio/video record available. UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Thirteenth Census Population for Boston, Massachusetts, 1910
The Thirteenth United States Census records for Boston, Massachusetts, for 1910. The census divides the population by categories of sex, race, age, marital status, number of children, occupation, literacy, whether they owned or rented, farm or house, if they were a Civil War veteran, and whether they were blind, deaf or dumb. A question was added regarding the place of birth and mother tongue of foreign-born persons and their parents. If foreign born, the person was required to provide the year they immigrated, whether they were naturalized and if they were able to speak English. A notable resident listed in this record was Henry Lawrence Gau (1899-1988). Henry Lawrence Gau was born to Paul and Ann Gau in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on October 7, 1899. Both of Gau’s parents were immigrants who moved here from Germany and Canada. Gau had three siblings: Laura, Preston, and Chester. On June 6, 1917, Gau joined the United States Navy. While serving in World War I, Gau worked on the USS Carola and patrolled the coasts of France. In early 1920, Gau returned to live with his family. He married his second wife, Elizabeth, in August of 1937. Gau joined the Army in 1939 at the age of forty to serve in World War II, where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He also later served in the Korean War. Gau moved to Florida in his later years, where he met and married his third wife, Mildred. They lived at Sun City Center, a retirement community on Florida’s West coast, where Gau joined the community’s Retired Officers Association. Gau was buried at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida, in 1988. His wife joined him in 1996. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original census record by Hattie C. Forest, April 22, 1910.
If Not for Andrew Aulin in 1883, Oviedo Might Be Known Today as 'Alexandria'
A newspaper article about how Oviedo, Florida, got its name. According to the article, the town was named by Andrew Aulin, Sr. (1843-1918), a Swedish immigrant and Oviedo's first postmaster. W. E. Alexander had suggested Alexandria as an alternative. The article also includes information provided by Novella Driggers Aulin, the widow of Theodore Aulin, Jr., the grandson of Aulin. According to Novella, Aulin graduated from Upsala College in Sweden before emigrating to Florida in 1870. Aulin married Lona Lawton Aulin (1853-1907) in 1874 and together the couple settled in the Lake Jesup community (present-day Oviedo). Aulin was a storekeeper, citrus grower, and real estate salesman. He also taught algebra and Latin following the freeze of 1895. With his wife, Aulin had five children: Theodore Aulin (1874-1907), Willie Aulin, Martha Lenora Aulin (b. 1844), Mary Hannah Aulin (1887-1974), and Andrew Aulin, Jr. (1893-1964).
Original newspaper article: Foronda, Kathleen. "If Not for Andrew Aulin in 1883, Oviedo Might Be Known Today as 'Alexandria'." The Oviedo Outlook, 1982: Private Collection of Kathryn Aulin Bunch.
Combustion Turbine Repowering of Reheat Steam Power Plants
An academic paper by Richard W. Foster-Pegg, presented at the Pacific Coast Electric Association in March of 1980. During the mid-1970s and into the 1980s, Westinghouse Electric Corporation's Combustion Turbine Systems Division actively participated in numerous industry-sponsored studies of the conversion of existing steam turbine power plants to highly efficient combined cycle power generation with the addition of a gas turbine to supply its "exhaust waste heat" to Thermodynamic power cycle. The benefits of converting older steam power plants to combined cycle included it being an economical way to add substantially more power generating capacity to an existing power plant site, and it was an attractive way to replace old boiler equipment with a gas turbine/heat recovery boiler while extending the useful life of the existing steam turbine generator and other balance-of-plant equipment. This form of power plant upgrade and expansion became popular in the U.S. some time after this paper was written. The Combustion Turbine Systems Division headquarters were located in Concordville, Pennsylvania, until it was relocated to Power Generation World Headquarters in Orlando, Florida, in 1987.
Original 19-page academic paper by Richard W. Foster-Pegg, 1980: Private Collection of Harry L. Jaeger.
Combustion Turbine Systems Division, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Concordville, Pennsylvania
"Shiny Stockings" by the John Whitney Trio
An audio recording of "Shiny Stockings," composed by Frank Foster with lyrics by Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), and performed by the John Whitney Trio live on-air on WUCF-FM on January 4, 2000. John Whitney served as director of both orchestral studies and the University of Central Florida Jazz Lab band during his 20 years with the university. Whitney also led the UCF Jazz Lab band in invited performances at Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland. He established himself as a conductor, performer, composer, arranger, and teacher in both classical and jazz arenas, founding and directing the Southern Tier Symphony in Allegany, New York, in 2003, until his death in 2014. "Shiny Stockings" is a 1955 jazz standard written by Foster and Fitzgerald for the Count Basie Orchestra.
Original 5-minute and 45-second audio recording: Foster, Frank, and Ella Fitzgerald. "Shiny Stockings," by the John Whitney Trio: WUCF-FM, Orlando, Florida, January 4, 2000.
Southern Tier Symphony, Allegany, New York
Westside Grammar Elementary School Report Card for Christine Kinlaw, 1962-1963
Westside Grammar Elementary School Report Card for Christine Kinlaw during the 1963-1964 school year. Kinlaw was evaluated by third grade teacher Nancy Foy in various subjects, including reading, handwriting, spelling, language, arithmetic, social studies, science, health education, physical education, music, and arts and crafts. Kinlaw's family had attended Westside Grammar Elementary School since it was established as Sanford High School in 1902. The building was designed by W. G. Talley in the Romanesque revival style. Due to an increasing student population, a new school building was constructed on Sanford Avenue in 1911. The original building on Seventh Street served as Westside Grammar Elementary School, which was later renamed Sanford Grammar School. In 1984, the building was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places and converted into the Student Museum. The building reopened as the University of Central Florida's Public History Center in 2012. In 1927, a high school campus was designed by Elton J. Moughton in the Mediterranean revival style and constructed at 1700 French Avenue. The school reopened on January 10 and was renamed Seminole High School. In 1960, the high school moved to a new campus at 2701 Ridgewood Avenue and the former building on French Avenue was converted to Sanford Junior High School, which was later renamed Sanford Middle School. The old building was demolished in the summer of 1991 and replaced by a $5.77 million school complex. As of 2013, Seminole High School offers various Advanced Placement courses, the Academy for Health Careers, and the International Baccalaureate Programme for students.
Original report card by Nancy Foy: Private Collection of Christine Kinlaw-Best.
