Florida Historical Quarterly, Episode 3: Vol. 88, No. 2, Fall 2009
This podcast features an interview with Nancy J. Levine, Associate Professor of English at the University of North Florida. Professor Levine and her class recorded the history of the Hastings Library, a collaborative effort that is chronicled in an article in this issue of The Florida Historical Quarterly, titled "Florida Classroom: Tea Sets, Tractors and T-1 Lines: The Survival of a Small Town Library: The Hastings Branch Library, Hastings, Florida."
Original 14-minute and 19-second audio podcast by Connie Lester and Robert Cassanello, 2009: The Florida Historical Quarterly, Florida Historical Society, Cocoa, Florida.
The Florida Historical Quarterly
Florida Historical Society
University of Central Florida, Department of History
Hastings Branch Library, Hastings, Florida
Florida Historical Quarterly, Episode 4: Vol. 88, No. 3, Winter 2010
This podcast features an interview with Daniel Feller, Professor of History and Editor/Director of The Papers of Andrew Jackson. He gave the 2010 Catherine Prescott Lecture for the Florida Historical Society (FHS), which became an article in this issue of The Florida Historical Quarterly. This article is titled "The Seminole Controversy Revisited: A New Look At Andrew Jackson's 1818 Florida Campaign."
Original 19-minute and 31-second audio podcast by Connie Lester and Robert Cassanello, 2010: The Florida Historical Quarterly, Florida Historical Society, Cocoa, Florida.
Florida Historical Quarterly, Episode 5: Vol. 88, No. 4, Spring 2010
This podcast features an interview with Derrick E. White, Assistant Professor of History at Florida Atlantic University. He wrote an article that appeared in this issue of The Florida Historical Quarterly, titled "From Desegregation to Integration: Race, Football, and 'Dixie' at the University of Florida." This article is about Confederate memory and racial integration at Florida universities during the 1960s.
Original 19-minute and 17-second audio podcast by Connie Lester and Robert Cassanello, 2010: The Florida Historical Quarterly, Florida Historical Society, Cocoa, Florida.
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida
Florida Historical Quarterly, Episode 6: Vol. 89, No. 1, Summer 2010
This podcast features an interview with Gilbert C. Din, Professor Emeritus at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. He is the author of several books on colonial Louisiana and a frequent contributor to The Florida Historical Quarterly. This podcast features an interview with him about This work on William Augustus Bowles and about This article that appeared in this issue of the FHQ, titled "William Augustus Bowles on the Gulf Coast, 1787-1803: Unraveling a Labyrinthine Conundrum."
Original 16-minute and 12-second audio podcast by Connie Lester and Daniel S. Murphree, 2010: The Florida Historical Quarterly, Florida Historical Society, Cocoa, Florida.
Florida Historical Quarterly, Episode 7: Vol. 89, No. 2, Fall 2010
This episode features an interview with the three authors that contributed to this special issue of The Florida Historical Quarterly, all of whom are graduate students finishing their doctoral degrees on Florida historical topics. The authors were asked about their experiences researching a topic in Florida history while early in their scholarly careers. Interviewees on this podcast were Deborah L. Bauer, author of "'. . . in a strange place': The Experiences of British Women during the Colonization of East & West Florida," Nicole C. Cox, author of "Selling Seduction: Women and Feminine Nature in 1920s Florida," and Peter Ferdinando, author of "A Translation History of Florida."
Original 25-minute and 41-second audio podcast by Connie Lester, Robert Cassanello, and Daniel S. Murphree, 2010: The Florida Historical Quarterly, Florida Historical Society, Cocoa, Florida.
Florida Historical Quarterly, Episode 8: Vol. 89, No. 3, Winter 2011
This podcast features an interview with Jessica Clawson, a graduate student at the University of Florida, about her article "Administrative Recalcitrance and Government Intervention: Desegregation at the University of Florida, 1962-1972," which appeared in this issue of The Florida Historical Quarterly. The article concerns the racial integration of UF in the 1960s and 1970s.
Original 20-minute and 8-second audio podcast by Connie Lester and Robert Cassanello, 2011: The Florida Historical Quarterly, Florida Historical Society, Cocoa, Florida.
Florida Historical Quarterly, Episode 10: Vol. 90, No. 1, Summer 2011
This is the podcast for the Summer 2011 issue of The Florida Historical Quarterly. The issue features the 2010 Friends of the Florida Historical Society Keynote Lecture "The First Coming of Judeo-Christian Religion to Florida" by Michael Gannon in addition to the articles "Blue Water, Brown Water, and Confederate Disloyalty: The Peculiar and Personal Naval Conflict in South Florida during the Civil War" by Irvin D. S. Winsboro and William B. Mack and "The Catholic Diocese of Miami and African American Desegregation, 1958-1977" by Mark Newman. This podcast features an interview with James M. Denham whose article "Crime and Punishment in Antebellum Pensacola," is also in the Summer issue. Professor Denham is the Director of Lawton M. Chiles Center for Florida History at Florida Southern College. In addition, Professor Raymond A. Mohl, Distinguished Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, was interviewed for this podcast. Dr. Mohl spoke about the life and legacy of Stetson Kennedy who passed away on August 27, 2011, at the age of 94.
Original 21-minute and 49-second audio podcast by Connie Lester, Robert Cassanello, and Daniel S. Murphree, 2011: The Florida Historical Quarterly, Florida Historical Society, Cocoa, Florida.
Florida Historical Quarterly, Episode 11: Vol. 90, No. 2, Fall 2011
This episode features interviews with all of the contributors for this special issue of The Florida Historical Quarterly on the West Florida Revolt of 1810: "Introduction: Setting a Precedent for Regional Revolution: The West Florida Revolt Considered" by Samuel C. Hyde, Jr., "Some Thoughts on Spanish East and West Florida as Borderlands" by James G. Cusick, "The Origins of the Monroe Doctrine Revisited: The Madison Administration, the West Florida Revolt, and the No Transfer Policy" by William S. Belko, and "The Rise and Fall of the Original Lone Star State: Infant American Imperialism Ascendant in West Florida" by Cody Scallions. This entire issue is dedicated the global context and impact of the revolt from a variety of different perspectives.
Original 27-minute and 20-second audio podcast by Connie Lester and Daniel S. Murphree, 2011: The Florida Historical Quarterly, Florida Historical Society, Cocoa, Florida.
An oral history interview of Lawrence Paul Levine (b. 1947), who enlisted in the U.S. Air Force (USAF) in August of 1966, just after being drafted into the U.S. Army. Levine was born in Rochester, New York, on June 8, 1947. He served in Europe during the Vietnam War, until he was discharged on August 31, 1970. Levine received a Good Conduct Medal for his service. This oral history interview was conducted by Mary Hughes Young on April 1, 2014. Interview topics include Levine's background, his enlistment in the Air Force and drafting into the U.S. Army, basic and advanced training, being stations in Europe, getting married voerseas, returning to the U.S. after being discharged, and his life as a civilian afterward.
Levine, Lawrence Paul. Interviewed by Mary Hughes Young. April 1, 2014. Audio/video record available. Item DP0014898, UCF Community Veterans History Project, Orlando, Florida.
RICHES of Central Florida
Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Providence, Rhode Island
Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas
Amarillo Air Force Base, Amarillo, Texas
McGuire Air Force Base, Burlington County, New Jersey
Shaw Air Force Base, Sumter, South Carolina
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York
A stained glass image of the RCA Corporation logo, which appeared on the Nipper Building in Camden, New Jersey. The dog in the image, dubbed “Nipper,” is listening to a Victor Talking Machine. A notable "machinist" for the Victor Talking Machine Company was Irick Ritezendollar (1898-1992). Born on January 1, 1898, in Chatsworth, New Jersey, Ritzendollar enlisted in the United States Army on September 5, 1918. His served for slightly more than three months before being discharged on December 14, 1918. Unlike his siblings, Ritzendollar stayed out of the spotlight. He married Ella S. Ritzendollar sometime between 1922 and 1923. By 1940, he was working as a pump man for Works Progress Administration (WPA) Road Construction. At some point, Ritzendollar moved to Wauchula, Florida, and later relocated to Lakeland, Florida. Irick Ritzendollar passed away on September 14, 1992, at the age of ninety-three. He is buried at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. 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 black and white photograph.
A typewritten card containing the schedule of the Liberal Religious Youth, which was an autonomous youth group affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association. The group had a presence in Orlando and was responsible for organizing and conducting civil rights demonstrations during the 1960s, including sit-ins at segregated lunch counters and going to other segregated establishments such as theaters and pools. A notable demonstration by the Orlando group was their sit-in at Stroud's Rex Hall Drug Store on March 9, 1961. The Liberal Religious Youth group in Orlando was composed of white and black students generally between the ages of fourteen and nineteen. They met in the library and Gore Hall building of the First Unitarian Church of Orlando at 1901 East Robinson Street. The group disbanded in 1982.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten card: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
First Unitarian Church of Orlando
First Unitarian Church of Orlando, Florida
A postcard depicting the exterior of the Edith and Fritz Restaurant, located at 3236 North Miami Avenue in Miami, Florida. The restaurant served primarily seafood and also had a cocktail lounge. 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.
Edith and Fritz Restaurant, Miami, Florida
Sixteenth Census Population Schedule for Scarboro, Militia District 1638, Georgia
The U.S. Census population schedule for Militia District 1638 in Scarboro, Georgia, in 1940. 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 Hubert Cody Gibson (1921-1945). Pvt. Gibson was born on June 16, 1921, in Sandersville, Georgia, to Frank Elizah Gibson and Jeanette Buelah Brantley. Pvt. Gibson enlisted in the U.S. Army in Florida as a private in the 191st Tank Battalion Division. He was wounded in action while he was deployed in France, and on May 10, 1945, he passed away. According to a listing of deaths from Palm Beach County, Pvt. Gibson was listed as passing away due to the wounds that he received. Pvt. Gibson was awarded a Purple Heart for his heroics, and buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Digital reproduction of original census record by Birdie Lightfoot, April 16, 1940. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7GV-G93.
Bureau of the Census
Sanford High School Civil Government Assignment, 1906
A civil government assignment completed by Sanford High School eighth grader Edith Lindholm in 1906. This particular assignment was created to test Flora A. Walker's students' civil government knowledge. 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 school assignment completed by Edith Lindholm, May 16, 1906: Sanford High School Collection, box 3A, folder Student Work 1905, item SCPS00502, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Annual Report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, 1963
The annual report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1963. The organization began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. In this year's report, the board gives an annual review of the accomplishments of the past and a summation of the objectives for the next year.
Original 9-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1963: Folder SSWCD Annual Reports, 1949-1975, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District
Annual Report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, 1964
The annual report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1964. The organization began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. In this year's report, the board gives an annual review of the accomplishments of the past and a summation of the objectives for the next year.
Original 6-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1964: Folder SSWCD Annual Reports, 1949-1975, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Annual Report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, 1965
The annual report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1965. The organization began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. In this year's report, the board gives an annual review of the accomplishments of the past and a summation of the objectives for the next year.
Original 6-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1965: Folder SSWCD Annual Reports, 1949-1975, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Annual Report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, 1967
The annual report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1967. The organization began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. In this year's report, the board gives an annual review of the accomplishments of the past and a summation of the objectives for the next year. The report acknowledges contributions from the Seminole County Board of Commissioners and the assistance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Florida State Forestry Service.
Original 6-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1967: Folder SSWCD Annual Reports, 1949-1975, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Annual Report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1968
The annual report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1968. The organization began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. In this year's report, the board gives an annual review of the accomplishments of the past and a summation of the objectives for the next year.
Original 4-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1968: Folder SSWCD Annual Reports, 1949-1975, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Annual Report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1969
The annual report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1969. In this year's report, the board gives an annual review of the accomplishments of the past and a summation of the objectives for the next year. The report acknowledges contributions from the Seminole County Board of Commissioners and the assistance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Florida State Forestry Service. The report also discusses the 1969 Recreational Potential Appraisal meant to publicize areas within Seminole County with recreational or public attraction potential. Additionally, the report describes the popular use of ponds for water storage and stocking of fish, such as bream and black bass for recreational purposes. Nineteen ponds were constructed along with 22,000 feet of drainage ditches, and 90,000 feet of vegetable tiles. Finally, the report includes an appropriation ledger for office supplies and expenses for 1968 and 1969.
Original 6-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1969: Folder SSWCD Annual Reports, 1949-1975, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Annual Report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1970
The annual report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1970. The organization began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. In this year's report, the board gives an annual review of the accomplishments of the past and a summation of the objectives for the next year. The report acknowledges contributions from the Seminole County Board of Commissioners and the assistance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Florida State Forestry Service. The report also thanks the local office of the Farm Bureau and the local radio station, WTRR, for promoting conservation efforts. Additionally, the report discusses the introduction to the county of a new pasture grass called Haltgrass, or Hemarthria Altissima, furnished by the Plant Materials Center of the Soil Conservation Service it Brooksville, Florida. The report explains that the new grass is useful for grazing and haying. Finally, the report discusses the revamping of tile systems on vegetable land and includes statistical information for 1970 and an appropriation ledger for office supplies and expenses for 1969 and 1970.
