Former Location of Associated Radio Store
The former location of the Associated Radio Store, located at 149 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, in 2014. At the time that this photograph was taken, IKON Office Solutions was operating from this address.
Original color digital image by Rachel Williams, July 24, 2014.
Associated Radio Store, Downtown Orlando, Florida
IKON Office Solutions, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Former Location of Denmark's Sporting Goods
The former location of Denmark's Sporting Goods, located at 149 North Magnolia Avenue (formerly Main Street) in Downtown Orlando, Florida. Denmark's was founded in 1941 by Tom Denmark and quickly became one of Central Florida's largest sporting goods suppliers. The store sponsored the television show Hunting and Fishing with Don, hosted by Don McAllister, which aired from 1954 to 1972. In 1985, Denmark sold his company to lawyer Donald Wright, who later changed the name of the store to Florida Sports. By 1988, the company had closed for business.
Original color digital images by Rachel Williams, July 24, 2014.
Denmark's Sporting Goods, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Former Location of Fulford Van & Storage Company
The former location of Fulford Van & Storage Company in 2014. The company was founded by Jesse Curtis Fulford in 1913. The company moved from its original downtown address at 131-135 North Magnolia Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, to its new location at 3750 Bengert Street in 1973 and is still at that location as of 2014.
Fulford Van & Storage Company, Downtown Orlando, Florida
The former location of Gibbs-Louis, Inc. Founded in 1945 by Irving Gibbs, Gibbs-Louis was one of the most popular women's apparel stores in Downtown Orlando in the 1940s and 1950s. Along with the downtown location at 131 North Orange Avenue, there were three more Gibbs-Louis stores in nearby malls. In 1984, part of the downtown store collapsed; a wall caved in due to construction of a 20-story building next door. A year later, the store was restored. In 1990, when nearly all retail stores located in Downtown Orlando had closed, Gibbs-Louis was one of the few remaining. In late 1991, Irving Gibbs retired and sold the business to former executives of Ivey's, a department store that was later bought out by Dillard's. Only a year later, Gibbs-Louis went out of business and was replaced by Behr's Shoe Center. In 1998, Behr's closed as well. At the time that this photograph was taken in 2014, the location is home to Annie's Bar and Grill.
Behr's Shoe Center, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Annie's Bar and Grill, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Former Location of Harry Black's Grocery Store, 2012
The former lot of a grocery store, located at 206 South Sanford Avenue owned by Harry Black (d. 1911), the grandfather of Patricia Ann Black, in 2012. Harry and Maggie Benjamin Black (ca. 1870-ca. 1934) were the parents of Leckward Black, Mustar Black, Malachi Black, Leatha Black Walker (1889-1976), Pilgrim Black (1905-2002), Margaret Black Jones (1889-1976), and Harriett Black Lawson. They were also the grandparents of David Harry Black (1929-2012), Vivian Louise Black (1940-); Lula Yvonne Black (1942-); Charles Samuel Black (1945- ); Pilgrim Black, Jr. (ca. 1947-); and Patricia Ann Black (1956-). The Black family migrated from South Carolina during the 19th century. 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.
Original color photograph by Patricia Ann Black, 2012: Private Collection of Patricia Ann Black.
Harry Black's Grocery Store, Sanford, Florida
The former location of Kiddie Korner, a children's store that was also know as Kiddie Shoppe. The store was opened by Nat Berman and Pauline Berman at 66 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, in the early 1930s. The shoppe later expanded to a larger location to sell junior clothing as well. At the time that this photograph was taken in 2014, the building was housing three nightclubs: Skysixty, Bar BQ Bar, and Independent Bar (known locally as iBar). The former two bars changed ownership in August of 2014 and were renammed Sky Bar and Old '64, respectively.
Kiddie Korner, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Independent Bar, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Former Location of the John J. Mauser Cigar Shop
The former location of a John J. Mauser cigar shop at 120 North Park Avenue in Sanford, Florida. The cigar shop occupied the space approximately between 1910 and 1922. John J. Mauser manufactured Lucky Sanford, Banker's Choice, and Clear Havana cigars. As of 2011, this building was occupied by St. Johns Realty Company, led by A. Bart Peterson. The cigar industry was first brought to Florida by Cuban immigrants in the 1830s and became one of the most important industries in the Southeast by the last quarter of the 19th century, with Tampa serving as the cigar manufacturing center in the state. In the late 1800s, cigar factories began to appear in various other Florida cities, such as Jacksonville and Tallahassee. Cigar manufacturing first appeared in Sanford sometime between 1909 and 1912. The Florida cigar industry came to its peak in the first quarter of the 20th century, but then declined during the Great Depression and World War II, due to the accumulation of labor union conflicts over the years, the mechanization of production, and changing consumer demands. The industry was revitalized during the 1950s as production soared, despite the decline of the number of workers. Following the Cuban Revolution of the late 1950s and the U.S. embargo on Cuban products in 1962, the Florida cigar industry again declined. The Cuban embargo included tobacco, thus forcing American cigar rollers to begin using Dominican tobacco.
Original digital color image by Laura Cepero, July 9, 2011.
RICHES of Central Florida
John J. Mauser Cigar Shop, Downtown Sanford, Florida
St. Johns Realty Company, Downtown Sanford, Florida
Former Lot of Ford Motor Company Dealership
The former lot of the Ford Motor Company dealership that was located on the southeast corner of Palmetto Avenue and Commercial Avenue in Downtown Sanford, Florida. The dealership was located here in the 1920s. At the time that this photograph was taken in 2012, the location was being used as a parking lot.
Original color photograph by Christine Dalton, 2012: Elton Moughton Archives, Private Collection of Christine Dalton.
The former Orlando Hotel building, located at 129-135 West Church Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida,in 2002. The site was originally occupied by the Slemons Department Store. In 1924, the current brick building was constructed by the J. C. Hanner Construction Company. The originally pressed metal ceiling, the mezzanine, and the tile awning of the second floor fade have been preserved from the original Orlando Hotel. The building was briefly occupied by a clothing store owned by Nat and Pauline Berman, who later sold it to Ben and Sam Arstein. In 1950, the building was purchased by the Belk-Lindsey Company. In 1973, Steve Fuller and Bob Snow purchased the property to begin the development of Church Street Station. The following year, it was transformed into the Rosie O'Grady's Goodtime Emporium.
Original color digital image by Thomas Cook, 2002: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Slemons Department Store, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Orlando Hotel, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Nat and Pauline Berman's Store, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Ben and Sam Arstein's Store, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Belk-Lindsey Company, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Rosie O'Grady's Goodtime Emporium, Downtown Orlando, Florida
The former Ritz Theater building in 1989. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Photocopy of reprinted black and white photograph, 1989: Orlando Business Journal, December 10, 1999: Cities/Towns-Sanford Collection, Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando, Florida.
Orlando Business Journal
Former students of Sanford High School's second campus, located at the corner of East Ninth Street and South Palmetto Avenue in Sanford, Florida, in the 1920s. Sanford High School was originally established 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 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 8 x 10 inch black and white photographic print: Sanford High School Collection, box 3A, folder Sanford High School Students, item SM-017-054, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Former Sanford Ice and Cold Storage Building
Sanford Ice and Cold Storage, founded in 1887, was located at 401 South Sanford Avenue in Sanford, Florida. This four-unit building, located on the corner of South Sanford Avenue and East First Street in the historic African-American neighborhood called Georgetown, was later occupied by the House of Bread Bakery in the 1920s. On March 7, 2012, Jason Turner's application for a Façade Improvement Grant was approved by the Sanford Community Redevelopment Agency for $20,000. 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.
Original color digital images by Laura Cepero, July 9, 2011.
The former building of Sanford Ice Company, which was located at 320 South Park Avenue in Sanford, Florida in 1887. Ice houses provided blocks of ice for home ice boxes prior to the invention and widespread use of modern refrigeration. At the time that this photograph was taken in 2011, the building was home of the First Presbyterian Church of Sanford.
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, July 9, 2011.
Former Sanford Ice, Light, and Power Building
The former building of Sanford Ice, Light, and Power built in 1924. 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. It is now the location of Antiques and Dustibles.
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, July 28, 2011.
Former Sanford Public Service Company Building
The former building of the Sanford Public Service Company, located at 1501 West First Street in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. When the building first opened in 1922, it operated as an ice house. Ice houses provided blocks of ice for home ice boxes and allowed agricultural businesses to transport their fruits and vegetables in refrigerated boxcars. Ice houses also provided cold storage for produce, meat, and other food goods for better food preservation.
Former Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company Office
Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company
The former office of the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company on 101 East First Street in Sanford, Florida as early as 1915. As of 2011, the building was being occupied by Betty Anne's Hair Styling. Southern Bell was originally part of the Bell Telephone Company, founded on July 9, 1877 in Boston, Massachusetts. Southern Bell, formerly called the Atlanta Telephonic Exchange, became a separate entity on December 20, 1879, in Atlanta, Georgia. The company was established to serve Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, parts of West Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. In 1917, operations for West Virginia were taken over by the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of West Virginia. On December 20, 1967, Southern Bell formed South Central Bell Telephone to operate in Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Although originally incorporated in New York, Southern Bell was reincorporated in Georgia as SBT & T Company in 1983. As of 2013, the company operates as BellSouth Telecommunications and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, July 24, 2011.
Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company, Sanford, Florida
Betty Anne's Hair Styling, Sanford, Florida
Former Southern Utilities Company Building
The former building of the Southern Utilities Company, located at 112 South Park Avenue in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. When the building first opened in 1924, it operated as an ice house. Ice houses provided blocks of ice for home ice boxes and allowed agricultural businesses to transport their fruits and vegetables in refrigerated boxcars. Ice houses also provided cold storage for produce, meat, and other food goods for better food preservation. The most recent business that took over the building is a bar known as the Wet Spot.
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, July 3, 2011.