Westside Grammar Elementary School, Sanford, Florida
Letter from Jonathan French to Isaac Vanderpool (June 18, 1895)
A memorandum from Jonathan French to Isaac Vanderpool, dated June 18, 1895. On behalf of French & Company, French offers a business deal with Vanderpool in regards to the purchase of Florida fruits and vegetables for the wholesale market. French & Co. was a produce wholesaler based at 116 Warren Street in New York City, New York. The Vanderpools were one of the original families in Maitland, Florida, with Isaac Vanderpool, the patriarch of the family, buying 160 acres of land in the year 1870. In 1876, after facing a large financial loss and disaster in New York, Isaac and his wife, Harriet Vanderpool, permanently moved to the Maitland area. At the time of their arrival, the area only had about four or five family homesteads and orange groves. Vanderpool was part of the first committee to help incorporate the town of Lake Maitland. The committee included Vanderpool, Henry S. Kedney, George Packwood, and Richard Packwood. The Vanderpool family was also heavily involved in civic affairs, which included the establishment of the town of Eatonville by Vanderpool and Josiah C. Eaton. The Vanderpools were paricipants in the creation of the Florida Audubon Society and the organization of the Maitland Public Library. Harriet Vanderpool, along with Bishop Henry C. Whipple, founded the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, and, in 1927, she wrote the "Maitland Song," which the chamber of commerce adopted as the official song for the city. In 1887, Vanderpool became Mayor of Maitland and during this time, acquired land for the city first cemetery. In 1892, he built the first packinghouse in Maitland, which was featured in TheGate City Chronicle as the state most modern and best packinghouse.
Original 1-page memorandum from Jonathan French to Isaac Vanderpool, June 18, 1895: Vanderpool Collection, accession number 2014.002.015V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
The Sanford Naval Academy, located at 1000 East First Street in Sanford, Florida, in the 1970s. Originally named after the Sanford Mayor and president of Seminole County Bank, construction of the Forrest Lake Hotel began in 1916. Local architect Elton J. Moughton designed the hotel. In 1925, Hotel Forrest Lake opened and became a popular destination for tourists visiting Sanford. By 1929, the hotel closed after the stock market crash and the downfall of Florida's tourism and real estate boom. William E. Kirchhoff leased the building in 1934 and the hotel reopened in 1935 with the new name Mayfair Hotel. Under Kirchhoff's ownership, the Mayfair Hotel became known as one of the finest hotels in the South. Kirchhoff sold the hotel in 1948 to Horace Stoneham, owner of the New York Giants. Stoneham then sold the building to the Bernard McFadden Foundation. After the Naval Air Station Sanford acquired $1.3 million to fund the construction of a naval academy in 1963, the Foundation made significant alterations to the building to house students from the Sanford Naval Academy. The Foundation later sold the building to the New Tribes Mission in 1977. The New Tribes Mission's goal is to reach tribes who have no access to the Gospel through translated publications and missionary work.
Original black and white photograph by Bob Frey.
Sanford Parents Complain Ice House is Hazard to Children
Newspaper article highlighting complaints from Sanford parents about the potential safety hazards of an old ice house operated and leased by Thomas Ice Company. Ice manufacturing became a prominent industry in the United States by the beginning of the twentieth century. Most ice houses consisted of two stories with the first floor used as food storage and the second floor used to store the ice. Ice houses provided blocks of ice for home ice boxes and allowed agricultural businesses to transport their fruits and vegetables in refrigerated vehicles.
Photocopy of original newspaper article by Bob Frey: "Sanford parents complain ice house hazard to children." The Little Sentinel, August 16, 1978, page 8: Ice Collection, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
A newspaper article from The Seminole Star of an 85-foot yacht from Fort Pierce arriving in the sheltered harbor of Lake Monroe in Sanford, Florida. According to the caption, the harbor ranked high among Central Florida marinas for berthing and other services. The photograph was taken by Bob Frey around 1977.
Original newspaper article: Frey, Bob. "Elegant Visitor." The Seminole Star: Private Collection of Sue Blackwood.
A newspaper article about farmer George M. Arie who built a treehouse off State Road 419 in an area known as Arie Corner. The article details how it moved the tree, built the treehouse and where he resided at the time of publication.
Original newspaper article: Frey, Bob. "This Tree House Tops All." The Seminole Star: Private Collection of Sue Blackwood.
Letter Template from Representative Louis Frey, Jr., 1972
A draft of a stock response letter from U.S. Representative Louis Frey, Jr. (1934-2019) to constituents who expressed their opinion that Brevard County, Florida, needed a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. Re. Lou Frey served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1969 to 1979. He was on several committees during his time in office, including the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control and the Science and Technology Committee. He was also the chairman of the Young Republicans of Florida. During his tenure, Central Florida had a very large veteran population but insufficient VA medical facilities. For example, the closest VA hospital to Brevard County was in St. Petersburg. To more sufficiently care for the needs of veterans in his district, Rep. Frey introduced multiple bills to Congress that would establish a VA hospital in Brevard County, although none of his bills were passed.
Original letter template from Lou Frey, Jr., 1972: Lou Frey Papers, box 6, Lou Frey Institute of Politics & Government, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Florida From the House...To Your Home Newsletter, July 1976
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (U.S.)
One page from Florida From the House...To Your Home newsletter mailed to citizens of the 9th Congressional District of Florida, represented by Representative Louis Frey, Jr. (1934-2019), who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1969 to 1979. He was on several committees during his time in office, including the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control and the Science and Technology Committee. He was also the chairman of the Young Republicans of Florida. The first article announces that the commissary the McCoy Air Force Base Commissary in Orlando, Florida, had begun selling local produce to consumers. The second article discusses the approval of Phase Two funding for the Orlando Naval Hospital. Some of the Veterans' Administration (VA) medical facilities in Central Florida were old and outdated by the 1970s. Rep. Frey and others wanted to replace them with more modern facilities in order to better serve the district's veteran population. The initial goal was to obtain a VA hospital for Brevard County, and Rep. Frey introduced legislation that would have this result. Although the legislation didn't pass through Congress, the spotlight on the issue of veterans' medical care helped to encourage other advances. One example of this was Congress' funding of a new Navy hospital in Orlando, which was a much-needed replacement for the old facility. The third article argues the inevitability of international port-of-entry status for the Orlando Jetport. Due to increasing tourism to Central Florida, the Orlando Jetport, also known as the McCoy Air Force Base, would benefit from gaining the status as an international port of entry. This would allow international travelers to arrive directly to the area. Previously, they needed to arrive in other areas of Florida like Miami and then travel to Orlando, which impeded the increase in Central Florida's tourism. Rep. Frey was one of the people who worked to achieve this goal through methods like requesting that the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury give the matter special consideration. These efforts were successful and the jetport became an international port of entry in 1976. The fourth article is about a federal court's ruling regarding the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) of 1965. The SCA required that contractors and subcontractors pay service employees the prevailing wage—the wage rates and fringe benefits found in the prevailing locality—or the rates established by the previous contractor's collective bargaining agreement. The federal court judge ruled that the Service Contract Act "only protect[ed] blue collar workers from 'wage busting.'" According to the article, Congress introduced legislation to compensate for the ruling. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Merritt Island agreed to delay re-computation of their contracts until the court appeal was resolved. Rep. Frey asked the U.S. Air Force to do the same, on behalf of contract workers for Patrick Air Force Base (PAFB). The last article discusses the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) and the use of solar energy in Florida. According to the article, Florida was leading the way with support from Governor Reubin Askew (1928-2014) and the Florida legislature.
Original newsletter by Lou Frey, Jr., December 1976: Lou Frey Papers, box 11, Lou Frey Institute of Politics & Government, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Orlando Jetport, McCoy Air Force Base, Orlando, Florida
John F. Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, Florida
United States Capitol, Washington, D. C.
Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D. C.