Original 7-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1970: Folder SSWCD Annual Reports, 1949-1975, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Annual Report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1971
The annual report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1971. In this year's report, the board gives an annual review of the accomplishments of the past and a summation of the objectives for the next year. The report acknowledges contributions from the Seminole County Board of Commissioners and the assistance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Florida State Forestry Service. The report also thanks the local office of the Farm Bureau and the local radio station, WTRR, for promoting conservation efforts. The report also discusses the introduction to the county of a new pasture grass called Hemarthria Altissima, furnished by the Plant Materials Center of the Soil Conservation Service in Brooksville, Florida, due to its low temperature requirements and rank growth. Finally, the report discusses the development and management of fishponds and catfish production and two animal waste lagoons installed at local dairies.
Original 5-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1971: Folder SSWCD Annual Reports, 1949-1975, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Supplemental Memorandum of Understanding between the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District and the Soil Conservation Service United States Department of Agriculture, 1968
Supplemental Memorandum of Understanding between the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District and the Soil Conservation Service United States Department of Agriculture for 1968. The organization began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. The Supplemental Memorandum of Understanding between the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District and the United States Department of Agriculture for 1968 discusses ways in which the Soil Conservation Service is authorized to cooperate with and furnish assistance to the District for conservation and resource development work. The four page Supplemental Memorandum lists what the Soil Conservation Service will do and what the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District will do to tackle common objectives pertaining to conservation, development, land use, water use, and related resources.
Original 4-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1968: Folder SSWCD Statistical and Historical Information, 1948-1977, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Notice of Election of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1973
Notice of Election of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1973. The Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. In the Notice of Election of Supervisors from 1973, Kenneth R. Littlejohn from the Florida Department of Agriculture &amp
Consumer Services indicates that supervisors S.B. Crowe, Hubert Bagwell, and C.A. Wales were elected in 1973 and their term would expire in 1977.
Original 1-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1973: Folder SSWCD Statistical and Historical Information, 1948-1977, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from Dodie Livingston to the Oviedo Woman's Club (March 11, 1981)
A letter from Dodie Livingston to the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC) dated March 11, 1981. On behalf of President Ronald Reagan, Livingston congratulates club members on the 75th anniversary celebration of the Oviedo Woman's Club, which was founded in 1906 as the Oviedo Magazine Club by seven charter members: H. B. McCall, Edith Meade, Georgia Lee Wheeler, Lillian Lee Lawton, Mattie Aulin Wheeler, Milcah Yonge, and Mary King. The first clubhouse was constructed in 1914 and also served as Oviedo's first library. In 1916, the club joined the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs (FFWC) and officially changed its name to the Oviedo Woman's Club. In 1923, the woman's club was federated under the umbrella of the General Federation of Woman's Clubs (GFWC). A new clubhouse was built in 1961 on property donated by R. L. Croom, a former member, which is located at 414 King Street. The Oviedo Woman's Club is involved in many civic projects, including the annual Great Day in the Country Arts and Crafts Festival, the Spring Fundraiser, Tasting Luncheons, and Celebrate Spring Teas.
Original letter from Dodie Livingston to the Oviedo Woman's Club, March 11, 1981: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Oviedo Woman's Club
An oral history interview of Fairolyn H. Livingston, chief historian of the Hannibal Square Heritage Center in Winter Park, Florida. The interview was conducted by Geoffrey Cravero at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center on December 12, 2019. Some of the topics covered include growing up in a segregated community, finding the resources to attend college, becoming involved in the Hannibal Square Heritage Center and documenting the community’s history, why residents attended churches of multiple denominations, conducting difficult interviews and how those who have experienced oppression have refused to allow it to define them, how gentrification has affected sense of community, changes in the community since de-segregation and gentrification, the challenges of preserving a marginalized community’s history and coming to terms with the long-lasting effects of segregation, how government policies encourage gentrification and her final remarks.
Livingston, Fairolyn. Interviewed by Geoffrey Cravero, December 12, 2019. Audio record available. RICHES of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
RICHES
Crealdé School of Art, Winter Park, Florida
Hannibal Square Heritage Center, Winter Park, Florida
Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, Winter Park, Florida
Robert Hungerford Preparatory High School, Eatonville, Florida
Ward Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park High School, Winter Park, Florida
The draft registration card for John Martin Conaway (1892-1955). The card lists a serial number, the name of the registrant, the order number, the place of residence, the mailing address, telephone, age, place of birth, state, date of birth, the reference and their address, their employer and place of employment. The Fourth Registration, better known as the Old Man’s Draft, was for men between the ages of 45 and 64 years old, who were not already serving in the military. Many of these men, including John, were veterans of the First World War. Such a registration was not intended for explicit military service. Rather, it was a way to assess the manpower resources of the United States. From this register, the government could fill the needs of national service by quickly calling up experienced and trained personnel to fill necessary positions. Though he registered, John was not recalled to service. Conaway was born on September 30, 1892, in Wellsburg, West Virginia. He was the middle of three children born to Glenn and Eliza Conaway. When John was four years old, his mother Eliza passed away. Glenn then married Lenora Cusick. John gained two half-siblings from this marriage. At eight years old, John lost his father and the family split up. By the time he was eighteen, John lived in Michigan. When the United States entered World War I, John enlisted in the Army Air Service. Before deploying, he married Catherine Jeffrey. He served in France with the 803rd Aero Squadron (Repair). John received an honorable discharge in January of 1919. In January of 1920, John re-enlisted into the Army Air Service and rejoined his old unit. He received a second honorable discharge in December of 1921. By 1924, John and Catherine had divorced. John then married Rhoda Spicket. Their son, William, was born in 1925. When the United States entered World War II, John registered for the Old Man’s Draft. In February of 1950, John and Rhoda divorced. John then married Gloria Shields later that year. In 1952, the couple moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. John passed away in 1955 and is interred in the Bay Pine National Cemetery. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for K-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Local Board Number 17, Wayne County, MI.
Digital reproduction of original draft registration card, April 27, 1942.
War Department, Office of Provost Marshal General, Selective Service System
Memorandum from E. Paul Loch and Frank R. Bakos (January 7, 1994)
A memorandum from E. Paul Loch, General Manager of Westinghouse Electric Corporation's Power Generation Manufacturing Operations Divisions, and Frank R. Bakos, Vice President and General Manager of the Power Generation Business Unit (PGBU), regarding recent appointments and the restructuring of the divisions in 1994. In 1983, the Westinghouse power generation business operation, starting with the Steam Turbine Generator Division, was taking shape in its new Orlando headquarters under the management team led by General Manager Dr. Stan Quick (under E. J. "Gene" Cattabiani, Vice President of the Power Generation Group). This series of letters, memoranda, and charts documents the changes in management leadership at the Orlando site from 1983 through 1998, when the Westinghouse Power Genration Business was acquired by Siemens. Following the announcement of the retirement of Dr. Quick in 1984, the management was led by the team of Bob Ractcliffe and Howard Pierce. In 1987, Tom Campbell was appointed General Manager of the Power Generation Technology Systems Division under Nat Woodsen and Jim Moore, Vice Presidents of the Power Systems Business Unit. In 1988, the Power Generation Business Unit (PGBU) was formed under Frank R. Bakos, Vice President and General Manager (under Executive Vice President Ted Stern), and, in 1995, Randy H. Zwirn took the helm as Vice President and General Manager of the PGBU. He remained at the executive level for 20 years, through the PGBU acquisition by Siemens in 1998 and beyond to 2016. 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. The PGBU building was located in The Quadrangle, at 4400 Alafaya Trail.
Original 1-page typed memorandum from E. Paul Loch and Frank R. Bakos, January 7, 1994: Private Collection of Harry L. Jaeger.
Westinghouse Electric Corporation, The Quadrangle, Orlando, Florida
Letter from Dorothy Gray, Ltd. Publicity Director Mayreen Logan to Weeki Wachee Mermaid Rebecca Stahlhut Thanking Her for Modeling Their Products
Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
Letter written by Dorothy Gray, Ltd. Publicity Director Maureen Logan to Weeki Wachee Mermaid Rebecca Stahlhut (later Rebecca Young). The letter was written on April 24, 1975. In the letter Maureen thanks Rebecca for modeling Dorothy Gray products, and lets Rebecca know that Dorothy sent the mermaids a bunch of their products as a thank you. Dorothy Gray was a company that sold skin care products and makeup. In the years after ABC purchased Weeki Wachee Springs and grew the attraction, many makeup, swimsuit, and swimwear products partnered with Weeki Wachee Springs to advertise their brands. 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 letter of thanks from Dorothy Gray, Ltd. to Rebecca Stahlhut, April 24, 1975: Private Collection of Rebecca Young.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida
History of the Sanford State Farmers' Market, as written by local resident Mary Leffler Long in the 1950s. The Sanford State Farmers' Market, located at 1300 South French Avenue, was founded in 1934 in order to provide a central location in which farmers would sell their produce directly to consumers. The idea for the Sanford State Farmers' Market was devised by Fred Dorner and Gus Schmach, both members of the Seminole Agricultural Club. Sanford Chamber of Commerce president Harry M. Papworth also contributed to the development of the market. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) authorized construction plans on June 11, 1934. On June 20, 1934, the City of Sanford donated a portion of the Alex V. French properties to the State Marketing Board, which selected the northwest corner of French Avenue and Thirteenth Street. The board approved the installation of telegraph and telephone equipment, as well as a three-pump filling station. The Sanford State Farmer's Market opened on December 18, 1934. By 1939, the Farmers' Market was bringing a total volume of business of $627,065.81. In 1941, business volume reached over $700,000. On April 4, 1957, a fire destroyed the building and caused damages estimated at $2.5 million. Reconstruction began almost immediately and the Farmers' Market was expected to re-open by the fall of 1957. In 1991, plans were created to restore, preserve, and convert the citrus packing house into a museum.
Original manuscript: Long, Mary Leffler. Sanford on the St. John's, page 155-156: Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Sanford State Farmers' Market, Sanford, Florida
Twelfth Census Population for Waltham Ward, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, 1900
The Twelfth United States Census records for Waltham City, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, for 1900. The census divides the population by sex, race, age, marital status, number of children, occupation, literacy, whether they owned or rented, farm or house. The census also states a resident's place of birth, and birthplace of their mother and father. If foreign born, the person provided the year they immigrated, whether they were naturalized and if they spoke English. A notable resident listed in this record is Mary Sutherland. Born on November 1, 1895, in Watertown, Massachusetts, Sutherland later moved to Palm Bay, Florida. Sutherland joined the US Navy on September 3, 1918 as a Yeoman F 1st Class. Sutherland returned from serving in the Navy just in time to be able to vote for the first time. She had three children, John, Richard, and Marilyn, as well as thirteen grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Sutherland died September 28, 1988, and was laid to rest in Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
United States Census Bureau
Digital reproduction of original census record by Frost Lorcl, June 9, 1900.
A southwest view of Sky Lake, Florida, in 1963. Sky Lake is a residential community and unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida. It 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 photograph by Jack Lord, January 19, 1963: Pine Castle Historical Society, Pine Castle, Florida.
A self portrait of 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 color photograph by Steve Lotz: Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando, Florida.
Florida Technological University, Orlando, Florida
University of Central Florida, Orlando, 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.
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.
Letter from Y. P. Louis to Sydney Octavius Chase (December 14, 1900)
An original letter of correspondence between former employee Y. P. Louis and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include Louis' gratitude to Chase and his current employment for Lord Li in Wuhu, China. Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. 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. 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.
Original letter from Y. P. Louis to Sydney Octavius Chase, December 14, 1900: box 173, folder 2.40, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Fifteenth Census Population for Effingham, Douglas Township, Illinois, 1930
The Fifteenth United States census records for Effingham, Illinois, for 1930. The Census divides the population by categories of
Name, age, sex, race, marital status, occupants and relation to head of house, whether the home is owned or rented, value of home or rent, whether home is a farm residence, whether the home has a radio, college attendance, literacy, birthplace and birthplace of parents, citizenship status, language spoken before coming to United States, year of immigration, occupation or business, class of worker, whether worked the previous day, military status, and war or expedition participated in. 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 Ted Loy, April 4, 1930.
