Letter and Statement from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford (October 2, 1885)
A letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated October 2, 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 was a small table listing the monetary amount of the company's total sales, property accounts, town improvements, as well as a listing of profit and loss for the years from 1881 to 1885. Macfarlane noted that the company's earnings from sales were appropriated, applying credit to the property accounts to cover the cost of sale as well as an additional quarter of the profit. The remaining balance was then distributed to the shareholders as dividends. Based on the chart, it appears that between 1881 and 1885 the company earned £51,492, of which £28,214 was distributed to shareholders in the form of dividends. 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, October 2, 1885: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 54.1.14, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford (November 16, 1886)
A letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated November 16, 1886. 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 changing circumstances related to the company. First, he acknowledged that Henry Sanford would travel to America in order "to supervise the Company's affairs in Florida." This development was the result of several years of meager profits deemed "too small a scale to cover expenses [and] interest." As Macfarlane expressed to Sanford, "it is hoped that you may be able to infuse more life into the business." The letter also explained and justified the decision to name William Beardall as the successor to E. R. Trafford as the company's chief agent in Florida. Though Beardall "lacked some essentials for actively pushing sales," his lengthy tenure with the company and prior employment in Sir William MacKinnon's operations in East Africa had rendered him a "steady [and] trustworthy" employee in the eyes of the company. The letter reflected the company's ongoing challenges in finding steady and robust means of profit in its efforts to sell Florida land. 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, November 16, 1886: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 54.1.15, 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 (November 20, 1886)
A letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated November 20, 1886. 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. This letter concerned a request made previously by Sanford for a "stamped transfer form" meant for the transfer of shares and debentures. According to the letter, Macfarlane had included a set of stamps, which acted as an obligatory duty on the transfer of shares. The stamps, he noted, "can be affixed to a transfer deed after execution." It is unclear what shares or debentures Sanford intended to transfer. 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, November 20, 1886: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 54.1.16, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Note from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford
An undated note from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford. 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 note, Macfarlane promised to send to Henry Sanford a collection of reports and documents related to the company's Florida property. 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 note from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 54.1.17, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford (December 9, 1886)
A letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated December 9, 1886. 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 confirmation of an earlier telegram he sent to Henry Sanford. According to Macfarlane, the earlier telegram noted that William Beardall, the FLCC's local agent based in Sanford, Florida, was offered $40,000 for 2,600 acres and a township in Polk County. 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 9, 1886: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 54.1.18, 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 (December 15, 1886)
A letter from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford dated December 16, 1886. 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 and forwarding of newspaper clippings sent by Henry Sanford and intended for Sir William Mackinnon. Macfarlane also offered a brief update of various remittances for the company's loans. 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 15, 1886: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 54.1.19, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
A newspaper article written by Erin Machaby and published by The Oviedo Voice in February of 2006. The article discusses the 75th anniversary celebration the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC), held on February 10. OWC members were joined by members of the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs (FFWC), as well as a number of Oviedo City Council members. Pictured in the photographs, from left to right, are Mary Gregory, Susan Witty, and Glenne Stoner. The Oviedo Woman's Club was founded in 1906 as the Oviedo Magazine Club by seven charter members: H. B. McCall, Edith Meade, Georgia Lee Wheeler, Lillian Lee Lawton, Mattie Aulin Wheeler, Milcah Yonge, and Mary King. The first clubhouse was constructed in 1914 and also served as Oviedo's first library. In 1916, the club joined the FFWC and officially changed its name to the Oviedo Woman's Club. In 1923, the woman's club was federated under the umbrella of the 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: Machaby, Erin. "Woman's Club Celebrates Centennial." The Oviedo Voice, Vol. XVI, No. 7, February 16-22, 2006: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Oviedo Woman's Club
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (U.S.)
Schirra, Walter M. (Walter Marty), 1923-2007
A newspaper article about Dr. Cal Fowler (1929-2013) presenting an engraved launch key to astronaut Wally Schirra (1923-2007) Dr. Fowler, the Launch Conductor at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS)'s Launch Complex 14 (LC-14) in Cape Canaveral, Florida, used the key to launch Schirra's spacecraft, Sigma 7, into orbit on October 3, 1962. Mercury-Atlas 8 (MA-8) was the fifth manned space mission and was launched as part of Project Mercury. General Dynamics Astronautics, the firm which conducted the launch, had the key gold-plated and engraved with the following message: "Wally Schirra (1923-2007), MA-8 Orbital Launch, 10-3-62 7:15 a.m." The opposite side of the key stated: "Atlas, Launch Console Arming Key, Mercury Sigma 7, General Dynamics Astronautics." Dr. Fowler and General Dynamics site manager B. G. MacNabb appear in the photograph to the left and Schirra appears in the right photograph.
Original newspaper article: Mack, Walt. "Smiling Schirra Gets Memento Key." The Brevard-Sentinel, 1963: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.
Chronopoints
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14, Cape Canaveral, Florida
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (March 29, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated March 29, 1879. The letter referenced the early stages of a scheme to acquire four Indian elephants. The elephants in question were part of a strategy meant to aid the transportation of a Belgian team tasked with exploring East Africa on behalf of King Leopold II of Belgium (1835-1909). The elephants were bought by the Belgian king and shipped from British India. In this letter, MacKinnon introduced Sanford to a man named Carter. In MacKinnon's words, Carter was considered a "suitable person to accompany the exploration party" to Africa. MacKinnon noted that Carter met with the King Leopold in Brussels prior to meeting Sanford, adding that the King "approved of this arrangement." In the letter, MacKinnon asked Sanford to introduce Carter to "Baron Strauch." He was presumably referring to Colonel Maximilien Strauch, the president of the Committee for the Study of the Upper Congo, an organization later replaced by the International Association of the Congo on November 17, 1879. MacKinnon was pleased to add that the exploration would depart on April 17, 1880 from London on a steamer owned by MacKinnon's company, the British-India Steam Navigation Company. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to Leopold II and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, March 29, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.1, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (April 10, 1879)
Letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated April 10, 1879. The letter referenced the early stages of a scheme to acquire four Indian elephants. The elephants in question were part of a strategy meant to aid the transportation of a Belgian team tasked with exploring East Africa on behalf of King Leopold II of Belgium (1835-1909). The elephants were bought by the Belgian king and shipped from British India. MacKinnon included the text of a telegram sent from Colonel Maximilien Strauch, a close advisor of King Leopold. The letter to Sanford discussed the possibility of a meeting with Col. Strauch regarding the "elephant question." Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to Leopold II and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, April 10, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.2, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (April 12, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated April 12, 1879. The letter referenced the early stages of a scheme to acquire four Indian elephants. The elephants in question were part of a strategy meant to aid the transportation of a Belgian team tasked with exploring East Africa on behalf of King Leopold II of Belgium (1835-1909). The elephants were bought by the Belgian king and shipped from British India. MacKinnon discussed in detail the various factors concerning the elephants, ranging from transportation from India to required nourishment once in Africa. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to Leopold II and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, April 12, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.3, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (April 14, 1879)
Letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated April 14, 1879. The letter primary discussed various legal and economic matters concerning the Committee for the Study of the Upper Congo, an organization later replaced by the International Association of the Congo on November 17, 1879. In particular, MacKinnon considered the possibility of the new association being a "limited liability" entity. MacKinnon also discussed a scheme to acquire four Indian elephants. The elephants in question were part of a strategy meant to aid the transportation of a Belgian team tasked with exploring East Africa on behalf of King Leopold II of Belgium. The elephants were bought by the Belgian king and shipped from British India. Noting with some urgency, MacKinnon declared that if the elephants "are not got now I fear they would not come in for use by the present expedition." The letter closes with light references to the health of King Leopold and to the weather. One final remark served to intentionally stress MacKinnon's sentiments for the Belgian king. Noting King Leopold's "African schemes," MacKinnon emphasized to say, "I only wish I could do a very great deal more to show him how thoroughly I symphathise in the sentiments which prompt him to express so warmly the cause of poor down trodden Africa." Ultimately, the sentiments and actions described by MacKinnon and undertaken by King Leopold amounted to harsh colonization and exploitation of Central Africa cloaked under the guise of humanitarian aid. MacKinnon's self-conscious statements of flattery about the Belgian king relayed to Sanford reflects Sanford's central place amid the King's inner circle in Brussels. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to Leopold II and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, April 14, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.4, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (April 22, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated April 22, 1879. The brief letter served to inform Sanford that MacKinnon had received a telegram from Calcutta in British India noting that the elephants had been arranged for travel on a specified carrier. The elephants in question were part of a scheme meant to aid the transportation of a Belgian team tasked with exploring East Africa on behalf of King Leopold II of Belgium (1835-1909). The elephants were bought by the Belgian king and shipped from British India. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to Leopold II and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, April 22, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.5, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (June 9, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated June 9, 1879. The letter indicated MacKinnon's upcoming travel plans and his interest in speaking with Sanford in greater detail about an unspecified matter. He also provided an update on the acquisition and transportation of four elephants to East Africa. The elephants were meant to aid a Belgian team tasked with exploring East Africa on behalf of King Leopold II of Belgium. The elephants were bought by the Belgian king and shipped from British India. In the letter, MacKinnon noted that he had received a telegram "from Aden" informing him of the safe arrival and landing of the elephants. Aden is a seaport in present-day Yemen. At the time, it was controlled by Britain and administered as part of British India. It was of roughly equal distance between Mumbai, Zanzibar, and the Suez Canal, all of which were important destinations of British shipping routes. MacKinnon added in the letter that he had not heard whether the elephants had subsequently landed safely in Zanzibar, although the carrier had since returned to Aden from its voyage. MacKinnon noted that his "part of the work connected with this experiment is now completed successfully," adding his support for the future success of the expedition. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, June 9, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.6, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (June 14, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated June 14, 1879. The letter, written from Dover, England, served to inform Sanford of MacKinnon's plans to travel to Brussels, Belgium via ferry. MacKinnon expressed the hope that the two would be able to speak in person about various topics. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, June 14, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.7, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Telegram from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (June 16, 1879)