Florida From the House...To Your Home Newsletter, December 1975
One page from the Florida From the House...To Your Home newsletter mailed to citizens of the 9th Congressional District of Florida, represented by Representative Louis Frey, Jr. (1934-2019), who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1969 to 1979. He was on several committees during his time in office, including the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control and the Science and Technology Committee. He was also the chairman of the Young Republicans of Florida. The first article cites updates related to legislation on veteran's affairs. According to the article, Rep. Frey introduced legislation and testified before the House Veterans' Affairs Committee to "exclude [S]ocial [S]ecurity and other retirement benefits when determining the amount of pension due [to] a veteran." Other legislation that Rep. Frey supported included a repeal of the earnings limitation for Social Security recipients, equal treatment for widows and widowers under Social Security, the elimination of the five-month waiting period for the receipt of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, and pensions for World War I veterans and their widows. The second article discusses renovations need for the Orlando Navy Hospital. Rep. Frey reports that Congress had approved funding for the construction of a new hospital in Central Florida. Some of the Veterans' Administration (VA) medical facilities in Central Florida were old and outdated by the 1970s. Rep. Frey and others wanted to replace them with more modern facilities in order to better serve the district's veteran population. The initial goal was to obtain a VA hospital for Brevard County, and Rep. Frey introduced legislation that would have this result. Although the legislation did not pass through Congress, the spotlight on the issue of veterans' medical care helped to encourage other advances. One example of this was Congress' funding of a new Navy hospital in Orlando, which was a much-needed replacement for the old facility. The third article focuses on the illegal narcotics trade in the United States. According to the article, Frey reintroduced the Drug Pushers Elimination Act, which called for mandatory sentences for drug dealers and insured that "they are tried quickly without being let out of bail."
Original newsletter by Lou Frey, Jr., December 1975: Lou Frey Papers, box 11, Lou Frey Institute of Politics & Government, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Year End Report from Congressman Lou Frey, Jr. Newsletter, December 1976
Two pages from the Year End Report from Congressman Lou Frey, Jr. newsletter mailed to citizens of the 9th Congressional District of Florida, represented by Congressman Louis "Lou" Frey, Jr. (1934-2019), who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1969 to 1979. He was on several committees during his time in office, including the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control and the Science and Technology Committee. He was also the chairman of the Young Republicans of Florida. In the first article, which is continued on both pages, Representative Frey discusses the legislative accomplishments that he made in the 94th Congress. These include an amendment to the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) of 1965; the creation of a Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control in the House of Representatives; provisions for long-term financing for public broadcasting, the establishment of a U.S. Metric Board; the authorization from the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) for a federal program for research and development related to electric vehicle technologies; the extension of the Educational Broadcasting Facilities Program to include the distribution of information on health, education, and social services; the authorization of a rape prevention and control program in Community Health Centers, the establishment of science and technology policy. Frey also cites legislation that was passed, but compromised in committee: the extension of veterans education benefits, provisions for an unrestricted pension for World War I veterans and their widows, and the removal of the outside earnings limitation on Social Security recipients. He also discusses Congress' clash with the Executive Branch over spending bills and top priorities for the 94th Congress. The second article discusses the Veteran's Administration (VA) site evaluation of existing medical facilities for veterans in Orlando. The article also addresses public requests for an outpatient clinic for veterans in Brevard County. In the third article, Frey announces the final order to make Orlando one of the two international airport entry points in Central Florida. The Orlando Jetport was expected benefit from gaining the status as an international port of entry, which would allow international travelers, especially tourists, to arrive directly to the area. Finally, Congressman Frey discusses his appointment to the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control in the fourth article. According to Frey, the committee determined that federal efforts to prevent and control drug abuse has not been effective. As a result, the committee drafted a bill advocating for mandatory sentences for drug-related offenses and no opportunities for parole, bond, or speedy trials for non-addict drug dealers.
Surveyor and cadastral map of Orange County, Florida, which included present-day Seminole County. This map was created by a Swedish immigrant, J. Otto. Fries, in 1890. Coming to America in 1874, Fries was a respected civil engineer that later attended the University of Florida. He was hired by Orange County to create this surveyor’s map with all of its distinct features. This map is very special because of two unique characteristics. Firstly, it is a topographical and a cadastral map, showing the physical features and real estate of the area. Secondly, this map includes local family names on the location of their residence, something that is quite rare for public maps. Also, this map shows Orange County before it was split into two different counties: Seminole County and Orange County. This map was kept in the Seminole County Courthouse in Sanford until 1913. In 1954, the map was given as a gift from Jack Fox to Arthur Beckwith. From there, it was donated to the Museum of Seminole County History by Arthur Beckwith, where it has undergone extensive restoration to fix the discoloration, peeling edges, and ripped pieces.
Original 56.75 x 42.5 inch color map by J. Otto Fries, 1890: E. W. Smith & Company: Philadelphia, 1890: Museum of Seminole County History, Sanford, Florida.
Fifteenth Census Population for Montgomery County, North Wales Borough, Pennsylvania, 1930
The Fifteenth United States census records for Montgomery County, North Wales Borough, Pennsylvania, for 1930. The census divides the population into categories of name, age, sex, race, marital status, occupants and relation to head of house, whether the home is owned or rented, value of home or rent, whether home is a farm residence, whether the home has a radio. It also records college attendance, literacy, birthplace and birthplace of parents, citizenship status, language spoken before coming to United States, year of immigration, occupation or business, class of worker, whether they worked the previous day, military status, and the war or expedition participated in. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original census record by F.D. Frissillj, April 18, 1930.
Plaque for Lieutenant Dean N. Post, Jr. at Kléber Barracks
Kleber Barracks, where American Lieutenant Dean N. Post, Jr. (1921-1944) was executed by German authorities on May 27, 1944. Lt. Post was a pilot from Tampa, Florida, who served in the U.S. Army during World World II with the 357th Fighter Group of the 264th Fighter Squadron. His airplane crashed in Martimpré, France, on May 27, 1944, and was executed by German authorities after being hidden by French citizens in Gérardmer. Lt. Post is buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Digital reproduction of original black and white photograph by Jean Didier, May 29, 1944.http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=2675.
Letter from O. E. Frye, Jr. to John A. Sutton (June 21, 1962)
A letter of correspondence from O. E. Frye, Jr., Assistant Director of the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, to the Honorable John A. Sutton. The letter discusses possible legal action against those responsible for the 1962 Lake Apopka fish kill. Frye considers a successful legal action to be unlikely, and states his intention to explore possible regulations that could be applied to those responsible for the fish kill. The letter also congratulates Sutton on his success in the Democratic Primary Election, representing Florida's district 11, newly created that year, in the 1962 elections for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was later defeated by Republican Edward Gurney.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten letter from O. E. Frye, Jr. to John A. Sutton, June 21, 1962: binder 1962, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Orange County Courthouse, Orlando, Florida
Letter from O. E. Frye, Jr. to Claude Collins (April 25, 1966)
A letter from O. E. Frye Jr., the director of the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, to Claude Collins. Frye writes in response to Collins' concerns regarding sportsfishing in the St. John's River, and informs him that Florida Governor William Haydon Burns is reforming the St. John's River Advisory Committee to investigate problems on the river.