Former State Bank and Trust Company Building, 2002
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. College of Law
The former site of the State Bank of Orlando, located at 1 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, in 2002. The bank was formed in 1893 with Louis Massey as president. In 1919, the State Bank converted into the State Bank and Trust Company and also acquired the northeast corner of Orange Avenue and Central Boulevard that year. A. G. Bentley constructed a ten-story building on that lot, designed by W.L. Stoddart in the 20th Century Commercial style with Neo-Classical elements. The building was used by the bank until it closed in 1929. In 1933, the Florida Bank at Orlando acquired the property. In 1927, the building was acquired by Orange County and served as governmental offices, including the Sheriff's Office and Supervisor of Elections. In 2002, it housed the temporary home of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University's College of Law.
State Bank and Trust Company, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Florida Bank at Orlando, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Orange County Sheriff's Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Orange County Supervisor of Elections, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University College of Law, Downtown Orlando, Florida
The Fort Gatlin Historic Marker, located near the corner of Summerlin Avenue and Gatlin Avenue in Orlando, Florida, in 2004. Fort Gatlin was a U.S. Army fort established during the Second Seminole Indian War (1835-1842) on November 9, 1838, in Mosquito County, Florida. The fort was named in honor of Army Assistant Surgeon John S. Gatlin (1806-1835), a casualty of the Dade Massacre in 1835. The fort's location overlooked three lakes and was frequented by Seminole warriors led by King Philip, the Seminole Chief, and his son, Coacoochee. The fort was active until the Army withdrew from the area in 1849. A number of soldiers and their families settled in the area to grow citrus and raise cattle. In 1856, Fort Gatlin became the county seat for Orange County, formerly part of Mosquito County. The community changed the name to Orlando. In 1941, the U.S. Navy established the Underwater Sound Research Laboratory on Lake Gem Mary. The laboratory was closed in 1997. This historic marker was erected when Fort Gatlin was declared a Florida Historic Site and is sponsored by the Fort Gatlin Historical Group, Orange County Public Schools, the Orange County Government, and the Florida Department of State. An earlier historic marker was erected by the Orlando Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) on March 27, 1924.
Original color digital image by Thomas Cook, 2004: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Underwater Sound Research Laboratory, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Fort Gatlin Historic Marker, Downtown Orlando, Florida
The Fort Gatlin Historic Marker, located near the corner of Summerlin Avenue and Gatlin Avenue in Orlando, Florida, in 2004. Fort Gatlin was a U.S. Army fort established during the Second Seminole Indian War (1835-1842) on November 9, 1838, in Mosquito County, Florida. The fort was named in honor of Army Assistant Surgeon John S. Gatlin (1806-1835), a casualty of the Dade Massacre in 1835. The fort's location overlooked three lakes and was frequented by Seminole warriors led by King Philip, the Seminole Chief, and his son, Coacoochee. The fort was active until the Army withdrew from the area in 1849. A number of soldiers and their families settled in the area to grow citrus and raise cattle. In 1856, Fort Gatlin became the county seat for Orange County, formerly part of Mosquito County. The community changed the name to Orlando. In 1941, the U.S. Navy established the Underwater Sound Research Laboratory on Lake Gem Mary. The laboratory was closed in 1997. This historic marker was erected by the Orlando Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) on March 27, 1924. Another historic marker was erected when Fort Gatlin was declared a Florida Historic Site and is sponsored by the Fort Gatlin Historical Group, Orange County Public Schools, the Orange County Government, and the Florida Department of State.
The city directory for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for 1956. This public record served to provide an alphabetical list of citizens by head of household, their address, and relevant occupational information. A spouse’s name is listed next to the head of household. Death dates of those who have been previously listed in the directory, names of employers, and information about migration to other towns are also included. A notable individual listed is Everett Farrar. Farrar was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 19, 1920. Completing high school around 1940, Farrar worked as a grocery clerk during the Great Depression and enlisted in the United States Navy in 1942, after Pearl Harbor. Farrar was assigned to the 62nd Naval Construction Battalion. He provided vital construction and infrastructure repair after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and eventually airfield construction at Iwo Jima in 1945. Farrar later moved to Florida with his wife, Neva, whom he married in 1945. By 1957, Farrar worked for a large realtor in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He passed away on May 20, 1996, and 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.
City of Fort Lauderdale
Digital reproduction of original city directory.
Fort Moultrie and Grave of Oceola, the Indian Chief Postcard
A postcard depicting the grave of Osceola (1804-1838), a Seminole chief, in Fort Moultrie near Charleston, South Carolina. Born Billy Powell, Osceola took refuge in Florida as a child, after his tribe was defeated in the Creek Wars. In 1836, Osceola became an influential leader during the Second Seminole War, serving as an adviser to Micanopy (ca. 1780-1849). In 1936, Osceola was captured and died the following year in a prison at Fort Moultrie. The fort's current incarnation is the third built on this site on Sullivan's Island. It was built in 1809, after the first two forts on the site fell into disrepair, and was modernized in 1870, after the American Civil War. Fort Moultrie was named for Colonel William Moultrie (1730-1805), the commander who saved Charleston from British occupation in 1776. 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.
Fort Moultrie, Sullivan's Island, Charleston, South Carolina
The Fort Pierce Florida East Coast Depot in the 1940s. The Fort Pierce train station was located along the tracks that now run through Downtown Fort Pierce. Henry Flagler (1830-1913) expanded his Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) down the Florida east coast from Jacksonville in 1894, forever transforming the economic development of Florida. In 1911, Fort Pierce was established as a division point for the FEC. This new and efficient form of transportation began to take the place of coastal and canal transportation such as cargo shipping and commuter travel and significantly developed the connection between northern markets and southern products. Citrus, sugar, and pineapple farmers and fishermen located on the coast established packinghouses near the station. It also affected the population growth of these areas, as passengers found it easier, faster, and more comfortable to travel further south. New employment opportunities also drew in a heavy population, rapidly expanding the agricultural economy of Fort Pierce, which economically benefited immensely from this expansion. The original Fort Pierce train station was torn down and replaced in 1967. A replica of the old depot is located at the entrance of the St. Lucie County Regional History Center building and also houses the "Train Station Room," which includes dioramas, models, murals and photographs of historic Fort Pierce.
Digital reproduction of original 4 x 5 inch black and white photonegative by William Monypenny: General Collection, image number N029509, Florida Photographic Collection, State Library and Archives of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida.
State Library and Archives of Florida
Florida East Coast Railway Station, Fort Pierce, Florida
A newspaper article published by The Central Florida Press on June 20, 1930. According to the article, the Fort Pierce Growers' Association, which was a local unit of the Florida Citrus Exchange (FCE), was considering a proposal to build a packing, pre-cooling, coloring, cold storage, and canning plant in Fort Pierce. The plan would have required a loan from the Federal Farm Board. The Fort Pierce Growers' Association was incorporated on December 10, 1917. Located at 18 Fisherman's Wharf in Fort Pierce, Florida, Philip C. Gates, Sr. served as the president and director of the business; Norman W. Platts as its vice president and director; and James A. Kerce the' secretary, treasurer, and agent at the time that it became in active in 1983.
Original newspaper article: "Fort Pierce Growers' Association." The Central Florida Press, Vol. 1, No. 9, June 20, 1930, page 2: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Fort Pierce Growers' Association, Fort Pierce, Florida
A pineapple packing house in Fort Pierce, Florida, located long the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) siding. The Fort Pierce train station was located along the tracks that now run through Downtown Fort Pierce. Henry Flagler (1830-1913) expanded his Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) down the Florida east coast from Jacksonville in 1894, forever transforming the economic development of Florida. In 1911, Fort Pierce was established as a division point for the FEC. This new and efficient form of transportation began to take the place of coastal and canal transportation such as cargo shipping and commuter travel and significantly developed the connection between northern markets and southern products. Citrus, sugar, and pineapple farmers and fishermen located on the coast established packinghouses near the station. It also affected the population growth of these areas, as passengers found it easier, faster, and more comfortable to travel further south. New employment opportunities also drew in a heavy population, rapidly expanding the agricultural economy of Fort Pierce, which economically benefited immensely from this expansion. The original Fort Pierce train station was torn down and replaced in 1967. A replica of the old depot is located at the entrance of the St. Lucie County Regional History Center building and also houses the "Train Station Room," which includes dioramas, models, murals and photographs of historic Fort Pierce.
Digital reproduction of original 4 x 5 inch black and white photonegative: General Collection, image number N031005, Florida Photographic Collection, State Library and Archives of Florida.
Avenue A in Fort Pierce, Florida. To the left is the first Fort Pierce City Hall, with the Hendry House and First Baptist Church of Fort Pierce just behind it. To the right of the church and across the street is the East Coast Lumber and Supply Company. On the far right is the Fort Pierce Train Station, Florida East Coast Railway main line in the early 1900s. The Fort Pierce train station was located along the tracks that now run through Downtown Fort Pierce. Henry Flagler (1830-1913) expanded his Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) down the Florida east coast from Jacksonville in 1894, forever transforming the economic development of Florida. In 1911, Fort Pierce was established as a division point for the FEC. This new and efficient form of transportation began to take the place of coastal and canal transportation such as cargo shipping and commuter travel and significantly developed the connection between northern markets and southern products. Citrus, sugar, and pineapple farmers and fishermen located on the coast established packinghouses near the station. It also affected the population growth of these areas, as passengers found it easier, faster, and more comfortable to travel further south. New employment opportunities also drew in a heavy population, rapidly expanding the agricultural economy of Fort Pierce, which economically benefited immensely from this expansion. The original Fort Pierce train station was torn down and replaced in 1967. A replica of the old depot is located at the entrance of the St. Lucie County Regional History Center building and also houses the "Train Station Room," which includes dioramas, models, murals and photographs of historic Fort Pierce.
Digital reproduction of original 8 x 10 inch black and white photograph: Print Collections, image number C0PR03369, Florida Photographic Collection, State Library and Archives of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida.