A telegram from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated June 16, 1879. The telegram informed Sanford that MacKinnon had left for Brussels, Belgium and was "just starting via Calais" in France. The telegram also made reference to the successful arrival of four elephants. The elephants in question were meant to aid a Belgian team tasked with exploring East Africa on behalf of King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium. The elephants were bought by the Belgian king and shipped from British India. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to Leopold II and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original telegram from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, June 16, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.8, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (June 26, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated June 26, 1879. The letter discussed the early developments of the Belgian expedition of East Africa and the usage of four Indian elephants. The elephants in question were meant to aid a Belgian team tasked with exploring East Africa on behalf of King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium. The elephants were bought by the Belgian king and shipped from British India. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to Leopold II and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, June 26, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.9, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (July 1, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated July 1, 1879. The letter discussed updates regarding a Belgian expedition in East Africa as well as MacKinnon's vacation in Germany and his upcoming return through Brussels, Belgium. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, July 1, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.10, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (July 29, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated July 29, 1879. The letter began with a long apology from MacKinnon regarding the length of time it took for him to respond to an earlier letter from Sanford. He proceeded to discuss several personal matters, including his intent to attend a friend's funeral. More importantly, the letter marked MacKinnon's initial response to Sanford's proposal regarding a land investment company in Florida, what would become the Florida Land and Colonization Company. MacKinnon noted that he agreed with all of Sanford's thoughts on the matter, but added cautiously, "I don't know that I can assist you very much in getting the thing into a practical shape or in carrying it out in the way you indicate, but I need hardly say that it will give me much pleasure if I can even help you a little." MacKinnon proceeded to give advice to Sanford on how to proceed, adding that once Sanford had a solid proposal, he would be willing to show it to some friends with the hopes of "getting a small private association to take it up of to take up a portion of it." Perhaps most importantly was MacKinnon's commitment to invest money of his own to the scheme. "I shall be willing to invest some money into it myself," he wrote, "not because I have any desire to go into any new thing or get a better return for my money, but because I should like to assist if I can in promoting a scheme which I believe has in it the elements of commercial success and one in which my help may be useful to you." The willingness of MacKinnon to help, despite no interest in profiting from the venture, demonstrates his interest in using Sanford's Florida scheme to ensure reciprocal advantages in other domains. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, July 29, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.12, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Balinakill Country House, Clachan, Scotland, United Kingdom
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (September 9, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated September 9, 1879. In the letter, MacKinnon discussed some updates about an expedition in East Africa, noting that he had received some additional mail from Zanzibar regarding the matter. MacKinnon acknowledged that he had received several notes from Sanford, but that he intended to postpone his reply until receiving "the printed document about the Florida land scheme." The land scheme that he referred to was what would become the Florida Land and Colonization Company. MacKinnon also asked Sanford if he would be able to read some forwarded letters to the King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium. This letter reveals the mutual reliance between MacKinnon and Sanford; MacKinnon was Sanford's most obvious choice for help with his real estate ambitions in Florida while Sanford afforded MacKinnon access to the Belgian king. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to Leopold II and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, September 9, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.13, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (October 10, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated October 10, 1879. The letter was written from MacKinnon's private manor, Balinakill, located in Scotland. It included discussion of MacKinnon's travel plans to Brussels, Belgium. It also mentioned developments related to an exploratory expedition in East Africa, particularly in regard to the expedition's usage of elephants to facilitate travel. The elephants in question were meant to aid a Belgian team tasked with exploring East Africa on behalf of King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium. The elephants were bought by the Belgian king and shipped from British India. MacKinnon also made the esoteric remark to Sanford: "I am with you in all your views." This reference may have been in regards to Sanford's business plans in Florida. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to Leopold II and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, October 10, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.14, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (October 19, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated October 19, 1879. The letter was written from MacKinnon's private manner, Balinakill, located in Scotland. This brief letter served to acknowledge receipt of a letter written by Sanford several days earlier. MacKinnon expressed interest in meeting with Sanford in London, England, asking when Sanford intended to travel to both Florida and London. He noted that he wanted to meet with Sanford in order to discuss at length a number of different topics, adding, "I shall be happy to do all I can to help you with your Florida scheme." The "Florida scheme" referred to what would become the Florida Land and Colonization Company. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, October 19, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.15, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (October 28, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated October 28, 1879. The letter was written from MacKinnon's private manner, Balinakill in Clachan, Scotland. In it, MacKinnon acknowledged receipt of a letter previously sent by Sanford. He also informed Sanford of a plan under negotiation at the time to unite the Portuguese colony of Delagoa Bay, which was located off the coast of present-day Mozambique, and the Transvaal Colony of the British Empire, in present-day South Africa, by railway. Later in the letter, MacKinnon referenced Sanford's "Florida scheme," what would later become the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC). MacKinnon also estimated what type of financial capital would be necessary to form the company. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company, going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, October 28, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.16, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Balinakill House, Clachan, Scotland, United Kingdom
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (November 1, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated November 1, 1879. In the letter, MacKinnon acknowledged receipt of Sanford's letter dated October 29. He also commented on the inclusion of newspaper clippings related to tea cultivation in the United States sent by Sanford, noting that he intended to watch the industry closely, adding that "America seems to grow everything all the world wants." MacKinnon also noted that he had sent William Beardall, a future agent for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) in Sanford, Florida, to Africa to join a Belgian exploratory mission initiated by King Leopold II of Belgium (1835-1909). MacKinnon also wanted to know when Sanford would be in London, presumably with the hope that the two could discuss, among other matters, Sanford's "Florida scheme," what would become the Florida Land and Colonization Company. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to Leopold II and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company, going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, November 1, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.17, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (November 6, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated November 6, 1879. The letter was a brief note informing Sanford that he would reach London, England, later than anticipated in earlier correspondence. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, November 6, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.18, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (November 21, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated November 21, 1879. The letter was a brief note informing Sanford of his travel plans, which included going to Brussels, Belgium, via ferry from Dover, England. MacKinnon hoped to meet with Sanford in Brussels. He also informed Sanford that he was scheduled to meet with King Leopold II of Belgium (1835-1909). Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to Leopold II and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, November 21, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.19, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Telegram from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (November 29, 1879)
A telegram from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated June 16, 1879. The telegram indicated to Sanford the price of telegraphs obtainable from Aden, a seaport in present-day Yemen that was controlled by Britain and administered as part of British India during the period. It was of roughly equal distance between Mumbai, Zanzibar, and the Suez Canal, all of which were important destinations of British shipping routes. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC), going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original telegram from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, June 16, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.20, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (December 1, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated December 1, 1879. In the letter, MacKinnon noted that he looked forward to meeting with Sanford for dinner in London, England, upon Sanford's arrival. MacKinnon noted that the main reason for writing was to encourage Sanford to have "little syndicate scheme ready," presumably referencing Sanford's plan to for a Florida land investment company. MacKinnon, lending his business acumen to Sanford, encouraged him to have prepared the price necessary to launch the scheme. He believed that £20,000 would be an adequate starting amount to distribute in shares. He also encouraged Sanford to indicate to prospective investors the prospect of modest returns and also how the company would intend to invest in new land purchases. MacKinnon was presumably encouraging Sanford to consider these aspects of the business in order to persuasively court investors during Sanford's visit to London. The scheme MacKinnon discussed in the letter would ultimately become the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC). Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company, going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, December 1, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.21, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (December 19, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated December 19, 1879. In this letter, MacKinnon discussed about his health and his recovery from an unspecified illness. He also informed Sanford that, in his absence, he had "left Florida matters" to Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), a co-founder of Gray Dawes and Company and an eventual board member of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC). MacKinnon added that Dawes would handle the financial arrangements and the search for subscribers while he was away. MacKinnon also indicated that he had met with Somerset Beaumont (1835-1921), a former British Member of Parliament (MP), noting regretfully that he did not have a chance to broach the subject of Beaumont "taking a share with [the] Florida venture." The letter concluded with a discussion of updates regarding a Belgian expedition of the Congo, one that included four Indian elephants shipped from British India. MacKinnon remarked that he was shocked to hear that at least one of the elephants had died in the midst of the expedition. With its frank discussion of personal health and activities, this letter demonstrated the relatively close relationship between Sanford and MacKinnon. It also highlighted the efforts of MacKinnon and others to help Sanford in recruiting investors for his "Florida scheme," what would become the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC). The diversity of topics covered in the letter exemplified the multitude of interconnected business and political interests shared by the two men. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company, going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Dawes, were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, December 19, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.23, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (December 24, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated December 24, 1879. In the letter, MacKinnon discussed the health of Sanford's wife, Gertrude Dupuy Sanford (1841-1902). He also updated Sanford on the latest news regarding the "Florida affairs" sent by Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), a co-founder of Gray Dawes and Company and an eventual board member of the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC). The letter concludes with an expression of interest in meeting with Sanford in the United Kingdom. With its frank discussion of personal health and activities, this letter demonstrated the relatively close relationship between Sanford and MacKinnon. It also highlighted the efforts of MacKinnon and others to help Sanford in recruiting investors for his "Florida scheme," what would become the FLCC. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company, going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Dawes, were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, December 24, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.24, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford (December 29, 1879)
A letter from Sir William MacKinnon (1823-1893) to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) dated December 24, 1879. In this letter, MacKinnon discussed, among other topics, an update regarding a Belgian expedition in the Congo and one of its chief explorers, Carter. Sir William MacKinnon was a Scottish ship-owner and businessman who established significant trade networks and commercial interests in British India and later in East Africa. Among other business ventures, he founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and the short-lived Imperial British East Africa Company. During his lifetime, he was one of the leading ship-owners in the British Empire. By the 1880s, he controlled more shipping tonnage than any other individual in Britain. MacKinnon met Henry Shelton Sanford sometime in the late 1870s and the two began corresponding regularly in 1879. MacKinnon's interest in Sanford stemmed from the former American ambassador's close proximity to King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium and the Brussels inner-circle of businessmen, politicians, and diplomats. Sanford, living in a château in Brussels, provided a valuable lifeline for MacKinnon, who sought Belgian business connections to support his expanding commercial ventures, particularly in East Africa. He was a vital factor in the formation of the Florida Land and Colonization Company, going so far as to lend Sanford £8,000 in early January 1880. He also played an essential role in helping Sanford court early participants in the investment plan. Many of the board members of the FLCC, like Edwyn Sandys Dawes (1838-1903), were close associates of MacKinnon. With his business ventures strongly tied to British and Belgian development schemes in Africa, MacKinnon had no ostensible interest in Florida land investment. His participation in Sanford's Florida ambitions was thus directly linked to his interest in maintaining strong relations with Sanford and his valuable connections in Belgium.