Photocopy of original typewritten letter from O. E. Frye, Jr. to Claude Collins, April 25, 1966: binder 1966, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Florida Game and Fresh Water Commission, Tallahassee, Florida
Letter from O. E. Frye, Jr. to Arthur W. Sinclair (February 9, 1967)
A letter from O. E. Frye, Jr., director of the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, to Arthur W. Sinclair, executive manager of the Winter Garden Chamber of Commerce, in response to Sinclair's questions about seining viability in Lake Apopka. Frye states that the seining experiments in Lake Griffin are not yet complete, and that in general, seining alone will not be sufficient to restore Lake Apopka. Frye stresses the need for a concerted effort between government agencies to begin restoring the lake.
Original 2-page typewritten letter from O. E. Frye, Jr. to Arthur W. Sinclair, February 9, 1967: binder 1967, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Tallahassee, Florida
Rural Clean-Up Failures: Deterioration of Lake Apopka Attributed to Introduction of 'Excessive Enrichments'
A newspaper article written by O. E. Frye, Jr., who was the director of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission. In the article, Frye discusses the deterioration of Lake Apopka and attributes this to eutrophication, occurring from nutrients entering the lake from various sources such as agricultural run-off and sewage waste. The article also discusses a die-off of alligators, fish, and turtles in 1971. Specimens were sent to University of Georgia School of Veterinary Medicine, and the cause of death was found to be aeromonas liquefaciens, a pathogenic bacteria. Lake Apopka is one of Florida’s largest lakes and was once considered to be one of the world’s best lakes for bass fishing. The lake’s sport fish population began to decline in the 1960s, with major die-offs occurring almost yearly. The lake’s problems are generally considered to be the result of over-nutrification from various sources. Twenty thousand acres of wetlands bordering the lake’s north shore were drained in the 1940s and used for highly fertile “muck farms.” These farms were routinely flooded to protect the fragile soil, and the fertilizer and pesticide-laden water was then discharged back into the lake prior to each growing season. Other sources of pollution include discharge from citrus processing operations, as well as treated wastewater from sewage plants. The nutrient-rich discharge promoted algae growth in the lake, turning the water to a green color, and blocked sunlight from reaching aquatic vegetation, which provided food and habit to the lake’s fish population. The lake’s bottom soil became increasingly “mucky,” also disrupting aquatic vegetation from taking root. Restoration work on the lake began in the 1960s with attempts by various agencies to remove “trash fish,” such as gizzard shad, from the lake via seining, which would hopefully allow the lake’s sport fish to thrive. The Lake Apopka Restoration Council, an initiative formed under Governor Claude Kirk (1926-2011) in 1967, launched several studies to find methods to improve the lake, though no serious action was taken. Various methods were debated to restore the lake through the 1970s and 1980s, including “drawdown,” which entailed completely draining the lake to allow the mucky bottom to consolidate. Restoration attempts were stalled for lack of funding and research. The Lake Apopka Restoration Council was reformed in 1985 under Governor Bob Graham (b. 1936), and, in 1987, the Surface Water and Improvement Management Act was passed. Together, these actions allowed comprehensive restoration plans to take shape, such as the Marsh Flow-way, a project by the St John’s Water Management District that uses natural methods to remove nutrients from the lake. The Friends of Lake Apopka, a citizen environmental advocacy group, began to push for further restoration efforts in the 1990s. The lake’s north shore muck farms were eventually purchased by the State of Florida, helping to reduce the amount of nutrient entering the lake.
Photocopy of original newspaper article: Frye, O. E., Jr. "Rural Clean-Up Failures: Deterioration of Lake Apopka Attributed To Introduction of Excessive Enrichments." The Palatka Daily News, February 16, 1972: binder 1972, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
The Palatka Daily News
An audio recording of "Blues-ette," composed by Curtis Fuller (b. 1934) and performed by Ira Sullivan (b. 1931) live on-air on WUCF-FM on December 8, 2006. A multi-instrumentalist, Sullivan was a crucial part of the Chicago jazz scene of the 1950s, performing with numerous artists, including a stint with Art Blakey (1919-1990) and the Jazz Messengers in 1956. He left the spotlight and moved to Florida to raise his family in the early 1960s, eventually starting a quintet with Red Rodney (1927-1994). Sullivan taught summers at the University of Miami's Young Musician's Camp, in which professional musicians and faculty from the UM School of Music instructed students between 7 and 18 years old in classical music, jazz, rock, songwriting, composition, and musical theater. "Blues-ette" was written and recorded by Fuller for his 1959 album of the same name.
Original 5-minute and 4-second audio recording: Fuller, Curtis. "Blues-ette," by Ira Sullivan: WUCF-FM, Orlando, Florida, December 8, 2006.
Young Musicians Camp, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
Letter from Mrs. G. A. Fulmer to the Oviedo Woman's Club (February 13, 1981)
A letter from Mrs. G. A. Fulmer to the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC) dated February 13, 1981. In the letter, Fulmer declines an invitation to attend the 75th anniversary celebration of the Oviedo Woman's Club, which was founded in 1906 as the Oviedo Magazine Club by seven charter members: H. B. McCall, Edith Meade, Georgia Lee Wheeler, Lillian Lee Lawton, Mattie Aulin Wheeler, Milcah Yonge, and Mary King. The first clubhouse was constructed in 1914 and also served as Oviedo's first library. In 1916, the club joined the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs (FFWC) and officially changed its name to the Oviedo Woman's Club. In 1923, the woman's club was federated under the umbrella of the General Federation of Woman's Clubs (GFWC). A new clubhouse was built in 1961 on property donated by R. L. Croom, a former member, which is located at 414 King Street. The Oviedo Woman's Club is involved in many civic projects, including the annual Great Day in the Country Arts and Crafts Festival, the Spring Fundraiser, Tasting Luncheons, and Celebrate Spring Teas.
Original letter from Mrs. G. A. Fulmer to the Oviedo Woman's Club, February 13, 1981: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Woman's Club of Leesburg, Leesburg, Florida
Letter from General Ben I. Funk to Dr. Calvin D. Fowler (May 14, 1963)
After the successful completion of the final manned Mercury-Atlas flight (MA-9), General Ben I. Funk (b. 1913), who was the U.S. Air Force general in charge of manned rocket development, sent this letter of commendation to Dr. Calvin D. Fowler, who was the manager and the Launch Conductor for Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14 (LC-14) on the final three Project Mercury flights. Dr. Fowler was tasked with pushing the button in the blockhouse to initiate the rocket's ignition. He was also responsible for the rocket's preparation and safety. Astronauts Scott Carpenter (1925-2013), Wally Schirra (1923-2007), and Gordon Cooper (1927-2004) successfully completed their missions because of Dr. Fowler's General Dynamics/Astronautics team preparation.
Original 1-page typewritten letter from Ben I. Funk to Dr. Calvin D. Fowler, May 14, 1963: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.