Master Plan, Sanford Municipal Airport, Sanford, Seminole County, Florida
Master plan for the Sanford Municipal Airport, located at 1200 Red Cleveland Boulevard in Sanford, Florida. This map was drawn by R. G. Lubinski and shows the planned layout of the airport. F. T. Williams served as the chief engineer. The airport originally began as the Naval Air Station (NAS) Sanford. The air station was commissioned on November 3, 1942, as a naval aviation training facility during World War II. The Navy continued to train pilots at NAS Sanford throughout the Korean War and Vietnam War. NAS Sanford was temporarily decommissioned after World War II in 1946, and decommissioned again in 1950 when it was the Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Sanford, due to the outbreak of the Korean War and the ongoing Cold War. Soon afterward, the station was renamed NAS Sanford and redesigned as a full naval air station. On February 6, 1959, NAS Sanford was dedicated as Ramey Field in honor of Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Ramey. In 1968, due to lack of funding caused by the Vietnam War, Congress directed the closure of NAS Sanford. The City of Sanford assumed authority over the former NAS Sanford facility the year after it closed and renamed it the Sanford Airport, which was managed by Commander J. S. "Red" Cleveland. The airport underwent various name changes over the next several decades: Sanford Regional Airport, Central Florida Regional Airport, Orlando Sanford Regional Airport, and its current name, Orlando-Sanford International Airport. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, several Naval buildings were demolished and new buildings were constructed.
Original 20.75 x 22.375 inch drawing by R. G. Lubinski: "Master Plan, Sanford Municipal Airport, Sanford, Seminole County, Florida." Sanford, Florida: ;Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Sanford Municipal Airport, Sanford, Florida
A newspaper photograph about a homemade hat fashion show hosted by the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC). Photographed in the front row, from left to right, are Janet Foley, Lynn Nemec, and Louise Martin. In the second row, from left to right, are Nancy Gill, Susan Witty, and Nettie Secrest. The Oviedo Woman's Club which was founded in 1906 as the Oviedo Magazine Club by seven charter members: H. B. McCall, Edith Meade, Georgia Lee Wheeler, Lillian Lee Lawton, Mattie Aulin Wheeler, Milcah Yonge, and Mary King. The first clubhouse was constructed in 1914 and also served as Oviedo's first library. In 1916, the club joined the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs (FFWC) and officially changed its name to the Oviedo Woman's Club. In 1923, the woman's club was federated under the umbrella of the General Federation of Woman's Clubs (GFWC). A new clubhouse was built in 1961 on property donated by R. L. Croom, a former member, which is located at 414 King Street. The Oviedo Woman's Club is involved in many civic projects, including the annual Great Day in the Country Arts and Crafts Festival, the Spring Fundraiser, Tasting Luncheons, and Celebrate Spring Teas.
Original newspaper photograph: Lucas, Ray. "Homemade Hat Fashion Show Winners," 1990: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Sixteenth Census Population for Wood-Ridge, Bergen County, New Jersey, 1940
The Sixteenth United States Census records for Wood-Ridge, Bergen County, New Jersey, for 1940. The census divides the population by name, age, sex, race, marital status, residence, home owned or rented, value of home or monthly rent, whether living on a farm, other residents of same address, relation to head of house, attended school or college after March 1940, highest grade completed, state or foreign country of birth, employment status, hours of work per week, duration of employment, and wages. Supplemental questions include the father and mother's birthplace, language spoken in home during childhood, veteran status, father's veteran status, social security, usual occupation and industry, class of worker, if women have been married more than once, age at first marriage if so, and number of children born. A notable resident listed in the record is Warren Justus Liesegang (1928-1998). Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on June 17, 1928, Liesegang enlisted in the United States Navy in 1950. During his service, he held the position of DC-3, which is known as a Damage Controlman Petty Officer 3rd Class. Following his service, Liesegang served as a merchant seaman until retiring. In 1954, while still serving in the military, Warren Liesegang married Darlene Denise Wiggins in Duval, Florida. They later had a daughter named Theresa Leigh Liesegang. Warren and his family lived in various areas across the state of Florida, including Fruitland Park, Fort Pierce, and Vero Beach. He retired in Fort Pierce, where he lived until his death on January 9th 1998. He is memorialized at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. 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 Anita J. Luerber, April 8, 1940.
Sixteenth Census Population for Glens Falls, Warren County, New York, 1940
The Sixteenth Unites States Census records for Warren County, Glens Falls, New York, for 1940. The census divides the population by name, age, sex, race, marital status, residence, home owned or rented, value of home or monthly rent, whether living on a farm, other residents of same address, relation to head of house, attended school or college after March 1940, highest grade completed, state or foreign country of birth, employment status, hours of work per week, duration of employment, and wages. Supplemental questions include the father and mother's birthplace, language spoken in home during childhood, veteran status, father's veteran status, social security, usual occupation and industry, class of worker, if women have been married more than once, age at first marriage if so, and number of children born. A notable resident in this record is George P. McCann (1899-1991). McCann was born on September 12, 1899, to Charles and Annie McCann, who were Irish immigrants. George worked as his father's butcher shop before enlisting in the United States Navy in 1917. He completed culinary school and became a ships' cook. After his service, he married Helen Galvin in New York. They had two children: Thomas Benard and Vincent. When Thomas married a Florida woman, George and Helen moved with them to Florida. George died on April 20, 1991, at the age of ninety-one and is buried at 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. 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 Albert J. Lumbruno, April 6, 1940.
The Oviedo Woman's Club Conducts Surprise Mortgage Burning Ceremony
A newspaper article about a surprise mortgage burning ceremony for the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC). Harden Webb, the Executive Vice President of the Citizens Bank of Oviedo, joined the club members to burn the mortgage for the clubhouse, which began in July 1961 and was paid off on May 11, 1964. Webb is pictured in the article's photograph, alongside Mrs. J. H. Staley, Mrs. Jim Michael, Mrs. W. H. Martin, and Mrs. R. W. Estes, shown from left to right. 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 Florida Federation of Women's Clubs (FFWC) and officially changed its name to the Oviedo Woman's Club. In 1923, the woman's club was federated under the umbrella of the General Federation of Woman's Clubs (GFWC). A new clubhouse was built in 1961 on property donated by R. L. Croom, a former member, which is located at 414 King Street. The Oviedo Woman's Club is involved in many civic projects, including the annual Great Day in the Country Arts and Crafts Festival, the Spring Fundraiser, Tasting Luncheons, and Celebrate Spring Teas.
Original newspaper article: Lundy, Evelyn. "The Oviedo Woman's Club Conducts Surprise Mortgage Burning Ceremony." The Sanford Herald, May 15, 1964: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
The Sanford Herald
Thirteenth Census Population for New York City, Borough of Brooklyn, 1910
The Thirteenth United States Census records for Kings County, New York City, Borough of Brooklyn, New York, for 1910. The census divides the population by sex, race, age, marital status, number of children, occupation, literacy, whether they owned or rented, farm or house, if they were a Civil War veteran, whether they were blind, deaf or dumb, the place of birth and mother tongue of foreign-born persons and their parents. If foreign born, the person was required to provide the year they immigrated, whether they were naturalized and if they were able to speak English. A notable resident listed in this record is William Otto Grupp (1901-1988). This is the first census in which William Otto Grupp appears. Born on April 1, 1901 in Brooklyn, New York, Grupp was a first-generation German-American. He enlisted in the United States Navy on July 5, 1918, at the age of eighteen. He served at several locations, including the USS Indiana. After his service, Grupp married Katherine Riebling, with whom he had two daughters. Grupp died on November 17, 1988, and is buried in the Bushnell National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original census record by Frank Lurace, April 22, 1910.
The Supervillains at the House of Blues Orlando, 2002
The Supervillains performing live at the House of Blues Orlando in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on December 20, 2002. The first photograph features, from left to right, Jonathan "Smally" Cestero on saxophone, Andrew Neil Estes on trombone, Scott Suldo on guitar, J. P. Thieme on trumpet, Gus Ramage on bass, Dominic Maresco on drums, and Ben Montgomery on guitar. The second photograph features Maresco. The third photograph features, from left to right, Thieme , Suldo, Cestero, Ramage, and Montgomery. The Supervillains were formed in 1998 by drummer/vocalist Dominic Maresco and guitarist/vocalist Scott "Skart" Suldo, while they were in high school in St. Cloud, Florida. Initially a punk-rock band, the group adapted elements of ska and reggae to their sound, leading to opportunities to support reggae acts such as The Wailers and Inner Circle, reggae-rock acts such as Slightly Stoopid and Pepper, ska acts such as Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto, punk acts such as Pennywise and Authority Zero, and rock acts such as Fishbone and 311. After several successful tours as an opening band, The Supervillains began headlining their own national tours, often performing over 200 shows per year, and released eight studio albums as of June 2015. The band incorporated several horn players and other members for eight or nine years, but have since operated as a four-piece, with Maresco, Suldo, Daniel Grundrof on bass and Tom "T-Rex" Moulton on keyboards and guitar. After selling over 100,000 records, the group formed their own label, Rah Rah Rah Records, in 2011.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, December 20, 2002: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
House of Blues Orlando, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
A bass drum used by Dominic Maresco of The Supervillains. The photograph was taken on March 14, 2003, when the band performed at Hard Rock Live in Orlando, Florida. The Supervillains were formed in 1998 by drummer/vocalist Dominic Maresco and guitarist/vocalist Scott "Skart" Suldo, while they were in high school in St. Cloud, Florida. Initially a punk-rock band, the group adapted elements of ska and reggae to their sound, leading to opportunities to support reggae acts such as The Wailers and Inner Circle, reggae-rock acts such as Slightly Stoopid and Pepper, ska acts such as Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto, punk acts such as Pennywise and Authority Zero, and rock acts such as Fishbone and 311. After several successful tours as an opening band, The Supervillains began headlining their own national tours, often performing over 200 shows per year, and released eight studio albums as of June 2015. The band incorporated several horn players and other members for eight or nine years, but have since operated as a four-piece, with Maresco, Suldo, Daniel Grundrof on bass and Tom "T-Rex" Moulton on keyboards and guitar. After selling over 100,000 records, the group formed their own label, Rah Rah Rah Records, in 2011.
Original color photograph by Alicia Lyman, March 14, 2003: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
The Supervillains performing live at The Social, located at 54 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on July 20, 2007. The first photograph features, from left to right, Scott "Skart" Suldo on guitar, Dominic Maresco on drums, Jonathan "Smally" Cestero on saxophone, and an unidentified trumpet player. The second photograph shows Suldo and the third photograph shows Suldo with Maresco. The Supervillains were formed in 1998 by drummer/vocalist Dominic Maresco and guitarist/vocalist Scott "Skart" Suldo, while they were in high school in St. Cloud, Florida. Initially a punk-rock band, the group adapted elements of ska and reggae to their sound, leading to opportunities to support reggae acts such as The Wailers and Inner Circle, reggae-rock acts such as Slightly Stoopid and Pepper, ska acts such as Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto, punk acts such as Pennywise and Authority Zero, and rock acts such as Fishbone and 311. After several successful tours as an opening band, The Supervillains began headlining their own national tours, often performing over 200 shows per year, and released eight studio albums as of June 2015. The band incorporated several horn players and other members for eight or nine years, but have since operated as a four-piece, with Maresco, Suldo, Daniel Grundrof on bass and Tom "T-Rex" Moulton on keyboards and guitar. After selling over 100,000 records, the group formed their own label, Rah Rah Rah Records, in 2011.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, July 30, 2007: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
The Supervillains at the Beacham Theater, 2012
The Supervillains performing live at the Beacham Theater, located at 46 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 21, 2012. The first and second photographs feature, from left to right, drummer/vocalist Dominic Maresco and bassist Daniel Grundorf. The third photograph shows keyboardist/guitarist Tom "T-Rex" Moulton. The Supervillains were formed in 1998 by drummer/vocalist Dominic Maresco and guitarist/vocalist Scott "Skart" Suldo, while they were in high school in St. Cloud, Florida. Initially a punk-rock band, the group adapted elements of ska and reggae to their sound, leading to opportunities to support reggae acts such as The Wailers and Inner Circle, reggae-rock acts such as Slightly Stoopid and Pepper, ska acts such as Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto, punk acts such as Pennywise and Authority Zero, and rock acts such as Fishbone and 311. After several successful tours as an opening band, The Supervillains began headlining their own national tours, often performing over 200 shows per year, and released eight studio albums as of June 2015. The band incorporated several horn players and other members for eight or nine years, but have since operated as a four-piece, with Maresco, Suldo, Daniel Grundrof on bass and Tom "T-Rex" Moulton on keyboards and guitar. After selling over 100,000 records, the group formed their own label, Rah Rah Rah Records, in 2011.