Original letter from William MacKinnon to Henry Shelton Sanford, December 24, 1879: box 127, folder 2, subfolder 127.2.25, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
A photograph of Betty Bryson (left) and James Maddox (right). James “Bobby” Maddox enlisted into the United States Army in 1943, just one month before his mother, Nita, passed away. Bobby served in the 15th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Division during World War II. During his time, he served in Sicily, Italy, and France. He suffered an injury in November 1943, but returned to light duty in February 1944. He rejoined his unit in September 1944, while they pushed through the Vosges. On October 9, 1944, Lt. Victor Kandle led a platoon into battle to swarm the Germans at the Cleurie Quarry. On this day, Bobby lost his life and now rests in the Epinal Cemetery. He planned on marrying Betty upon his return from the war. The Florida-France Soldiers Stories Project seeks to tell the stories of the Florida soldiers buried in the American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries in France. Our goal is to honor and commemorate the brave individuals who gave their lives supporting the Allied forces, liberating France, and defeating Germany in the Second World War. Simultaneously, our goal is to teach the students who participate in this research project about the history of France and Florida during World War II, about the history of individual servicemen, and about how to implement historical research methods in their work.
Digital reproduction of original black and white photograph.
Sixteenth Census Population for Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey, 1940
The Sixteenth Unites States Census records for Hoboken, 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 this record is Frank J. Egan (1898-1988). Born on December 10, 1898, in Hoboken, New Jersey, Egan worked for most of his life as a longshoreman at the Port of New York and New Jersey. He enlisted in the United States Army on September 19, 1917, and was discharged April 19, 1918. He was a member of the International Longshoremen's Association for over six decades. He moved to Florida in 1987 and died a year later on February 8, 1988. He was buried in Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida, and was joined by his wife, Anne, on June 25, 1996. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
United States Census Bureau
Digital reproduction of original census record by A.C. Maguire, April 1940.
A postcard depicting the Empire State Building in New York City, New York. At the time, Empire State was the tallest structure in the world at 102 stories and 1,252 feet high. Built by architects Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates, the building opened on May 1, 1931, when President Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) pressed a button to turn on the lights. 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.
Empire State Building, New York City, New York
Fifteenth Census Population for New York City, Queens Borough, New York, 1930
The Fifteenth United States Census records for Queens Borough, New York City, New York, for 1930. The census divides the population into categories of name, age, sex, race, marital status, occupants and relation to head of house, whether the home is owned or rented, value of home or rent, whether home is a farm residence, and whether the home has a radio. It also records college attendance, literacy, birthplace and birthplace of parents, citizenship status, language spoken before coming to United States, year of immigration, occupation or business, class of worker, whether they worked the previous day, military status, and the war or expedition participated in. A notable resident listed is Edwin Selig Kesney (1917-2004). Born on January 5, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York, Kesney grew up in Queens, New York, living with his parents until his enlistment. He attended Rensselaer Polytechnic University, where he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. By 1940, Kesney was working in a machine shop as a draftsmen. He was drafted into the United States Army in 1941. Kesney began his training at the United States Army Signal Corps Officer Training School at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. After leaving the Army on February 3, 1946, as a Captain, Kesney continued working in radio technology through the Institute of Radio Engineers. Prior to moving to Florida in 1997, the Kesneys lived in Stamford, Connecticut, where Edwin worked for Ray Proof Corporation, a leading manufacturer of medical X-ray shielding. Kesney and his wife moved to Vero Beach, Florida in 2002. He was memorialized in the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida, on July 15, 2004. 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 Elsie M. Maler, April 5, 1930.
Newspaper Article Announcing the Employment of Rebecca Young as a Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid
Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
A newspaper article published on February 22, 1973, in the Marshalltown Times-Republican announcing Rebecca Young's (then Rebecca Stalhhut) employment as a Weeki Wachee Mermaid. The article reads, "Becky Stahlhut, a mid-term graduate of Marshalltown High School has been accepted to swim as a mermaid in the world famous Spring of Live Mermaids at Weeki Wachi [sic], Fla. She was a member of the MHS girls swim team, synchronized swim group, intructor and life guard at the YMCA and on the Y swim team. Becky is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ron Stalhhut of St. Petersburg, Fla., formerly of Marshalltown." 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 Newspaper Article: "Miss Stahlhut To be 'Mermaid'", Marshalltown Times-Republican article, February 22,1973: Private Collection of Becky Young.
RICHES
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida
Letter from John Masek to H. Leeds Anwyll, Red McGee, A. Wright, and James D. Beggs, Jr. (October 23, 1940)
A letter from John Masek of the Orlando Philatelic Society to H. Leeds Anwyll, citrus executive and newspaper reporter/editor Red McGee, A. Wright, and Orlando Postmaster James D. Beggs, Jr. It is regarding the dedication ceremony of the new Downtown Post Office on April 15, 1941 and the society's involvement. The original post office was housed in the Federal Building, located 44 East Central Boulevard in Downtown Orlando, Florida, from 1917 to 1941. In 1935, when James D. Beggs, Jr. became the postmaster, he began petitioning to move the post office from its Central Boulevard and Court Avenue location to a more spacious building. In 1939, St. James Catholic Church sold a plot of land on Jefferson Street for the new building. The building was designed by Louis A. Simon, located at 51 East Jefferson Street, in the Northern Italian Palazzo Revival-style, and was constructed by J. P. Cullen & Son. The new building opened in 1941 and housed the post office, the courthouse, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offices. The building was named an Orlando Historic Landmark in 1989. However, it was eventually sold back to the St. James Church. In 2003, the building was renovated and came under joint ownership by both the church and the federal government. Today, the building retains its post office services but also includes offices for the Catholic Diocese.
Original letter from John Masek to H. Leeds Anwyll, Red McGee, A. Wright, and James D. Beggs, Jr., October 23, 1940: Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck.
Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Fifteenth Census Population for New York City, Borough of Queens, 1930
The Fifteenth United States census records for New York City, Borough of Queens for 1930. The census divides the population into categories of name, age, sex, race, marital status, occupants and relation to head of house, whether the home is owned or rented, value of home or rent, whether home is a farm residence, and whether the home has a radio. It also reports college attendance, literacy, birthplace and birthplace of parents, citizenship status, language spoken before coming to United States, year of immigration, occupation or business, class of worker, whether they worked the previous day, military status, and the war or expedition participated in. A notable resident listed in this record is Settimo Sorci, who was born in Italy on January 4, 1893. Sorci came to the United States around 1913. In 1918, he was drafted into the United States Army. During his service, he was transferred multiple times from Company B of the 53rd Pioneer Infantry to Company E of the 329th Infantry, 83rd Division. After his service, he lived in New York and married Anna Giangrasso on November 25, 1924, who was also an Italian immigrant. They had two children: Frances and Anthony. His son, Anthony, served in World War II. After Settimo's wife died, he lived the remainder of his life in Port Richey, Florida. He passed away on April 28, 1989 at the age of ninety-six. Sorci is buried in the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, along with his son. 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 Henry N. Mason, May 11, 1930.
Fourteenth Census Population for Cheboygan, Michigan, 1920
The Fourteenth United States Census records for Cheboygan, Michigan, for 1920. The census divides the population by names of residents at same address, relationship of person enumerated to the head of the family, whether home owned or rented, if owned, whether free or mortgaged, sex, race, age at last birthday, marital status, year of immigration to United States, citizen status and date of naturalization, whether attended school any time since September 1, 1919, literacy, person's place of birth, mother and father's place of birth, mother and father's native tongue, whether able to speak English, profession or work preformed, industry or business of work, whether employer, salary or wage worker, or working on own account, and number of farm schedule. A notable resident listed in this record is James George Jackson (1916-2006). Born on May 22, 1916, in Cheboygan, Michigan, Jackson enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps on November 1, 1940, at the age of twenty-four. He served at several locations, including the Hawaiian Islands, Solomon Islands and Fiji Islands. Jackson survived the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. After he was honorably discharged in 1945, he enrolled at Wayne State University and the Detroit College of Law in Detroit, Michigan. Between 1949 and 1981, he worked as a management consultant at Employers Insurance of Wausau. He married Genevieve E. LeRoux on September 17, 1949. His wife passed away in 1987, and Jackson remarried Audry Gouine-Clark in1993. Jackson died on June 8, 2006, and is buried in the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original census record by Floyd Massey, January 5, 1920.
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on July 7, 1971. This article discusses the Seminole-Goldenrod Fire Association membership drive. Goldenrod formed its volunteer fire department in the 1950s with its own trucks and erected a building on Palmetto Avenue in Goldenrod, Florida, to serve both Orange County and Seminole County residents. Around 1969, Orange County established a fire department at that location at 4755 Palmetto Avenue. In order to service the Seminole County residents of Goldenrod, the volunteer fire department moved to this location and became the Seminole-Goldenrod Volunteer Fire Department. The location was later taken over by Seminole County and renamed the Seminole County Fire Station 23.
Original newspaper article: Mathers, Marilyn. "Fire Association to Begin Drive." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 7, 1971: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
The Oviedo Outlook
Seminole-Goldenrod Volunteer Fire Department, Goldenrod, Florida
An oral history interview of Geraldean Matthew, a third-generation farmworker and advocate for environmental justice and migrant farmworkers’ rights. The interview was conducted by Jared Muha in Apopka, Florida, on October 30, 2014. Some of the topics covered include a summary of Matthew’s life, leaving home at age 13, her relationships with her mother and father, her slave heritage, her grandparents, segregation, traveling to the North, tramp trucks and maggot workers, life in labor camps, the replacement of African-American workers with Hispanic workers and the relationship between the two races, educational programs and retraining of the replaced workers, the effects of unemployment and underemployment on African-American families, working for environmental justice and farmworker’s rights, her contribution to Fed Up: The High Costs of Cheap Food, a book about sexual misconduct by crew leaders, modern farms in Florida and the treatment of Hispanic workers today. Matthew passed away in 2016.