The former building at First Street and Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, Florida, prior to the construction of the N. P. Yowell Building and Garner Woodruff Building. The building was named after Fort Reid, which was established by Colonel William S. Harney (1800-1889) on July 7, 1840. Col. Harney named the fort after Robert R. Reid (1789-1841), the fourth Territorial Governor of Florida. "Reed" is another common spelling used in Sanford. Newton P. Yowell first came to Central Florida in 1884 with his family. Nine years after arriving in Florida, Yowell borrowed money from his mother and friends and opened a dry goods store. Shortly after Yowell opened his store in Sanford, the freeze of 1894-1895 hit the community. Even though crops were damaged and many people left Sanford, the Yowell Store remained open and survived the hard economic times. After the freeze, Yowell began construction on a new two-story brick building that would become the new store.
Original 11 inch x 8.5 inch photograph by Upton, 1882: Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
North Palmetto Avenue and East Commercial Street, Sanford, Florida
Forty-Five Years of U.S. Gas Turbine Sales Data
A chart showing 45 years of the gas turbine market in the United States. The chart begins with the Great Northeast Blackout of 1965, which accelerated the growth of electric utility market for gas turbines in the United States. Later events, most notably the 1973 Arab-Israeli War (also known as the Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War, or October War), followed by the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OAPEC) oil embargo and the U.S. Fuel Use Act (FUA) of 1978, caused a steep decline in the industry. A strong recovery followed with the rise of the Independent Power Producer (IPP) cogeneration market under the Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA), upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission v. Mississippi (1982).
Original chart: Gas Turbine World, May-June 2011: Private Collection of Harry L. Jaeger.
Gas Turbine World
Westinghouse Power Generation Business Unit, Orlando, Florida
Fountain at Eola Park, Orlando: "The City Beautiful" Postcard
A postcard showing the Sperry Fountain on the southern shore of Lake Eola in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The fountain was named in honor of Frank E. Sperry (1843-1916), Mayor of Orlando from 1913 to 1916. 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 and listened to concerts and religious services. Much of the land around Lake Eola was donated to Orlando by Jacob Summerlin (1820-1893), 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 Sperry. Once 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."
Original color postcard: ""Fountain at Eola Park, Orlando, Florida: 'The City Beautiful.'" Central Cigar and Tobacco Company, Orlando, Florida: Thomas and Georgine Mickler Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Sperry Fountain, Lake Eola Park, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Fountain at the Intersection of East First Street and North Park Avenue
The fountain at intersection of North Park Avenue and East First Street Sanford, Florida, in 1900. The fountain used free-flowing artesian wells under the city. The Lyman Bank, pictured on the right, was the first brick building in Sanford. Located at 101 West First Street, the building was originally constructed in 1883. In 1887, the bank changed hands and became the First National Bank No. 1. Building renovations, undertaken during the same year, included adding a marble facade, moving the front entrance to the corner of the building, and placing a clock at the front of the building. The town clock is currently located in Magnolia Square. First National Bank No. 1 is the oldest brick building in Sanford's downtown commercial district. The organizational meetings to create Rollins College were held in this building in 1885.
Original 10 x 6 inch black and white photograph: Vincent Collection, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
East First Street and North Park Avenue, Sanford, 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."
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard by Genuine Curteich-Chicago: Orange News Company, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
A newspaper advertisement about the estimated amount of 400 carloads of celery that will be shipped out of Sanford in 1917 by Stokes Seed Company, which was also one of the first vendors to lease a stall at the first Sanford State Farmers' Market when it first opened in 1934. The celery consisted mostly of Golden Self-Blanching Celery, but also included New Easy Blanching Celery. The origins of Sanford's connection to celery farming began on December 26, 1894, when a freeze damaged the area's citrus groves. The city 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. J. N. Whitner and B. F. Whitner, Sr. planted three-fourts of an acre in 1897 with celery imported from Kalamazoo, Michigan. By 1898, celery became the crop synonymous to Sanford, also known as "Celery City."
Original newspaper advertisement: Market Growers Journal: The Market Gardener's Trade Paper, Volume 20.
Fourteenth Census of the United States, Population for Titusville, Florida, 1920
The Fourteenth United States Census records for Titusville, Florida, in 1920. Individuals are identified by name, titles and terms, gender, age, marital status, race, relationship to head of household, birthplace, birth year, the last place of residence, and occupation. A notable resident listed in this record is William Harris Jr. (1909–1944). The Florida-France Soldiers Stories Project seeks to tell the stories of the Florida soldiers buried in the American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries in France. Our goal is to honor and commemorate the brave individuals who gave their lives supporting the Allied forces, liberating France, and defeating Germany in the Second World War. Simultaneously, our goal is to teach the students who participate in this research project about the history of France and Florida during World War II, about the history of individual servicemen, and about how to implement historical research methods in their work.
United States Census Bureau
Digital reproduction of original handwritten census record by a Census Enumerator, 1920.
Fourteenth Census Population for Cheboygan, Michigan, 1920
The Fourteenth United States Census records for Cheboygan, Michigan, for 1920. The census divides the population by names of residents at same address, relationship of person enumerated to the head of the family, whether home owned or rented, if owned, whether free or mortgaged, sex, race, age at last birthday, marital status, year of immigration to United States, citizen status and date of naturalization, whether attended school any time since September 1, 1919, literacy, person's place of birth, mother and father's place of birth, mother and father's native tongue, whether able to speak English, profession or work preformed, industry or business of work, whether employer, salary or wage worker, or working on own account, and number of farm schedule. A notable resident listed in this record is James George Jackson (1916-2006). Born on May 22, 1916, in Cheboygan, Michigan, Jackson enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps on November 1, 1940, at the age of twenty-four. He served at several locations, including the Hawaiian Islands, Solomon Islands and Fiji Islands. Jackson survived the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. After he was honorably discharged in 1945, he enrolled at Wayne State University and the Detroit College of Law in Detroit, Michigan. Between 1949 and 1981, he worked as a management consultant at Employers Insurance of Wausau. He married Genevieve E. LeRoux on September 17, 1949. His wife passed away in 1987, and Jackson remarried Audry Gouine-Clark in1993. Jackson died on June 8, 2006, and is buried in the 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 Floyd Massey, January 5, 1920.
Fourteenth Census Population for Effingham, Douglas Township, Illinois, 1920
The Fourteenth United States Census records for Effingham, Illinois, for 1920. The census divides the population by names of residents at same address, relationship of person enumerated to the head of the family, whether home owned or rented, if owned, whether free or mortgaged, sex, race, age at last birthday, marital status, year of immigration to United States, citizen status and date of naturalization, whether attended school any time since September 1, 1919, literacy, person's place of birth, mother and father's place of birth, mother and father's native tongue, whether able to speak English, profession or work preformed, industry or business of work, whether employer, salary or wage worker, or working on own account, and number of farm schedule. A notable resident listed in this record is Dale D. Davis. Davis was born in Effingham, Illinois, in 1920. He graduated from Effingham High School and then attended Eastern Illinois Teacher’s College in Charleston, Illinois, for two years. In November of 1940, he entered the United States Army Air Corps and was trained as a pilot. He served during World War II in the South Pacific, and became a Captain in 1943. That same year, he was recognized with a Distinguished Flying Cross and a Purple Heart. Davis’s wife, Florence, was also a pilot, and she was part of the United States Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). Davis continued to serve in the military through the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He attended college at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, where he studied aeronautical engineering. Davis then won a Guggenheim Fellowship to study jet and rocket propulsion at Princeton University. He later worked at Holloman Air Force Base, and then at the Federal Aviation Administration, where he was a leader in the supersonic transport program. He also directed the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. During the course of his military career he rose to the rank of Colonel. Davis eventually moved to Florida, where he passed away in 1994 at the age of seventy-three. He is memorialized at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, with his wife, Florence. 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 W. J. Meyer, January 07, 1920.
Fourteenth Census Population Schedule for Istachatta
The census population schedule for Istachatta, Florida, in 1920. Individuals are identified by name, titles and terms, gender, age, marital status, race, relationship to head of household, birthplace, birth year, the last place of residence, and occupation. A notable resident listed in this record is Willis H. Hawkins (ca. 1919-1944). Hawkins lived in Istachatta for much of his life and was educated up through grammar school. He worked as a semi-skilled driver or chauffeur until he enlisted in the U.S. Army on October 20, 1943. Private Hawkins served in the 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Reconnaissance Troop. The 3rd Division participated in Operation Dragoon, in which the Allies invaded southern France, and then traveled North towards the Rhineland. Pvt. Hawkins was killed in action on November 2, 1944. He was awarded a Purple Heart for his service and was buried in Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Digital reproduction of original census record, January 19, 1920: Image Number 00007, Digital Folder Number 004964404, GS Film Number 1820222, Affiliate Film Number 222, Affiliate Publication Number T625, National Archives &amp
Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
Bureau of the Census
Fourteenth Census Population Schedule for Lodi, New Jersey
The U.S. Census population schedule for Lodi, New Jersey, in 1920. Individuals are identified by name, titles and terms, gender, age, marital status, race, relationship to head of household, birthplace, birth year, the last place of residence, and occupation. A notable resident listed in this record is Private James M. Hutton, Jr. (ca. 1914-1944), who appears on row 99. Pvt. Hutton was a private in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was born to James Hutton sometime around 1914. Pvt. Hutton grew up in Jersey and moved to Miami, Florida, sometime before 1940. He married Florence E. Offnick and had a son, James Hutton III. Pvt. Hutton was drafted into the Army on October 30, 1943, and was placed in the 157th Infantry Regiment's 45th Infantry Division. He died during combat in France on September 26, 1944, and is currently buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France. Pvt. Hutton was awarded the Purple Heart for his service.
Digital reproduction of original census record by James A. McMahon, January 16, 1920. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4P2-TPV.