Chronopoints
Space Systems Division Headquarters, Air Force Systems Command, United States Air Force, El Segundo, California
General Dynamics/Astronautics, Cocoa Beach, Florida
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14, Cape Canaveral, Florida
'Grand Romance' Side-Wheeled Steamer Tour Boat
Steamboats--Florida--St. Johns River--History
The Grand Romance steamer tour boat in the 1990s. By the mid-1880s, Sanford, Florida had become a major distribution center due to the city's strategic location along Lake Monroe and the St. Johns River. Even before Florida obtained statehood, steamboats frequented the St. Johns River carrying U.S. Army soldiers to Fort Mellon, located on the shores of Lake Monroe, to defend the area against Native Americans during the Seminole Wars. Steamboats were used at the fort and during the Battle of Camp Monroe to relocate Seminoles, explore the St. Johns River, and to distribute military forces. During the second half of the 1830s, steamboats were used to tow barges from the river to Lake Monroe in order to stimulate trade. The first commercial steamboat was developed as the Brock Line in the early 1850s. As trade grew, various wharves and docks were built in locations such as Mellonville Avenue, Palmetto Avenue, Oak Street, and Sanford Avenue. The Debary-Baya Merchant Line began transporting passengers in 1883, which further developed the steamboat industry. The line was purchased by the Clyde Line in 1886 and remained open until 1933. The growth of railroads was the primary cause of the decline of the steamboat industry.
Original 60 millimeter color transparency by James Gaines: Department of Commerce Collection, series number 1047, box 10, call number K893597, Florida Photographic Collection, State Library and Archives of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida.
Original 60 millimeter color transparency by James Gaines: Department of Commerce Collection, series 1047, box 10, call number K893598, Florida Photographic Collection, State Library and Archives of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida.
State Library and Archives of Florida
Sixteenth Census Population for Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, 1940
The Sixteenth Unites States Census records for Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, for 1940. The census divides the population by name, age, sex, race, marital status, residence, home owned or rented, value of home or monthly rent, whether living on a farm, other residents of same address, relation to head of house, attended school or college after March 1940, highest grade completed, state or foreign country of birth, employment status, hours of work per week, duration of employment, and wages. Supplemental questions include the father and mother's birthplace, language spoken in home during childhood, veteran status, father's veteran status, social security, usual occupation and industry, class of worker, if women have been married more than once, age at first marriage if so, and number of children born. A notable individual listed in this record is Corporal John T. Bauer (1936-1995), who appears on sheet 1B, line 75. Corporal Bauer was born to Edward and Winnifred Bauer on May 4, 1936, in Detroit, Michigan. At the time of the census, Bauer was four years old and Edward was an assistant elevator starter. Bauer’s parents are listed on lines 70 and 71, and his four siblings are listed on lines 72, 73, 74 and 76. James joined the United States Marine Corps on January 11, 1954. His military career lasted three years and he left the Marine Corps as a corporal. He died on October 22, 1995, and is interned at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original census record by Eugene Joseph Galefaert, April 2, 1940.
The draft registration card for Archie Hawkins (1902 – 1989). The card contains the demographic information for the soldier including name, age, home address, date of birth, place of birth, race, citizenship, father's birthplace, name and place of employment, name and address of nearest relative, race, whether tall, medium or short, eye and hair color, and if the person is physically disqualified. World War I draft registration cards were completed by approximately 24 million men living in the U.S. in 1917 and 1918. Hawkins was born in Lloyd, Florida, to Doc and Lilly Hawkins, on February 12, 1902. He registered for the draft twice. Both times, Hawkins claimed that he was older than he actually was. On his second attempt, he was accepted and drafted into the United States Army on September 26, 1918. He served domestically at Camp Joseph E. Johnson in Jacksonville, Florida, as a part of the Auxiliary Remount Depot no. 333. After Hawkins’s service ended on December 14, 1918, he returned home to Lloyd. He moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1929. Archie Hawkins died on February 27, 1989, in Pinellas County, Florida. He is buried in Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
War Department, Office of Provost Marshal General, Selective Service System
Digital reproduction of original draft registration card, August 24, 1918.
Go, an acrylic painting created by Dr. Walter Gaudnek in 1974. Go depicts a spacecraft in outer space, with the Sun and Saturn in the background. Born in Fleyh, Czechoslovakia, in 1931, pop artist Dr. Gaudnek is known for his blend of his bold colors, philosophy, religious symbolism, labyrinth installations, and mixtures of performance and art. He also draws heavy inspiration from Bohemia, Caravaggio, Kazimir Malevich, and Pablo Picasso. A 1957 Fulbright Scholar who received his doctorate from New York University, he joined the art faculty of the Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida) in Orlando, Florida, in 1970. Dr. Gaudnek previously taught at universities in Los Angeles, New York, and Ohio. He founded the Long Island University's Hillwood Art Museum in Greenvale, New York. His honors from UCF include Distinguished Researcher of the Year (1990), the Teaching Incentive Program Award (1995 and 2005), the Professional Excellence Program Award (1997), the President’s Award (1999), and the Research Incentive Award (2002). In 1994, the Sudetendeutecher Landsmannschaft, an organization dedicated to recognizing the achievements of the Czech-German diaspora, awarded him the Kulturpreis for Fine Art and Architecture. Dr. Gaudnek’s work can be seen at the Gaudnek Europe Museum (GEM) in Altomünster, Germany, as well as the UCF Library, which contains a retrospective of his work from 1945 to 2007. He has participated in more than 200 solo and group exhibitions, installations, and performances in Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Colombia, the Czech Republic, and the United States. His works have also been exhibited in museums in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Virginia, Arizona, Florida, Europe, and Brazil, as well as schools, banks, office buildings, libraries, theaters, museums, and private homes in Europe and the United States. He has been featured in documentaries in San Francisco, New York, Munich, São Paolo, and Paris.
Original acrylic painting: Gaudnek, Walter. Go, 1974: City of Orlando Terrace Gallery, Orlando, Florida.
Remember Holbein, a painting created by Dr. Walter Gaudnek in 1994. Remember Holbein Born in Fleyh, Czechoslovakia, in 1931, pop artist Dr. Gaudnek is known for his blend of his bold colors, philosophy, religious symbolism, labyrinth installations, and mixtures of performance and art. He also draws heavy inspiration from Bohemia, Caravaggio, Kazimir Malevich, and Pablo Picasso. A 1957 Fulbright Scholar who received his doctorate from New York University, he joined the art faculty of the Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida) in Orlando, Florida, in 1970. Dr. Gaudnek previously taught at universities in Los Angeles, New York, and Ohio. He founded the Long Island University's Hillwood Art Museum in Greenvale, New York. His honors from UCF include Distinguished Researcher of the Year (1990), the Teaching Incentive Program Award (1995 and 2005), the Professional Excellence Program Award (1997), the President’s Award (1999), and the Research Incentive Award (2002). In 1994, the Sudetendeutecher Landsmannschaft, an organization dedicated to recognizing the achievements of the Czech-German diaspora, awarded him the Kulturpreis for Fine Art and Architecture. Dr. Gaudnek’s work can be seen at the Gaudnek Europe Museum (GEM) in Altomünster, Germany, as well as the UCF Library, which contains a retrospective of his work from 1945 to 2007. He has participated in more than 200 solo and group exhibitions, installations, and performances in Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Colombia, the Czech Republic, and the United States. His works have also been exhibited in museums in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Virginia, Arizona, Florida, Europe, and Brazil, as well as schools, banks, office buildings, libraries, theaters, museums, and private homes in Europe and the United States. He has been featured in documentaries in San Francisco, New York, Munich, São Paolo, and Paris.