Matthew, Geraldean. Interviewed by Jared Muha, October 30, 2014. Audio record available. RICHES, Orlando, Florida.
Map of Florida Showing the Land Grant of the Florida South Railway
A map of Florida showing the Florida South Railway's land grant, published in 1888. The map includes information about towns along the railway, facts about Florida, and hints for potential immigrants. The Florida Southern Railway was established in 1891 when it took over the Gainesville, Ocala and Charlotte Harbor Railroad. Facing foreclosure, the line was acquired by Henry B. Plant (1819-1899) as part of his Plant System in 1892 and reorganized as the Florida Southern Railroad, which stretched from Gainesville to Ocala and then to Punta Gorda. In 1903, the Florida Southern was acquired by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). The ACL merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) in 1967 to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). Much of the original ACL lines are now part of the CSX Transportation line, which operates the SCL.
Original 24-page map, 1888: Matthews, Northrup and Company. Map of Florida Showing the Land Grant of the Florida South Railway. Map. Buffalo, NY: Art-Printing Works, 1888: Maitland Public Library, Maitland, Florida.
An oral history interview of Robert Matthews (b. 1957), who served in the U.S. Navy during the Cold War era. Matthews was born in Lake Wales, Florida, on May 23, 1957. He enlisted in the Navy in February of 1977 and was discharged in July of 1984. During his service, Matthews was stationed at Recruit Training Center Orlando (RTC Orlando), Naval Air Station Memphis (NAS Memphis), and Naval Air Maintenance Training Detachment (NAMTRADET) at Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jacksonville). He also served in Attack Squadron 174 (VA-174) and VA-87. Matthews was a Master Training Specialist and received an Expeditionary Medal. This interview was conducted by Mark Miller on March 28, 2014. Interview topics include Matthews' background, enlistment, training at RTC Orlando, the USS Blue Jacket, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC), Matthews' naval career, NAWCTSD, and the Lone Sailor Memorial Project.
Matthews, Robert. Interviewed by Mark Miller, March 28, 2014. Audio/video record available. Item DP0014900, UCF Community Veterans History Project, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, Florida.
RICHES of Central Florida
Recruit Training Center, Naval Training Center Orlando, Orlando, Florida
Naval Air Station Memphis, Millington, Tennessee
Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Naval Training Center Orlando, Orlando, Florida
Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Naval Support Activity, Orlando, Florida
Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Duvall County, Florida
Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida
Letter from Guy Mauie to Sydney Octavius Chase (September 30, 1889)
An original letter of correspondence between Guy Mauie of The Chinese Evangelist, a Chinese-language Christian periodical founded in New York in the 1880s, and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include L. Kwong's visit to Florida to work for Chase & Company. 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 Guy Mauie to Sydney Octavius Chase, September 30, 1889: box 173, folder 2.40, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
The Chinese Evangelist, New York City, New York
A Lucky Sanford cigar box housed in the Sanford Museum, located at 520 East First Street in Downtown Sanford, florida.. The cigar box was manufactured by John J. Mauser, who opened a factory, located at 120 North Park Avenue. His cigar shop occupied the space from approximately 1910 to 1922. Mauser also manufactured Banker's Choice and Clear Havana cigars. The cigar industry was first brought to Florida by Cuban immigrants in the 1830s and became one of the most important industries in the Southeast by the last quarter of the 19th century, with Tampa serving as the cigar manufacturing center in the state. In the late 1800s, cigar factories began to appear in various other Florida cities, such as Jacksonville and Tallahassee. Cigar manufacturing first appeared in Sanford sometime between 1909 and 1912. The Florida cigar industry came to its peak in the first quarter of the 20th century, but then declined during the Great Depression and World War II, due to the accumulation of labor union conflicts over the years, the mechanization of production, and changing consumer demands. The industry was revitalized during the 1950s as production soared, despite the decline of the number of workers. Following the Cuban Revolution of the late 1950s and the U.S. embargo on Cuban products in 1962, the Florida cigar industry again declined. The Cuban embargo included tobacco, thus forcing American cigar rollers to begin using Dominican tobacco.
Original cigar box: John J. Mauser, Sanford, Florida. Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
John J. Mauser Cigar Shop, Downtown Sanford, Florida
Employee Rules and Regulations for the May Museum of the Tropics
Six pages of the May Museum of the Tropics employee handbook. The owner of the museum, John May, created the handbook for his employees to follow in the 1960s. The table of contents on the first three pages gives insight to what is included in the missing pages of the handbook. The other three pages explain how employees should approach the public, list what actions are and are not permitted, and provide instructions for handling an emergency. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. 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 8-page typewritten handbook by John May: May Natural History Museum Colorado Springs, Colorado.
May Natural History Museum
May Museum of the Tropics, Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida
Construction of Hercules Beetle Sculpture at Weeki Wachee Springs
A team of people guide the placement of a Hercules beetle sculpture in the 1950s. A crane lowers the sculpture in place near the May Museum of the Tropics at Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida. The large beetle sculpture served as an advertisement to attract visitors to the museum. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original black and white photograph by John May: May Natural History Museum Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Entrance to the May Museum of the Tropics
The entrance of the May Museum of the Tropics. Faux thatched roof, tiki sculptures, and a list of countries the insects in the collection came from adorn the space, giving it an exotic feel. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. 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.
The original interior of the May Museum of the Tropics in the 1950s. In the months following the photograph, several specimen began to droop and wilt in the cases due to humidity. The owner, John May, was forced to hand make new display cases out of metal and attach them to a dehumidifier. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. 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.
Letter from John May to Joe and Martha Seltzer (February 25, 1962)
A letter from John May to Joe and Martha Seltzer, the management of Weeki Wachee Springs. The letter details May's sadness that Seltzer was resigning. May expresses that he hopes to remain in contact and that Seltzer and his wife can leave their things in a back room in the museum temporarily while they look for a new place. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. 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 from John May to Joe and Martha Seltzer, February 25, 1962: May Natural History Museum Colorado Springs, Colorado.
May Museum, Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida
Letter from John M. May to Directors of St. Petersburg Springs Co (January 28, 1957)
A letter from the owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, John M. May, to the directors of the St. Petersburg Springs Co., owners of Weeki Wachee Springs, dated January 28, 1957. May discusses his concerns with management and inquires about construction plans. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. 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 1-page typewritten letter from John M. May to Directors of St. Petersburg Springs Co, January 28, 1957: May Natural History Museum Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Letter from John M. May to John T. Greighten (November 20, 1963)
A letter from John M. May, owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, to John T. Creighten, an employee of the Department of Entomology at the University fo Florida, dated November 20, 1963. replying to Mr. Creighten's interest in the museum and its collection. In response to Creighten's interest in the museum and its collection, May invited him to visit. May points out that the museum would close permanently that December due to decisions made by the owners of Weeki Wachee Springs. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. 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 1-page typewritten letter from John M. May to John T. Greighten, November 20, 1963: May Natural History Museum Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Letter from John M. May to Myrtle Colson (September 27, 1958)
A letter from John M. May, owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, to the manager of the museum, Myrtle Colson, dated September 27, 1958. May reassures Colson that she is doing fine, expressing remorse for the losing an employee and hope that their replacement is a good fit for the position. May also mentions that he is working on creating a sculpture of a hercules beetle that he plans to place in front of the museum to help drum up business. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. 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 1-page typewritten letter from John M. May to Myrtle Colson, September 27, 1958: May Natural History Museum Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Orchid Gardens at Weeki Wachee Springs. The hothouse, which allowed visitors to view a variety of orchids, was one of the original attractions to join the mermaid show at Weeki Wachee Springs. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original black and white photograph by John M. May: May Natural History Museum Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Orchid Gardens, Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida
Letter from John M. May to the Employees of the May Museum of the Tropics (January 8, 1959)
A letter from the owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, John M. May, to the employees of the museum, dated January 8, 1959. May asks his employees to water the plants around the outside of the museum to ensure they don't wilt or die, and hopes that they will send him regular updates of how the museum is faring. As John May lived in Colorado and the May Museum of the Tropics was located in Florida, communication between employer, employees, and other staff at Weeki Wachee Springs was limited predominantly to letters of correspondence. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. 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 1-page typed letter from John M. May to the employees of the May Museum of the Tropics, January 8, 1959: May Natural History Museum, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Letter from John M. May to Myrtle Colson (January 14, 1959)
A letter from the owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, John M. May, to the manager of the museum, Myrtle Colson, dated January 14, 1959. May expresses his hopes that Colson is feeling better, as she recently had the flu, and informs her that his government project seems to be moving ahead. He also informs Colson that he will send information plaques for the large-scale Hercules beetle replica outside the museum. As John May lived in Colorado and the May Museum of the Tropics was located in Florida, communication between employer, employees, and other staff at Weeki Wachee Springs was limited predominantly to letters of correspondence. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. 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 1-page typed letter from John M. May to Myrtle Colson, January 14, 1959: May Natural History Museum, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Letter from John M. May to Myrtle Colson (May 7, 1959)
A letter from the owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, John M. May, to the manager of the museum, Myrtle Colson, dated May 7, 1959. In the letter, May apologizes to Colson for not informing her sooner about how to handle counting groups of children who were admitted to the museum on special prices. May kept up various lines of communication with both his museum and the staff of the Weeki Wachee Springs, where the museum was located, and likely found it difficult at times to remember who knew what pieces of information. As John May lived in Colorado and the May Museum of the Tropics was located in Florida, communication between employer, employees, and other staff at Weeki Wachee Springs was limited predominantly to letters of correspondence. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. 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 1-page typed letter from John M. May to Myrtle Colson, May 7, 1959: May Natural History Museum, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Letter from John M. May to John T. Creighton (November 20, 1963)
A letter from the owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, John M. May, to University of Florida entomology professor John T. Creighton, dated November 20, 1963. May extended a warm invitation to Creighton and his colleagues to visit the May Museum, but expressed urgency as he believed that the museum would be closing soon due to pressure from the owners of Weeki Wachee Springs. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. 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 1-page typed letter from John M. May to John T. Creighton, November 20, 1963: May Natural History Museum, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Letter from John M. May to Joe D. Seltzer (July 7, 1959)
A letter from the owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, John M. May, to the manager of Weeki Wachee Springs, Joe D. Seltzer. In the letter, May tentatively agrees to Seltzer's plan to create another walkway to the museum, but expresses hesitation as he would not be able to be at the Springs until later that year to help move his large-scale beetle replica out of the way. As John May lived in Colorado and the May Museum of the Tropics was located in Florida, communication between employer, employees, and other staff at Weeki Wachee Springs was limited predominantly to letters of correspondence. The May Natural History Museum of the Tropics is a non-profit organization that displays the world’s largest private insect collection. James May acquired the thousands of insects and arthropods that make up the collection from the late 1800s until his death in 1956. John May continued his father’s legacy, building a museum in Weeki Wachee, Florida, that lasted from 1954-1964, and a museum in Colorado that opened in the 1950s and is still open today. John May also took parts of the collection across the United States and Canada to display at fairs and exhibitions. 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 1-page typed letter from John M. May to Joe D. Seltzer, July 7, 1959: May Natural History Museum, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
New York Giants (Baseball team)--History--20th century
Brochure detailing the attractions and luxuries of the Mayfair Inn in the 1950s. During the New York Giants ownership of the hotel, many visitors enjoyed the numerous amenities the Mayfair Inn had to offer, such as a golf course, all inclusive room rates, and elaborate social events. Originally named after the Sanford Mayor and president of Seminole County Bank, construction of the Forrest Lake Hotel began in 1916. Local architect Elton J. Moughton designed the hotel. In 1925, Hotel Forrest Lake opened and became a popular destination for tourists visiting Sanford. By 1929, the hotel closed after the stock market crash and the downfall of Florida's tourism and real estate boom. William E. Kirchhoff leased the building in 1934 and the hotel reopened in 1935 with the new name Mayfair Hotel. Under Kirchhoff's ownership, the Mayfair Hotel became known as one of the finest hotels in the South. Kirchhoff sold the hotel in 1948 to Horace Stoneham, owner of the New York Giants. Stoneham then sold the building to the Bernard McFadden Foundation. After the Naval Air Station Sanford acquired $1.3 million to fund the construction of a naval academy in 1963, the Foundation made significant alterations to the building to house students from the Sanford Naval Academy. The Foundation later sold the building to the New Tribes Mission in 1977. The New Tribes Mission's goal is to reach tribes who have no access to the Gospel through translated publications and missionary work.