Original color photograph by Alicia Lyman, November 21, 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Solillaquists of Sound at Slingapour's, 2003
Solillaquists of Sound performing live at at Slingapour's, a venue located at 18 Wall Street in Wall Street Plaza in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on February 19, 2003. The first photograph features, from left to right, Tonya Combs, Alexandrah, DiViNCi and MC Swamburger. The second photograph the first three, minus Swamburger. The third and fourth photographs feature Swamburger with Alexandrah and then with DiViNCi, respectively. The final photograph shows DiViNCi playing a Media Player Classic (MPC). Solillaquists of Sound, also known as Solilla, is an American hip-hop quartet formed in Orlando in August 2002. The group, consisting of MCs (masters of ceremonies) Swamburger and Alexandrah, poet/vocalist Tonya Combs, and producer/composer/MPC player DiViNCi, employs sophisticated, socially conscious lyrics and musical composition, based on the life-affirming, justice-oriented views held by the members. The group utilizes melody and harmony in their vocals, often delivering many punctuated syllables in rapid succession in tight synchronicity. In 2002, Asaan Brooks, also known as Swamburger, began having weekly meetings in his Orlando home about music, community involvement, spirituality, and veganism. At one of these meetings, Brooks and his friend, producer and MPC player Glen Valencia, Jr., also known as DiViNCi, with whom he had already recorded material, decided to begin performing together. A frequent attendee of their shows, Tonya Combs, joined them on background vocals, and soon the group's friend, singer Alexandra Sarton, also known as Alexandrah, left her home in Chicago, Illinois, to join the band. The group categorized themselves in their own genre, FAHEEM (funk/astro/hip-hop/extraterrestrially energized message), which they felt more accurately conveyed both their music and their beliefs regarding spirituality, life, and love. They were invited by hip-hop artist Sage Francis to tour with him, and his label, Epitaph, signed them to their sister label, Anti-, in early 2006. They recorded two albums under the label, As If We Existed (2006) and No More Heroes (2008), before leaving the label and producing their own albums, The 4th Wall: Part 1 (2012) and The 4th Wall: Part 2 (2013). In addition to Francis, the band has toured with artists such as Michael Franti & Spearhead, KRS-One, Bad Brains, Ozomatli, El-P, and Lyrics Born. The group is also known for their community involvement, appearing on a tribute record for fellow rapper/producer J Dilla, also known as James Dewitt Yancey, who passed away in 2006 from a blood disease. The album, Death of the Muse, featured J-Live, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, and Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey,Maureen Yancey, the mother of J Dilla. Okayplayer.com featured the effort as one of their top news stories, and LA Weekly called the track "the most awesome song in the history of awesomedom." The group hopes to open the Solilla Center 4 Creative Kids, a non-profit school designed to empower youth with the knowledge of all things good for mind, body, and spirit, offering kids yoga, an art gallery, massage, a cafe, smoothie and juice bar, language, art, poetry, gardening, and vegan cooking classes, as well as an after-school tutoring program.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, February 19, 2003: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Slingapour's, Wall Street Plaza, Orlando, Florida
Solillaquists of Sound at BackBooth, 2003
Solillaquists of Sound performing live at BackBooth, located at 37 West Pine Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on October 25, 2003. The first photograph features Alexandra Sarton, popularly known as Alexandrah, and the second photograph shows, from left to right, Tonya Combs, and DiViNCi. Solillaquists of Sound, also known as Solilla, is an American hip-hop quartet formed in Orlando in August 2002. The group, consisting of MCs (masters of ceremonies) Swamburger and Alexandrah, poet/vocalist Tonya Combs, and producer/composer/MPC player DiViNCi, employs sophisticated, socially conscious lyrics and musical composition, based on the life-affirming, justice-oriented views held by the members. The group utilizes melody and harmony in their vocals, often delivering many punctuated syllables in rapid succession in tight synchronicity. In 2002, Asaan Brooks, also known as Swamburger, began having weekly meetings in his Orlando home about music, community involvement, spirituality, and veganism. At one of these meetings, Brooks and his friend, producer and MPC player Glen Valencia, Jr., also known as DiViNCi, with whom he had already recorded material, decided to begin performing together. A frequent attendee of their shows, Tonya Combs, joined them on background vocals, and soon the group's friend, singer Alexandra Sarton, also known as Alexandrah, left her home in Chicago, Illinois, to join the band. The group categorized themselves in their own genre, FAHEEM (funk/astro/hip-hop/extraterrestrially energized message), which they felt more accurately conveyed both their music and their beliefs regarding spirituality, life, and love. They were invited by hip-hop artist Sage Francis to tour with him, and his label, Epitaph, signed them to their sister label, Anti-, in early 2006. They recorded two albums under the label, As If We Existed (2006) and No More Heroes (2008), before leaving the label and producing their own albums, The 4th Wall: Part 1 (2012) and The 4th Wall: Part 2 (2013). In addition to Francis, the band has toured with artists such as Michael Franti & Spearhead, KRS-One, Bad Brains, Ozomatli, El-P, and Lyrics Born. The group is also known for their community involvement, appearing on a tribute record for fellow rapper/producer J Dilla, also known as James Dewitt Yancey, who passed away in 2006 from a blood disease. The album, Death of the Muse, featured J-Live, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, and Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey,Maureen Yancey, the mother of J Dilla. Okayplayer.com featured the effort as one of their top news stories, and LA Weekly called the track "the most awesome song in the history of awesomedom." The group hopes to open the Solilla Center 4 Creative Kids, a non-profit school designed to empower youth with the knowledge of all things good for mind, body, and spirit, offering kids yoga, an art gallery, massage, a cafe, smoothie and juice bar, language, art, poetry, gardening, and vegan cooking classes, as well as an after-school tutoring program.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, October 25, 2003: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Solillaquists of Sound at Wall Street Plaza, 2014
Solillaquists of Sound performing live at the Florida Music Festival, held at Wall Street Plaza in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on April 24, 2014. These photographs features, from left to right, Tonya Combs, Asaan Brooks, Glen Valencia, Jr., and Alexandra Sarton. The Florida Music Festival (FMF) was founded by aXis Magazine & Promotions in 2002 as a three-day music festival and conference that showcases unsigned artists while promoting major national acts. Solillaquists of Sound, also known as Solilla, is an American hip-hop quartet formed in Orlando in August 2002. The group, consisting of MCs (masters of ceremonies) Swamburger and Alexandrah, poet/vocalist Tonya Combs, and producer/composer/MPC player DiViNCi, employs sophisticated, socially conscious lyrics and musical composition, based on the life-affirming, justice-oriented views held by the members. The group utilizes melody and harmony in their vocals, often delivering many punctuated syllables in rapid succession in tight synchronicity. In 2002, Asaan Brooks, also known as Swamburger, began having weekly meetings in his Orlando home about music, community involvement, spirituality, and veganism. At one of these meetings, Brooks and his friend, producer and MPC player Glen Valencia, Jr., also known as DiViNCi, with whom he had already recorded material, decided to begin performing together. A frequent attendee of their shows, Tonya Combs, joined them on background vocals, and soon the group's friend, singer Alexandra Sarton, also known as Alexandrah, left her home in Chicago, Illinois, to join the band. The group categorized themselves in their own genre, FAHEEM (funk/astro/hip-hop/extraterrestrially energized message), which they felt more accurately conveyed both their music and their beliefs regarding spirituality, life, and love. They were invited by hip-hop artist Sage Francis to tour with him, and his label, Epitaph, signed them to their sister label, Anti-, in early 2006. They recorded two albums under the label, As If We Existed (2006) and No More Heroes (2008), before leaving the label and producing their own albums, The 4th Wall: Part 1 (2012) and The 4th Wall: Part 2 (2013). In addition to Francis, the band has toured with artists such as Michael Franti & Spearhead, KRS-One, Bad Brains, Ozomatli, El-P, and Lyrics Born. The group is also known for their community involvement, appearing on a tribute record for fellow rapper/producer J Dilla, also known as James Dewitt Yancey, who passed away in 2006 from a blood disease. The album, Death of the Muse, featured J-Live, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, and Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey,Maureen Yancey, the mother of J Dilla. Okayplayer.com featured the effort as one of their top news stories, and LA Weekly called the track "the most awesome song in the history of awesomedom." The group hopes to open the Solilla Center 4 Creative Kids, a non-profit school designed to empower youth with the knowledge of all things good for mind, body, and spirit, offering kids yoga, an art gallery, massage, a cafe, smoothie and juice bar, language, art, poetry, gardening, and vegan cooking classes, as well as an after-school tutoring program.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, April 24, 2014: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
The Bloody Jug Band at The Social, located at 54 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, during the Florida Music Festival on April 26, 2014. The Florida Music Festival, or FMF, was founded by aXis Magazine & Promotions in 2002 as a three day music festival and conference that showcases unsigned artists while promoting major national acts. The Bloody Jug Band is an eight-piece band that formed in Orlando in 2009, whose music combines elements of folk, blues, country, bluegrass, rock, and Americana. Drawing inspiration from historic jug bands of the 1920s and 1930s, the group employs traditional jug band instruments, such as a washboard, washtub bass, cajón, spoons, mandolin and harmonica, and incorporates acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and drums. The band consists of John Theisen (Cragmire Peace) on vocals and washboard, Stormy Jean Casselman (Stormy Jean) on vocals and cowbell, Brian Blodgett (Brian Shredder) on acoustic guitar and mandolin, Seth Ambler (Seth Funky) on washtub bass, Rick Lane (Bloody Rick) on harmonica, Jermichael Duffy (Big Daddy Jerm, Dracula Mohammad) on jug, percussion and kazoo, Dakota Butts (Baby Dingo) on cajón and spoons, and Steven Marshall (Ste-evil) on electric guitar and banjo. Raymond Krugh (DeathRay) took over on electric guitar briefly while Marshall spent time with his newborn baby. The band has performed across the Southeastern United States, sharing the stage with notable acts such as Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Joe Buck, Edwin McCain, 3 Bad Jacks, and Old Man Markley. In 2013, the band appeared in a music video for the song, "Timber," by hip-hop recording artists Pitbull and Kesha. The first photograph features Theisen and Lane. The rest of the photographs show individual band members Butts, Lane, Duffy, Theisen, and Casselman, respectively.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, April 26, 2014: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
WUCF-TV
The Beacham Theater, located at 46 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, during Ralphfest 2. Ralphfest is an annual concert festival in Downtown Orlando, Florida, that celebrates the memory and musical influence of Ralph Ameduri, Jr. Ameduri was an Orlando musician who was murdered on September 10, 2011, in a robbery attempt on a patio behind Jessie's Bar, a Winter Haven music club where he was filling in for a member of local band, Thomas Wynn &amp
the Believers. The inaugural concert was arranged to cover his funeral expenses and, since then, proceeds from the events have gone to the Ralph Ameduri, Jr. Music Scholarship Fund, which operates through the Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools, awarding a musical instruments to graduating high school students. Ralphfest 2 took place on November 24, 2012, on three different stages: one at The Beacham Theater, one at The Social, and one at The Outside Elixir Stage on Washington Street. The benefit features 26 bands that Ameduri was part of, worked with, had close ties to, or enjoyed, as well as multiple DJs. Some of the performers included Thomas Wynn &amp
the Believers, The Ludes, Music's Milka Ramos, SUNNY, The Downgetters featuring Kaleigh Baker, Riverbottom Nightmare Band, The Legendary JC's, funkUs, and The Woolly Bushmen. Ralphfest 2 raised $10,000.
Original color photograph by Alicia Lyman, November 24, 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
The Beacham Theater, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Milkanette "Milka" Ramos performing live with the band, MILKA, at Ralphfest 2 at The Social, located at 54 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 24, 2012. MILKA is a rock band formed in Orlando, consisting of Ramos on guitar and vocals, Tony Roman on bass, and Troy Garfield Goins on drums. The combination of bilingual feminist front-woman Ramos and the Latin-influenced percussion creates a unique hard rock sound that transcends genres. The band released an album in 2002, entitled, Fire in the Sky.
Original black and white photograph by Alicia Lyman, November 24, 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Kaleigh Baker and The Downgetters at Ralphfest 2
Kaleigh Baker and The Downgetters performing live at Ralphfest 2 at The Beacham Theater, located at 46 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 24, 2012. The Downgetters is an all-star band from Orlando, featuring, from left to right, guitarist Brian Chodorcoff, drummer Mark Janssen, vocalist Kaleigh Baker, bassist Mike Kossler, and guitarist Jeff Nolan. The band also includes vocalist/guitarist Joseph Martens and saxophonist/keyboardist Nathan Anderson, neither of whom appear in the photograph. Originally from Western New York, Kaleigh Baker is a jazz/blues/rock singer-songwriter based out of Orlando. Known for her soulful vocal delivery and incredible range, Baker tours relentlessly, sharing the stage with notable performers such as B. B. King, Buddy Guy, Trombone Shorty, Tony Hall, Kevn Kinney, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Boz Scaggs, Juliette Lewis, and Terri Binion. Baker played Janis Joplin in a play entitled, "Janis Joplin, Little Girl Blue," at the 2015 Orlando International Fringe Festival, winning several audience choice awards, including Best of the Fest, Best Female Performer, and Best Show in the Gold Venue.