Original painting: Gaudnek, Walter. Remember Holbein, 1996: City of Orlando Terrace Gallery, Orlando, Florida.
Mapping the Florida Terrain by Dr. Walter Gaudnek
Mapping the Florida Terrain, a painting created by Dr. Walter Gaudnek in 1989. Born in Fleyh, Czechoslovakia, in 1931, pop artist Dr. Gaudnek is known for his blend of his bold colors, philosophy, religious symbolism, labyrinth installations, and mixtures of performance and art. He also draws heavy inspiration from Bohemia, Caravaggio, Kazimir Malevich, and Pablo Picasso. A 1957 Fulbright Scholar who received his doctorate from New York University, he joined the art faculty of the Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida) in Orlando, Florida, in 1970. Dr. Gaudnek previously taught at universities in Los Angeles, New York, and Ohio. He founded the Long Island University's Hillwood Art Museum in Greenvale, New York. His honors from UCF include Distinguished Researcher of the Year (1990), the Teaching Incentive Program Award (1995 and 2005), the Professional Excellence Program Award (1997), the President’s Award (1999), and the Research Incentive Award (2002). In 1994, the Sudetendeutecher Landsmannschaft, an organization dedicated to recognizing the achievements of the Czech-German diaspora, awarded him the Kulturpreis for Fine Art and Architecture. Dr. Gaudnek’s work can be seen at the Gaudnek Europe Museum (GEM) in Altomünster, Germany, as well as the UCF Library, which contains a retrospective of his work from 1945 to 2007. He has participated in more than 200 solo and group exhibitions, installations, and performances in Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Colombia, the Czech Republic, and the United States. His works have also been exhibited in museums in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Virginia, Arizona, Florida, Europe, and Brazil, as well as schools, banks, office buildings, libraries, theaters, museums, and private homes in Europe and the United States. He has been featured in documentaries in San Francisco, New York, Munich, São Paolo, and Paris.
Original 106 x 240 inch painting: Gaudnek, Walter. Mapping the Florida Terrain, 1989: University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, Florida.
Indian River Lagoon by Dr. Walter Gaudnek
Indian River Lagoon, an acrylic painting created by Dr. Walter Gaudnek in 1974. Indian River Lagoon depicts a spacecraft in outer space, with the Sun and Saturn in the background. Born in Fleyh, Czechoslovakia, in 1931, pop artist Dr. Gaudnek is known for his blend of his bold colors, philosophy, religious symbolism, labyrinth installations, and mixtures of performance and art. He also draws heavy inspiration from Bohemia, Caravaggio, Kazimir Malevich, and Pablo Picasso. A 1957 Fulbright Scholar who received his doctorate from New York University, he joined the art faculty of the Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida) in Orlando, Florida, in 1970. Dr. Gaudnek previously taught at universities in Los Angeles, New York, and Ohio. He founded the Long Island University's Hillwood Art Museum in Greenvale, New York. His honors from UCF include Distinguished Researcher of the Year (1990), the Teaching Incentive Program Award (1995 and 2005), the Professional Excellence Program Award (1997), the President’s Award (1999), and the Research Incentive Award (2002). In 1994, the Sudetendeutecher Landsmannschaft, an organization dedicated to recognizing the achievements of the Czech-German diaspora, awarded him the Kulturpreis for Fine Art and Architecture. Dr. Gaudnek’s work can be seen at the Gaudnek Europe Museum (GEM) in Altomünster, Germany, as well as the UCF Library, which contains a retrospective of his work from 1945 to 2007. He has participated in more than 200 solo and group exhibitions, installations, and performances in Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Colombia, the Czech Republic, and the United States. His works have also been exhibited in museums in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Virginia, Arizona, Florida, Europe, and Brazil, as well as schools, banks, office buildings, libraries, theaters, museums, and private homes in Europe and the United States. He has been featured in documentaries in San Francisco, New York, Munich, São Paolo, and Paris.
Original acrylic painting: Gaudnek, Walter. Indian River Lagoon, 1974: City of Orlando Terrace Gallery, Orlando, Florida.
The draft registration card for Phillip Kenneth Winter (1898-1945). The card contains the demographic information for the soldier including name, telephone number, age, place of birth, date of birth, name and address of person who will always know your address, employer's name and address, place of employment, race, height, weight, eye color, hair color, and complexion. The reverse side of the card lists his physical features, noting that he had scars on his right hand and right foot. Born on December 24, 1898, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Phillip and Mary Rose Winter, Phillip was the seventh of eight children. Sometime after 1900, the family moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where Phillip eventually found work as a messenger for a railroad company. He enlisted in the United States Navy on April 14, 1917, in Atlanta, Georgia, and first served in Norfolk, Virginia, before serving on the USS Orion in June 1917. In July 1918, Phillip transferred to the USS Helvetia (SP-3096), a tender/decoy ship which failed both of its missions in August and September of 1918. After the war ended, Phillip returned to Jacksonville, where he resumed work in the railroad industry and met his future wife, Mary Jeanette "Janie" Roberts. They married on August 15, 1921. Mary gave birth to their daughter, Martha Rose, on August 5, 1922. Mary passed in 1925 due to tuberculosis. Phillip remarried on July 27, 1929, to Harriett Rhynard, but they divorced in 1934. Sometime after, Phillip moved to Clearwater, Florida. In April 1942, Phillip registered for the World War II Young Man's Draft but was not called into service. He worked as a member of the barracks in the area. He passed away on December 22, 1945, two days before his forty-seventh birthday. He is buried in the Bay Pines National Cemetery at Section 11 Row 1 Site 10. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for K-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original draft registration cards, April 1, 1942.
Monte Yoho, Harvey Dalton Arnold, Hugh "Hughie" Edwards Thomasson, Jr., Billy Jones, and Henry Paul of The Outlaws
Two of John Gellman's classic 1 black and white photographs of The Outlaws, taken in late 1974 in a field outside Athens, Georgia, while the band was in town for a week playing a club called Between The Hedges. The first photograph features all five members wearing cowboy hats. From left to right, the photograph features drummer Monte Yoho, bassist Harvey Dalton Arnold, guitarist Hughie Thomasson, guitarist/keyboardist Billy Jones, and guitarist Henry Paul. From left to right, the second photograph features Jones, Thomasson, Paul, Arnold and Yoho. Formed in Tampa, Florida, in 1967 by guitarist and lead vocalist, Hugh "Hughie" Edward Thomasson, Jr., The Outlaws peaked in popularity in the mid-to-late 1970s, with hits such as "Green Grass and High Tides," "There Goes Another Love Song," and "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky." Known by fans as "The Florida Guitar Army," the band's three-part harmonies distinguished them from their Southern rock contemporaries. The band experienced more personnel changes than most musical groups, with at least 45 different members between 1967 and 2015.
