Headstone of Lelano Summerlin at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Lelano Summerlin, nicknamed Tuffy Summerlin, at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Summerlin was born in 1914 and died in 1963. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital image,2016-01-21: Order 48, Field Specimen SL11146, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Florida Public Archaeology Network
Headstone of Lieutenant Dean N. Post, Jr. at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Lieutenant Dean N. Post, Jr. (1921-1944). Lt. Post was a pilot from Tampa, Florida, who served in the U.S. Army during World World II with the 357th Fighter Group of the 264th Fighter Squadron. His airplane crashed in Martimpré, France, on May 27, 1944, and was executed by German authorities after being hidden by French citizens in Gérardmer. Lt. Post is buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Original color digital image by Dwight Anderson: Private Collection of Dwight Anderson.
Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial, Dinozé, France
Headstone of Lorraine Friland Goodermuth at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Lorraine Friland Goodermuth at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Goodermuth was born in 1934 and died in 2007. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital images, January 14, 2016: Order 18, Field Specimen SL1192, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of Mae Summerlin at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Mae Summerlin at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Summerlin was born in 1886 and died in 1977. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital image,2016-01-21: Order 46, Field Specimen SL11144, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of Major B. Daniels at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Major B. Daniels at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Daniels was born in 1860 and died in 1947. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital images, January 14, 2016: Order 5, Field Specimen SL1141, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of Major Jack Cameron Heist at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Major Jack Cameron Heist (1919-1944). Maj. Heist was born to Henry S. Heist and Christina Heist on November 6, 1919, in Eustis, Florida. He received his commission on May 29, 1941, to serve in World War II. Maj. Heist was an Ammunition Officer for the XIX Corps. He died during his service in an ambush on September 2, 1944, near Thiant, France. He is currently buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France. Maj. Heist is one of 85 Florida residents interned at Epinal.
Original color digital image by Dwight Anderson: Private Collection of Dwight Anderson. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=56372930&PIpi=94648893.
Headstone of Marion M. Daniels at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Marion M. Daniels at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Daniels was born in 1894 and died in 1913. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital images, January 14, 2016: Order 9, Field Specimen SL1161, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of Martha Hubbard at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Martha Hubbard at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Hubbard was born in 1895 and died in 1966. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital image,2016-01-21: Order 58, Field Specimen SL11162, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of Mary E. Nelson at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Mary E. Nelson at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Nelson was born in 1914 and died in 1944. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital image,2016-01-21: Order 53, Field Specimen SL11155, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of Mary Parker Hamm at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Mary Parker Hamm at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Hamm was born in 1887 and died in 1971. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital images, January 14, 2016: Order 4, Field Specimen SL1131, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of Marylyn B. Helseth at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Marylyn B. Helseth at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Helseth was born in 1917 and died in 2003. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital images, January 14, 2016: Order 16, Field Specimen SL1185, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of Mildred E. Helseth at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Mildred E. Helseth at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Helseth was born in 1943 and died in 2000. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital images, January 14, 2016: Order 35, Field Specimen SL11118, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of Oscar Harold Helseth at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Oscar Harold Helseth at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Helseth was born in 1903 and died in 1991. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital images, January 14, 2016: Order 34, Field Specimen SL11117, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of Ouida M. Daniels at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Ouida M. Daniels at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Daniels was born in 1898 and died in 1969. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital images, January 14, 2016: Order 8, Field Specimen SL1151, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of Paul R. Warren, Sr. at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Paul R. Warren, Sr. at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Warren was born in 1917 and died in 1979. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital image,2016-01-21: Order 59, Field Specimen SL11163, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of Percival Mazel Helseth at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Percival Mazel Helseth at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Helseth was born in 1918 and died in 1995. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital images, January 14, 2016: Order 26, Field Specimen SL11910, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
PFC Clifford A. Judah was declared missing in action by the Army in 1945. This headstone was used to memorialize him even though his body was not found and his name was not known at the time. This Census shows information for PFC Clifford A. Judah For the Epinal Project: Clifford A. Judah was born in 1925 to father Elijah D. Judah and mother Margie Judah. Clifford was born in Louisiana and Resided there until he moved to Hillsborough Florida with his family around 1935. Clifford enlisted in the army on November 2, 1943 at Camp Blanding in Florida. The terms of his enlistment were through the duration of the war or other emergency as well as six months subject to the discretion of the president or other laws. Clifford became a Private Fist Class in the 315th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division. The army declared PFC Judah missing in action on January 15, 1945. PFC Judah died during the Battle of Hatten-Rittershoffen in Alsace, France which was part of the Battle of the Bulge. The army awarded PFC Judah the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster. The American Battle Monuments Commission memorialized PCF Judah under tablets of the missing in the Epinal American Cemetery.
The grave marker for PCF Clifford A. Judah at the Epinal Cemetery in Dinozé, France
Headstone of PFC Solomon Sturdivant at Epinal American Cemetery, Epinal, France 1915-04-25 to 1945-03-05
This is the headstone of Solomon Sturdivant, located in Plot B Row 28 Grave 15 at Epinal American Cemetery in Dinozé, France. PFC Solomon Sturdivant was born to James and Mary Sturdivant on April 25, 1915 in Wytheville, Virginia. He was drafted by the US Army on December 29, 1942. During World War II, he served as a member of the 231st AAA Searchlight Battalion. He was killed March 5, 1945. He is one of 85 Florida residents interned at Epinal.
Headstone of Private First Class Samuel T. Williams at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Samuel T. Williams (1922-1945). A native of Eustis, Williams served as a Private First Class (PFC) in the U.S. Army during World War II. He died during his service in France and is currently buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France. He is one of 85 Florida residents interned at Epinal. Williams was born in 1922. He enlisted in the Army on October 24, 1942, while attending UF. Williams was assigned to the 291st Infantry Regiment of the 75th Infantry Division. Williams' division arrived in Britain in November of 1944. They took part in a number of major battles, including the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 and 1945 and the Battle of Colmar Pocket in 1945. Williams died in combat around the Alsace-Lorraine region on February 3, 1945.
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Headstone of Private First Class Solomon Callis Sturdivant at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Private first class Solomon Callis Sturdivant (1914-1945). Sturdivant was born to James Sturdivant and Mary Sturdivant on April 25, 1914, in Wytheville, Virginia. PFC Sturdivant was drafted by the U.S. Army on December 29, 1942, while he was residing in Atlantic Beach, Florida. During World War II, he served as a member of the 231st American Antiaircraft Artillery Searchlight Battalion. PFC Sturdivant was Killed in Action (KIA) in France on March 5, 1945. He is buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Digital reproduction of original <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&amp
GRid=56375799">color digital image by Dwight Anderson.
Headstone of Private Francis D. Jordan at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Francis D. Jordan (ca. 1918- 1945). Jordan was born in New York on September 15, 1918, but he migrated to Florida sometime after 1930, where he married his wife, Elise Barfield. Francis enlisted in the U.S. Army on July 11, 1944, at Camp Blanding. He was apart of the 274th infantry Regiment of the 70th Infantry Division. Pvt. Francis was Killed in Action (KIA) on February 14, 1945, during his service in France, and is currently buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France. After his death, Pvt. Francis was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the American Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.