Fourth of July Celebration Along Commercial Street in Sanford
Fourth of July celebrations along Commercial Street in 1886. The large building on the right is the Sanford House Hotel, which was built by Henry Sanford (1823-1891) with the intent of attracting tourists and providing housing for would-be wealthy settlers to the city of Sanford. The Sanford House Hotel was joined by the Lake Monroe House, a lower-cost alternative geared towards laborers, both of which were completed in 1876. Facing the waterfront, the hotel was located at the intersection of Commercial Street and Palmetto Avenue. The Sanford House Hotel featured three stories - two of which included porches- and enough rooms to serve 150 guests. The hotel's landscaping included flower beds and citrus trees. A boardwalk led visitors straight from $15 to $20 per week. The 1887 fire came very close to the Sanford House, and it was feared that sparks would add it to the destruction. What saved it were wet blankets which were draped from the roof and windows. The Sanford House Hotel was torn down in May of 1920. At the turn of the century, the Sanford House Hotel was the center of all major city events and celebrations. While guide books from the period often included positive reference to the hotel, it failed to attract many visitors. The hotel did not make any profit during its first years of operation. By its third year, the 1879-1880 season, the hotel netted only $800 in profits. The hotel continued to make meager profits for the remainder of the nineteenth century. Nonetheless, it served as a central point of focus during city celebrations during the period.
Original 8.5 x 11 inch black and white photograph by Chase & Company, July 4, 1886: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 211, folder 3.30B, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
A postcard depicting the foyer of the Dock Street Theatre in Charleston, South Carolina, the first building in America built exclusively for theatre performances. Although the building was likely destroyed in the Great Fire of 1740, theatre was rebuilt in 1935 as part of a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project in the shell of the Planter's Hotel, which was built in the same location. 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 black and white postcard: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1 (U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, South Carolina
A newspaper article about Rock Super Bowl III, featuring Peter Frampton (b. 1950), Kansas, The J. Geils Band, and Rick Derringer (b. 1947) at the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The concert took place on September 4, 1977, and was presented by the Beach Club. The ticket prices ranged between $8.50 and $12.50, including tax. This page is the continuation of an article on the front page. From 1977 to 1983 the Tangerine Bowl hosted a series of music festivals known as "Rock Super Bowls." The Tangerine Bowl has also been known as Orlando Stadium, the Citrus Bowl, Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, and is currently known as Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium. The stadium opened in 1936 and has been home to numerous sporting and entertainment events throughout its existence. The Tangerine Bowl is located at 1 Citrus Bowl Place in Orlando.
Original article: "Frampton - From 1-A." 1977: Private Collection of Julie Wahl.
An autographed portrait of Frances Reynolds Keyser, which is housed at the Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation, located at 640 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard in Daytona Beach, Florida. Keyser was the first qualified teacher at the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls, which was established by African-American educator and civil rights activist Dr. Mary Jane McLeod Bethune in October 1904. The school was the precursor to Bethune-Cookman College (B-CC). Keyser graduated from Hunter College in New York City, New York, and then headed a parochial school in Florida. She then returned to New York to serve as superintendent of the White Rose Home, which as a social work agency for young African-American women. Keyser was also a board member of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), the president and a founding member of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs Empire State Federation, and an executive committee member and board member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Original 8 x 10 inch black and white photographic print: Sun room, image 48, Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation, Daytona Beach, Florida.
Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls, Daytona Beach, Florida
Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation, Mary McLeod Bethune Home, Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, Florida
Postcard depicting the Francisco Building which houses a pharmacy Zephyrhills, Florida. The building was owned by innovator Waldo M. Francisco and was the first block structure in town in 1911. Francisco was also the first to have electricity in the town and developed a power plant for Zephyrhills. On the second story balcony, two women are standing posing for the photo. On the back of the postcard is a handwritten message addressed to Miss Clara Held at 329 Wood Street in Johnstown, PA. The message reads, "Zephyrhills Jan. 18, 1913. Dear Clara, We are here for the day. Will leave soon. It is a [...] 12 [mi] from San Antonio. We are well. This is drug store we shopped. Hotel across the street. Will write a little to-night. Best regards to all, G.F." This postcard is part of a private collection kept by Roger Hipel of St. Cloud, Florida.
Original 5 x 3 black and white postcard: Private Collection of Roger Hipel.
Frank Borman During Suit Test for Apollo 8
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (U.S.)
Apollo 8 (AS-503) Commander Frank Borman (1928-) during a suit test at John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Merritt Island, Florida. Apollo 8 was the first manned launch of a Saturn V booster and mission to leave Earth orbit. It launched on December 21, 1968, with Borman, Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell (1928-), and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders (1933-). Apollo 8 was the first manned spacecraft to leave Earth's orbit, reach the Moon, and orbit and return safely to Earth. The crew became the first humans to travel beyond low Earth orbit, to see Earth as a whole planet, to directly see the far side of the Moon, and to witness Earthrise.
Original black and white photographic prints, December 11, 1968: Space Walk of Fame Collection.
Chronopoints
John F. Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida
Franklin W. Chase and Randall Chase Inspect Sweet Black C Valencias at Isleworth Grove
Franklin W. Chase and Randall Chase at Isleworth Grove in January of 1953. In this photograph, the Chases are analyzing Sweet Black C Valencias that budded between 1902 and 1904. The California straw in the picture originated from Belair Grove near Sanford, Florida. Chase & Company was established by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century. By 1886, the Chase brothers purchased several citrus groves to expand their business, including Isleworth Grove in Windermere, Florida. Isleworth Grove covered a total of 1,300 acres along the Butler Chain of Lakes. Between 1894 and 1895, Central Florida was hit by several freezes and most of the citrus crop was destroyed. Chase & Company did not grow citrus crops again until 1904 when Joshua came back from an extended stay in California. Between 1894 and 1900, different types of pesticide equipment was created, including equipment driven by steam, machines, and horses.Randall Chase joined in the family business soon after his brother, Sydney Chase, Jr., did in 1922. Randall became the president of Chase & Company from 1948-1965. The Isleworth property stayed in the Chase family until 1984 when Franklin Chase, the son of Sydney Chase, sold the property to famed golfer Arnold Palmer.
Original 8 x 10 black and white photograph, January 1953: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 215, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
A page from The Press and Sun-Bulletin in Binghamton, New York, from December 16, 1946. Two photographs and two captions describe the arrival of seven German women to New York from Berlin with their American military partners. The image entitled “Fraulein Invasion” shows five of these women, including Martha Frieda Lehmann, who is second from the left. Lehman accompanied Amasa Edward Hoyt, Jr. back from Berlin. The second image features the couple with a caption describing how they met. Born on April 7, 1903, in Binghamton, New York, Amasa Edward Hoyt Jr. enlisted in the United States Army on May 13, 1918, at the age of fifteen. He was discharged on August 31, 1918, when the Army discovered that he lied on his enlistment form. This dishonorable discharge would have made it impossible for Hoyt to be buried at Florida National Cemetery. However, an Act of Congress on March 3, 1936, upheld that soldiers who sought to serve before the legal age be “considered to have been honorably discharged,” recognizing their desire to serve their nation during wartime. Hoyt later served in World War II as a second lieutenant, and his unit occupied Berlin during the post-war period. While in Berlin, he met Martha Lehmann, who worked in a United States military office there. She returned to the United States with him as his fiancé in 1946, and they married in 1947. The two divorced in 1953. Hoyt was eventually appointed as a postmaster for Florida by President John F. Kennedy. He passed away on November 22, 1989, and 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.
The Press and Sun-Bulletin
Digital reproduction of original newspaper article: "Fraulein Invasion." The Press and Sun-Bulletin, December 16, 1946.
A postcard depicting an equestrian statue of Frédéric III that appears to have fallen from its base. It is not clear which Frédéric III is being depicted in the postcard. 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 black and white photographic postcard: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1A (non-U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Freedmen’s Bureau Application for William Hewlin
The Freedmen’s Bureau application for William Hewlin. The application provides specific information from his time in the military, including enlistment date and location and muster in and muster out dates. The notes at the bottom of the document indicate that he was a slave upon enlistment and joined the original organization of the First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry. The names of fellow African American Civil War veterans Thomas Hanandos and Martin Nateel appear on the application as well. The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, also known as the Freedmen's Bureau, was established in the War Department by an act of Congress on March 3, 1865. The Bureau was responsible for the supervision and management of all matters relating to refugees and freedmen, and of lands abandoned or seized during the Civil War. William Hewlin was a runaway slave from Saint Augustine, Florida. On January 12, 1863, Hewlin enlisted into the Company B, First Regiment South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, serving as a Private during the American Civil War. During his time in the military, he was granted an official absence on furlough to marry his wife, Victoria, on February 7, 1864. After the war, he and his wife settled in Saint Augustine, where they had four children: George, John, Cato, and Julia. Hewlin passed away sometime before or during the year 1890, and later was buried in the Saint Augustine National Cemetery in Saint Augustine, Florida, in Section A, Plot 185. 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.
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands
Digital reproduction of original Freedmen’s Bureau Application: National Archives and Records Administration.
French Algerian Currency During World War II
French Algerian currency issued in 1942, during World War II. The French Franc (Fr) was the currency used in France and its colonies until the Euro was adopted in 2002. This particular bill was issued by the Banque de L'Algérie, indicating that it originated in Algeria, which was a French colony until 1962. This bill was also likely used by Sergeant John B. Hancock (1913-1944), an American soldier. Sgt. Hancock was born in Thomasville, Georgia, in 1913, but later migrated to Auburndale, Florida. Hancock managed a Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company store in Haines City until he enlisted in the 45th Infantry Division's 179th Infantry Regiment. Sgt. Hancock served initially in Africa in 1943, until the 45th Infantry Division's participation in Operation Husky for the Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky. The division then went on to participate in the Allied invasion of Italy, where Sgt. Hancock was injured. He was returned to duty in February of 1944 to tour southern France. On November 1, 1944, Sgt. Hancock went Missing in Action (MIA) after serving in the Allied invasion of Southern France, codenamed Operation Dragoon. He was eventually buried in Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Photocopy of original bill, November 16, 1942: Private Collection of Linda Hughes.