Original black and white photographs: Profiles: Bands & Artists, Tampa Bay Music Scene Historical Society.
Tampa Bay Music Scene Historical Society
Abstract of Military Service for Nelson Mullin
The abstract of World War I military service for Nelson Mullin (1887-1944). The document includes name, date and place of birth, race, units and ranks, dates overseas, and date of discharge. Born on July 21, 1887, in Camilla, Georgia, Mullin eventually moved to Florida, where he worked as a laborer. In 1909, he married his wife, Clara, and the two had a daughter. Mullin was inducted into the Army on June 21, 1918. He first served as part of Company D of the 520th Engineers Service Battalion. He was transferred to the 522nd Engineers in August 1918. From the beginning of 1919 until his discharge on February 15, 1919, Mullin served in the Supply Company of the 368th Infantry. He passed away on July 16, 1944, and was buried in the St. Augustine National Cemetery in Florida, at Section D Grave 38. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten abstract of military service, March 8, 1919: World War I Army Card Roster, Box 11.
Abstract of Military Service for Fred White
The abstract of World War I military service for Fred White (1898-1919). The document includes Antuono’s surname, Christian name, Army serial number, whether White or Colored, home address, place of enlistment, place of birth, date of birth, organizations served in, with dates of assignments and transfers, grades, with date of appointment, engagement, wounds or injuries received in action, dates served overseas, date of discharge, and remarks. Fred White was born on March 14, 1898, in Marianna, Florida, and was raised by his grandparents. He moved to Youngstown in neighboring Bay County, where he worked as a laborer. On June 5, 1918, he registered for the draft, adding a year to his age to make himself eligible. On June 15, he married Mamie Grey Kennedy. Two months later, on August 21, White was inducted into the United States Army and trained at Camp Joseph E. Johnston. He joined Company C of the 547th Engineer Service Battalion and departed for France on October 27, 1918. After the war, White succumbed to the influenza epidemic of 1918-1919 on February 1, 1919. White is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in Romange-sous-Montfaucon, France, at Plot C Row 7 Grave 3. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program continues, engaging a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in national cemeteries available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 headstones at four national cemeteries, two in Florida (Florida National Cemetery and St. Augustine National Cemetery) and two in France (American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries at Aisne-Marne and the Meuse-Argonne), where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten abstract of military service, February 1, 1919: World War I Army Card Roster; Florida, Box 16.
Abstract of Military Service for John Watkins
The abstract of military service for John D. Watkins (1889-1918). The card includes Watkins' name, race, date and place of birth, units and ranks, death date and cause, and who was notified of his death. Though the card designates Watkins as white and lists his unit as the 153rd Depot Brigade, he was, in fact, African American and actually served in the 807th Pioneer Infantry. John Watkins was born on February 22, 1889 to James and Sarah Watkins in Ocala, Florida. Little is known about his life before the war. At age 29, he was inducted into the United States Army in Tampa, Florida on June 21, 1918. He was then sent to train at Camp Dix in New Jersey, as a Private in the 807th Pioneer Infantry, an all-black segregated unit. On September 4, 1918, the 807th departed from Hoboken, New Jersey to France aboard the USS Siboney. Soon after arrival in Europe, Watkins was promoted to the rank of Corporal, likely because he could read, write, and drive. Though the 807th served in a non-combatant role, they were often in the thick of battles, such as the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the last major engagement of the war, building and repairing infrastructure. Watkins survived the war and remained in France, continuing to repair roads and bury the dead. Within a month, on December 8, 1918, Watkins died of pneumonia, likely caused by the influenza epidemic. He is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery at Plot H Row 6 Grave 23. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten abstract of military service card, December 8, 1918: World War I Army Card Roster, 1924
Airplane View of Business Section, Showing Part of Lake Eola Postcard
Postcard showing an airplane view of Downtown Orlando's business district. In the foreground is Lake Eola with an early band shell placed out into the water. On its shores is the Rosalind Club (green roof on the left) and the Masonic Temple (to the left of the Rosalind Club). Facing the lake and across Rosalind Avenue is Memorial Junior High School (large red building, right of center) and the First Church of Christ, Scientist (golden dome, left of center). In the distance, there is also the 1892 Orange County Courthouse (red brick building with clock tower) and the 1927 Orange County Courthouse (to the right of the 1892 Courthouse), the Angebilt Hotel (red brick building directly behind the 1927 Courthouse), the State Bank Building (white tower), and the Metcalf Building (tan tower on the left).
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard by Genuine Curteich-Chicago: Orange News Company, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Postcard showing Albertson Public Library, formerly located at 101 East Central Boulevard in Orlando, Florida. Construction began in 1922 and the library opened in May of 1923. The City of Orlando had the library built after Colonel Charles Lewis Albertson donated his personal 12,000 to 15,000 volume book collection to the city. His condition was that the city build a home for his books. His collection was estimated at the time to be worth $100,000. The architect was well-known Murray S. King. The library was built in the Neo-Classical Revival style and took up about half the city block between Rosalind Avenue and Magnolia Avenue. The other half was occupied by the grounds of the Orlando Lawn Bowling Club. The building had two stories with a partially sunken first floor. It was Orlando's first regular public library. When the library opened, it had 21,000 volumes, and by the year's end it had increased to over 30,000. The Albertson Public Library was demolished in 1965 and the Orlando Public Library was built on the same lot in 1966.
Bird's-Eye View of Tropical Lake Eola Park and Band Shell Postcard
Postcard showing Lake Eola Park and its Bandstand in Orlando, Florida. The bandstand is on the west side of the park. Lake Eola and its surrounding park are one of the unusual features that sets Orlando apart from other cities. 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 the lake for bathing, swimming and fishing, and its shores picnicking, listening to concerts, and participating in 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.
Postcard showing a bird's eye view of Orange Avenue in Orlando, Florida. The cross street in the foreground is Church Street. On the west side of Orange Avenue at the corner of Church Street is the First National Bank Building, located at 190 South Orange Avenue. The bank was constructed between 1929-1930 and designed by Howard M. Reynolds in an Egyptian Revival style, covered in terra cotta with Art Deco-style false columns designed to look like sheaves of wheat. The building cost $300,000 to construct and opened on March 24, 1930.From 1929 to 1960, the building was occupied by the bank. Starting in the mid 1980s, it became Valencia Community College's Downtown Campus. On the east side of the street is the Woolworth Building at 101 South Orange Avenue. Constructed in 1924, the building was built for $100,000 by Franklin J. Mason and was opened in July 1924. The building was occupied by the Woolworth Store from 1924 until 1989, and then by Terror on Church Street, a Haunted House attraction, in the 1990s. This block, which includes the McCrory's Store, was demolished in January 2004. The Woolworth Store replaced the Guernsey Hardware building at 101 South Orange, which was constructed circa 1881 and demolished in 1924. Guernsey Hardware as originally the Cassius A. Boone Hardware Store. Boone operated his hardware store along with his partner, William A. Patrick. In 1895, the building and the stock was purchased by Joseph L. Guernsey. Boone chose to go into the citrus industry instead of running a store. Guernsey Hardware operated in the store until 1922.