Digital reproduction of original <a href="http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&amp
GRid=56373345">color digital image by Dwight Anderson.
Headstone of Private Francis D. Jordan in Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Francis D. Jordan (ca. 1918- 1945). Francis was born in New York on September 15th, 1918. He eventually moved to Florida sometime after 1930, where he married his wife, Elise Barfield. Francis D. Jordan was a Private in the United States military during World War II. Francis enlisted in the army on July 11, 1944 out of Camp Blanding, Florida. He was apart of the 274th infantry regiment and the 70th infantry division. Francis was killed in action on February 14, 1945, during his service in France, and is currently buried in the Epinal American Cemetery. After his death, Francis was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman badge, the American Campaign medal, and the World War II Victory medal.
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This item marks the location of where Private Francis D. Jordan is buried in France.
Headstone of Private Hubert Cody Gibson at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Private Hubert Cody Gibson (1921-1945). Pvt. Gibson was born on June 16, 1921, in Sandersville, Georgia, to Frank Elizah Gibson and Jeanette Buelah Brantley. Pvt. Gibson enlisted in the U.S. Army in Florida as a private in the 191st Tank Battalion Division. He was wounded in action while he was deployed in France, and on May 10, 1945, he passed away. According to a listing of deaths from Palm Beach County, Pvt. Gibson was listed as passing away due to the wounds that he received. Pvt. Gibson was awarded a Purple Heart for his heroics, and buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Original color digital image by Dwight Anderson: Private Collection of Dwight Anderson. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=56372546&PIpi=90134237.
Headstone of Private James Robert Maddox at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Private James Robert Maddox (1924-1944). In 1924, Maddox was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Claude Haskell Maddox, Sr. (b. 1895) and Nita P. Maddox (b. 1900). Maddox was the oldest of three with two brothers, William Maddox and Claude Haskell Maddox, Jr. The Maddox family moved from Columbia, South Carolina, to Tallahassee, Florida, sometime between 1930 and 1940. On February 27, 1943, Maddox enlisted into the U.S. Army's 15th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division at Camp Blanding. This regiment served in Licata, Salerno, and Anzio, Italy, from 1943 to 1944. The regiment landed in southern France on August 15, 1944. Pvt. Maddox was Killed in Action (KIA) on October 9, 1944. He is buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
GRid=56373914">color digital image by Dwight Anderson.
Headstone of Private James Walter Grady at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Private James Walter Grady (1924-1945). A resident of Sanford, Florida, Grady was a private in the U.S. Army during World War II. He died during his service in France and is currently buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France. Grady is one of 85 Florida residents interned at Epinal. Grady was born to Meothel Grady and unknown mother. He worked as a farmhand in the Sanford area prior to his enlistment into the Army on September 1, 1943. Because he was an African American, Grady was assigned to a segregated unit of the 3126th Quartermaster Service Company. Prior to their deployment in France, the 3126th was stationed at Maindy Barracks in Cardiff, Wales. Grady died in France on April 5, 1945.
Headstone of Private James Whitley at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Private James Whitley (ca. 1924-1944). A native of Orange County, Florida, Whitely was a private in the U.S. Army during World War II. He died during his service in France and is currently buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France. Whitley is one of 85 Florida residents interned at Epinal. He was born to John Whitely and Rachel Whitley sometime around the end of 1924. As an African-American, Whitley grew up in segregated Orange County. He was drafted into the Army on February 9, 1943, and was assigned to a segregated unit in the 4255th Quartermaster Truck Company. Whitley's unit transferred to Hampshire, England, on June 30, 1944, where they managed supplies for the invasion of Europe by the Allied Forces. Whitley died during combat in France on September 12, 1944. He was awarded the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and a Purple Heart for his service.
Headstone of Private Ralph Brantley (1922-1944) who was killed in action in World War II. He served in the 180th Infantry Regiment 45th Infantry Division and was buried at the Epinal Cemetery in France.
Headstone of Private Ralph Brantley at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
Headstone for Private Ralph Brantley (1922-1944). Pvt. Brantley was born in Georgia in 1923, but had migrated to Spartanburg, South Carolina, by 1930. By 1940, he was residing in Jacksonville, Florida. Pvt. Brantley served in the 180th Infantry Regiment of the 45th Infantry Division during World War II. He was Killed in Action (KIA) and is buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Original <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&amp
GRid=56371331">color digital image by Dwight Anderson: Private Collection of Dwight Anderson.
Headstone of Private Rufus H. Lennon, Jr. at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Private Rufus H. Lennon Jr. Lennon (1921-1944), a soldier from Bradenton, Florida. Lennon was born in 1921 to Rufus H. Lennon, Sr. and Bertha Lennon. On November 21, 1940, he enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 19. Pvt. Lennon served in the 180th Infantry Regiment of the 45th Infantry Division. Pvt. Lennon died in battle on September 21, 1944 in Lorraine, France, and was awarded a Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, American Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.
GRid=56373755">color digital image by Dwight Anderson: Private Collection of Dwight Anderson.
Headstone of Private Van Buren Porcher at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Private Van Buren Porcher (d. 1944), who was born in Alachua County, Florida. Porcher was married twice in Gainesville: first to Taresa May Aldridge in 1933 and then to Hattie Smith in 1939. After enlistment, Pvt. Porcher was assigned to the U.S. Army's 448th Quartermaster Troop Transport Company on May 28, 1943. While serving in World War II, Pvt. Porcher was Killed in Action (KIA) on September, 2, 1944. He is currently buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
GRid=56374900">color digital image by Dwight Anderson.
Headstone of Private Willis H. Hawkins at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Willis H. Hawkins (ca. 1919-1944). Hawkins lived in Istachatta for much of his life and was educated up through grammar school. He worked as a semi-skilled driver or chauffeur until he enlisted in the U.S. Army on October 20, 1943. Private Hawkins served in the 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Reconnaissance Troop. The 3rd Division participated in Operation Dragoon, in which the Allies invaded southern France, and then traveled North towards the Rhineland. Pvt. Hawkins was Killed in Action on November 2, 1944. He was awarded a Purple Heart for his service and was buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
GRid=56372895">color digital image by Dwight Anderson.
Headstone of Pvt. James R. Maddox Epinal American Cemetery, Dinozé, France
The headstone of Pvt. James R. Maddox (1924-1944). Private Maddox was born in 1924 in Detroit, Michigan to Claude Maddox, Sr. and Nita Maddox. Private Maddox was the oldest of three with two brothers, William and Claude, Jr. On February 27th, 1943, Private Maddox enlisted into the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division from Camp Blanding, FL. This regiment served in Licata, Sicily, on July 10, 1943; Salerno, Italy, September 18, 1943; and Anzio, Italy, landing January 22, 1944. The regiment landed in Southern France on August 15th, 1944. Private Maddox was killed in action on October 9th, 1944. He is buried at the Epinal American Cemetery in Dinozè, France.