A newspaper article reporting the construction of a memorial for Lt. Connie O. Walker and his crew. The article discusses the crash that killed Walker, efforts to save the sole survivor of the mission, and French success towards the memorial’s creation. Russell Brooks, an American diplomat, shows his gratitude towards the French people near the end of the article. 2nd Lieutenant Connie O. Walker (1920-1944) was born and raised in Waycross, Georgia. He registered in the Young Men’s Draft in February 1942, and later applied for the United States Air Force’s Aviation Cadet training program. After earning his wings, Walker married Lucille Parks and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. The Army assigned Walker to the 492nd Bombardment Group, sent to Europe in June 1944. On a mission airdropping supplies to French Resistance fighters, Walker’s aircraft crashed into a hill due to dark, dangerous conditions. Walker was killed on impact and buried in the nearby village of St. Martin-en-Haut. After the war, Walker was reburied in the Rhône American Cemetery and Memorial in Draguignan, France. The Florida-France Soldier Stories project seeks to tell the stories of the Florida soldiers buried in the American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries in France. Our goal is to honor and commemorate the brave individuals who gave their lives supporting the Allied forces, liberating France, and defeating Germany in the Second World War. Simultaneously, our goal is to teach the students who participate in this research project about the history of France and Florida during World War II, about the history of individual servicemen, and about how to implement historical research methods in their work.
Photocopy of original newspaper article, March 1946: Digitized by Newspapers.com.
The stainless steel skin of an Atlas booster is displayed after recovery. This debris is suspected of being part of the Atlas used to boost John Glenn (b. 1921) with his Friendship 7 spacecraft into orbit. The skin is in such a degraded condition, because it is extremely thin, as the rocket maintained rigidity by internal fuel pressure, and the booster fell from a high altitude.
Original black and white photographic print: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Cape Canaveral, Florida
Friendship 7 Lift Off at the Launch Pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14
John Glenn's (b. 1921) Mercury-Atlas vehicle (MA-6) lifting off the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14 (LC-14) on February 20, 1962. This was the first manned flight of a Mercury-Atlas spacecraft, which occurred after a few delays. Glenn would become the first American to orbit the Earth. Glenn was later feted in parades from Cocoa Beach, Florida, to New York City, New York.
Original black and white photographic print, February 20, 1962: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14 Launch Site, Cape Canaveral, Florida
A poster for the Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) concert, “From Crayons to Perfume.” The event was held at the Plaza Live, located at 425 North Bumby Avenue in Orlando, Florida, on June 23, 2007. The show featured music and songs reflecting on all of life's different relationships. Tickets were $20 in advance through Urban Think, The Center, and orlandogaychorus.org and $25 at the door. The poster features a photograph of two men holding hands, taken from behind, with the title circling their hands. Artwork includes the logos of the OGC and various sponsors across the bottom of the poster. The Orlando Gay Chorus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization part of GALA Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a whole host of community events like Come Out With Pride, Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees, and World Aids Day memorial services. In 2017, the group performed at over 105 events, including 15 performances for the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Members come from all walks of life and all sexual and gender orientations, including straight allies. OGC lives by the motto “Singing the World to a Better Place” and strives to use music to change attitudes and build a stronger community.
Orlando Gay Chorus
Original color poster: University of Central Florida Special Collections, Orlando, Florida.
The Plaza Live Theatre, Orlando, Florida
A program for the Orlando Gay Chorus' concert, "From Crayons to Perfume", on June 23, 2007, at the Plaza Theater in Orlando, Florida. The program includes short biographies on the Artistic Director Mark W. Hardin, the Accompanist Absalón Figueroa, the ASL interpreters Eliezer Sierra and Debbie Drobney, program notes, an outline of the show's itinerary, a list of chorus members and contributors, and a history of GALA Choruses. The Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization, and part of the Gay and Lesbian Association (GALA) of Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a host of community events, such as Come Out With Pride, Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees, and World AIDS Day memorial services. In 2017, the group performed at over 105 events, including 15 performances for the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Members come from all walks of life and all sexual and gender orientations, including straight allies. OGC lives by the motto “Singing the World to a Better Place” and strives to use music to change attitudes and build a stronger community.
Original 40-page colored program, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
From Florida's Finest Groves Comes Bluebird Citrus Products
A promotional pamphlet for Bluebird Citrus Products containing information on the company's history, products and quality. The pamphlet features images of Bluebird canned juices and frozen concentrate. Bluebird brand citrus juices were manufactured and distributed by Southern Fruit Distributors, Inc., a company founded by Philip Caruso. The Bluebird juice company is currently part of Florida's Natural Food Service.
Original color promotional pamphlet: Private Collection of Judith LaRue
Southern Fruit Distributors, Inc., Orlando, Florida
The main entrance to the Sky Lake, a residential community and unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida. The entrance is located at the intersection of Lancaster Road and Voltaire Drive. Sky Lake is located approximately seven miles south of Downtown Orlando between Lancaster Road and Sand Lake Road. The community was developed in late 1950s and 1960s by Hymen Lake. Houses originally sold in the range of $10,000 to $15,000. In the 1970s, Sky Lake became one of the first housing developments to be racially integrated. The community was originally proposed to include one thousand homes within the middle of the square mile block and a ring of commercial developments along the perimeter.
Original 8 x 10 inch black and white photographs, May 16, 1967: Pine Castle Historical Society, Pine Castle, Florida.
New York Giants (Baseball team)--History--20th century
The Mayfair Inn in the 1960s. 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: Cities and Towns Collection, Sanford Collection, Mayfair Hotel Collection, Museum of Seminole County History, Sanford, Florida.
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on May 26, 1977. The article lists the local graduates of Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida) during the spring semester of 1977. Lee R. Scherer, Director of the John F. Kennedy Space Center, was the guest speaker at the commencement ceremony to be held on June 10. Florida Technological University (FTU) was founded by the Florida Legislature in 1963 and opened in 1968. The intended goal of the university was to train personnel to support the U.S. space program at the John F. Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. In 1978, Reubin Askew renamed FTU the University of Central Florida (UCF). By 2014, enrollment preacher over 60,000 students. While the main campus is located at 4000 Central Florida Boulevard in Orlando, there are also 12 satellite campuses.
Original newspaper article: "FTU Grads Named." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 4, No. 40, May 26, 1977, page 3: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Florida Technological University, Orlando, Florida
Fueling Umbilical Testing for Project Apollo
This photograph is described by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as "[v]iew after ejection of Umbilical Plug." This took place in Hangar AF at John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Merritt Island, Florida.
Original black and white photographic print, July 9, 1964: Space Walk of Fame Collection.
The Fulford Van & Storage Company was founded by Jesse Curtis Fulford in 1913. The company moved from its original downtown address at 131-135 North Magnolia Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, to its new location at 3750 Bengert Street in 1973 and is still at that location as of 2014.
Original black and white photograph: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Regions Bank, Orlando, Florida.
Orange County Regional History Center
Fulford Van & Storage Company Calendar, 1948
A Fulford Van & Storage Company calendar for 1948. The company was founded by Jesse Curtis Fulford in 1913. The company moved from its original downtown address at 131-135 North Magnolia Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, to its new location at 3750 Bengert Street in 1973 and is still at that location as of 2014.
Fulford Van & Storage Company
Original calendar by Fulford Van & Storage Company, 1948: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Regions Bank, Orlando, Florida.
Citrus fruit industry--Florida--Orange County
Agricultural laborers fumigating citrus trees at Isleworth Grove in Windermere, Florida in 1904. Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century. By 1886, the Chase brothers purchased several citrus groves to expand their business, including Isleworth Grove. Isleworth Grove covered a total of 1,300 acres along the Butler Chain of Lakes. Between 1894 and 1895, Central Florida was hit by several freezes and most of the citrus crop was destroyed. Chase & Company did not grow citrus crops again until 1904 when Joshua came back from an extended stay in California. Between 1894 and 1900, different types of pesticide equipment was created, including equipment driven by steam, machines, and horses.Randall Chase joined in the family business soon after his brother, Sydney Chase, Jr., did in 1922. Randall became the president of Chase & Company from 1948-1965. The Isleworth property stayed in the Chase family until 1984 when Franklin Chase, the son of Sydney Chase, sold the property to famed golfer Arnold Palmer.
Original 5 x 7 inch black and white photograph by Chase & Company: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 212, folder 8.18, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
This document details the history and functions of the Internal Improvement Fund. This fund was created in 1851 to handle the sale, maintenance, and leasing of public lands. These public lands came from an initial grant of 500,000 acres from the federal government at the admission of Florida as a state. More land was available as well for use of public education. The fund's earliest tasks were the construction of railroads and improvement of waterways. The fund's focus shifted to land reclamation and drainage during the 1880s, continuing into the 1920s. The fund also played an active role in the drainage of the Everglades during this period. This document further details the bureaucratic structure of the fund, as well as data on the amount of land still controlled by it.