Excerpt from a Mayfair Inn brochure detailing the attractions and luxuries of the resort in the 1950s. Originally named after the Sanford Mayor and president of Seminole County Bank, construction of the Forrest Lake Hotel began in 1916. Local architect Elton J. Moughton designed the hotel. In 1925, Hotel Forrest Lake opened and became a popular destination for tourists visiting Sanford. By 1929, the hotel closed after the stock market crash and the downfall of Florida's tourism and real estate boom. William E. Kirchhoff leased the building in 1934 and the hotel reopened in 1935 with the new name Mayfair Hotel. Under Kirchhoff's ownership, the Mayfair Hotel became known as one of the finest hotels in the South. Kirchhoff sold the hotel in 1948 to Horace Stoneham, owner of the New York Giants. Stoneham then sold the building to the Bernard McFadden Foundation. After the Naval Air Station Sanford acquired $1.3 million to fund the construction of a naval academy in 1963, the Foundation made significant alterations to the building to house students from the Sanford Naval Academy. The Foundation later sold the building to the New Tribes Mission in 1977. The New Tribes Mission's goal is to reach tribes who have no access to the Gospel through translated publications and missionary work.
Letter from William "Don" D. McAllister to V. D. Patten (June 15, 1966)
A letter from William "Don" D. McAllister to V. D. Patten at the Florida State Board of Health, with attached statement. McAllister hosted the Central Florida TV-show Hunting and Fishing with Don, which ran 1954 to 1972 on WDBO-Channel 6. The letter and attached statement detail observations made by McAllister while fishing on Lake Apopka in Florida. McAllister observed a large cloud of pesticide spray drifting over Lake Apopka, dispersed by spray planes operating Zellwood. McAllister also observed a moderate fish kill in the area.
Photocopy of original typewritten letter from William "Don" D. McAllister to V. D. Patten and typewritten statement, June 15, 1966: binder 1966, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Dedra Jenkins at age 2 on Easter Sunday morning in building 3 of the Carver Court apartments, a former public housing complex in the Parramore neighborhood of Orlando, Florida. Construction on Carver Court began in 1944 on the site of a former landfill. The apartments opened in 1945 housed 212 residential units. Due to structural problems caused by settling ground, the city demolished the complex in 2002 after relocating the 148 families who still lived in the buildings. Previous residents voted to change the name to Carver Park, and a newly-built development on the site opened in 2009 featuring a 3-acre lake and 203 rental units. The Orlando Housing authority delayed plans to allow residents to purchase homes due to the economic downturn.
Original 3 x 3 inch color photograph by Christine McClendon, April 18, 1965: Private Collection of Dedra Jenkins.
Carver Court, Holden-Parramore, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Linda Andrews, Gloria Hill, Dedra Jenkins, Kenneth Hill
From left to right, Linda Andrews and Gloria Hill in the back row, and Dedra Jenkins and Kenneth Hill in the front row. The four children in this photograph are cousins playing outside in the summertime on the corner of Parramore Avenue and Anderson Street, diagonally from Tip Top and behind the Baptist church, in the Parramore neighborhood of Orlando, Florida. Blue ink writing from the back of the photograph has bled to the front, reading "She fight him, hit fast, and run, but she love him."
Original 3 x 3 inch color photograph by Christine McClendon: Private Collection of Dedra Jenkins.
Holden-Parramore, Downtown Orlando, Florida
An oral history with Diane Yeaton, President of the Board of Trustees of the Marine Discovery Center, located at 520 Barracuda Boulevard in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Yeaton migrated to New Smyrna Beach from Rhode Island in 2002. The Marine Discovery Center, Inc. (MDC) was founded in 1998 for the purpose of protecting the Indian River Lagoon. Founders include New Smyrna Beach Mayor, James Vandergrifft, as well as various civic leaders, biologists, and other members of the community.
Original 12-minute and 12-second oral history: Yeaton, Diane. Interview by Zachary McCormick. Daytona State College, New Smyrna Beach-Edgewater Campus. October 29, 2013. Audio/video record available.
Daytona State College
Marine Discovery Center, New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Marine Science Center, Ponce Inlet, Florida
Sixteenth Census Population Schedule for Election Precinct 25, Tampa, Ward 10
The U.S. Census population schedule for Precinct 12, Tampa, Ward 1 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 was Lieutenant Dean N. Post, Jr. (1921-1944). Lt. Post was a pilot who served in the U.S. Army during World World II with the 357th Fighter Group of the 264th Fighter Squadron. His airplane crashed in Martimpré, France, on May 27, 1944, and was executed by German authorities after being hidden by French citizens in Gérardmer. Lt. Post is buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Digital reproduction of original census record by Bernice U. McDowell, April 15, 1940: National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
Bureau of the Census
John Hanahan Sams (1839-1924) was one of the founders of St. Luke's Episcopal Church of Courtenay. He was the first Senior Warden of St. Luke's Episcopal Church. Sams and his family immigrated to Brevard County from John's Island, South Carolina to make a fresh start after the Civil War in 1875. Sams was also citrus grower, pineapple grower, sugar cane grower, first superintendent of schools for Brevard County, and early pioneer. His home is preserved at 6195 North Tropical Trail in Merritt Island, Florida. St. Luke's Church is located at 5555 North Tropical Trail in Courtenay, an unincorporated community in Merritt Island, Florida. In the 1870s, the church founding families of LaRoche, Porcher, and Sams migrated from Charleston and John's Island of South Carolina and settled in Courtenay, Florida. The Carpenter Gothic-style church was erected in 1888, with funding from Lucy A. Boardman and land from Edward Porcher. The first resident Vicar of St. Luke's, Reverend Paul A. Perrine Jr., was appointed in 1962 and the congregation began to grow steadily. On November 15, 1974, the church was admitted as a Parish in the Diocese of Central Florida, with Father Perrine as the first rector. The church and cemetery were added to the National Register of Historic Places under the name "Old St. Luke's Episcopal Church and Cemetery" on June 15, 1990.
Original digital color image by Tom McFarland, 2012.
St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Courtenay, Merritt Island, Florida
An oral history interview of Warren McFarland, a telegrapher, train dispatcher, railroad station agent, grocery clerk, Railroad Safety and Service Agent, Assistant Regional Director and Regional Manager for the Interstate Commerce Commission, and Director of the Office of Compliance and Consumer Assistance. The interview was conducted by Geoffrey Cravero at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, on January 28, 2016. Some of the interview topics covered include McFarland’s early years and formative experiences, his family life, growing up as the son of a railroad station agent and telegrapher in a railroad depot, World War II, railroad work and telegraphy in his time versus his father’s time, his first job as a grocery clerk, the “extra board” and railroad seniority, working for the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, the Morse Telegraph Club, female telegraphers, American Morse Code versus International Morse Code, acquiring a piece of the first transcontinental telegraph line, train dispatching, overcoming communication limits, an explanation of telegrapher’s paralysis, and Guglielmo Marconi’s contributions to wireless telegraphy.
McFarland, Warren. Interviewed by Geoffrey Cravero. Audio/video record available. RICHES of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Avon Park Atlantic Coast Line Train Station, Avon Park, Florida
Frances Perkins Building, Washington, D.C.
Golden Spike National Historic Site, Brigham City, Utah
An oral history interview of George G. McGuire, who joined the U.S. Air Force in 1963 and served until 1983. He was born on Summit, New Jersey, on October 17, 1941. A veteran of the Vietnam War era, McGuire achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. This interview was conducted by Judy Scherer on April 1, 2014. Interview topics include McGuire's background and family, his college education, join the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC), Whiteman Air Force Base, McCoy Air Force Base, duties as a procurement officer and a contract administrator, the Defense Contract Administration Services, serving in Bangkok during the Vietnam War, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations (USAFOSI), the Rock Island Arsenal, military retirement, U.S.-Thailand relations, and his many travel experiences.