Epinal American Cemetery, Dinozé, France
Headstone of Raymond C. Goodermuth, Jr. at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Raymond C Goodermuth Jr. at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Goodermuth was born in 1934 and died in 2001. He served as a master sergeant (MSGT) in the U.S. Air Force (USAF) during the Korean War. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital images, January 14, 2016: Order 17, Field Specimen SL1191, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of Robert Reece Andrews at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Robert Reece Andrews at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Andrews was born in 1967 and died in 2004. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital images, January 14, 2016: Order 12, Field Specimen SL1181, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of Ruth N. Helseth at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Ruth N. Helseth at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Helseth was born in 1904 and died in 1982. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital images, January 14, 2016: Order 25, Field Specimen SL1199, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of Second Lieutenant Richard Lee McClintock at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Second Lieutenant Richard Lee McClintock (1921-1944), who served in the 276th Infantry Regiment of the 70th Infantry Division during World War II. 2nd Lt. McClintock was born in South Carolina in 1914. He married Jewel McClintock before enlisting in the U.S. Army at Camp Blanding near Starke, Florida, in 1942. 2nd Lt. McClintock served in advanced party within the division called Task Force Herren, whose mission was to take defensive positions along the west bank of the Rhine to stall what would be the final German offensive in the west, Operation Nordwind. He was awarded a Purple Heart and Silver Star for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy." 2nd Lt. McClintock was Killed in Action (KIA) on January 5, 1945, and is buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
GRid=56374075">color digital image by Dwight Anderson.
Headstone of Sergeant Hardy B. Alligood at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Captain Hardy B. Alligood (1916-1945). Alligood was born to Elyer Alligood and Rachel Alligood in Laurens County, Georgia, in 1916. He was the younger of his two siblings, Augustus Alligood and Bertha Alligood. Census records show that Alligood may have been married to Florence B. Alligood, and left Dublin, Georgia with his wife to reside in Volusia County, Florida. Hardy was employed as a warehouse worker until his enlistment date on March 12, 1943 at Camp Blanding in Starke. Sgt. Alligood served in Company K in the 291st Infantry Regiment of the 75th Infantry Division. His regiment saw action in the Rhineland of Central Europe during the Ardennes German Offensive and prevented Germans from advancing into the Antwerp, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge. Sgt. Alligood was Killed in Action (KIA) during this battle on February 3, 1945 in the Alsace-Foret Domaine area. He was awarded a Purple Heart and is buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
GRid=55874663">color digital image by Dwight Anderson.
Headstone of Sergeant John B. Hancock at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Sergeant John B. Hancock (1913-1945) at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France. 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.
GRid=56372799">color digital image by Dwight Anderson: Private Collection of Dwight Anderson.
Headstone of Sergeant John F. Aylward, Jr. Headstone at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Sergeant John F. Aylward, Jr. (1912-1944), who died on November 3, 1944, while serving in World War II. Also known as Jack, Sgt. Aylward was a part of the Headquarters Company within the 6th Armored Division, nicknamed the Super Sixth. Sgt. Aylward was originally from Ocala, Florida, and is interred at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
GRid=56370982">color digital image by Dwight Anderson.
Headstone of Sergeant Marion C. Fordham, Jr. at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Sergeant Marion C. Fordham, Jr., who lived in Tampa, Florida, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army on November 13, 1942. 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.
GRid=56372388">color digital image by Dwight Anderson: Private Collection of Dwight Anderson.
Headstone of Sgt. Marion c. Fordham Jr. 1923 to 1944-11-12
The headstone of Sergeant Marion C. Fordham Jr. who lived in Tampa, Florida when he enlisted into the United States Army on November 13th 1942. He fought in the 397th infantry division of the 100th infantry regiment until his death on November 12th 1944. Sgt. Marion C. Fordham Jr. was killed in the fighting outside of the town of Baccarat during the Vosges Mountains campaign. He 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.
Headstone of Staff Sergeant Thomas E. Eason Headstone at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
The headstone of Florida native Staff Sergeant Thomas E. Eason (1922-1945), who served for over three years in the U.S. Army Air Forces' (USAAF) 569th Bomb Squadron of the 390th Bomb Group, as a waist gunner on a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Sweet and Lovely" and "Princess Pat." SSgt. Eason completed 28 missions in both the Pacific and European Theaters of World War II. On January 20, 1945, he was killed near Altenheim, France, after his airplane was shot down by enemy combatants. Over the course of his service, SSgt. was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters.
Original <a href="http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&amp
GRid=56372149">color digital image by Dwight Anderson.
Headstone of Summerlin at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of a member of the Summerlin family at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital image,2016-01-21: Order 47, Field Specimen SL11145, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of the Infant Son of G. L and M. E. McGwigan at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of the infant son of G. L. McGwigan and M. E. McGwigan at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. The date of birth and death for the child is unknown. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital image,2016-01-21: Order 51, Field Specimen SL11153, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
The headstone of Private Van Buren Porcher, who was a United States army soldier during World War II. Born in and enlisting from Alachua County, Florida, Porcher was assigned to the 448th Quartermaster Truck company on May 28, 1943. After over a year of service, Porcher died on September, 2, 1944. He is currently buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France. Porcher is one of 85 Florida residents interned at Epinal.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)/American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC)
Headstone of Willard Marie Fredricksen at Viking Cemetery
The headstone of Willard Marie Fredricksen at Viking Cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. Fredricksen was born in 1915 and died in 1993. Viking Cemetery is one of the last remaining pieces of the small town of Fort Pierce, Florida. The area was first settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947), who used the land largely to grow pineapple, a significant crop in Florida at the time. By 1895, Norwegian immigrant Jens Helseth (1858-1944) moved to the area and also grew pineapple on his 80-acre farm. From these early homesteads, the tiny village of Viking grew, named so due to the abundance of Scandinavian families who settled there. Helseth granted a portion of his homestead to serve as the community cemetery by 1905, the date of the first interment. It has since then served the descendants of Helseth, his family, and friends in the small community. The cemetery is today privately owned by the great-great grandchildren of Helseth, who maintain the site.
Original color digital images, January 14, 2016: Order 21, Field Specimen SL1195, Florida Historic Cemetery Recording Project, Florida Public Archaeology Network , Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida.
Headstone of William Henry Coe at the Edgewater-New Smyrna Cemetery
The headstone for William Henry Coe (1824-1879), the founder of Glencoe, at the Edgewater-New Smyrna Cemetery, also known as Hawks Park Cemetery, located at 700 South Ridgewood Avenue in Edgewater, Florida. Due to poor health, Coe moved with his wife and children from Connecticut to Jacksonville in 1874 and established an orange grove the following year four miles west of New Smyrna, an area that would later become Glencoe. In 1877, Coe became an editor for The Florida Star, a newspaper founded by his son, Captain Charles Henry Coe (1856-1954). In April of 1879, Coe was appointed Deputy Collector of Customs for the port at New Smyrna. Just a few months later, on October 23, Coe died of silicosis, likely a result of his work as a copper miner in Illinois during the 1840s. The headstone in this photograph was a replacement for the original, which had been lost over 120 years prior.