Original 6-page typewritten report: binder 1968, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Tallahassee, Florida
Funeral Services for the Late Mrs. Leatha Walker
Funeral Services program for Leatha Walker (1889-1976), the sister of Pilgrim Black (1905-2002) and the aunt of Patricia Ann Black (1956- ). The services were held on March 6, 1976, at the Mt. Moriah Primity Baptist Church, located at 1101 South Locust Avenue in Sanford, Florida. Reverend J. S. Snelling presided over the service. Leatha Black was born on August 17, 1889, in Sanford to Harry Black (d. 1911) and Maggie Benjamin Black (ca.1870-ca.1934). She had four brothers and two sisters: Leckward Black, Mustar Black, Malachi Black, Pilgrim Black (1905-2002), Margaret Black Jones (1889-1976), and Harriett Black Lawson. As a child, she attended Seminole County Public Schools and was a member of the St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church. As an adult, she joined the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church under the pastorate of Reverend E. Bullard. Leatha married Reverend Robert Bradley and had one child with him, Reverend Israel Bradley Black (ca.1913-ca.2007). Several years later, Leatha married Reverend A. W. Walker and had four children with him: Joell Walker, Carrie Walker Oliver, Clementine Walker Barnes, and Harry Walker. Leatha was also a member of Rebecca Chapter 83 of the Order of the Eastern Star, a Freemason fraternal organization for both men and women. On February 26, 1976, Leatha Walker passed away at the Seminole Memorial Hospital, located at the corner of East First Street and Mellonville Avenue in Sanford. Her funeral services included speeches and performances by the Gospel Choir of the Hickory Avenue Church of God, Reverend P. Sanders, Reverend W. Brown, the Mt. Moriah choir, Deacon R. Zanders, Mother R. Wilson, Fernandina Beach, Sister Flossie Zanders, Mrs. Clyde Walker, and Reverend J.S. Snelling. Her remains were cared for by the Sanders Funeral Home and she was buried in the Light Foot Cemetery.
Original program, 1976: Mt. Moriah Primity Baptist Church, Sanford, Florida: Private Collection of Patricia Black.
Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, Sanford, Florida
Seminole Memorial Hospital, Sanford, Florida
funkUs at the 7th Annual Spring Jambando, 2012
funkUs performing live at the 7th Annual Spring Jambando at The Plaza Theater, located at 425 North Bumby Avenue in Orlando, Florida, on April 28, 2012. The first photograph features Brian Burgess on bass guitar, and the second photograph features Burgess on bass guitar with Dave Mann on electric guitar. Formed in Orlando in 1998, funkUs earned a reputation as a band with a unique blend of eclectic musical genres, following in the footsteps of jam bands such as the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers Band, and Phish, by combining elements of rock, blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and funk. The band’s live performances incorporate an improvisational structure with groove-heavy rhythms. Their albums include flavor (2001); strobe light (2002); free (2005), which features Tom Constanten, a former keyboard player for the Grateful Dead; got problems (2009); funkUs meets the Curious Circus (2009); and coconut monkey (2012). Regularly performing throughout Florida, the band has appeared at premier music festivals, including the Purple Hatter's Ball in 2013, Bear Creek Music Festival in 2009 and 2011, Orange Blossom Jamboree in 2010 and 2011, Jambando in the Park in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and many others. They have shared stages with notable bands such as Galactic, Soulive, Dumpstaphunk, Robby Krieger of The Doors, Victor Wooten, Steve Kimock Band, Zach Deputy, and Consider the Source. The lineup is ever-changing, based around its core members: Adam Freeman on drums and percussion, Alex Ceserani on bass and vocals, Bill Bairley on keyboard and vocals, and Dave Mann on guitar and vocals. A leading figure in the Orlando music scene, the band is also responsible for organizing Jambando, a musical concert series designed to showcase and stimulate Orlando's burgeoning jam band scene. Beginning in 2003 as an idea for the Orlando Fringe Festival, the concept was further developed through an ongoing concert series at Hard Rock Live, and has since made its current homes at The Plaza Theatre in Downtown Orlando's Milk District and The Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak. Each concert is created through a collective of musicians and volunteers in a united and conscious effort to establish a musical brand for multi-genre Central Florida music.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, April 28, 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
funkUs, performing live at The Plaza Theater, located at 425 North Bumby Avenue in Orlando, Florida, on January 16, 2013. The band was the opening act for Galactic, a jam band from New Orleans, Louisiana. The first photograph features Adam Freeman on drums, Clay Watson on trombone, Eugene Snowden on vocals, and Dave Mann on electric guitar. The second photograph shows Mann on electric guitar, Alessandro Ceserani on bass guitar, and Bill Bairley on keyboard. The third photograph features Mann and Ceserani, the fourth photograph features Freeman, and the fifth features Clay Watson on trombone. Formed in Orlando in 1998, funkUs earned a reputation as a band with a unique blend of eclectic musical genres, following in the footsteps of jam bands such as the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers Band, and Phish, by combining elements of rock, blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and funk. The band’s live performances incorporate an improvisational structure with groove-heavy rhythms. Their albums include flavor (2001); strobe light (2002); free (2005), which features Tom Constanten, a former keyboard player for the Grateful Dead; got problems (2009); funkUs meets the Curious Circus (2009); and coconut monkey (2012). Regularly performing throughout Florida, the band has appeared at premier music festivals, including the Purple Hatter's Ball in 2013, Bear Creek Music Festival in 2009 and 2011, Orange Blossom Jamboree in 2010 and 2011, Jambando in the Park in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and many others. They have shared stages with notable bands such as Galactic, Soulive, Dumpstaphunk, Robby Krieger of The Doors, Victor Wooten, Steve Kimock Band, Zach Deputy, and Consider the Source. The lineup is ever-changing, based around its core members: Adam Freeman on drums and percussion, Alex Ceserani on bass and vocals, Bill Bairley on keyboard and vocals, and Dave Mann on guitar and vocals.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, January 16, 2013: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
A postcard depicting the completed G.A.R Memorial Hall building in St. Cloud, Florida. Handwritten on the back of the postcard is the message: "St. Cloud, Fla. August 28, 1918. Dear Frances, This is the hall where grandpa's name and regiment is carved on a brick in the entrance. Papa". The postcard is addressed to Frances Clark in Walnut, Kansas. The Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) was a fraternal organization of veterans of the United States Union Army, Union Navy, Marines and the United States Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. This postcard is part of a private collection kept by Roger Hipel of St. Cloud, Florida.
Original 5 x 3 inch black and white postcard: Private Collection of Roger Hipel.
Galveston's Municipal-Owned Beach, "Stewart Beach" Postcard
A postcard depicting Stewart Beach, the municipal owned beach of Galveston, Texas. Stewart Beach was established under the tenure of Mayor Brantly Harris, with the aid of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1935. 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.
Students and volunteers at Restore Orlando's game night in the early-to-mid 1990s. The child behind the dartboard is Ashley Williams. Her brother, Joshua Williams, is to the right of the dartboard. Created by Jerry Applebee and Polly Applebee in 1994, the Restore Orlando's after-school program organized outings such as horseback riding and helicopter rides. The Applebees were affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene in the Parramore neighborhood of Downtown Orlando, Florida. Dedra Jenkins fought to have a basketball court built for the older children at Kaley Square Park across the street. Originally, owners of the church and park did not want a court because they feared it would be a place where drug dealers would congregate. This photograph, taken by an unknown volunteer at the program, was originally discarded, along with other similar photographs, and then found by a local resident near the Emmanuel Fellowship and Worship Center, which is located at the former site of Restore Orlando. The collection was given to the contributor, Dedra Jenkins.
Original 3 x 5 inch color photograph, 1995: Private Collection of Dedra Jenkins.
Restore Orlando, Holden-Parramore, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Garden of Proteus, an acrylic painting created by Steve Lotz in 2005. Lotz received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles and his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Lotz became an instructor of art at the Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida) in Orlando in 1968, and served as the chairman of the Art Department for its first 10 years. He retired as a Professor Emeritus in 2003. As head of the department, Lotz was integral in establishing the success of the University’s visual arts programs. Steve Lotz is an internationally-recognized artist with solo exhibitions of his work held throughout the U.S., Europe, and the Caribbean, and he is represented in numerous public and private collections. His best known work in Central Florida is the monumental triptych, Florida Dream, which has been on view in the main terminal of the Orlando International Airport since it was commissioned in 1981.
Original 70.5 x 80 inch acrylic painting: Lotz, Steve. Garden of Proteus, 2005: Private Collection of Steve Lotz.
Gargamel! at the Philips-Osbourne Wedding, 2006
Gargamel! performing live at the wedding of Adam Phillips and Becky Osborne on October 29, 2006. Phillips is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist and Osborne is a vocalist and washboard player, as well as a visual artist from Orlando, Florida. The first photograph features Chuck Ellis on vocals and Wayne Larsen on keyboard. The second photograph features Ellis alone on vocals and the third photograph features Ellis dancing with a wedding guest. The fourth photograph shows Ryan Dailey on guitar, Larsen on keyboards, and Ellis on vocals. Gargamel! was formed in 1992 in Orlando, consisting of Chuck "Mandaddy" Ellis on vocals, John "Webb" Webber on drums, Matt "Boy Howdy" Lapham on bass, Darin "Skyjak" Bridges on guitar, and Pat “Headless Spawn” McCurdy on guitar. In 1995, Lester “Crazy Hector” Stover replaced Lapham on bass, and Wayne “Servo Beonic Man” Larsen joined on keyboards. Ray "El Diablo Guapo" Rivera joined on guitar in 1996, and was replaced by Ryan "Professor Knuckles" Dailey in 2000. Webber was replaced by Andy Mas on drums in 2006, and Mas was replaced by Kevin "Heavie Kevie" Collado in 2011. The band is rooted in funk metal, but their music combines elements of experimental rock, jazz, funk, Latin, ska, hip hop, and reggae. Known for their offbeat sense of humor and the stage antics of lead singer, Mandaddy, who named the band after a character from the animated children’s television show, The Smurfs, and who wears a black and orange outfit modeled after the cartoon villain, the band often incorporates surprising covers, such as Billy Joel songs. They have shared the stage with such national artists such as GWAR, Anthrax, Dog Fashion Disco, Tub Ring, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Genitorturers, Mushroomhead, Nonpoint, Bad Acid Trip, Skindred, and Skeleton Key.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, October 29, 2006: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Gargamel! performing live at The Social, located at 54 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on July 31, 2003. The first photograph features, from left to right, Wayne Larsen on keyboards, Ryan Dailey on guitar, Chuck Ellis on vocals, John Webber on drums, and Lester Stover on bass. The second photograph features Ellis. Gargamel! was formed in 1992 in Orlando, consisting of Chuck "Mandaddy" Ellis on vocals, John "Webb" Webber on drums, Matt "Boy Howdy" Lapham on bass, Darin "Skyjak" Bridges on guitar, and Pat “Headless Spawn” McCurdy on guitar. In 1995, Lester “Crazy Hector” Stover replaced Lapham on bass, and Wayne “Servo Beonic Man” Larsen joined on keyboards. Ray "El Diablo Guapo" Rivera joined on guitar in 1996, and was replaced by Ryan "Professor Knuckles" Dailey in 2000. Webber was replaced by Andy Mas on drums in 2006, and Mas was replaced by Kevin "Heavie Kevie" Collado in 2011. The band is rooted in funk metal, but their music combines elements of experimental rock, jazz, funk, Latin, ska, hip hop, and reggae. Known for their offbeat sense of humor and the stage antics of lead singer, Mandaddy, who named the band after a character from the animated children’s television show, The Smurfs, and who wears a black and orange outfit modeled after the cartoon villain, the band often incorporates surprising covers, such as Billy Joel songs. They have shared the stage with such national artists such as GWAR, Anthrax, Dog Fashion Disco, Tub Ring, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Genitorturers, Mushroomhead, Nonpoint, Bad Acid Trip, Skindred, and Skeleton Key.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, July 31, 2003: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Gas lines in Maryland during the 1973 Oil Crisis, which began in October when member state of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) initiated an oil embargo on the United States. The embargo began in response to American involvement in the Yom Kippur War between Israel and various other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The crisis resulted in a gasoline shortage and a spike in prices. Filling stations across the country experienced long lines as people scrambled for gas. The embargo also had a substantial effect on the gas turbine market.