McGuire, George G. Interviewed by Judy Scherer, April 1, 2014. Audio/video record available. UCF Community Veterans History Project, RICHES of Central Florida, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, New York City, New York
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
Defense Contract Administration Services Management Office, Naval Air Station Sand Point, Seattle, Washington
Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia
Rock Island Arsenal, Rock Island-Moline, Illinois
Osan Air Base, Pyeongtaek-si, South Korea
Art Legends of Orange County: The Art of Hal McIntosh
Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens
Oral history of Hal McIntosh, conducted by Erin Parke on March 16, 2015. McIntosh is a nationally renowned artist who currently resides in Winter Park, Florida. Born in 1927, Hal McIntosh began his formal studies at the Detroit Art Institute in Detroit, Michigan, and the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio. At age 18, the Art Research Studio (present-day Maitland Art Center) in Maitland, Florida, selected him as the institution’s youngest-ever artist in residence. His talent later earned him the Directorship of the Academy of Fine Arts in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he served as a museum director and teacher for five years. As a resident of Central Florida, McIntosh taught at the Loch Haven Art Center in Orlando and even ran his own institution known as the McIntosh School in Winter Park for 30 years. McIntosh splits his time between his Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Winter Park studios. With an artistic career lasting over 60 years, Hal McIntosh’s influence on our community is profound. His bold abstractions, tranquil waterscapes, and stirring portraiture, all masterfully painted with a touch of McIntosh’s signature Orientalism, have been widely exhibited in the area and are part of numerous regional collections, both private and public. Deep connections with the people and places of Orange County have allowed McIntosh to join the ranks as one of the greats and to be remembered eternally as an Art Legend. In this oral history interview, McIntosh discusses his early life and education, his teaching philosophy, and where he gets the inspiration and influence for his art. He also mentions his relationship with Albin Polasek and Emily Muska Kubat Polasek. Eric Varty, a close friend of Hal, also contributes briefly to the conversation.
Original 1-hour, 6-minute, and 42-second oral history: McIntosh, Hal. Interviewed by Erin Parke on March 16, 2015. Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.
Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida
Still Life with Pears by Hal McIntosh. Born in 1927, McIntosh began his formal studies at the Detroit Art Institute in Detroit, Michigan, and the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio. At age 18, the Art Research Studio (present-day Maitland Art Center) in Maitland, Florida, selected him as the institution's youngest-ever artist in residence. His talent later earned him the Directorship of the Academy of Fine Arts in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he served as a museum director and teacher for five years. As a resident of Central Florida, McIntosh taught at the Loch Haven Art Center in Orlando and ran his own institution known as the McIntosh School in Winter Park for 30 years. McIntosh splits his time between his Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Winter Park studios. With an artistic career lasting over 60 years, Hal McIntosh's influence on our community is profound. His bold abstractions, tranquil waterscapes, and stirring portraiture, all masterfully painted with a touch of McIntosh's signature Orientalism, have been widely exhibited in the area and are part of numerous regional collections, both private and public. Deep connections with the people and places of Orange County have allowed McIntosh to join the ranks as one of the greats and to be remembered eternally as an Art Legend.
Original painting: McIntosh, Hal. Still Life with Pears (painting): Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.
Study Without Violin by Hal McIntosh. Born in 1927, McIntosh began his formal studies at the Detroit Art Institute in Detroit, Michigan, and the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio. At age 18, the Art Research Studio (present-day Maitland Art Center) in Maitland, Florida, selected him as the institution's youngest-ever artist in residence. His talent later earned him the Directorship of the Academy of Fine Arts in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he served as a museum director and teacher for five years. As a resident of Central Florida, McIntosh taught at the Loch Haven Art Center in Orlando and ran his own institution known as the McIntosh School in Winter Park for 30 years. McIntosh splits his time between his Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Winter Park studios. With an artistic career lasting over 60 years, Hal McIntosh's influence on our community is profound. His bold abstractions, tranquil waterscapes, and stirring portraiture, all masterfully painted with a touch of McIntosh's signature Orientalism, have been widely exhibited in the area and are part of numerous regional collections, both private and public. Deep connections with the people and places of Orange County have allowed McIntosh to join the ranks as one of the greats and to be remembered eternally as an Art Legend.
Original painting: McIntosh, Hal. Study Without Violin (painting): Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.
The String by Hal McIntosh. Born in 1927, McIntosh began his formal studies at the Detroit Art Institute in Detroit, Michigan, and the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio. At age 18, the Art Research Studio (present-day Maitland Art Center) in Maitland, Florida, selected him as the institution's youngest-ever artist in residence. His talent later earned him the Directorship of the Academy of Fine Arts in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he served as a museum director and teacher for five years. As a resident of Central Florida, McIntosh taught at the Loch Haven Art Center in Orlando and ran his own institution known as the McIntosh School in Winter Park for 30 years. McIntosh splits his time between his Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Winter Park studios. With an artistic career lasting over 60 years, Hal McIntosh's influence on our community is profound. His bold abstractions, tranquil waterscapes, and stirring portraiture, all masterfully painted with a touch of McIntosh's signature Orientalism, have been widely exhibited in the area and are part of numerous regional collections, both private and public. Deep connections with the people and places of Orange County have allowed McIntosh to join the ranks as one of the greats and to be remembered eternally as an Art Legend.
Original painting: McIntosh, Hal. The String (painting): Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.
Two Figures in Green Landscape by Hugh F. McKean
An untitled oil painting by Hugh F. McKean (1908-1995). Although the painting has no official title, it is commonly referred to as Two Figures in Green Landscape. McKean moved to Orlando, Florida, from College Hill in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, where he was raised. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Rollins College in Winter Park in 1930 and joined its faculty in 1932, later heading its art department. He studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, Art Students League in New York City, the École des Beaux-Arts at Fontainebleau in France, and Harvard University. The Tiffany Foundation also selected him in 1930 to join other artists at Laurelton Hall, Louis Comfort Tiffany’s mansion at Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, New York, under Tiffany’s tutelage. In 1940, he received his master’s degree from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He married Jeannette Genius , the granddaughter of Charles Hosmer Morse, in 1945. McKean then served as the president of Rollins College from 1951 to 1969 and the director of the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art from 1942 until his death in 1995.
Original 16 x 20 inch oil painting by Hugh F. McKean: Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando, Florida.
A painting by Jeannette Genius McKean (1909-1989). McKean was a painter, interior designer, and trustee, and benefactor of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. Born in Chicago, Illinois, she visited her grandfather, Charles Hosmer Morse, in Winter Park. On one summer visit in 1926, she enrolled in a course at Rollins, touching off a lifelong interest in the college. In 1942, Jeannette Genius founded the Morse Gallery of Art (present-day Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art) on the Rollins College campus, naming it for her grandfather. She appointed Rollins art professor Hugh McKean as the gallery’s director, and in 1945, she married him.
Original painting by Jeannette Genius McKean: Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando, Florida.
The Port Orange Train Station in Port Orange, Florida. Originally built in 1894, the Port Orange Train Station was a part of the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) and was used as a flag stop for freight and passenger transport as late as 1955. In 1966, it was moved 500 feet north of its original location. On February 5, 1998, the station was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The building is now privately owned and used as a storage facility for a construction company.
Original color digital images by Roy McKinney, April 2, 2014.
Port Orange Train Station, Port Orange, Florida
Notice of Application for Approval of Bridge Plans
A public notice from the I.S. Army Corps of Engineers discussing the possible approval of bridge plans proposed by the Florida State Road Department. The plans are for a replacement of an existing bridge, where Florida State Road 48 (SR 48) crosses the Apopka-Beauclair Canal in Mount Dora. The goal of distributing the public notice is to collect data in support of or opposition to the proposed bridge plans. A map and schematics are attached.
Original notice, November 29, 1966: binder 1966, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Apopka-Beauclair Canal, Mount Dora, Florida
Letter from Charles James McLaren to Northern Pacific Railway Company (1936)
A letter of correspondence from Charles James McLern (1891-1988) to the Northern Pacific Railway Company in 1936. When he initially applied to work for the company, McLaren claimed he was two years older than he was in order to be eligible for an apprenticeship. However, in 1936, he wrote a letter admitting to his correct birth date in order to gain addition employment. His mother went before a public notary to verify his birth date. Born on May 17, 1891, in Seattle, Washington, McLaren grew up in Minnesota before moving to Spokane, Washington, to work for the Northern Pacific Railway Company. He spent decades working for the company, eventually becoming a master mechanic. He enlisted in the United States Navy on May 27, 1918, serving as a Machinist’s Mate, First Class. He remained in the Navy until his discharge on September 30, 1921. After the war, he returned to work for the Northern Pacific Railway. He married the former Anne E. Thomas and fathered a daughter, Carol. He later returned to Washington State, living in both Seattle and Spokane during the 1940s and 1950s. Eventually McLaren and his wife moved to Brevard County, Florida. McLaren died on September 20, 1988, 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 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 1-page typewritten letter from Charles James McLaren to Northern Pacific Railway Company, 1936.
Oral History of Dr. Storm Leslie Richards
Lake Monroe (Seminole County and Volusia County, Fla.)
Oral history interview of Dr. Storm Leslie Richards, an archaeologist and environmental consultant for Storm L. Richards & Associates, Inc. Dr. Richards was born in Patuxent River, Maryland, on August 20, 1950, but his family migrated to Sanford, Florida, in 1953. He graduated from Seminole High School in 1969 and received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D from the University of Florida in Tallahassee in 1973, 1978, and 1987, respectively. Dr. Richards also wrote the grant for the Sanford Grammar School, located at 301 West Seventh Street. This interview was conducted by Ian McLaughlin at Dr. Richards' home in Geneva on October 24, 2012.
Richards, Storm Leslie. Interviewed by Ian McLaughlin. UCF Public History Center. October 24, 2012. Audio/video record available. UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Sanford Grammar School, Sanford, Florida
Student Museum and Center for the Social Studies,Sanford, Florida
UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida
Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Orlando street map printed in 1914 by the State Bank of Orlando. The cover of the map lists the officers and directors of the State Bank of Orlando, as well as a listing of churches. The map was made for the Carl Dann Real Estate Company of Orlando and was compiled by G. R. Ramsey, and platted and drawn by J. A. McLeod. It lists West Street, renamed Rosalind Avenue around 1916; Main Street, renamed Magnolia Avenue; Magnolia Street, renamed Palmetto Avenue; and East Street, renamed Summerlin Avenue.