Original color digital image by Robert Redd, 2015: Private Collection of Andrew M. Foster.
Edgewater-New Smyrna Cemetery, Edgewater, Florida
Headstone of Wolsin Foch Smith 1918-10-24 to 1945-05-23
The headstone of Corporal Wilson Foch Smith (1918-1945). A resident of Graceville, Florida, Smith was a private in the U.S. Army during World War II. He died in a Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commado plane crash after one of th engines caught on fire. Cpl. Smith was on his way to a hospital in France and than back home to the United States when the plane crashed in Taillefontaine, France killing 44 occupants. Smith is currently buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France. Smith was born to Robert Smith and Hestor Smith in Jackson County. He worked as a farmhand in the Graceville area prior to his enlistment into the Army on January 22, 1941. Smith was assigned to Company B of the 654th Tank Destroyer Battalion. Smith died on May 23, 1945.
Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial Epinal Departement des Vosges Lorraine, France Plot: A Row 47 Grave 21
Headstone Sergeant John B. Hancock at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
World War II, 1939-1945; Veterans--Florida; Army: Cemeteries--Europe
Sgt. John B Hancock was born in 1913 in Georgia. He was enlisted into the 179th Infantry Regiment in the 45th Division. He was enlisted and trained in Georgia and Florida. He participated in the Africa campaign in 1943. After this campaign, he participated in the invasion of Sicily. During this time, he was able to infrequently communicate with people back home. He then went on the storm the Italian Peninsula. After fighting through 1944, he was injured in Southern France. After recovering from his minor wounds, he fought through 1944. On November 1, 1944, he went missing in action. He was eventually buried in Epinal Cemetery in Dinoze, France.
Findagrave: https://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Hancock&GSfn=John&GSmn=B&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GScntry=7&GSob=n&GRid=56372799&df=all&
Heathrow is an unincorporated community just west of Lake Mary, Florida. Heathrow was founded by Jeno F. Paulucci (1918-2011) in 1985. As a food business entrepreneur, Paulucci used the area to grow celery for Chun King, which was his line of Chinese-style food.
Original color postcard: Private Collection of Nancy Lynn Cepero.
The Helen Stairs Theatre after restoration in 2000. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Original black and white photograph, 2000.
The Henry B. Lord building, located at 112 South Park Avenue in Sanford, Florida. From its completion in 1895 until 1992, the building was occupied by multiple jewelers. Henry B. Lord established Sanford's oldest jewelry store when he opened H. B. Lord Jewelry and Optical in 1879. In the 1930s, Henry McLaulin purchased the business. By 1943, McLaulin sold the jewelry store to W. E. Kader, who remained there until 1992. At the time that this photograph was taken in 2010, the building was housing The Wet Spot, a local drinking establishment.
Original color digital image by Austin Smith, December 19, 2010.
RICHES of Central Florida
Henry C. Wright, principal of Jones High School in Orlando, Florida, from 1975-1981. During his tenure, Wright expanded the curriculum and some of the school's buildings. Located in the Parramore/Lorna Doone neighborhood of downtown Orlando, Jones High School was the first area public school for African-Americans. The original building was located on the corner of Garland Avenue and Church Street, but the school was renamed the Johnson Academy and moved to a new building on the corner of Chatham Avenue and West Jefferson Street. In 1921, the school was renamed in honor Principal L. C. Jones and a brick colonial revival building was constructed on the corner of Parramore Avenue and Washington Street. The school was finally moved to its current location at 801 South Rio Grande Avenue in 1952.
Jones High School
Original black and white photograph: Jones High School Historical Museum, Orlando, Florida.
Henry Fazinni Next to Naval Air Station Sanford Sign
Henry Fazinni, a sailor from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, who was stationed at Naval Air Station Sanford during the Second World War. By the end of the war, the Naval Air Station became home to 385 officers, 1,385 enlisted men, and trained over half of the naval aviators piloting carrier-based fighters involved in the Pacific Theater. The Naval Air Station (NAS) Sanford was commissioned on November 3, 1942 as a naval aviation training facility during World War II. The Navy continued to train pilots at NAS Sanford throughout the Korean and Vietnam Wars. NAS Sanford was temporarily decommissioned after World War II in 1946 and then recommissioned as the Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Sanford in 1950 due to the outbreak of the Korean War and the ongoing Cold War. Soon afterward, the station was renamed NAS Sanford and redesignated as a full naval air station. On February 6, 1959, NAS Sanford was dedicated as Ramey Field in honor of Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Ramey. In 1968, due to lack of funding caused by the Vietnam War, Congress directed the closure of NAS Sanford. The City of Sanford assumed authority over the former NAS Sanford facility the year after it closed and renamed it the Sanford Airport, which was managed by Commander J. S. "Red" Cleveland. The airport underwent various name changes over the next several decades: Sanford Regional Airport, Central Florida Regional Airport, Orlando-Sanford Regional Airport, and its current name, Orlando-Sanford International Airport. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, several Naval buildings were demolished and new buildings were constructed.
Original 6 x 8 inch black and white photograph by Galen W. Zern, 1945: Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Sanford Museum
Henry L. DeForest (1857-1902) around 1895. DeForest was born in Derby, Connecticut, and knew Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) since childhood. In 1870, DeForest came to Florida seeking better health in the warmer climate. He became Sanford's agent and helped carry out the work of establishing Sanford. He managed the contracted workers for Sanford's groves, especially the contracted Swedes that Sanford brought over in 1871. By the 1880s, he had married Anna M. Sperry, also from Derby, and had become an established businessman and grove owner in Sanford. He built his general store in 1887, which was the second oldest brick building in Downtown Sanford. His general store was the building where the historic September 1887 fire stopped. DeForest built other commercial buildings in downtown. His home, known as "The Palms," was located at 105 Aldean Drive and still stands today.
Original 5 x 3.5 inch black and white photograph: box 1, folder 1, DeForest Collection, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Henry Sanford's Daughter at Belair Grove
Sanford, Henry S. (Henry Shelton), 1823-1891
Gertrude Sanford, the daughter of Henry Shelton Sanford, at Belair Grove in 1891. Henry Sanford made his last trip to Belair Grove during the winter of 1890-1891. Most of Sanford's visit was spent in Charles Armory's vacation home because of his poor health. This photograph and several others were taken of Sanford and his family to commemorate his last visit to Belair Grove. Sanford along with his wife and daughter left Florida in mid-May. Just days later Sanford died on May 21, 1891, in Healing Springs, Virginia. In 1870, Henry Shelton Sanford purchased 12,547.15 square acres of land, known as the Sanford Grant. The acreage included an experiment station called Belair Grove, located just three miles southwest of the city named after Sanford. By 1889, Sanford extended his land purchase to 145 acres and contained mainly orange and lemon trees. In Belair alone, Sanford introduced over 140 varieties of citrus plants. All were tested to determine if Florida citrus growers could introduce new varieties into the growing citrus market. Sanford also grew exotic plants acquired from Central and South America, many of which survived the 1886 freeze. Sanford mainly used Belair as his own experiment station, but ultimately the findings and reports would be used by other citrus growers throughout Florida. Eventually, following Sanford's death in 1891, his wife, Gertrude Sanford, handed over the operations of Belair to Sydney and Joshua Chase.