Digital reproduction of original black and white photograph by Warren K. Leffler, June 15, 1979: item 03433, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
A gas turbine-driven locomotive. By 1948, the Westinghouse Electric Corporation also built an experimental 4000 hp gas turbine-driven locomotive with the Baldwin Company of Chester, Pennsylvania, that used two of W21 gas turbine units. Initial operation was on the Union Railroad of Pittsburgh, burning distillate fuel oil. Later, operation was on the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad using residual oil fuel. 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. As the PGBU grew in size, other buildings were rented and then, after PGBU was sold to Siemens Corporation, additional buildings were added to the complex. In 1994, after a major corporate management shuffling and commitment 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 were rented and then, after PGBU was sold to Siemens Corporation in 1998, additional buildings were added to the Quadrangle.
Original sepia photograph: Private Collection of Harry L. Jaeger.
Gateway of Bloody Tower, Tower of London Postcard
A postcard depicting the gateway and portcullis of the Tower of London's Bloody Tower in London, England. The Tower of London was established in 1066 by William I of England, popularly known as William the Conqueror and sometimes known as William the Bastard, to keep hostile Londoners at bay. The Bloody Tower is located in the middle of the castle's three wards, the inner ward. It was constructed during Richard I of England's (popularly known as Richard the Lionheart) reign in the early 1220s. The Bloody Tower was meant to control the main river entrance to the castle, but after construction of an outer defensive wall in 1280, it became landlocked. It was then used as the main conduit between the outer and innermost wards of the Tower of London. In the mid-16th century, the tower became known as the Bloody Tower because it housed the Princes, Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York. The princes disappeared from the tower and were never found. 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.
Bloody Tower, Tower of London, London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom
A postcard depicting the sword gate at the Simonton House in Charleston, South Carolina. While the gateway was added between 1815 and 1820, the house itself was built in 1776 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 4 x 6 inch color postcard by the Gulf Stream Card and Distributing Company: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1 (U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Simonton House, Charleston, South Carolina
Nancy Lynn Cepero (b. 1954) and two of her children, Dennis Cepero (b. 1986) and Laura Lynn Cepero (b. 1987), at a gazebo at Cypress Gardens in June of 1989. Billed as Florida's first commercial tourist theme park, Cypress Gardens opened on January 2, 1936, as a botanical garden planted by Dick Pope, Sr. (1900-1988) and his wife, Julie Pope. Over the years, it became one of the biggest attractions in Florida, known for its water ski shows, lush gardens, and Southern Belles. It also became known as the "Water Ski Capital of the World," because many of the sport's landmark firsts and the over 50 world records broken there. Numerous motion pictures were filmed at the Cypress Gardens, including portions of This is Cinerama, the first feature filmed in the wide-screen format, as well as a string of Esther Williams films and television specials in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1950s, young women dressed in the crinolines reminiscent of the Antebellum South. During the American Civil War Centennial, young men dressed in Confederate uniforms would be photographed with the Southern Belles. With the addition of a custom photography boat named Miss Cover Girl in the early 1960s, the park became a popular site for the filming of television commercials. However, Cypress Gardens closed in 2009 and Legoland occupies the former lot at 1 Legoland Way in Winter Haven, Florida.
Original color photographs, June 1989: Private Collection of Nancy Lynn Cepero.
GD/Astro Greeters See Kennedy on Cape Trip
A newspaper article on President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)'s visit to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14 (LC-14) on September 11, 1962. Presidents typically use such visits to gain firsthand understanding of important programs. President Kennedy toured the Cape Canaveral launch facilities the day before he announced the project to place a man on the Moon.
Original newspaper article: "GD/Astro Greeters See Kennedy on Cape Trip." September 11, 1962: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Skid Strip, Cape Canaveral, Florida
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14, Cape Canaveral, Florida
Geanie L. W. Brooks in her Welding Uniform at the McCloskey Shipyard in Tampa during WWII
Geanie L. W. Brooks in her welding uniform at the McCloskey Shipyard. Geanie learned how to weld and work with heavy machinery at this shipyard during World War II. McCloskey Shipyard paid welding trainees 63 cents and hour to train there and 17% of their workforce during the war were women, which was twice the national figure. In the 1950s, Geanie worked as a waitress at the Patio Restuarant at Weeki Wachee Springs and later became a mermaid. She left this position in 1957. After Weeki Wachee, Geanie drove bulldozers, repaired bulldozer tracks, and drove a dump trunk. Even later, she worked as a bookkeeper, real estate agent, bowling instructor, and department store manager. Her last job was at Home Depot. She left the workforce upon turning 80 years old. According to a two-page life story Geanie wrote, "My family thought I was 'liberated' before anyone had even heard of 'women's liberation.' I always knew men made more money than women, so I applied for men's jobs, knew what they made, asked for it, and got it. (Can't hurt to ask right?) Sometimes I even made more, if I was able to get a percentage of a dumptruck haul." 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 Geanie L.W. Brooks, c.1940s: Private Collection of Shirley Herdge.
RICHES
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida
Geanie L.W. Brooks in Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid Uniform Operating a Caterpillar D-7 Bulldozer
Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
Geanie L. W. Brooks in her Weeki Wachee uniform (a swimsuit) operating a Caterpillar D-7 bulldozer. Geanie learned how to operate heavy machinery at the McCloskey Shipyard during World War II. In the 1950s, Geanie worked as a waitress at the Patio Restuarant at Weeki Wachee Springs and later became a mermaid. She left this position in 1957. After Weeki Wachee, Geanie drove bulldozers, repaired bulldozer tracks, and drove a dump trunk. Even later she worked as a bookkeeper, real estate agent, bowling instructor, and department store manager. Her last job was at Home Depot, she left the workforce upon turning eighty-years-old. 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 Geanie Brooks on a bulldozer, c. 1950s: Private Collection of Shirley Herdge.
Geanie L.W. Brooks with her Four Children in Front of Weeki Wachee's Mermaid Villa
Weeki Wachee Mermaid Geanie L. W. Brooks and her four children, 2 sons and 2 daughters, sitting under a Weeki Wachee Sign outside of the Mermaid Villa. Geanie learned how to weld andoperate heavy machinery at the McCloskey Shipyard during World War II. In the 1950s, Geanie worked as a waitress at the Patio Restuarant at Weeki Wachee Springs and later became a mermaid. She left this position in 1957. After Weeki Wachee, Geanie drove bulldozers, repaired bulldozer tracks, and drove a dump trunk. Even later she worked as a bookkeeper, real estate agent, bowling instructor, and department store manager. Her last job was at Home Depot, she left the workforce upon turning eighty-years-old. 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 Geanie Brooks and her children, c.1950s: Private Collection of Shirley Herdge.
General Company Rules for Mermaids, Swimmers & Trainees
Weeki Wachee Springs employee handbook for mermaids, swimmers and trainees. The first four pages detail scheduling rules, dress code and rules of conduct. Some of the rules for mermaids cover what makeup to wear in and out of the water, where to keep bathing suits and costumes, how to act in the villa, how to announce the shows, as well as how to act in public when off duty. Pages 5-10 detail safety measures for diving. There are rules for how to care for the sinus, answers to an air lock test, and a list of diving diseases and their symptoms. 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.
10-page typewritten handbook by Weeki Wachee Springs, c.1950s: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Weeki Wachee, Florida.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida
General Electric Radio from Associated Radio Store
A General Electric Radio purchased from the Associated Radio Store, located at 149 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida. Before the advent of television, radio served as a major source of communication and entertainment. In 1885, Heinrich Hertz (1857-1894) discovered that electricity could be sent through electromagnetic waves. This discovery would aid ships in communicating with each other when out at sea, rather than using pigeons and flags. Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) would further this research by transmitting electromagnetic energy wirelessly in 1893. In 1897, Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937) patented his own radio device and created a wireless radio transmission company. In 1901, he sent the first transatlantic signal, which was sent from Ireland and reached Canada.
General Electric
Original radio: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Regions Bank, Orlando, Florida.
General Federation of Women's Clubs Certificate of Membership for the Oviedo Woman's Club
A certificate of membership in the General Federation of Woman's Clubs (GFWC) for the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC). The certificate was issued on November 26, 1923, and signed by GFWC President Alice Ames Winter and GFWC secretary Lonese T. Hays. The Oviedo Woman's Club 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 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 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.