Original map by J. A. McLeod and G. R. Ramsey, 1914: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Fourteenth Census Population Schedule for Lodi, New Jersey
The U.S. Census population schedule for Lodi, New Jersey, in 1920. Individuals are identified by name, titles and terms, gender, age, marital status, race, relationship to head of household, birthplace, birth year, the last place of residence, and occupation. A notable resident listed in this record is Private James M. Hutton, Jr. (ca. 1914-1944), who appears on row 99. Pvt. Hutton was a private in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was born to James Hutton sometime around 1914. Pvt. Hutton grew up in Jersey and moved to Miami, Florida, sometime before 1940. He married Florence E. Offnick and had a son, James Hutton III. Pvt. Hutton was drafted into the Army on October 30, 1943, and was placed in the 157th Infantry Regiment's 45th Infantry Division. He died during combat in France on September 26, 1944, and is currently buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France. Pvt. Hutton was awarded the Purple Heart for his service.
Digital reproduction of original census record by James A. McMahon, January 16, 1920. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4P2-TPV.
Sixteenth Census Population Schedule for Tampa
The census population schedule for Tampa, Florida 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. Notable residents listed in this record were Marion C. Fordham, Sr. (b. 1897) and Zerith Fordham (b. 1898), the parents of Marion C. Fordham, Jr. (d. 1944). On November 12, 1942, Fordham, Jr. enlisted in the U.S. Army, and then married Ann Yarbrough the following year. During World War II, Sgt. Fordham fought in the 397th Infantry Division of the 100th Infantry Regiment. He died near the town of Baccarat, France, at the foot of the Vosges mountains on November 12, 1944. Sgt. Fordham received the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy and is currently buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Digital reproduction of original census record by Irene Jones McMartin, April 25, 1940: Image Number 0078400784, Digital Folder Number 005449624, Affiliate Film Number 633, Affiliate Publication Number T627, National Archives &amp
Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
Fifteenth Census Population for Providence, Rhode Island, 1930
The Fifteenth United States census records for Providence, Rhode Island, for 1930. The census divides the population into categories of name, age, sex, race, marital status, occupants and relation to head of house, whether the home is owned or rented, value of home or rent, whether home is a farm residence, whether the home has a radio. It also records college attendance, literacy, birthplace and birthplace of parents, citizenship status, language spoken before coming to United States, year of immigration, occupation or business, class of worker, whether they worked the previous day, military status, and the war or expedition participated in. A notable resident listed in this record is Max Litwin (1911-1995). Born in Poland in 1911, Litwin's father immigrated to the United States in 1914. Max and the rest of his family followed in 1921. They lived in Providence, Rhode Island, along with many other Jewish immigrant families. Litwin worked as an insurance agent and salesman in Providence prior to his military service. In August of 1943, he began his service in the United States Army. He rose to the rank of Private First Class during World War II, and served until September of 1944. At some point after his military service, Litwin moved to Miami, Florida. He passed away in Florida in 1995 and 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 Mary G. McNulty, April 11, 1930.
The USS Orion between 1970 and 1979. The second Orion (AS-18) was laid down on July 31, 1941, at the Moore Dry Dock Comaony, in Oakland, California, launched on June 24 1942, sponsored by Mrs. Robert A. White, and commissioned on September 30, 1943. A notable soldier who served on the ship was Sheldon Paul McCloskey (1919-1996). Born to James and Dessie McCloskey on April 15, 1919, in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, Sheldon worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company with his father as a railcar builder after graduating high school. He registered for the World War II draft on October 16, 1940, but eventually enlisted in the United States Navy on June 3, 1944. During his time in the Navy, he served on two submarine tender ships: the USS Orion and the USS Sperry. McCloskey left the Navy on February 15, 1946. After the war, he retuned to Washington DC and joined the Marine Corps reserve squadron VMF-321, achieving the rank of Sargent. McCloskey died on November 1, 1996, and is memorialized 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.
Sixteenth Census for Suffolk County, Boston, Massachusetts, 1940
The Sixteenth Unites States Census records for Boston, Massachusetts in Suffolk County 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 is Edward P. Connolly, who was seventeen years old at the time. The census his older sister, Anne, as the head of the household due to both parents’ deaths years prior. Born October 31, 1922 in Boston, Massachusetts, Connolly enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on December 26, 1942 and served during World War II. On December 26, 1945, he was honorably discharged with the rank of corporal. After his service, he returned to Massachusetts, where he served as a police officer. He was injured in the line of fire in 1955, forcing him to retire. He married Thelma Snell with whom he had two sons, Kevin and Mark. Connolly died on September 7, 1995 and is buried in the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program. 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 Caroline E. McQuliffe, April 8, 1940.
The draft registration cards for Merrill Hart McGlamery. The cards were compiled from multiple registrations beginning in 1940, for men 18 to 45 years old. They include address, age, date of birth, place of birth, and father's contact information. McGlamery is listed as a student at the time, and there is a note on the card saying that he volunteered January 5, 1943, which is a few days prior to his enlistment on January 8, 1943. The card lists his height at 6'1'', his weight as 180 lbs, and describes McGlamery as having blue eyes, red hair, and a light complexion. Merrill Hart McGlamery was born in Tampa, Florida, in 1924. He spent his childhood in Tampa, growing up in a large family. In January of 1943, he enlisted in the United States Army and also served in the Marines. McGlamery served in a signal battalion, through which he took courses in radio operation. After his World War II-era service, McGlamery attended Davidson College and graduated Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1948. He then re-enlisted in the military and served from 1949-1973. He had a long career as an engineer, including work for General Electric as an electronics engineer, and was involved in the space program. McGlamery later returned to his home state of Florida and was living in Dunnellon, Florida, when he passed away in 2000. 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.
War Department, Office of Provost Marshal General, Selective Service System
Digital reproduction of original draft registration cards by Alma L. McWilliams, January 05, 1943.
Letter from Carl Arvil Mead to Oscar Winfield Mead
A letter from Carl Arvil Mead to his father, Oscar Winfield Mead, most likely written the winter of 1920 when Carl Mead and his family were in Miami, Florida. He was from Walton, Indiana and his father was from Pekin. In the letter, Carl Mead describes the sandy beaches of the Biscayne Bay area, the cost of house rentals , the Rickenbacker Causeway, the economic development of the city, the drive from Indiana to Florida, the family's trip to Vero, tasting various Florida fruits, and the cost of groceries and gasoline.
Digital transcript of original 3-page letter from Carl Arvil Mead to Oscar Winfield Mead: Private Collection of Ann Wilder.
"Christmas Time is Here" by Ira Sullivan
An audio recording of "Christmas Time is Here," composed by Lee Mendelson (b. 1933) and Vince Guaraldi (1928-1976), and performed by Ira Sullivan (b. 1931) live on-air on WUCF-FM on December 8, 2006. A multi-instrumentalist, Sullivan was a crucial part of the Chicago jazz scene of the 1950s, performing with numerous artists, including a stint with Art Blakey (1919-1990) and the Jazz Messengers in 1956. He left the spotlight and moved to Florida to raise his family in the early 1960s, eventually starting a quintet with Red Rodney (1927-1994). Sullivan taught summers at the University of Miami's Young Musician's Camp, in which professional musicians and faculty from the UM School of Music instructed students between 7 and 18 years old in classical music, jazz, rock, songwriting, composition, and musical theater. "Christmas Time is Here" is a jazz standard written for the 1965 network television special, A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Original 7-minute and 8-second audio recording: Mendelson, Lee, and Vince Guaraldi. "Christmas Time is Here," by Ira Sullivan: WUCF-FM, Orlando, Florida, December 8, 2006.
WUCF-FM
WUCF-FM, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
Young Musicians Camp, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
The Ocala Union Station, located at 531 Northeast First Avenue in Ocala, Florida, in 2014. Built in 1917, the Ocala Union Station was not the pioneer depot for Ocala's booming phosphorus mining, citrus cultivation, and Silver Springs tourism. Ocala was a developing city for transportation long before Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) and Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) crossed lines and created Union Station. According to the Historic Ocala website, Ocala had achieved its population, well-developed system of transportation, and prosperous economy by 1895, well before the arrival of the Ocala Union Station, Periodic recessions, however, from 1890 to 1920 took an especially hard toll on Florida. U.S. Census data shows that the Marion County population fell from 26,941 in 1910 to 23,968 in 1920—an 11 percent drop. As the Ocala Union Station grew as a result of tourism, trade, and the Florida Land Boom, it helped reverse the trend. Census data from 1930 shows 29,578 people living in Marion County, which houses the station to this day.
Original color digital images by Carlos R. Mercado, March 12, 2014.
Community Redevelopment Area Design Studio
A sign for the Community Redevelopment Area Design Studio, located at the Ocala Union Station at 531 Northeast First Avenue in Ocala, Florida, in 2014. The Office of Long Term Planning & Sustainability in Ocala has designated Ocala Union Station as a redevelopment area and hosts weekly lectures, presentations, and design exercises. Built in 1917, the Ocala Union Station was not the pioneer depot for Ocala's booming phosphorus mining, citrus cultivation, and Silver Springs tourism. Ocala was a developing city for transportation long before Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) and Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) crossed lines and created Union Station. According to the Historic Ocala website, Ocala had achieved its population, well-developed system of transportation, and prosperous economy by 1895, well before the arrival of the Ocala Union Station, Periodic recessions, however, from 1890 to 1920 took an especially hard toll on Florida. U.S. Census data shows that the Marion County population fell from 26,941 in 1910 to 23,968 in 1920—an 11 percent drop. As the Ocala Union Station grew as a result of tourism, trade, and the Florida Land Boom, it helped reverse the trend. Census data from 1930 shows 29,578 people living in Marion County, which houses the station to this day.
Original color digital image by Carlos R. Mercado, March 12, 2014.
Weeki Wachee Mermaid Bonnie Georgiadis in the lobby of the Mermaid Motel Speaking to Guests
Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid Bonnie Georgiadis in uniform (wearing an Alix of Miami Swimsuit) speaking to guests in the lobby of the Mermaid Motel. Behind Bonnie are rows of guest books, one for each state for visitors to the motel to sign into. The Mermaid Motel was directly across the street from Weeki Wachee Springs and operated from 1951 - 1966, when the motel changed hands to Holiday Inn. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original black and white photograph of Bonnie Georgiadis in the Mermaid Motel, c. 1950s-60s: Collection of Friends of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.