Original black and white photograph by Ensminger Bros., 1891: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 211, folder 3.3A, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Gertrude Dupuy Sanford, the wife of Henry Shelton Sanford, at Belair Grove in 1891. The royal palm in the photograph survived the Freeze of 1886, but died in the Freeze of 1894-1895. Henry Sanford made his last trip to Belair Grove during the winter of 1890-1891. Most of Sanford's visit was spent in Charles Armory's vacation home because of his poor health. This photograph and several others were taken of Sanford and his family to commemorate his last visit to Belair Grove. Sanford along with his wife and daughter left Florida in mid-May. Just days later Sanford died on May 21, 1891, in Healing Springs, Virginia. In 1870, Henry Shelton Sanford purchased 12,547.15 square acres of land, known as the Sanford Grant. The acreage included an experiment station called Belair Grove, located just three miles southwest of the city named after Sanford. By 1889, Sanford extended his land purchase to 145 acres and contained mainly orange and lemon trees. In Belair alone, Sanford introduced over 140 varieties of citrus plants. All were tested to determine if Florida citrus growers could introduce new varieties into the growing citrus market. Sanford also grew exotic plants acquired from Central and South America, many of which survived the 1886 freeze. Sanford mainly used Belair as his own experiment station, but ultimately the findings and reports would be used by other citrus growers throughout Florida. Eventually, following Sanford's death in 1891, his wife, Gertrude Sanford, handed over the operations of Belair to Sydney and Joshua Chase.
Original black and white photograph by Ensminger Bros., 1891: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 211, folder 3.3A, item CC90, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Henry Shelton Sanford and Family at Belair Grove
Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) and family at Belair Grove in Sanford, Florida. In 1870, Sanford purchased 12,547.15 square acres of land known as the Sanford Grant. Sanford was an American diplomat, lawyer, and businessman. Born in Derby, Connecticut, Sanford eventually joined the United States Diplomatic Corps in 1849. During his initial tenure in the Diplomatic Corps, Sanford served as Secretary of the American Legation at Paris. In 1853, he was promoted to the position of Chargé D'Affaires in France. In 1861, President Lincoln named Sanford as the U.S. Minister to Belgium. During the Civil War, Sanford served as a fiscal agent for the U.S. Government and supervised the U.S. Secret Service in Europe. After his tenure as Minister to Belgium, Sanford played a role in the establishment of the Congo Free State, a vast colony in Equatorial Africa under the direct control of the Belgian King Leopold II. In particular, it was Sanford who lobbied U.S. President Chester A. Arthur to recognize King Leopold's colony, a move that sparked broader international recognition of the Congo Free State. He also served as a delegate for the American Geographical Society at the International African Association Congress established by Leopold II and held in Brussels in 1887. Sanford organized the "Sanford Exploring Expedition," an expedition that served to answer scientific and commercial inquiries in the Congo. Aside from his diplomatic career, Sanford was also a businessman and investor. He made several real estate investments in Florida in the late 1860s and early 1870s, the most notable being the purchase of the "Sanford Grant" in May 1870. The grant encompassed over 20 square miles and provided the basis for the town that eventually bore Sanford's name. Sanford was convinced that Florida would prove a profitable place to invest. Anticipating significant traffic and commerce by waterway, Sanford bought a land grant positioned on Lake Monroe along the St. Johns River. The city of Sanford thus became deemed the "Gate City of South Florida" - the southernmost stop along the river. During the 1870s, Sanford invested significant amounts of money to the development of his city - he built a wharf, several hotels, a general store, and a sawmill - all of which he hoped would spur investment and growth in the city. Sanford also developed several experimental citrus groves in his Florida city. The first was St. Gertrude's Grove. The second and more successful grove was Belair, developed in the early 1870s. Though Sanford never lived in Florida, he did visit occasionally from the late 1860s until his death in 1891. His diplomatic and business duties kept him preoccupied abroad, and most of his development in Florida was undertaken by representatives and confidants. Following the "Great Freeze" of 1888, Sanford's Belair grove was destroyed. Sanford was committed to rebuilding the grove and, in the late stages of his life, he committed his energies to his Florida investments. He died several years later though, and his wife Gertrude, in an effort to settle debts owed in Europe and elsewhere following his death, sold many of Sanford's properties in Florida.
Original 8 x 5.25 inch black and white photograph: Henry S. Sanford Collection, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Herbert Alexander Wells (1882-1960), the first African American hired by the Florida East Coast Railway Company (FEC), in front his home in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, Florida. Born in the Bahamas in 1882, Wells migrated to Key West, Florida, via the Fearless in 1900 and began working for the FEC as a fireman around 1915. He worked for the FEC for 32 years before retiring in 1947. Wells also owned and operated a drug and grocery store that was located at Northwest 2nd Court and 17th Street in Miami. Wells married Mary Ellen Knowles Wells (1892-1948) in 1916 and had one daughter, Berdina Wells (b. 1930). This item was contributed by Cary Marshall Felton, the great grandson of Wells.
Digital reproduction of original black and white photograph by Carletha Wells Felton, 1959: Private Collection of Cary Marshall Felton.
Herbert Alexander Wells at the Railyard in Savannah, Georgia
Herbert Alexander Wells (1882-1960), the first African American hired by the Florida East Coast Railway Company (FEC), at the railyard in Savannah, Georgia. Born in the Bahamas in 1882, Wells migrated to Key West, Florida, via the Fearless in 1900 and began working for the FEC as a fireman around 1915. He worked for the FEC for 32 years before retiring in 1947. Wells also owned and operated a drug and grocery store that was located at Northwest 2nd Court and 17th Street in Miami. Wells married Mary Ellen Knowles Wells (1892-1948) in 1916 and had one daughter, Berdina Wells (b. 1930). This item was contributed by Cary Marshall Felton, the great grandson of Wells.
Digital reproduction of original black and white photograph: Private Collection of Cary Marshall Felton.
An obituary for Herbert Alexander Wells (1882-1960), the first African American hired by the Florida East Coast Railway Company (FEC). Born in the Bahamas in 1882, Wells migrated to Key West, Florida, via the Fearless in 1900 and began working for the FEC as a fireman around 1915. He worked for the FEC for 32 years before retiring in 1947. Wells also owned and operated a drug and grocery store that was located at Northwest 2nd Court and 17th Street in Miami. Wells married Mary Ellen Knowles Wells (1892-1948) in 1916 and had one daughter, Berdina Wells (b. 1930). This item was contributed by Cary Marshall Felton, the great grandson of Wells.
Digital reproduction of original newspaper article: The Miami Times, December 31, 1960, page 12: Private Collection of Cary Marshall Felton.