General Federation of Women's Clubs
Original certificate, November 26, 1923: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Oviedo Woman's Club
General Order for First Lieutenant Donald Ross
The 45th General Order from November 5, 1944, details the accounts of how First Lieutenant Donald Ross (1920-1944) received a Silver Star medal. Donald Ross used his tank to shield two wounded infantrymen until medical teams could rescue them. For his bravery during combat, Donald Ross received a Silver Star. The Florida-France Soldiers Stories Project seeks to tell the stories of the Florida soldiers buried in the American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries in France. Our goal is to honor and commemorate the brave individuals who gave their lives supporting the Allied forces, liberating France, and defeating Germany in the Second World War. Simultaneously, our goal is to teach the students who participate in this research project about the history of France and Florida during World War II, about the history of individual servicemen, and about how to implement historical research methods in their work.
Digital reproduction of original general order.
A postcard depicting an illustrated aerial view of a Lake Geneva harbor. The lake is located on the north side of the Alps and is shared by Switzerland and France. 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 1A (non-U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Genesis II, a painting created by Steve Lotz in 1998. Lotz received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles and his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Lotz became an instructor of art at the Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida) in Orlando in 1968, and served as the chairman of the Art Department for its first 10 years. He retired as a Professor Emeritus in 2003. As head of the department, Lotz was integral in establishing the success of the University’s visual arts programs. Steve Lotz is an internationally-recognized artist with solo exhibitions of his work held throughout the U.S., Europe, and the Caribbean, and he is represented in numerous public and private collections. His best known work in Central Florida is the monumental triptych, Florida Dream, which has been on view in the main terminal of the Orlando International Airport since it was commissioned in 1981.
Original 79 x 70 inch painting: Lotz, Steve. Genesis II, 1998: Orange County Courthouse, Orlando, Florida.
Geneva Elementary School around 1950. The brick school house was designed by Elton J. Moughton and constructed in 1924 at 101 East Main Street in Geneva, Florida. The building had three classrooms, an office, and an auditorium to serve grades one through twelve. In the 1940s, the building became Geneva Elementary School. A unique 4-H program was established in 1941 by the school's principal, Willie Sieg. The program encompassed courses on home economics and farming, and also won various awards. In May 1988, a new campus for the elementary school was built at 275 First Street. The original building was dedicated in 1955 as the Geneva Family Resource Center. In 2008, the building was converted into the Rural Heritage Center and is listed on the Florida Site File of Historic Places, as well as the Seminole County Threatened and Endangered Resources List.
Original 7 x 5 inch black and white photograph: Museum of Geneva History, Geneva, Florida.
Geneva Elementary School, Geneva, Florida
A postcard depicting an illustrated aerial view of Lake Geneva harbor, with Mont Blanc in the distance. The lake is located on the north side of the Alps and is shared by Switzerland and France. 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.
A newspaper article published by The Central Florida Press on June 20, 1930. The article reports news in Geneva, a community northeast of Oviedo, Florida. News topics include the disappearance of 19-year-old Charles W. Summersill, Howard Lindsey's vacation on the Chapman farm, a camping trip in Palm Beach, a dinner hosted by P. T. Wakefield with J. C. Mrs. J. C. Bills and Dr. Bristol, a lawn party hosted by the Sanford branch of the American Association of University Woman, Blanche Leonard's trip to Jacksonville, a teacher's institute in Gainesville, and Mr. Stover's business with the Wakefields.
Original newspaper article: "Geneva News." The Central Florida Press, Vol. 1, No. 9, June 20, 1930, page 3: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Geneva Station to Remain Open: Railroad Commission Denies Petition to Close Depot
A newspaper article published by The Central Florida Press on June 20, 1930. The article announces that the Florida Public Service Commission had denied a petition from the Florida East Coast Railway Company (FEC) to close a railroad station in Geneva, Florida. Both citizens of Geneva and the Sanford Chamber of Commerce opposed to closing of the station, citing the need to transport citrus fruits during both the profitable winter months and during the slack season.
Original newspaper article: "Geneva Station to Remain Open: Railroad Commission Denies Petition to Close Depot." The Central Florida Press, Vol. 1, No. 9, June 20, 1930, page 1: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
George Gormley Playing the Clarinet During World War I
George Gormley, an American soldier, playing the clarinet during World War I. Gormley was originally from Kansas, but he moved to Sanford, Florida, with his family shortly before WWI. Gormley served alongside his brother, Charles Ernest Gormley, in France from August 13, 1917 to April 14, 1919. His niece, Luticia "Tish" Gormley Lee, was the contributor of this photograph. Before entering World War I, the United States maintained a policy of neutrality, although the U.S. continued to supply the Allies: Great Britan, France, and Russia. The U.S. officially entered the war on April 6, 1917, in response to Germany's return to all-out submarine warfare on all commercial ships sailing for Great Britain and Germany's offer for military alliance to Mexico via the Zimmerman Telegram. The U.S. mobilized over four million military personnel through the course of American involvement in the war and lost 110,000 casualties. The U.S. vastly expanded its government and dramatically increase the size of its military during World War I.
Original 2.25 x 3.25 inch black and white photograph: Private Collection of Luticia "Tish" Gormley Lee.
Lee, Luticia "Tish" Gormley
George Lee and Charlotte "Lottie" Lee (1887-1989), sisters from Oviedo, sometime in the late 19th century. George married Benjamin Franklin Wheeler, a prominent citrus grower, celery cultivator, and politician, in 1908. Lottie married Thomas Willington Lawton (1882-1963), who is best known as principal of the Oviedo School from 1905 to 1907 and as the first elected Superintendent of Schools of Seminole County from 1916 to 1952.
Original 5 x 7 inch black and white photographic print by Howard: Private Collection of Vicki Clonts.
A postcard depicting the George Washington Bridge on the Hudson River in New York City, New York. The bridge crosses the Hudson River between Fort Washington in New York City, New York, and Fort Lee, New Jersey. The George Washington Bridge was once the longest and highest suspension bridge in the world. 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.
George Washington Bridge, Hudson River, New York City, New York
Georgetown Heritage Advisory Committee at the Sanford Avenue Streetscape Completion and Unveiling of Heritage Marker Ceremony
The Georgetown Heritage Advisory Committee a the ceremony commemorating the completion of the Sanford Avenue Streetscape and the unveiling of several heritage markers. The unveiling of the heritage markers was held in Paulucci Park, located at the southwest corner of First Street and Palmetto Avenue in Sanford, Florida, on November 20, 2014. Pictured in the photographs, from left to right, are Dr. Stephen Caldwell Wright, Bette Robinson, Ollie Williams, Christine Dalton, Patricia Ann Black, and Christine Kinlaw-Best. Special thanks for Heritage Marker #3 was given to Patricia Black (1956- ). Her father, Pilgrim Black (1905-2002), was featured on the marker. Pilgrim was born in 1905, although some records list 1907 as his birth year. Pilgrim and Lula Mae Haynes (1917-2007) Black 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-).
Original color digital images by Connie L. Lester, November 20, 2014.
Seminole County Historic Marker about the community of Georgetown in Sanford, Florida. Henry Shelton Sanford established Georgetown in the 1870s as a community for migrating African Americans to settle. Georgetown became a self-sustaining community with its own commercial district and schools operated by African Americans. Georgetown remained a safe haven for the African-American population in Sanford during times of racial violence during the twentieth century.
Original digital color images by Adam Rock, July 30, 2011.
Georgetown Pathways to History Project Heritage Marker #3
Heritage Marker #3 of the Georgetown Pathways to History Project, which was developed by the Georgetown Heritage Advisory Committee with assistance from the Sanford Museum and Sanford Historical Society. Georgetown was established by the city's founder, Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891, 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. Special thanks for Heritage Marker #3 was given to Patricia Ann Black (1956-), the daughter of Pilgrim Black (1905-2002) and Lula Mae Haynes Black (1917-2007). Her father, Pilgrim, was featured on the marker. Pilgrim was born in 1905, although some records list 1907 as his birth year. Pilgrim and Lula Mae Haynes (1917-2007) Black 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.
Original color marker by the Georgetown Heritage Advisory Committee, 2014: Department of Recreation, City of Sanford, Sanford, Florida.
Department of Recreation, City of Sanford
German currency used during World War II. The Reichsmark (ℛℳ) was the currency used in Germany and its colonies from 1924 to 1948. This bill was likely used by Sergeant John B. Hancock (1913-1944), an American soldier. Sgt. Hancock was born in Thomasville, Georgia, in 1913, but later migrated to Auburndale, Florida. Hancock managed a Great Atlantic &amp
P) store in Haines City until he enlisted in the 45th Infantry Division's 179th Infantry Regiment. Sgt. Hancock served initially in Africa in 1943, until the 45th Infantry Division's participation in Operation Husky for the Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky. The division then went on to participate in the Allied invasion of Italy, where Sgt. Hancock was injured. He was returned to duty in February of 1944 to tour southern France. On November 1, 1944, Sgt. Hancock went Missing in Action (MIA) after serving in the Allied invasion of Southern France, codenamed Operation Dragoon. He was eventually buried in Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Photocopy of original bill: Private Collection of Linda Hughes.
Géromois, le 29 Mai, Ayez une Pensée pour Dean POST
A French newspaper article about Lieutenant Dean N. Post, Jr. (1921-1944), who was killed in action in France during World War II. Lt. Post was a pilot from Tampa, Florida, who served in the U.S. Army with the 357th Fighter Group of the 264th Fighter Squadron. His airplane crashed in Martimpré, on May 27, 1944, and he 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 newspaper article: L'Echo Des Vosges, May 29, 2016.
Gertrude Page's Fifth Grade Class at Sanford Grammar School
Gertrude Page's fifth grade class at Sanford Grammar School in the 1920s. Originally located at 301 West Seventh Street in Sanford, Florida, Sanford Grammar School was first 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 10 x 7 inch black and white photograph: Sanford Grammar Collection, Archives Box 4B, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Sanford Grammar School, Sanford, Florida