The Legendary JC's performing live at Ralphfest 2 at The Beacham Theater, located at 46 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 24, 2012. The Legendary JC’s, also known as The Joint Chiefs, are an R&B/soul/funk/blues band that was formed by lead vocalist Eugene Snowden in 2000, consisting of an alternating lineup of all-star Central Florida musicians. This photograph features, from left to right, an unidentified guitar player, Roland Simmons, an unidentified harmonica player, Eugene Snowden, Craig Cobb, Katie Burkess, Michael Lashinsky, and an unidentified keyboardist.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, November 24, 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters at Orlando Calling, 2011
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters performing live at the Orlando Calling music festival at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, located at 1 Citrus Bowl Plaza in Orlando, Florida, on November 12, 2011. Orlando Calling was a two-day music festival that showcased local as well as popular international artists. The 2011 headliners included Bob Seger, The Killers, The Raconteurs, Kid Rock, The Pixies, Blake Shelton, The Doobie Brothers and The Roots. The festival would not return the next year due to poor ticket sales. The first photograph features guitarist Brian Chodorcoff, saxophonist/keyboardist Nathan Anderson, vocalist Kaleigh Baker, an unidentified drummer, and bassist Erin Nolan. The second photograph shows Anderson and Baker. The Downgetters is an all-star band from Orlando, featuring Baker, vocalist/guitarist Joseph Martens, guitarist Brian Chodorcoff, guitarist Jeff Nolan, bassist Mike Kossler, Anderson, and drummer Mark Janssen.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, November 22, 2011: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, Florida
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters at House of Blues Orlando, 2012
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters performing live at House of Blues Orlando, located at 1490 East Buena Vista Drive in Lake Buena Vista, Florida on August 25, 2012. This photograph features guitarist Brian Chodorcoff, vocalist Kaleigh Baker, bassist Erin Nolan, and saxophonist/keyboardist Nathan Anderson. The Downgetters is an all-star band from Orlando, featuring Baker, vocalist/guitarist Joseph Martens, guitarist Chodorcoff, guitarist Jeff Nolan, bassist Mike Kossler, Anderson, and drummer Mark Janssen.
Original color photograph by Alicia Lyman, August 25, 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters at The Beacham Theater, 2012
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters performing live at Ralphfest 2 at The Beacham Theater in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 24, 2012. The photograph features, from left to right, guitarist Brian Chodorcoff, drummer Mark Janssen, vocalist Kaleigh Baker, bassist Mike Kossler, and guitarist Jeff Nolan. The Downgetters is an all-star band from Orlando, featuring Baker, vocalist/guitarist Joseph Martens, Chodorcoff, Nolan, Kossler, saxophonist/keyboards Nathan Anderson, and Janssen. Ralphfest is an annual concert festival in Downtown Orlando, Florida, that celebrates the memory and musical influence of Ralph Ameduri, Jr. Ameduri was an Orlando musician who was murdered on September 10, 2011, in a robbery attempt on a patio behind Jessie's Bar, a Winter Haven music club where he was filling in for a member of local band, Thomas Wynn & the Believers. The inaugural concert was arranged to cover his funeral expenses and, since then, proceeds from the events have gone to the Ralph Ameduri, Jr. Music Scholarship Fund, which operates through the Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools, awarding a musical instruments to graduating high school students. Ralphfest 2 took place on November 24, 2012, on three different stages: one at The Beacham Theater, one at The Social, and one at The Outside Elixir Stage on Washington Street. The benefit features 26 bands that Ameduri was part of, worked with, had close ties to, or enjoyed, as well as multiple DJs. Some of the performers included Thomas Wynn & the Believers, The Ludes, Music's Milka Ramos, SUNNY, The Downgetters featuring Kaleigh Baker, Riverbottom Nightmare Band, The Legendary JC's, funkUs, and The Woolly Bushmen. Ralphfest 2 raised $10,000.
JunkieRush performing live at Will's Pub in Orlando, Florida, on January 29, 2003. Thie first photograph features, from left to right, Aaron O'Riley on bass guitar, Bobby Koelble on electric guitar, Matt Hughen on drums, and Marc Clermont on percussion. The second photograph shows Koelble playing an acoustic guitar, and the third features Koelble playing an electric guitar, using a Rolling Rock beer bottle as a slide. Formed in 2000 by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Bobby Koelble, who was also a member of the seminal metal band Death, JunkieRush is an Orlando-based rock band that combines elements of funk, punk, Latin, reggae, ska and world music into a unique original sound. The band has gained a reputation for its live shows, performing up the east coast from Florida to New York, as well as the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Although quite a departure from his metal roots, JunkieRush still features the strong guitar work that Koelble is known for. The original lineup consisted of Koelble on vocals and guitar, Chris Charles on saxophone and keyboard, Aaron O'Riley on bass, Marc Clermont on percussion, and Matt Hughen on drums. As of 2015, the lineup consisted of Koelble, bassist/vocalist Matt Gallagher, saxophonist/flutist/vocalist Nathan Anderson, drummer Thatcher on drums, and percussionist George "Ito" Colon. The band's albums include Junkie Rush (2000), II (2004), Live (2006), and Musica (2009).
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
A crowd lined up down the street for a sold-out JunkieRush show at The Social, located at 54 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on July 30, 2007. The Social is an Indie music venue in Downtown Orlando that hosts international, national, and local acts. With a mere 400-person capacity, the intimate setting has made the venue a staple in the Orlando music scene. Originally called The Downtown Jazz & Blues Club, it became Sapphire Supper Club in April 1995, and during its six-year run under that name, the venue showcased an A-list of indie-rock, swing, and folk acts and nurtured the budding careers of musicians that would rise to broader fame in bands, such as Seven Mary Three, My Friend Steve, and Matchbox Twenty. The venue became The Social in 2002, and has remained one of the most popular venues in Orlando. Neighboring Bar BQ Bar, at 64 North Orange Avenue, also appears in the photograph.
Original color photograph by Alicia Lyman, July 30, 2007: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
JunkieRush at a sold-out show at The Social, located at 54 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando on July 30, 2007. This photograph features drummer Bobby Koelble. Formed in 2000 by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Bobby Koelble, who was also a member of the seminal metal band Death, JunkieRush is an Orlando-based rock band that combines elements of funk, punk, Latin, reggae, ska and world music into a unique original sound. The band has gained a reputation for its live shows, performing up the east coast from Florida to New York, as well as the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Although quite a departure from his metal roots, JunkieRush still features the strong guitar work that Koelble is known for. The original lineup consisted of Koelble on vocals and guitar, Chris Charles on saxophone and keyboard, Aaron O'Riley on bass, Marc Clermont on percussion, and Matt Hughen on drums. As of 2015, the lineup consisted of Koelble, bassist/vocalist Matt Gallagher, saxophonist/flutist/vocalist Nathan Anderson, drummer Thatcher on drums, and percussionist George "Ito" Colon. The band's albums include Junkie Rush (2000), II (2004), Live (2006), and Musica (2009).
JunkieRush at the House of Blues Orlando, 2012
JunkieRush "In the Morning" performing live with Dominic Maresco of The Supervillain at JunkieRush's reunion show at House of Blues Orlando, located at 1490 East Buena Vista Drive in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on August 8, 2012. The first photograph features Bobby Koelble and Dominic Maresco of The Supervillains. The second photograph shows Koelbe with his infant daughter. The third photograph features Nathan Anderson playing the saxophone. Formed in 2000 by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Bobby Koelble, who was also a member of the seminal metal band Death, JunkieRush is an Orlando-based rock band that combines elements of funk, punk, Latin, reggae, ska and world music into a unique original sound. The band has gained a reputation for its live shows, performing up the east coast from Florida to New York, as well as the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Although quite a departure from his metal roots, JunkieRush still features the strong guitar work that Koelble is known for. The original lineup consisted of Koelble on vocals and guitar, Chris Charles on saxophone and keyboard, Aaron O'Riley on bass, Marc Clermont on percussion, and Matt Hughen on drums. As of 2015, the lineup consisted of Koelble, bassist/vocalist Matt Gallagher, saxophonist/flutist/vocalist Nathan Anderson, drummer Thatcher on drums, and percussionist George "Ito" Colon. The band's albums include Junkie Rush (2000), II (2004), Live (2006), and Musica (2009).
Beeb$ and Her Money Makers at E.L.L.A. Music Fest, 2012
Beeb$ and Her Money Makers (Musical group)
Michelle Beebs performing live with Beeb$ and Her Money Makers at E.L.L.A. Music Fest at H2O Live!, located at 100 West Livingston Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 3, 2012. The E.L.L.A. Music Festival, which stands for Elevate.Listen.Love.Appreciate, was created in 2007 by Orlando musician, promoter, and producer Robert Johnson to celebrate the heart, talent, and contributions that Florida female artists give to their communities. In its fifth year in 2012, the female-centric festival added spoken word artists, visual artists and local vendors to the stacked musical lineup. Led by Michelle Beebs, this Orlando-based band combines ska, rock, funk, and soul, gaining notoriety through their high-energy performances and unapologetically ridiculous media content. The group consists of Beebs of kazoo and vocals, Jeremy Lovelady on guitar, Levon White on bass, Paul Brisske on drums, Bunky Garrabrant on trumpet, and Eric Christian on saxophone and flute. The band was discovered by legendary promoter Kevin Lyman and asked to join the Vans Warped Tour in 2013. They were filmed for the second season of the show Warped Roadies on the FUSE Network, and returned to the Warped Tour in 2014, performing on a larger stage. The band has since toured with notable bands such as Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, Suburban Legends, Five Iron Frenzy, Beautiful Bodies, and This Magnificent, and has shared the stage with Willie Nelson, Donovan Frankenreiter, Dirty Heads, Pepper, Cypress Hill, The Original Wailers, Zach Deputy, Keller Williams, The Lee Boys, BadFish, Dumpstaphunk, 100 Monkeys, Bobby Lee Rodgers, Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, and Perpetual Groove. Reel Big Fish's Aaron Barrett also produced their EP and their full length album. They were also featured on an episode of Travel Channel's RV Kings.
Original color photograph by Alicia Lyman, November 3, 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Milkanette "Milka" Ramos performing live with MILKA at E.L.L.A. Music Fest at H2O Live!, located at 100 West Livingston Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 3, 2012. The E.L.L.A. Music Festival, which stands for Elevate.Listen.Love.Appreciate, was created in 2007 by Orlando musician, promoter, and producer Robert Johnson to celebrate the heart, talent, and contributions that Florida female artists give to their communities. In its fifth year in 2012, the female-centric festival added spoken word artists, visual artists and local vendors to the stacked musical lineup. MILKA is a rock band formed in Orlando, consisting of Ramos on guitar and vocals, Tony Roman on bass, and Troy Garfield Goins on drums. The combination of bilingual feminist front-woman Ramos and the Latin-influenced percussion creates a unique hard rock sound that transcends genres. The band released an album in 2002, entitled, Fire in the Sky.
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters at E.L.L.A. Music Fest, 2012
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters performing live at E.L.L.A. Music Fest at H2O Live!, located at 100 West Livingston Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 3, 2012. This photograph features saxophonist/keyboardist Nathan Anderson and vocalist Kaleigh Baker of The Downgetters, an all-star band from Orlando, featuring Baker, vocalist/guitarist Joseph Martens, guitarist Brian Chodorcoff, guitarist Jeff Nolan, bassist Mike Kossler, Anderson, and drummer Mark Janssen. The E.L.L.A. Music Festival, which stands for Elevate.Listen.Love.Appreciate, was created in 2007 by Orlando musician, promoter, and producer Robert Johnson to celebrate the heart, talent, and contributions that Florida female artists give to their communities. In its fifth year in 2012, the female-centric festival added spoken word artists, visual artists and local vendors to the stacked musical lineup.
Meka, also known as Ms. Meka, performing live with Meka Nism at H2O Live!, located at 100 West Livingston Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 3, 2012. The E.L.L.A. Music Festival, which stands for Elevate.Listen.Love.Appreciate, was created in 2007 by Orlando musician, promoter, and producer Robert Johnson to celebrate the heart, talent, and contributions that Florida female artists give to their communities. In its fifth year in 2012, the female-centric festival added spoken word artists, visual artists and local vendors to the stacked musical lineup. Formed in 2006 in Orlando, Florida, Meka Nism is a female-fronted metal band that originated as Meka Nism and Her Rusty Tears. The band recorded their first album, Mad to Love, on Florida-based Hidden Records that same year. "Break," the second track from the album, won the Songwriter's Showcase of America's (SSA) Best Experimental Song of the Year, and Meka was named SSA's Solo Artist of the Month in January 2007. While the group has always consisted of Meka on vocals, in 2010, after she returned from a Japanese tour of over 150 shows, Reed Tyack was added on drums, Alvin Bauer on bass, and Bobby Keller on guitar. In 2014, Tyack moved to guitar and Jeremy Mansfield was added on drums.
Two original color photograph by Alicia Lyman, November 3, 2012s: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Sunny Raskin at E.L.L.A. Music Fest, 2012
Sunny Raskin, also known as SUNNY, performing live at E.L.L.A. Fest at H2O Live!, located at 100 West Livingston Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 3, 2012. The E.L.L.A. Music Festival, which stands for Elevate.Listen.Love.Appreciate, was created in 2007 by Orlando musician, promoter, and producer Robert Johnson to celebrate the heart, talent, and contributions that Florida female artists give to their communities. In its fifth year in 2012, the female-centric festival added spoken word artists, visual artists and local vendors to the stacked musical lineup. SUNNY is a professional dancer, musician, vocalist, actress, and costume designer in Orlando, who is also a co-host at Ibex Puppetry and Director at Raskin Dance Studio and Music School. As of 2015, she has composed, performed, and engineered five albums.