The Miami Times
Heritage Jubilee Honors Distinguished Service Award
A newspaper article about the 1988 Heritage Jubilee Distinguished Service Awards. The Heritage Jubilee is sponsored by the Afro-American Society to honor the birth and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The program was established in the early 1980s by students and faculty members at Seminole Community College. The committee also created the Distinguished Service Awards, which would highlight the achievements of local African-Americans. One of the honorees for 1988 was Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford." Francis left behind a successful hotel and restaurant she owned in Sarasota in 1942 to return to Sanford and become a midwife. World War II caused a shortage in doctors and nurses, so Florida's Children's Bureau sent Francis to Florida A & M to acquire her practical nursing license in 1945. She specialized in premature babies and returned to Sanford to aid her mother, Carrie Jones, at Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital before they opened the ward in their home. "When her health starting failing," she recollects in a newspaper article, "I took over." Francis converted her house at 621 East Sixth Street to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. She became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown. Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.
Original newspaper article: Hawkins, Marva Y. "Heritage Jubilee Honors Distinguished Service Award." The Sanford Herald: Private Collection of Daphne F. Humphrey.
The Sanford Herald
Jones-Francis Maternity Hall, Georgetown, Sanford, Florida
Flyer for a concert for the band, The Tempests on March 12, 1966. The dance was held at The Village, located at 3003 Cypress Street in Tampa, Florida. The Tempests were formed in St. Petersburg, Florida in 1963, when the members were just 12 and 13 years old. The original members included Doug Palmer (rhythm guitar), Bobby Allen (drums), Bill Hickman (bass guitar), Tommy Angarano (vocals), and Charlie Bailey (lead guitar). Hickman was later replaced with Buddy Peterson and Palmer was replaced with Mike Hammer, enhancing the group's ability to play songs with harmony. Due to the popularity of The Beatles, harmony-driven bands dominated the radio. The new additions proved a success, as the group won the Battle of the Bands at the Electric Zoo and recorded their first record, "I Want You Only," with "I Want You to Know" as the B-side. Allen was later replaced with Brad Myers on drums, and Bailey with Roy Delese on keyboard. The band opened for many national groups, such as The Dave Clark Five, The Shangri-Las, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, Tommy James and the Shondells, Blues Magoos, The Doors, The McCoys, the Mindbenders, The Allman Brothers Band, and Three Dog Night.
Original flyer, ca. March 12, 1966: Profiles: Bands & Artists, Tampa Bay Music Scene Historical Society.
Tampa Bay Music Scene Historical Society
Two pages of church records from the Hicksite Quaker Church. Before his marriage in 1922, Charles Henry Craig (1896-1982) was admitted to the Hicksite Quaker Church on November 21, 1922. The application is included in these records. Craig was born on October 6, 1896, in Dixmont, Maine. He was drafted in 1917, and his service began on March 31, 1917. He served with Battery C 4 Field Artillery in the United States Army, but never went overseas. He was stationed in Justice Precinct 8, Bexar, Texas, in 1920, and was honorably discharged on April 6, 1920, as part of demobilization. After his discharge, Craig moved to Delaware, Pennsylvania, and married Edith Hazel Chambers on December 30, 1922, with whom he had four children: Charles (1923), Elizabeth Sarah (1925), Mary Louise (1927), and Frances (1936). In 1940, Craig became a principal superintendent of Williamson School in Media, Pennsylvania, while maintaining his job as a tree surgeon. Craig registered for the “Old Man’s Draft” for World War II on April 27, 1942. Charles and Edith moved to Florida by 1954. Craig passed away on March 9, 1982 in Hollywood, Florida, and Edith followed in March 1989. They are buried together in the 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 church records, November 21, 1922.
A postcard featuring hieroglyphics painted two miles outside of Adamana, Arizona. Now a ghost town with only four inhabited buildings, Adamana was once home to 30 families, and had a hotel until 1965 and a post office until 1969. It was known as the "Gateway to the Petrified Forest" because the Santa Fe Railroad stopped at the hotel and passengers stayed the night before continuing into the forest. This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
Original 3 x 5 inch black and white postcard: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1 (U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Hieroglyphics Showing the Original Stork Postcard
A postcard featuring hieroglyphics showing the Original Stork, near Adamana, Arizona. Now a ghost town with only four inhabited buildings, Adamana was once home to 30 families, and had a hotel until 1965 and a post office until 1969. It was known as the "Gateway to the Petrified Forest" because the Santa Fe Railroad stopped at the hotel and passengers stayed the night before continuing into the forest. This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
A newspaper announcement published in The Oviedo Voice on September 16, 2004. The article states that the City of Oviedo had issued a High Water Warning in the aftermath of Hurricane Frances, which hit Central Florida in early September of 2004. Frances caused damages exceeding that of Hurricane Charley, another hurricane that hit Florida the previous month.
Original newspaper article: "High Water Brings Warnings." The Oviedo Voice, Vol. XIV, No. 38, September 16, 2004, page 1: Private Collection of Edwin White and Carolyn White.
Little Econlockhatchee River, Oviedo, Florida
Hillcrest Elementary School Fifth Grade Class, 1952
Hillcrest Elementary School's fifth grade class of 1951. Three rows of 31 children pose in front of the school. A teacher stands to the student's left. Hillcrest Elementary School is one of Orlando’s oldest schools, opening in 1923. Since the 1980s, it has had a vibrant foreign language component and today it continues that tradition through the Orange County Public Schools Foreign Language Academy.
Original black and white photograph: Private Collection of Julia Rowe.
Hillcrest Elementary School, Orlando Florida
Hillcrest Elementary School Report Card for Julia Hays, 1951-1952
Hillcrest Elementary School report card for Julia Hays during the 1951-1952 school year. During the six-week term, students learned reading, language, spelling, penmanship, social studies, arithmetic, science, health, art, music, and physical education. The report card also notes how many days the student was present, absent and tardy as well as their height and weight. Hillcrest Elementary School is one of Orlando’s oldest schools, opening in 1923. Since the 1980s, it has had a vibrant foreign language component and today it continues that tradition through the Orange County Public Schools Foreign Language Academy.
Original 4-page report card and envelope: Private Collection of Julia Rowe.
Hillcrest Elementary School Sixth Grade Class, 1951
Hillcrest Elementary School's sixth grade class of 1951. Three rows of 23 children pose in front of the school. The back of the photograph contains the signatures of 15 students. Hillcrest Elementary School is one of Orlando’s oldest schools, opening in 1923. Since the 1980s, it has had a vibrant foreign language component and today it continues that tradition through the Orange County Public Schools Foreign Language Academy.
Original black and white photograph: Private Collection of Don Weeden.