Bataan-Corregidor Memorial at Lakefront Park
The Bataan-Corregidor Memorial, located on the corner of East Monument Avenue and Lakeshore Boulevard in Lakefront Park, is the result of the combined efforts of the Filipino-American community and the City of Kissimmee. It began in the late 1980s when resident and a former Filipino diplomat, Menandro M. de Mesa, recognized the lack of recognition received for those who fought and perished during the fall of Bataan and Corregidor and the subsequent Death March in World War II. At an annual conference, de Mesa befriended City Commissioner Richard Herring, who also shared the same sentiments towards the victims and veterans of the events. Together, the two founded the nonprofit Bataan-Corregidor Memorial Foundation. In 1991, using his influence as City Commissioner, Richard Herring was able to persuade the City of Kissimmee to donate a piece of land in Lakefront Park for a future Bataan-Corregidor memorial. Groundbreaking for the memorial took place in 1994, and in 1995, the memorial was unveiled. The memorial features several benches, a stone dedication, an American flag, a Filipino flag, and the centerpiece: a statue depicting an American G.I. and a Filipino soldier being offered water by a Filipino woman during the Death March. Since its dedication, the memorial has become the site of annual meetings of WWII veterans who survived the infamous Death March. It has also come to be the site of annual gatherings of Filipinos and Americans celebrating Filipino-American Friendship Day on April 9th. The Battle of Bataan lasted from January 7 to April 9, 1942, and marked the most vital phase of the Empire of Japan's invasion of the Philippines during World War II. The United States defended the Commonwealth of the Philippines, but ultimately the battle resulted in the largest surrender in both American and Filipino military history. The forced transfer of 60,000-80,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war (POWs), known as the Bataan Death March, began on April 9. The POWs were subjected to physical abuse and murder. An estimated 2,500 to 10,000 POWs died before reaching Camp O'Donnell. After Bataan fell, organized opposition against Imperial Japan in the Philippines became decimated. The Battle of Corregidor was waged on May 5 and 6 and resulted in another American-Filipino defeat. This event marked the fall of both the Philippines and Asia to Imperial Japan. American and Filipino forces were able to recapture the island in 1945 and the Bataan Death March was declared a war crime following the end of World War II.
Original color digital images by Kyle Messamore, October 10, 2013.
Bataan-Corregidor Memorial, Lakefront Park, Kissimmee, Florida
Mariveles, Bataan, Central Luzon, Philippines
Camp O'Donnell, Capas, Tarlac, Philippines
Sanford High School Civil Government Assignment, 1909
A civil government assignment completed by Sanford High School eighth grader Verne Messenger in 1909. In 1948, Messenger married Lourine Vickery, who became the first woman to hold public office in Seminole County when she was appointed as Supervisor of Registration by Governor Fuller Warren (1905-1973). 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 Verne Messenger, May 17, 1909: Sanford High School Collection, box 3A, folder Student Work 1909, item SCPS00517, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
A geography assignment completed by Sanford High School eighth grader Verne Messenger in 1909. In 1948, Messenger married Lourine Vickery, who became the first woman to hold public office in Seminole County when she was appointed as Supervisor of Registration by Governor Fuller Warren. 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 Verne Messenger, May 11, 1909: Sanford High School Collection, box 3A, folder Student Work 1909, item SCPS00513, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Letter from Kenneth E. Metcalf to Edna P. Hancock (May 3, 1945)
A letter from Kenneth E. Metcalf to Edna P. Hancock dated May 3, 1945. In the letter, Metcalf, who was the chaplain of the 179th Infantry Regiment, expresses sympathy for the death of Hancock's husband, Sergeant John B. Hancock (1913-1944), who Killed in Action (KIA) while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. Sgt. Hancock was born in Thomasville, Georgia, in 1913, but later migrated to Auburndale, Florida. Hancock managed a Great Atlantic Pacific Tea Company store in Haines City until he enlisted in the 45th Infantry Division's 179th Infantry Regiment. Sgt. Hancock served initially in Africa in 1943, until the 45th Infantry Division's participation in the Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky. The division then went on to participate in the Allied invasion of Italy, where Sgt. Hancock was injured. He was returned to duty in February of 1944 in southern France. On November 1, 1944, Sgt. Hancock went Missing in Action (MIA) after serving in the Allied invasion of Southern France, codenamed Operation Dragoon. He was eventually buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten letter from Kenneth E. Metcalf to Edna P. Hancock, May 3, 1945: Private Collection of Linda Hughes.
Sixteenth Census Population for Staten Island, Richmond Borough, New York, 1940
The Sixteenth United States Census records for Staten Island, Richmond Borough, 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 listed in the record is Terence Halligan (1922-1944). Born on April 3, 1922, in Northern Ireland, Halligan and his parents immigrated to the United States in the 1920s, settling in New Jersey and New York. After high school, Halligan worked as a longshoreman, loading and unloading cargo onto ships. On March 20, 1942, Halligan enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps, where he served as a navigator with the 320th Bombardment Group in the 441st Bomb Squadron. He served in the North African and Mediterranean Theaters of the war as a Lieutenant. After a mission off the coast of Italy on March 16, 1944, the right engine of the aircraft that Halligan served on caught fire and those on board parachuted off. While witnesses saw Halligan land safely on shore, the group was captured by Germans and his status thereafter is unknown. On August 18, 1945, the Army officially declared him missing in action. For his actions and sacrifice, Halligan earned an Air Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters and a Purple Heart. The Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida placed a memorial headstone in his memory. Halligan is also memorialized on the Tablets for the Missing at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial in Nettuno, Italy. 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 Charles T. Metcalfe, April 12, 1940.
Fourteenth Census Population for Effingham, Douglas Township, Illinois, 1920
The Fourteenth United States Census records for Effingham, Illinois, for 1920. The census divides the population by names of residents at same address, relationship of person enumerated to the head of the family, whether home owned or rented, if owned, whether free or mortgaged, sex, race, age at last birthday, marital status, year of immigration to United States, citizen status and date of naturalization, whether attended school any time since September 1, 1919, literacy, person's place of birth, mother and father's place of birth, mother and father's native tongue, whether able to speak English, profession or work preformed, industry or business of work, whether employer, salary or wage worker, or working on own account, and number of farm schedule. A notable resident listed in this record is Dale D. Davis. Davis was born in Effingham, Illinois, in 1920. He graduated from Effingham High School and then attended Eastern Illinois Teacher’s College in Charleston, Illinois, for two years. In November of 1940, he entered the United States Army Air Corps and was trained as a pilot. He served during World War II in the South Pacific, and became a Captain in 1943. That same year, he was recognized with a Distinguished Flying Cross and a Purple Heart. Davis’s wife, Florence, was also a pilot, and she was part of the United States Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). Davis continued to serve in the military through the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He attended college at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, where he studied aeronautical engineering. Davis then won a Guggenheim Fellowship to study jet and rocket propulsion at Princeton University. He later worked at Holloman Air Force Base, and then at the Federal Aviation Administration, where he was a leader in the supersonic transport program. He also directed the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. During the course of his military career he rose to the rank of Colonel. Davis eventually moved to Florida, where he passed away in 1994 at the age of seventy-three. He is memorialized at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, with his wife, Florence. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original census record by W. J. Meyer, January 07, 1920.
A newspaper clipping from The Miami News on May 24, 1962. Below a photograph of Otto Oscar Zwicker (1899-1992) is an announcement that he has joined the sales staff of Hamilton Realty, Inc. Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, on April 7, 1899, Zwicker was drafted in the United States Army on November 4, 1918. He was discharged after serving a total of twenty-two days. He moved to Florida with his wife, Helen Mehen, in 1951. He worked in the furniture industry before selling real estate for the remainder of his working career. Zwicker died on October 20, 1992, and was interred at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original newspaper article: "New Associate." Miami News, May 24, 1962.
Letter from John L. Mica to Trish Thompson (July 12, 2011)
A letter from U.S. House Representative John L. Mica congratulating Creative Sanford, Inc. and its then-President Trish Thompson for receiving the 2011 Cultural Preservation Award from the Sanford Historic Trust for the play Touch and Go. Creative Sanford, Inc. is a non-profit organization created to manage Celery Soup community theater productions. The original idea for the Celery Soup: Florida’s Folk Life Play project came from Jeanine Taylor, the owner of a folk-art gallery on First Street in Sanford, Florida. Their first production was Touch and Go, a play focusing on the people of Sanford and their determination to overcome various obstacles, including the Freeze of 1894-1895, the fall of Sanford's celery industry, and the closing of Naval Air Station (NAS) Sanford in the 1960s. Richard Geer and Jules Corriere, partners from Community Performance International, were in charge of assessing oral histories, converting them into scenes for the play, and writing original songs. Director Geer also used an all-volunteer cast from the local community, many of whom were not experienced actors. In the process of producing the show, Creative Sanford decided to rehabilitate an historic building, the Princess Theater, which is located on 115 West First Street and owned by Stephen Tibstra. The Creative Sanford offices are housed in the Historic Sanford Welcome Center, located at 203 East First Street.
Original letter from John L. Mica to Trish Thompson, July 12, 2011: Creative Sanford, Inc., Historic Sanford Welcome Center, Sanford, Florida.
Creative Sanford, Inc., Sanford, Florida
An oral history of Paul Mikler (1916-2000)), a history teacher and coach from Oviedo, Florida. Mikler was born on July 8, 1916, and was raised in Slavia, an unincorporated community that was once part of Oviedo. He taught at Oviedo High School (OHS), where he was seminal in shaping the school's baseball program, from 1946 to 1970. Mikler passed away on April 12, 2000. Interview topics include Slovak immigrants in Oviedo, the importance of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, the celery industry, Judge R. W. Ware's praise of Oviedo, driving a Ford Model T automobile, Florida State Road 426 (SR 426), visiting Orlando, grocery and clothes shopping, the increase of drug use of youths over the years, and the future of the city, the state, and the country.
Mikler, Paul. Museum of Seminole County History, Oviedo, Florida.
St. Luke's Lutheran Church, Oviedo, Florida
Slemons Department Store, Orlando, Florida