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters performing live at E.L.L.A. Music Fest at H2O in Orlando, Florida, on November 3, 2012. These photographs feature vocalist Kaleigh Baker of The Downgetters, an all-star band from Orlando, featuring Baker, vocalist/guitarist Joseph Martens, guitarist Brian Chodorcoff, guitarist Jeff Nolan, bassist Mike Kossler, saxophonist/keyboards Nathan Anderson, and drummer Mark Janssen. The E.L.L.A. Music Festival, which stands for Elevate.Listen.Love.Appreciate, was created in 2007 by Orlando musician, promoter, and producer Robert Johnson to celebrate the heart, talent, and contributions that Florida female artists give to their communities. In its fifth year in 2012, the female-centric festival added spoken word artists, visual artists and local vendors to the stacked musical lineup.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, November 3, 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Beeb$ and Her Money Makers at Hard Rock Live Orlando, 2011
Beeb$ and Her Money Makers performing live at Hard Rock Live Orlando in Orlando, Florida, on April 1, 2011. The first photograph features bassist Levon White and kazoo player and vocalist Michelle Beebs and the second photographs shows saxophonist Eric Christian Led by Beebs, this Orlando-based band combines ska, rock, funk, and soul, gaining notoriety through their high-energy performances and unapologetically ridiculous media content. The group consists of Beebs of kazoo and vocals, Jeremy Lovelady on guitar, Levon White on bass, Paul Brisske on drums, Bunky Garrabrant on trumpet, and Eric Christian on saxophone and flute. The band was discovered by legendary promoter Kevin Lyman and asked to join the Vans Warped Tour in 2013. They were filmed for the second season of the show Warped Roadies on the FUSE Network, and returned to the Warped Tour in 2014, performing on a larger stage. The band has since toured with notable bands such as Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, Suburban Legends, Five Iron Frenzy, Beautiful Bodies, and This Magnificent, and has shared the stage with Willie Nelson, Donovan Frankenreiter, Dirty Heads, Pepper, Cypress Hill, The Original Wailers, Zach Deputy, Keller Williams, The Lee Boys, BadFish, Dumpstaphunk, 100 Monkeys, Bobby Lee Rodgers, Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, and Perpetual Groove. Reel Big Fish's Aaron Barrett also produced their EP and their full length album. They were also featured on an episode of Travel Channel's RV Kings.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, April 1, 2011: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Hard Rock Live Orlando, Orlando, Florida
Beeb$ and Her Money Makers at The Beacham Theater, 2013
Beeb$ and Her Money Makers at the group's CD release party at The Beacham Theater in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on . The first two photographs feature kazoo player and vocalist Michelle Beebs and the third photographs shows bassist Levon White. Led by Beebs, this Orlando-based band combines ska, rock, funk, and soul, gaining notoriety through their high-energy performances and unapologetically ridiculous media content. The group consists of Beebs of kazoo and vocals, Jeremy Lovelady on guitar, Levon White on bass, Paul Brisske on drums, Bunky Garrabrant on trumpet, and Eric Christian on saxophone and flute. The band was discovered by legendary promoter Kevin Lyman and asked to join the Vans Warped Tour in 2013. They were filmed for the second season of the show Warped Roadies on the FUSE Network, and returned to the Warped Tour in 2014, performing on a larger stage. The band has since toured with notable bands such as Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, Suburban Legends, Five Iron Frenzy, Beautiful Bodies, and This Magnificent, and has shared the stage with Willie Nelson, Donovan Frankenreiter, Dirty Heads, Pepper, Cypress Hill, The Original Wailers, Zach Deputy, Keller Williams, The Lee Boys, BadFish, Dumpstaphunk, 100 Monkeys, Bobby Lee Rodgers, Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, and Perpetual Groove. Reel Big Fish's Aaron Barrett also produced their EP and their full length album. They were also featured on an episode of Travel Channel's RV Kings.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, May 30, 2013: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Beeb$ and Her Money Makers at The Xfinity Center, 2014
Beeb$ and Her Money Makers performing live at Vans Warped Tour at The Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts, on July 13, 2014. From left to right, the photograph features saxophonist Eric Christian, an unidentified person dressed in a hot dog costume, kazoo player and vocalist Michelle Beebs, bassist Levon White, and guitarist Jeremy Lovelady. Led by Beebs, this Orlando-based band combines ska, rock, funk, and soul, gaining notoriety through their high-energy performances and unapologetically ridiculous media content. The group consists of Beebs of kazoo and vocals, Jeremy Lovelady on guitar, Levon White on bass, Paul Brisske on drums, Bunky Garrabrant on trumpet, and Eric Christian on saxophone and flute. The band was discovered by legendary promoter Kevin Lyman and asked to join the Vans Warped Tour in 2013. They were filmed for the second season of the show Warped Roadies on the FUSE Network, and returned to the Warped Tour in 2014, performing on a larger stage. The band has since toured with notable bands such as Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, Suburban Legends, Five Iron Frenzy, Beautiful Bodies, and This Magnificent, and has shared the stage with Willie Nelson, Donovan Frankenreiter, Dirty Heads, Pepper, Cypress Hill, The Original Wailers, Zach Deputy, Keller Williams, The Lee Boys, BadFish, Dumpstaphunk, 100 Monkeys, Bobby Lee Rodgers, Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, and Perpetual Groove. Reel Big Fish's Aaron Barrett also produced their EP and their full length album. They were also featured on an episode of Travel Channel's RV Kings.
Original color photograph by Alicia Lyman, July 13, 2014: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
The Xfinity Center, Mansfield, Massachusetts
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.
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.
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.
Dickey Betts & Great Southern (Musical group)
Dickey Betts & Great Southern performing live at a private party of over 300 friends and family in the swamplands of Fruitville, Florida, on February 24, 2013. The first four photographs feature Betts on electric guitar and the fourth photograph shows James Varnado on drums. The fifth and sixth photographs feature Duane Betts and Dickey Betts on guitar, the fourth features a crowd of friends and family at the show, and the fifth features Pedro Arevalo on bass guitar. Forrest Richard “Dickey” Betts is considered one of the most influential guitar players of the 20th century. He was born in West Palm Beach, raised in Bradenton, and has lived in Sarasota for most of his life. Beginning at age 16, he began performing in a series of rock bands on the Florida circuit. A founding member of the Allman Brothers Band in 1969, Betts matched bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick on electric guitar, writing many of their songs. The guitar duo introduced melodic twin guitar harmony and counterpoint, redefining the traditional rhythm/lead roles of rock guitarists. When Allman died in a motorcycle accident in 1971, Betts and Duane’s brother, Gregg Allman, shared leadership of the band, with Betts becoming the sole guitar player and taking a larger role in writing and singing. Betts wrote and sang on the group’s biggest hit, "Ramblin’ Man" in 1973 Betts recorded his first solo album in 1974, and when the band split up in 1976, he formed Dickey Betts & Great Southern. He rejoined the Allman Brothers Band when they reformed in 1978.The band split up again for several years during the 1980s, reformed again in 1989, and Betts remained with them until he was suspended for substance abuse problems in 2000. He reformed Great Southern that year, adding his son, Duane Betts, on guitar. Along with the Allman Brothers Band, Betts was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, February 24, 2013: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
A page from the Lyons Township High School yearbook from 1937. The public high school is located in La Grange, Illinois. The page contains a partial list of students from the school, their personal quotes and their extracurricular activities. A notable person listed on the page is Arthur Herman Huisken Jr. (1919-1996). He is described as a "good looking, wise cracking ‘friendly fellow’" who collected stamps and had a fascination with art. Born on January 30, 1919, in Baltimore, Maryland, Huisken later moved to the Midwest with his family, living in Wisconsin and Illinois. While attending Purdue University, Huisken enlisted in the United States Navy Reserves. After graduation, he received commissioning as an officer, first as a Ensign and later a Lieutenant Junior Grade. He served on the USS Steamer Bay, which was as an escort carrier that assisted in various operations in the Palau Islands, the Philippines, and Japan. The ship returned to the West Coast of the United States in August of 1945. After his discharge on April 22, 1946, Huisken began his career with General Electric in the plastic division of the company. His career took him to various places, including Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Decatur, Illinois, Taunton and Lynn, Massachusetts. While in Pittsfield, he met Janet Gray, whom he married on October 26, 1946. The couple bore a daughter, Deborah, and a son, David. After his retirement from General Electric, he and his wife moved to Central Florida, settling in Leesburg. On July 3, 1996, Huisken passed away at the age of seventy-seven, leaving behind his wife and two children. The Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, placed a memorial headstone in honor of Huisken and later for his wife, Janet, who passed away in 2008. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original yearbook page.
Letter from Jim Macbeth to A. B. Cleveland (October 6, 1975)
A letter from Jim Macbeth, the Chief of the Florida Bureau of Historical Museums, to A. B. Cleveland, Tampa District Manager for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). In the letter, Macbeth requests any obsolete artifacts relating to USPS. In particular, he is interested in post office boxes and rubber stamps. The bureau was established in 1967 when the Florida Legislature established the Florida Board of Archives and History to replace the Florida Board of Antiquities. The board included three additional bureaus: the Bureau of Archives and Records Management, the Bureau of Historic Sites and Properties, and the Bureau of Publications. In 1969, the Florida Division of Archives, History and Records Management was created to replace the board. The division was later renamed the Florida Division of Historical Resources in 1986.
Original letter from Jim Macbeth to A. B. Cleveland, October 6, 1975: Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck.
All Souls Catholic Church Historic Chapel, 2011
The All Souls Catholic Church, located at 800 South Oak Avenue in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. All Souls Catholic Church was founded by Father McFaul in 1882 and is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in Central Florida. The original church building was completed in 1888, under the administration of the first missionary of the Diocese of Saint Augustine, Father Swembergh. The rectangular building was painted white, had four pillars in the front, and a gable roof. The church was destroyed by fire on January 25, 1932. Various testimonies and gossip surround the fire, offering inaccuracies to the date and cause of the incident. Because the building was destroyed during the Great Depression, parishioners struggled to rebuild the church. Following the fire, mass was held in a neighboring two-story structure built by the residing pastor, Father Patrick J. Bresnahan. Within the span of five years, church members were able to rebuild All Souls Church, and offered the community a larger, more prolific edifice to house church services. In 1951, the Catholic parish established the All Souls Catholic School, and staffed the academic institution with the first Sisters of Christian Charity to serve the State of Florida. The school was completed on September 7, 1954, and continued to add additional classrooms and activity spaces in 1960 and 1981. As of 2011, All Souls Catholic Church has expanded onto a 63-acre property located at 3280 West First Street.
Original color digital images by Kathleen MacDonald, July 20, 2011.
All Souls Catholic Church Historic Chapel, Sanford, Florida
African American churches--Southern States
New Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, located at 1115 West Twelfth Street in Goldsboro, an African-American community in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. New Mount was founded in 1918 by former members of the First Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, which is also located in Goldsboro at 700 South Elm Avenue. Seeking a more outwardly diligent ministry, a group of 30 parishioners were first congregated in the home of Mr. J. W. Simmons, located on Avocado Avenue. The subsequent meetings were then held at New Salem Primitive Baptist Church, located at 1500 West Twelfth Street, under the leadership of Reverend F. J. R. Brown. The church continued to grow, and within the same year church members began building a structure located on West Twelfth Street and Pecan Avenue, which was designed and built by famed African-American architect Prince W. Spears. Once completed in 1920, the church continued to expand and increase their involvement within the surrounding community. The church was rebuilt in 1938, adding numerous improvements and buildings to their plot of land. In 1993, New Mount Calvary was officially incorporated with the State of Florida, and later received its 501(c)3 with the U.S. Department of Treasury of the Internal Revenue Service in 2002. New Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church still stands as an iconic edifice, dedicated to serving their congregation's faith and community.
Original color digital images by Kathleen MacDonald, June 17, 2011.
New Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Goldsboro, Sanford, Florida
St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church, 2011
National Historic Landmark Program (U.S.)
St. James African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, located at 819 Cypress Avenue in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. The history of St. James AME Church reaches far back into the history of Florida and the American Civil War. Immediately following the Civil War's end, Central Florida received a large migration of former slaves and black laborers. Along with the growth in migration, the AME church experienced significance expansion, as its popularity spread throughout the Southeastern United States. St. James AME Church was a direct result of these two historical patterns. Originally organized in 1867 as a prayer group for freedmen, the church was founded in a small wooden house located on Mellonville Street, along the south shore of Lake Monroe. By 1880, the church relocated to its current location on the corner of East Ninth Street and Cypress Avenue. In 1893, the church upgraded its size, and constructed a larger wooden frame to house its growing congregation. The present-day structure, which features red-brick facings, four matching stained glass windows, a bell tower, and slanted semi-circular seating within its baptistery, was built between 1910 and 1913, and designed by acclaimed African-American architect Prince W. Spears. During the 1920s and 1930s, St. James served as a Mother Church of the AME faith, and sent circuit preachers to its neighboring areas, including West Sanford, Bookertown, Cameron City, Midway, and Fort Reid. On April 24, 1992, St. James AME Church was a designated as a National Historic Landmark, and continues to serve as a religious center for the surrounding African-American community.