A stained glass image of the RCA Corporation logo, which appeared on the Nipper Building in Camden, New Jersey. The dog in the image, dubbed “Nipper,” is listening to a Victor Talking Machine. A notable "machinist" for the Victor Talking Machine Company was Irick Ritezendollar (1898-1992). Born on January 1, 1898, in Chatsworth, New Jersey, Ritzendollar enlisted in the United States Army on September 5, 1918. His served for slightly more than three months before being discharged on December 14, 1918. Unlike his siblings, Ritzendollar stayed out of the spotlight. He married Ella S. Ritzendollar sometime between 1922 and 1923. By 1940, he was working as a pump man for Works Progress Administration (WPA) Road Construction. At some point, Ritzendollar moved to Wauchula, Florida, and later relocated to Lakeland, Florida. Irick Ritzendollar passed away on September 14, 1992, at the age of ninety-three. He is buried at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original black and white photograph.
A postcard depicting a view of the Dock Street Theatre in Charleston, South Carolina, the first building in America built exclusively for theatre performances. Although the building was likely destroyed in the Great Fire of 1740, theatre was rebuilt in 1935 as part of a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project in the shell of the Planter's Hotel, which was built in the same location. This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
Original 3 x 5 inch 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.
Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, South Carolina
Historic Lakefront Building to Be Demolished: Deteriorated Log Cabin is Too Dangerous to Save
This is a newspaper article describing the planned demolition of the an historic log cabin-style building located at 300 Seminole Boulevard in Sanford, Florida. The log cabin was originally used as the American Legion Campbell-Lossing Post 53, which received the property from the City of Sanford during the Armistice Day celebrations on November 11, 1924. Mayor Forrest Lake dedicated the structure to the "future generations who would be better off because of the work of the American Legion." The cabin was constructed through private donations from local citizens and businesses, such as the Hill Lumber Company. A cannon from World War I was placed in front of the building on January 17, 1936, but the cannon was dismantled for scrap metal during World War II. The Sanford Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States acquired the building in 1973 and the American Legion moved to 3506 South Orlando Drive and later to 2874 South Sanford Avenue. Due to deterioration and poor conditions, inspector Gary Winn recommended demolition, which was approved by City Manager Bill Simmons. The American Legion is a social veterans' organization for former and current members of the United States Armed Forces. The organization was chartered by the United States Congress on September 16, 1919, following World War I. The American Legion has been active in influencing political and social change, such as the founding of the U.S. Veterans Bureau, which was the forerunner of the Veterans Administration and later the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); efforts to pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting the physical desecration of the American flag; the creation of the American Legion Baseball program; the passing of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights; contributing to the launch of the National Association for Mental Health; sponsorship of an independent study on the effects of the exposure of Agent Orange, a herbicidal weapon, on veterans of the Vietnam War; as well as many other activities and achievements.
Photocopy of original newspaper article: Pfeifauf, Nick. "Historic Lakefront Building to Be Demolished: Deteriorated Log Cabin is Too Dangerous to Save." The Sanford Herald, January 24, 1996: Private Collection of Luticia "Tish" Lee.
American Legion Campbell-Lossing Post 53, Sanford, Florida
Historic Oviedo Colored Schools Museum During Renovations
The exterior of the Historic Oviedo Colored Schools Museum, previously St. James AME Church, located at 2170 James Drive in Oviedo, Florida, on February 21, 2023. The six color photographs depict the building during renovations. A blue tarp covers part of the roof. In 2000, Gloria Godwin and Gracia Muller Miller began talking about a reunion for the Jackson Heights Elementary School, a colored school in Oviedo during segregation. Reunion Historian, Judith Smith, began to look for artifacts from that era and struggled to locate any pictures or other information. She put the word out amongst the former students, asking to borrow photographs or other materials related to the colored school. Immediately, items began to pour in, and the result was a book entitled: “A Written and Pictorial History of the Oviedo Area Colored Schools 1890-1967, Oviedo Elementary, Jackson Heights Elementary, Geneva, Wagner, Kolokee (Snowhill), Gabriella (Jamestown).” From there, the mission was born.
6 original color photographs: RICHES, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
RICHES
Historic Oviedo Colored Schools Museum, Oviedo, Florida
Historic Preservation Award for the Helen Stairs Theatre
Historic sites--Conservation and restoration--Florida
The Sanford Historic Trust's Historic Preservation Award presented to the Helen Stairs Theatre in 2000. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.
Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, Sanford, Florida
The Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium, located at 1201 South Mellonville Avenue in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. The stadium was built on the original site of the Sanford Municipal Athletic Field, which was erected in 1926. Many major league stars have played in the stadium including Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Tim Raines, and David Eckstein. Sanford Stadium is best known as the location where Jackie Robinson first took to the field in 1946 to play baseball as a member of a white Class AAA International League Team in Daytona Beach, which was partnered with the Montreal Royals. When Robinson took the field, however, the crowd booed him off before he could play. The police chief had threatened to cancel the game if Robinson took the field. Sanford Stadium was also used as the Spring Training Facility for the Boston Braves in 1942 and the New York Giants in 1951. In 2001, the stadium was refurbished, costing $2 million. During the 2009, Sanford Stadium was the home of the Seminole County Naturals of the Florida Winter Baseball League, which suspended operations during the season due to lack of funding. As of 2013, the stadium served as the home of the Sanford Babe Ruth Baseball League and the Sanford River Rats of the Florida Collegiate Summer League. The ballpark features 415 box seats and 1,600 bleacher seats.
Original color digital images by Geoffrey V. Cravero, July 26, 2011.
Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium, Sanford, Florida
Sanford Municipal Athletic Field, Sanford, Florida
According to its website, "The mission of the Historic Sanford Welcome Center is to enrich the Sanford experience by serving as a communications hub; operating as a welcome center to provide education and information marketing Sanford as an arts, culture, recreation and historic destination."
Historic Sanford Welcome Center
Historic Sanford Welcome Center 230 East First Street Sanford, Florida 32771
Historical Data of the Board of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, 1953
Historical Data report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1953. The organization began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. The Historical Data report from 1953 contains historical data about the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District. The two page document lists names of the first Board of Supervisors (Commissioners) such as R.F.Cooper, C.A. Wales, T.L. Lingo, R. T. Milwee, Tom McCalin, Jr., and C.R. Dawson. The current Board members are listed as Homer L. Osborne, C.A. Wales, E.J. Cameron, R.T. Milwee, and George C. Harden. The First Cooperator is listed as Forest Lake Academy in Forest City.
Original 2-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1953: Folder SSWCD Statistical and Historical Information, 1948-1977, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District
New York Giants (Baseball team)--History--20th century
Newspaper article on the history of the Mayfair Inn. 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 who later sold it to the New Tribes Mission. The New Tribes Mission's goal is to reach tribes who have no access to the Gospel through translated publications and missionary work.
Original newspaper article by Grace Marie Stinecipher: "Historical society tours Mayfair Inn," The Seminole Herald.
History Florida Chapter: National Association of Postmasters of the United States
A history of the Florida Chapter of the National Association of Postmasters of the United States (NAPUS), authored by Juanita S. Thompson, the association’s historian. This booklet contains different aspects of postal history with specific focus on Florida and its postmasters. The book begins with a brief summary of postal history dating back to 1775 and then transitions to the history of the Florida chapter, which was founded in 1935 as Chapter No. 10. There were 20 original charter members, led by O. B. Carr as President and Ernest L. Abel as Secretary-Treasurer. The history also includes highlights from each chapter President's tenure up through 1963.