Postcard showing a bird's eye view of Orange Avenue in Orlando, Florida. The cross street in the foreground is Church Street. On the west side of Orange Avenue at the corner of Church Street is the First National Bank Building, located at 190 South Orange Avenue. The bank was constructed between 1929-1930 and designed by Howard M. Reynolds in an Egyptian Revival style, covered in terra cotta with Art Deco-style false columns designed to look like sheaves of wheat. The building cost $300,000 to construct and opened on March 24, 1930.From 1929 to 1960, the building was occupied by the bank. Starting in the mid 1980s, it became Valencia Community College's Downtown Campus. On the east side of the street is the Woolworth Building at 135-141 South Orange Avenue. Constructed in 1924, the building was built for $100,000 by Franklin J. Mason and was opened in July 1924. The building was occupied by the Woolworth Store from 1924 until 1989, and then by Terror on Church Street, a Haunted House attraction, in the 1990s. This block, which includes the McCrory's Store, was demolished in January 2004. The Woolworth Store replaced the Guernsey Hardware building at 135-141 South Orange, which was constructed circa 1881 and demolished in 1924. Guernsey Hardware as originally the Cassius A. Boone Hardware Store. Boone operated his hardware store along with his partner, William A. Patrick. In 1895, the building and the stock was purchased by Joseph L. Guernsey. Boone chose to go into the citrus industry instead of running a store. Guernsey Hardware operated in the store until 1922.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard by Genuine Curteich-Chicago, 1951: Orange News Company, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Orlando, Fla. Skyline by Moonlight Postcard
Postcard sent in 1943 from Marvin B. Pernick to Marybelle Campbell. The postcard shows the Orlando skyline in a night scene as seen from the eastern side of Lake Eola Park. Some of the buildings shown are the Angebilt Hotel, rhe Orange County Courthouse, and the Lake Eola Band Stand. Lake Eola Park is 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.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard by Genuine Curteich-Chicago, 1943: Orange News Company, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Postcard showing the San Juan de Ulloa Hotel, located at 32 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The building was constructed from 1885 to 1886 by Captain C. E. Pierce at an initial cost of $150,000. The original owner was Henry S. Kedney, who moved from Minnesota to Maitland in 1870 and then to Orlando in 1885. The initial building was a three-story, wood-framed building topped with a dome. In 1887, Harry L. Beeman moved to Orlando and bought the San Juan Hotel. He added two stories and a new addition for $500,000 around 1900. From 1890 to 1900, it also housed the Downtown Orlando Post Office. In 1903, Beeman added a veranda on the north side. In 1914, Henry Green took charge of $20,000 in alterations, including the addition of a laundry room, 12 private baths, and the conversion of the barbershop into a café. In the spring of 1922, Turner Construction Company added an additional eight stories at a cost of $357,000. In May 1928, there was a plan to spend $150,000 to rebuild it along modern lines but it is not known if this was carried out or to what extent. The hotel also housed a series of services for hotel guests and Orlando residents alike. Among these were several restaurants, a barbershop, and a laundry. The San Juan was the main focal point for activity in Orlando in the early years, but the hotel hit hard times in the 1960s and was re-opened as the Grand Central Hotel, which opened on October 6, 1978. The Grand Central served a gay clientele, featuring several themed bars and lounges. In 1979, the hotel was destroyed by fire. The building was eventually demolished in 1981. The current use of site is a business office originally known as the First Union Bank Tower. It is a 16-story, 300,000-square foot building, completed in 1983.
Postcard showing Lake Eola Park and its bandstand in Orlando, Florida. The bandstand is on the west side of the park. Lake Eola and the park that surrounds it 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.
Postcard showing the United States Post Office and Federal Courthouse at 42-44 East Central Boulevard in Orlando, Florida. The building was constructed in a Spanish Colonial Revival style from 1939 to 1941 and dedicated on April 14, 1941. It has been occupied by the United States Post Office since 1941, the Federal District Courthouse from 1941 to circa 1974, and the office of the Roman Catholic Church since 2003. The building was renovated in the early 2000s and was modified for office and retail use, with the Post Office retaining 13,200 square feet. Plans included an adjacent parking garage on the north side, though that that aspect never came to fruition. St. James Roman Catholic Cathedral, located across Court Street from the Post Office, purchased the parts of the building not utilized by the Post Office and use it for Chancery office space.
Postcard showing the Angebilt Hotel, located at 37 North Orange Avenue, was constructed between 1921 and 1923. Plans to build the hotel were announced in June of 1921 and construction cost $1 million. Florida's first registered architect, Murray S. King designed the building in the twentieth century commercial story, complete with eleven stories and 240 hotel rooms. The hotel opened on March 14, 1923. The original owner was Joseph Fenner Ange, who moved to Orlando in 1913 from Martin County, North Carolina. After two months of the building's opening, Ange sold his interest in the hotel. In November 1924, a group of Orlando businessmen purchased the hotel for $1.25 million. Since its opening, the building housed the Angebilt Hotel, the Bank of Orange and Trust Company, and the offices for two radio stations including WDBO ("Way Down By Orlando"), which was the first regular radio station in Orlando. As of 2010, it also holds business offices and two restaurants.
Original 3.5 x 5.5 inch color postcard by Genuine Curteich-Chicago: Orange News Company, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
First Baptist Church of Orlando Postcard
Postcard showing the First Baptist Church of Orlando, formerly located at 100 East Pine Street. The building was constructed in 1915 and designed by J. E. Greene in the Greek Revival Style. The building was demolished circa 1955 and the site is currently occupied by the Downtown Baptist Church (formally the First Baptist Church). The name change came about after the growth of the church spurred the decision to divide the congregation and build new facilities off of John Young Parkway, southwest of Downtown Orlando. The new church kept the name First Baptist Church while the original congregation took the name Downtown Baptist Church. This was the second Baptist church building on the site starting in the 1880s. The original church was called the Bethel Baptist Church and was founded in 1871.
First Methodist Church of Orlando Postcard
Postcard showing the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Orlando, formerly located at 142 East Jackson Street. The building was constructed in 1913 in Greek Classical Revival style with yellow brick. The building cost $50,000 to construct. The sanctuary was remodeled in 1942 and the church built several additional buildings throughout the years: Wesley Hall was built in 1922, Ashbury Hall was built in 1949, and the Ledbetter Building was built in 1956. The congregation was founded in Orlando in 1881 and was renamed the First United Methodist Church of Orlando in the 1950s.
First United Methodist Church, Orlando, 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."
Postcard showing the Tremont Hotel, formerly located at 145 Main Street (present-day South Magnolia Avenue) in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The hotel was constructed between 1882 and 1895. The original owner was Captain James Walle Wilmott, who reportedly sailed around the world a total of eight times. The site was a conglomeration of three buildings: half of the Charleston House Hotel (the western section with a flat roof), all of the 1875 Orange County Courthouse (the three-story south section), and part of a building that had belonged to the Methodist Church (northern section). The 1872 Union Free Church was also moved to the site to be used as kitchen/outbuilding. The hotel was demolished in 1956.