Original color digital images by Kathleen MacDonald, 2011.
St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church, Georgetown, Sanford, Florida
St. John Missionary Baptist Church, 2011
St. John Missionary Baptist Church, located at 920 Cypress Avenue in Georgetown, an African-American community in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. St. John was organized under the leadership of Reverend M. W. Evans on May 10, 1895. Within a few years, the church was rebuilt at its current location, on the corner of Ninth Street and Cypress Avenue, under the guidance of its second pastor, Reverend C. J. Smith. The church experienced tremendous growth during the first half of the 20th century, allowing for a parsonage to be built in 1922, during the administration of Reverend C. L. Bradley, to aid in the housing of its succeeding pastors. The new construction plan was designed by famed African-American architect, Prince W. Spears. By 1941, the church experienced its first split, resulting in the creation of the New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, located just two blocks away at 618 East Tenth Street. Throughout the next decade, St. John's was guided by a variety of reverends and pastors, who helped build additions onto the church structure, including restroom facilities and a basement. After the church operated without a pastor for a period of 15 months, the congregation called upon Reverend B. Whitehurst in June of 1958 to spear-head the church. Under Rev. Whitehurst, St. John became more spiritually and financially fortified, and took its most progressive steps by involving itself in the fight for the African-American community's fight for equal rights and numerous city and county-wide projects. In 1969, the church was remodeled and refurnished, and continued to experience the growth of its congregation. After 116 years of service to Sanford's African-American population, the church carries on its legacy by maintaining their involvement within the current neighborhood, through the offering of weekly services, prayer groups, and community service projects.
St. John Missionary Baptist Church, Georgetown, Sanford, Florida
St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, located at 813 Pine Avenue in Sanford, Florida in 2011. Considered the oldest African-American Baptist church in Sanford, Florida, St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church was first organized under an arbor brush in 1878. Construction of the first church building began in 1880 on land purchased from General Henry S. Sanford and his wife Gertrude in November of 1881. The church was a small wooden structure administered by its first settled pastor, Reverend Paul Youmans, until 1886. A new, larger church was constructed in 1889 and served the congregation until its condemnation in 1958. After the church was condemned, members of the congregation held services at Hopper Elementary for approximately one month. Following the use of the elementary school, the congregation met at the Seventh Day Adventist Church located on the corner of Pine Avenue and East Seventh Street. After the completion of their current church, the congregation finally relocated to their new building on February 5, 1961. This church structure stands at the same location of the initial church's small wooden building, and continues to demonstrate deep pride within their community's faith, history, and involvement.
Original color digital image by Kathleen A. MacDonald, August 3, 2011.
St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, 2011
St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, located at 813 Pine Avenue in Georgetown, an African-American community in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. Considered the oldest African-American Baptist church in Sanford, St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church was first organized under an arbor brush in 1878. Construction of the first church building began in 1880 on land purchased from General Henry Shelton Sanford and his wife, Gertrude Dupuy Sanford, in November of 1881. The church was a small wooden structure administered by its first settled pastor, Reverend Paul Youmans, until 1886. A new, larger church was constructed in 1889 and served the congregation until its condemnation in 1958. After the church was condemned, members of the congregation held services at Hopper Elementary School for approximately one month. Following the use of the elementary school, the congregation met at the Seventh Day Adventist Church located on the corner of Pine Avenue and East Seventh Street. After the completion of their current church, the congregation finally relocated to their new building on February 5, 1961. This church structure stands at the same location of the initial church's small wooden building, and continues to demonstrate deep pride within their community's faith, history, and involvement.
Original color digital images by Kathleen MacDonald, August 3, 2011.
St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, Georgetown Sanford, Florida
Trinity United Methodist Church (UMC), located at 526 South Sanford Avenue in Georgetown, an African-American community in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. Trinity UMC was originally named the New Mount Zion Colored Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church and dates back to the early 1890s. Currently located at the corner of South Sanford Avenue and East Sixth Street, Trinity UMC first held their services at the home of church member Violet Graham at East Sixth Street and Hickory Avenue. Following a donation made by the all-white Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC), services were relocated to a building erected on a lot on the northwest corner of East Sixth Street and Sanford Avenue. In the 1920s, a new church was designed and built by famed African-American architect, Prince W. Spears.
Trinity United Methodist Church, Georgetown, Sanford, Florida
Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 2011
Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church, located at 710 Orange Avenue in Georgetown, an African-American community in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. Zion Hope was founded in a brush arbor, under the leadership of Reverend Wash Levingston, on June 9, 1888. After Reverend Joe Richards took over as the first settled pastor, church services were conducted in an old horse stable on Mellonville Avenue from 1888 to 1890. The church relocated to the corner of East Fifth Street and Locust Avenue and converted the original structure into a small, oblong-framed church to accommodate the growing congregation. This building served the congregation until 1926. A new concrete, stone-block building was then constructed at its current location, on the corner of East Eighth Street and Orange Avenue under the guidance of Reverend Hardy Wesley Williams. Other previous pastors include Reverends Paul Newman, G. W. Phillips, W .A. Jenkins, and John Hurston, the father of award-winning author and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston.
Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Georgetown, Sanford, Florida
The Student Museum and Center for Social Studies, located at 301 West Seventh Street in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. The building was originally occupied by Sanford High School, which was established in 1902. The structure 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 structure 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.
Student Museum and Center for Social Studies, Sanford, Florida
Letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford (April 28, 1884)
A letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated April 28, 1884. Macfarlane was the secretary for the Florida Land and Colonization Company from 1884 until its dissolution in 1892. Presumably, he worked in the company's main office, located at 13 Austin Friars in the business district of London, United Kingdom. In this letter, Macfarlane made reference to the transfer of 250 company shares to Mr. I. I. Foulkrod. The shares, forwarded at Sanford's request, were valued at £20 each for a total value of £5,000. The Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. In 1879, faced with financial difficulties, Sanford turned to a trusted associate in the United Kingdom, a Scottish industrialist named Sir William Mackinnon (1823-1893), to help him attract investors. The formation of the company was in large part due to the efforts of MacKinnon, whose reputation and influence helped bring investors on board. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. The one-time cash payment was a needed reprieve for Sanford, who faced financial difficulties by the end of the 1870s. The board of directors included Mackinnon, as well as W. C. Gray and Edwyn Sandys Dawes, partners in Gray-Dawes and Company, a London-based banking and investment house. Other directors included Alexander Fraser, Anthony Norris, George A. Thomson, and Eli Lee. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board. In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County. Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Original letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford, April 28, 1884: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 1.1, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Florida Land and Colonization Company, London, England, United Kingdom
Letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford (August 27, 1884)
A letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated August 27, 1884. Macfarlane was the secretary for the Florida Land and Colonization Company from 1884 until its dissolution in 1892. Presumably, he worked in the company's main office, located at 13 Austin Friars in the business district of London, United Kingdom. In this letter, Macfarlane discussed several possibilities for the usage of company profits earned during the fiscal year ending on June 30, 1884. Macfarlane suggested either directing half of the profits to the reduction of company property values but with no distribution of dividends, or directing a quarter of profits to the reduction of property values, with shareholders receiving a 5% dividend for the year. The Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. In 1879, faced with financial difficulties, Sanford turned to a trusted associate in the United Kingdom, a Scottish industrialist named Sir William Mackinnon (1823-1893), to help him attract investors. The formation of the company was in large part due to the efforts of MacKinnon, whose reputation and influence helped bring investors on board. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. The one-time cash payment was a needed reprieve for Sanford, who faced financial difficulties by the end of the 1870s. The board of directors included Mackinnon, as well as W. C. Gray and Edwyn Sandys Dawes, partners in Gray-Dawes and Company, a London-based banking and investment house. Other directors included Alexander Fraser, Anthony Norris, George A. Thomson, and Eli Lee. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board. In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County. Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Original letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford, August 27, 1884: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 1.2, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford (October 3, 1884)
A letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated October 3, 1884. Macfarlane was the secretary for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1884 until its dissolution in 1892. Presumably, he worked in the company's main office, located at 13 Austin Friars in the business district of London, United Kingdom. In this letter, Macfarlane discussed the minutes from the previous meeting of the board of directors. Sanford, staying in Belgium at the time, was unable to attend. Perhaps the most important board decision, conveyed by Macfarlane, was the transfer of the power to sign deeds. The board decided that it was in the company's best interest to transfer this power from Henry Sanford to E. R. Trafford and William Beardall. Trafford was the company's agent based in Sanford, Florida, while Beardall was sent to Sanford from London to serve as the Assistant Manager in the FLCC's Sanford office. The action, taken by the board, reflected the strained relations between Henry Sanford and his London-based partners. It represented an effort to limit the powers and influence of Henry Sanford in company decision-making and instead to reallocate these powers to two company-appointed agents. The Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. In 1879, faced with financial difficulties, Sanford turned to a trusted associate in the United Kingdom, a Scottish industrialist named Sir William Mackinnon (1823-1893), to help him attract investors. The formation of the company was in large part due to the efforts of MacKinnon, whose reputation and influence helped bring investors on board. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. The one-time cash payment was a needed reprieve for Sanford, who faced financial difficulties by the end of the 1870s. The board of directors included Mackinnon, as well as W. C. Gray and Edwyn Sandys Dawes, partners in Gray-Dawes and Company, a London-based banking and investment house. Other directors included Alexander Fraser, Anthony Norris, George A. Thomson, and Eli Lee. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board. In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County. Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Original letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford, October 3, 1884: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 1.3, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford (December 23, 1884)
A letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated December 23, 1884. Macfarlane was the secretary for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1884 until its dissolution in 1892. Presumably, he worked in the company's main office, located at 13 Austin Friars in the business district of London, United Kingdom. In this letter, Macfarlane described in detail the minutes of the board of directors meeting held the day prior. In discussing the various topics of importance, Macfarlane conveyed the strained relationship between the board of directors and Henry Sanford. In particular, the letter illustrated the mutual misunderstandings and differences of opinion held by Sanford and the London-based investors. On page two, when discussing the financial state of the company, Macfarlane noted that "the Directors desire me to express their regret that you have not indicated to them some practical means of raising money to meet the above requirements [and] the Debentures shortly falling due." The letter reflected the board's lack of trust in the financial strategies advocated by Sanford. The Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. In 1879, faced with financial difficulties, Sanford turned to a trusted associate in the United Kingdom, a Scottish industrialist named Sir William Mackinnon (1823-1893), to help him attract investors. The formation of the company was in large part due to the efforts of MacKinnon, whose reputation and influence helped bring investors on board. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. The one-time cash payment was a needed reprieve for Sanford, who faced financial difficulties by the end of the 1870s. The board of directors included Mackinnon, as well as W. C. Gray and Edwyn Sandys Dawes, partners in Gray-Dawes and Company, a London-based banking and investment house. Other directors included Alexander Fraser, Anthony Norris, George A. Thomson, and Eli Lee. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board. In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County. Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Original letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford, December 23, 1884: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 1.4, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford (December 29, 1884)
A letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated December 29, 1884. Macfarlane was the secretary for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1884 until its dissolution in 1892. Presumably, he worked in the company's main office, located at 13 Austin Friars in the business district of London, United Kingdom. In this letter, Macfarlane discussed various aspects of the company's financial state, noting disappointment in lower-than-expected land sales in Florida. At one point, Macfarlane expressed concern that "[t]he cash on hand in Florida, in the office [and] banks, at the end of November amounted to less than £400 not more than required for the business." The letter conveyed the often tenuous nature of the company's efforts to turn a profit in Florida. The Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. In 1879, faced with financial difficulties, Sanford turned to a trusted associate in the United Kingdom, a Scottish industrialist named Sir William Mackinnon (1823-1893), to help him attract investors. The formation of the company was in large part due to the efforts of MacKinnon, whose reputation and influence helped bring investors on board. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. The one-time cash payment was a needed reprieve for Sanford, who faced financial difficulties by the end of the 1870s. The board of directors included Mackinnon, as well as W. C. Gray and Edwyn Sandys Dawes, partners in Gray-Dawes and Company, a London-based banking and investment house. Other directors included Alexander Fraser, Anthony Norris, George A. Thomson, and Eli Lee. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board. In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County. Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Original letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford, December 29, 1884: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 1.5, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford (January 8, 1885)
A letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated January 8, 1885. Macfarlane was the secretary for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1884 until its dissolution in 1892. Presumably, he worked in the company's main office, located at 13 Austin Friars in the business district of London, United Kingdom. In this letter, Macfarlane referenced the company efforts to raise a final £3,000 of a needed £5,000 to complete a land acquisition deal in Florida, a deal advanced and encouraged by Henry Sanford. Macfarlane noted that the company's bank, Barclay & Company, refused to provide an advance of funds without a joint guarantee from all of the members of the company's board. Macfarlane noted that some of the board members had objections to this requirement, reflecting a gulf between business strategies endorsed by Sanford and his fellow board members. The Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. In 1879, faced with financial difficulties, Sanford turned to a trusted associate in the United Kingdom, a Scottish industrialist named Sir William Mackinnon (1823-1893), to help him attract investors. The formation of the company was in large part due to the efforts of MacKinnon, whose reputation and influence helped bring investors on board. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. The one-time cash payment was a needed reprieve for Sanford, who faced financial difficulties by the end of the 1870s. The board of directors included Mackinnon, as well as W. C. Gray and Edwyn Sandys Dawes, partners in Gray-Dawes and Company, a London-based banking and investment house. Other directors included Alexander Fraser, Anthony Norris, George A. Thomson, and Eli Lee. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board. In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County. Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Original letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford, January 8, 1885: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 54.1.6, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford (January 20, 1885)
Letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated January 20, 1885. Macfarlane was the secretary for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1884 until its dissolution in 1892. Presumably, he worked in the company's main office, located at 13 Austin Friars in the business district of London, United Kingdom. In this letter, Macfarlane discussed several recent decisions taken by the board of directors of the FLCC. He explained how the local FLCC agent based in Sanford, Florida, E. R. Trafford, was in the process of purchasing tracts of land on behalf of the company, adding that $15,000 had been raised to facilitate Trafford's purchase. The money raised for the land purchase was loaned from the London-based bank Barclay & Company. Macfarlane noted that, in order to obtain the money, the company needed to offer the bank securities in the form of land notes valued at twice the amount of the loan requested. Macfarlane deemed it necessary to note that, following the most recent loan, the company was indebted to the bank in the amount of £5,144.13, of which £2,000 would be due by April 1885. Macfarlane stated that, with the bank loan and company debentures combined, the FLCC had nearly £30,000 due by the end of the fiscal year in early July. Reflecting the often tenuous nature of the company's finances, Macfarlane added that "[t]he [Florida] agent in his report last June estimated remittances at £14,000 of which as yet only £2,200 has been received." The secretary concluded the matter by stating that "[t]he urgency of making prompt financial arrangements has in no way been relieved and I am directed again to state that the Directors consider they are incurring grave responsibility by having this question open." The stringent financial guaranties needed by the company's bank for further loans are significant. The bank's steep terms possibly reflect both the uncertainty of profitability associated with Florida land sales as well as the uncertain viability of the FLCC. The Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. In 1879, faced with financial difficulties, Sanford turned to a trusted associate in the United Kingdom, a Scottish industrialist named Sir William Mackinnon (1823-1893), to help him attract investors. The formation of the company was in large part due to the efforts of MacKinnon, whose reputation and influence helped bring investors on board. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. The one-time cash payment was a needed reprieve for Sanford, who faced financial difficulties by the end of the 1870s. The board of directors included Mackinnon, as well as W. C. Gray and Edwyn Sandys Dawes, partners in Gray-Dawes and Company, a London-based banking and investment house. Other directors included Alexander Fraser, Anthony Norris, George A. Thomson, and Eli Lee. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board. In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County. Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Original letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford, January 20, 1885: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 54.1.7, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from A. W. Macfarlane to F. R. Shelton (January 21, 1885)
Letter from A. W. Macfarlane to F. R. Shelton dated January 21, 1885. Macfarlane was the secretary for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1884 until its dissolution in 1892. Presumably, he worked in the company's main office, located at 13 Austin Friars in the business district of London, United Kingdom. In this letter, Macfarlane informs Shelton, a Philadelphia-based lawyer and banker at Manayunk Bank, that he had been elected to the board of directors. Macfarlane reminded Shelton that the FLCC had some $75,000 in land notes housed at the Manayunk Bank and he expressed hope to Shelton that "with your large banking connections, you may be able to negotiate so as to meet the present requirements of the Company." Shelton's addition to the board of directors was a move prompted by Henry Shelton Sanford and the board of director's acquiescence on the matter was done in part in an effort to placate Sanford. The Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. In 1879, faced with financial difficulties, Sanford turned to a trusted associate in the United Kingdom, a Scottish industrialist named Sir William Mackinnon (1823-1893), to help him attract investors. The formation of the company was in large part due to the efforts of MacKinnon, whose reputation and influence helped bring investors on board. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. The one-time cash payment was a needed reprieve for Sanford, who faced financial difficulties by the end of the 1870s. The board of directors included Mackinnon, as well as W. C. Gray and Edwyn Sandys Dawes, partners in Gray-Dawes and Company, a London-based banking and investment house. Other directors included Alexander Fraser, Anthony Norris, George A. Thomson, and Eli Lee. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board. In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County. Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Original letter from A. W. Macfarlane to F. R. Shelton, January 21, 1885: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 54.1.8, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Manayunk Bank, Manayunk, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford (January 24, 1885)
A letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated January 24, 1885. Macfarlane was the secretary for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1884 until its dissolution in 1892. Presumably, he worked in the company's main office, located at 13 Austin Friars in the business district of London, United Kingdom. In this letter, Macfarlane acknowledged receipt of a letter sent by Sanford while also relaying relevant information sent to the company's main office from its Florida-based representative, E. R. Trafford. In particular, Macfarlane noted that, in an earlier letter, Trafford cited his earlier request for $15,000 needed for further land acquisition. In his message to Sanford, Macfarlane made clear that Trafford had not sent any confirmation of the finalized land purchase. The Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. In 1879, faced with financial difficulties, Sanford turned to a trusted associate in the United Kingdom, a Scottish industrialist named Sir William Mackinnon (1823-1893), to help him attract investors. The formation of the company was in large part due to the efforts of MacKinnon, whose reputation and influence helped bring investors on board. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. The one-time cash payment was a needed reprieve for Sanford, who faced financial difficulties by the end of the 1870s. The board of directors included Mackinnon, as well as W. C. Gray and Edwyn Sandys Dawes, partners in Gray-Dawes and Company, a London-based banking and investment house. Other directors included Alexander Fraser, Anthony Norris, George A. Thomson, and Eli Lee. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board. In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County. Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Original letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford, January 24, 1885: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 54.1.9, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford (February 3, 1885)
A letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated January 24, 1885. Macfarlane was the secretary for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1884 until its dissolution in 1892. Presumably, he worked in the company's main office, located at 13 Austin Friars in the business district of London, United Kingdom. In this letter, Macfarlane explained to Sanford that the board of directors had rejected a scheme proposed by Sanford as a means to paying company debts. Additionally, Macfarlane offered a brief overview of the company's financial state, noting that the land sales from the prior six-month period amounted to $24,798—over $4,000 more than the same period from a year earlier. Despite this moderate success, Macfarlane bemoaned that "the sales for the last three months are disappointingly small amounting to only some $3,000," an occurrence he deemed symptomatic of a "general stagnation of business in the state." The letter reflected the differing and often opposing viewpoints of Sanford and his fellow board members as well as the limited financial successes of the company in the mid-to-late 1880s. The Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. In 1879, faced with financial difficulties, Sanford turned to a trusted associate in the United Kingdom, a Scottish industrialist named Sir William Mackinnon (1823-1893), to help him attract investors. The formation of the company was in large part due to the efforts of MacKinnon, whose reputation and influence helped bring investors on board. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. The one-time cash payment was a needed reprieve for Sanford, who faced financial difficulties by the end of the 1870s. The board of directors included Mackinnon, as well as W. C. Gray and Edwyn Sandys Dawes, partners in Gray-Dawes and Company, a London-based banking and investment house. Other directors included Alexander Fraser, Anthony Norris, George A. Thomson, and Eli Lee. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board. In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County. Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Original letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford, February 3, 1885: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 54.1.10, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford (February 21, 1885)
A letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated February 21, 1885. Macfarlane was the secretary for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1884 until its dissolution in 1892. Presumably, he worked in the company's main office, located at 13 Austin Friars in the business district of London, United Kingdom. In this letter, Macfarlane relayed reports to Sanford sent by the FLCC's local agent in Florida, E. R. Trafford. At the time, Sanford was staying in the German capital of Berlin, presumably due to his participation in the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 regarding European trade and colonization in Africa. Macfarlane conveyed the small amount of sales achieved in recent months $1980 for the month of December 1884 and only $434.80 for the entire month of January. He noted that the company's agent believed that the fall in company sales was due in part to a general slowing of business, noting that "[e]everything throughout not only the state but the country is dull." The agent also blamed the "New Orleans Exposition [that] seems to have taken the visitors from Florida this winter." The agent was referencing the World's Fair of 1884-1885, based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The report relayed by Macfarlane reflected the challenges of turning a profit from the company's Florida investments. The Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. In 1879, faced with financial difficulties, Sanford turned to a trusted associate in the United Kingdom, a Scottish industrialist named Sir William Mackinnon (1823-1893), to help him attract investors. The formation of the company was in large part due to the efforts of MacKinnon, whose reputation and influence helped bring investors on board. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. The one-time cash payment was a needed reprieve for Sanford, who faced financial difficulties by the end of the 1870s. The board of directors included Mackinnon, as well as W. C. Gray and Edwyn Sandys Dawes, partners in Gray-Dawes and Company, a London-based banking and investment house. Other directors included Alexander Fraser, Anthony Norris, George A. Thomson, and Eli Lee. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board. In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County. Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Original letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford, February 21, 1885: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 54.1.11, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford (May 12, 1885)
A letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated May 12, 1885. Macfarlane was the secretary for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1884 until its dissolution in 1892. Presumably, he worked in the company's main office, located at 13 Austin Friars in the business district of London, United Kingdom. Based on this letter, it appears that Sanford had previously proposed the construction of a tramway light railway within the company's property in Florida. Macfarlane informed Sanford that the matter had not yet been discussed among board members and that the subject would be discussed at a later date. Macfarlane added that the previous meeting had been dedicated to the reviewing of company accounts. Subsequent correspondence from Macfarlane, resumed in September 1885, did not make further reference to the proposed tramway and it is unclear if the idea was ever pursued. However, based on the strained relationship between Sanford and the other company board members, as well as their general mistrust of Sanford's business proposals, it is possible that the board purposefully delayed discussing the matter with the intent of preventing it from materializing. The Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. In 1879, faced with financial difficulties, Sanford turned to a trusted associate in the United Kingdom, a Scottish industrialist named Sir William Mackinnon (1823-1893), to help him attract investors. The formation of the company was in large part due to the efforts of MacKinnon, whose reputation and influence helped bring investors on board. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. The one-time cash payment was a needed reprieve for Sanford, who faced financial difficulties by the end of the 1870s. The board of directors included Mackinnon, as well as W. C. Gray and Edwyn Sandys Dawes, partners in Gray-Dawes and Company, a London-based banking and investment house. Other directors included Alexander Fraser, Anthony Norris, George A. Thomson, and Eli Lee. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board. In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County. Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Original letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford, May 12, 1885: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 54.1.12, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter and Statement from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford (September 29, 1885)
A letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated September 29, 1885. Macfarlane was the secretary for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1884 until its dissolution in 1892. Presumably, he worked in the company's main office, located at 13 Austin Friars in the business district of London, United Kingdom. Attached to this letter is a statement listing the various acreage and book values of the company's property in Florida. The statement noted that as of September 1885 the company owned some 79,632.72 acres valued collectively at £84,262.12. At the time, the company owned land scattered throughout Florida in Alachua, Brevard, Hernando, Hillsboro, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Orange, Polk, Sumter, and Volusia counties. It also owned settlements named Middleground and Anclote. Lastly, the company owned large tracts of land, including the Powell Grant and Sanford Grant, as well as the entire town of Sanford. At the time, the largest single property was the Sanford Grant at 7,813.42 acres. The county with the most scattered land held by the company was Polk County at 21,661.84 acres. The county with the smallest amount of land owned by the company was Volusia County, with only 79.91 acres. The Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. In 1879, faced with financial difficulties, Sanford turned to a trusted associate in the United Kingdom, a Scottish industrialist named Sir William Mackinnon (1823-1893), to help him attract investors. The formation of the company was in large part due to the efforts of MacKinnon, whose reputation and influence helped bring investors on board. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. The one-time cash payment was a needed reprieve for Sanford, who faced financial difficulties by the end of the 1870s. The board of directors included Mackinnon, as well as W. C. Gray and Edwyn Sandys Dawes, partners in Gray-Dawes and Company, a London-based banking and investment house. Other directors included Alexander Fraser, Anthony Norris, George A. Thomson, and Eli Lee. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board. In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County. Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Original letter and statement from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford, September 29, 1885: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 54.1.13, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.