Original booklet by Juanita S. Tucker: Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck.
History of Orange County, Florida: Narrative and Biographical
Selected pages from History of Orange County Florida: Narrative and Biographical by William Fremont Blackman, Ph.D., L.L.D. Blackman was formally a professor at Yale University and President of Rollins College. The book was published by the E. O. Painter Printing Company of DeLand, Florida in 1927. The book gives a basic history of Orange County as well as biographical sketches of many of the counties early settlers and important citizens. It has 42 photographic portraits of some of the citizens.
Blackman, William Fremont. History of Orange County, Florida: Narrative and Biographical. Chuluota, Fla: Mickler House, 1973.
History of Orlando Post Office Promotion
A history of how the Greater Orlando Chamber of Commerce petitioned the federal government to construct the new Downtown Orlando Post Office and federal court building in Downtown Orlando, Florida, in 1935. After a request was filed by U.S. Representative, J. Mark Wilcox (1890-1956) Orlando was placed of an eligibility list by Congress in 1936. By mid-1936, it was determined that Orlando was in need of the new federal buildings. Efforts to that end were supported by Rep. Joe Hendricks (1903-1974) and U.S. Senators Charles O. Andrews (1877-1946) and Claude Pepper (1900-1989). A House bill for the Downtown Orlando Post Office was supported and taken up by the Chairman of the Committee of the Post Office, Senator James M. Mead (1885-1964), in 1937. The bill passed and a construction site was chosen in 1938. and construction itself began in 1940. 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 of Jefferson Street for the new building. The building, located at 51 East Jefferson Street, was designed by Louis A. Simon 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.
Greater Orlando Chamber of Commerce
Original document by Greater Orlando Chamber of Commerce: Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck.
Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida
A history of Sanford Grammar School. Originally established as Sanford High School, the main building was constructed at 301 West Seventh Street in Sanford, Florida, in 1902. The building was designed by W. G. Talley in the Romanesque revival style. Due to an increasing student population, a new school building was constructed on the corner of East Ninth Street and South Palmetto Avenue in 1911. The original building on Seventh Street served as Westside Grammar Elementary School, which was later renamed Sanford Grammar School. After a desperate need for an addition to the school developed, the city granted the school $75,000. The school's lunchroom was opened on October 10, 1921, after months of fundraising efforts hosted by the Woman's Club. In November 23, 1984, the main school building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and converted into the Student Museum. However, despite objections from the community, the lunchroom was demolished on September 25, 2008. The main school building reopened as the University of Central Florida's Public History Center in 2012.
Original 16-page manuscript: Sanford Grammar Collection, Archives Box 4B, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Sanford Grammar School, Sanford, Florida
History of the First Baptist Church, Oviedo, Florida: First 100 Years, 1869-1969
A history of the First Baptist Church of Oviedo from its founding in 1869 to its centennial celebration in 1969. The book begins with a brief history of the Central Florida area, followed by a history of Oviedo. The first service for the First Baptist Church was led by Reverend W. G. Powell on the property of W. H. Luther, located along Lake Jessup Avenue. The first church building was made of wood and was located on what was the property of Lois Ruddell at the time that this book was written. The old building served the church until 1887, later became the house of the Beasley family, and was finally torn down. A new wooden church building was erected in 1887 and remained in use until 1926. The brick church building constructed later on is still in use by CrossLife Church.
Original 32-page booklet: History of the First Baptist Church, Oviedo, Florida: First 100 Years, 1869-1969, 1969: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
First Baptist Church of Oviedo, Oviedo, Florida
This is an undated narrative, written by Luticia "Tish" Lee, that describes the origins of a rolling pin that has become an heirloom of the Lee Family of Sanford, Florida. Lee wrote about this keepsake for which she had placed in her Love Cedar Chest, also known as a Hope Chest. While attending high school in 1940, Lee's parents gave her a hope chest, along with a bedspread crocheted by her mother. Also included inside was a rolling pin that her father, a member of the American Legion, had made from one of the wooden spokes from the wheel of a World War I-era cannon. The cannon was placed in front of American Legion Campbell-Lossing Post 53, located at 300 Seminole Boulevard, on January 17, 1936, but was dismantled for scrap metal during World War II. Lee married her husband James after the war on September 11, 1946. After her wedding, she began using the rolling pin.
Original handwritten narrative by Luticia "Tish" Lee: Private Collection of Luticia "Tish" Lee.
History of the Oviedo Woman's Club by Helen Leinhart
A history written by Helen Leinhart chronicling the history of the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC), which was founded in 1906 as the Oviedo Magazine Club by seven charter members: H. B. McCall, Edith Meade, Georgia Lee Wheeler, Lillian Lee Lawton, Mattie Aulin Wheeler, Milcah Yonge, and Mary King. The first clubhouse was constructed in 1914 and also served as Oviedo's first library. In 1916, the club joined the 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 document by Helen Leinhart, 1972: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Oviedo Woman's Club
History of the Oviedo Woman's Club by Lillian Della Lee Lawton
A history written by Lillian Della Lee Lawton (1882-1977) chronicling the history of the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC), which was founded in 1906 as the Oviedo Magazine Club by seven charter members: H. B. McCall, Edith Meade, Georgia Lee Wheeler, Lillian Lee Lawton, Mattie Aulin Wheeler, Milcah Yonge, and Mary King. The first clubhouse was constructed in 1914 and also served as Oviedo's first library. In 1916, the club joined the 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 document by Lillian Della Lee Lawton, 1940: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
History of the Sanford Grammar School Lunchroom
A history of Sanford Grammar School's lunchroom. Originally established as Sanford High School, the main building was constructed at 301 West Seventh Street in Sanford, Florida, in 1902. The building was designed by W. G. Talley in the Romanesque revival style. Due to an increasing student population, a new school building was constructed on the corner of East Ninth Street and South Palmetto Avenue in 1911. The original building on Seventh Street served as Westside Grammar Elementary School, which was later renamed Sanford Grammar School. After a desperate need for an addition to the school developed, the city granted the school $75,000. The school's lunchroom was opened on October 10, 1921, after months of fundraising efforts hosted by the Woman's Club. In November 23, 1984, the main school building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and converted into the Student Museum. However, despite objections from the community, the lunchroom was demolished on September 25, 2008. The main school building reopened as the University of Central Florida's Public History Center in 2012.
Original 1-page manuscript: Sanford Grammar Collection, Archives Box 4B, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
The bend facing the direction of the tee at the Sanford Country Club and Golf Course in 1922. The land for the club and course was originally purchased as a portion of a 20,000-acre tract by General Joseph Finegan for $40. In 1870, Henry Sanford purchased the tract and sold some of it in 1878 to Charles Amory. In 1922, the city of Sanford bought 152-acres to design and construct a municipal 18-hole golf course. The course opened in October of 1922 with only four holes available for playing. The remainder of the golf course was opened in September of 1924. From the year 1927-1939, the golf course and country club experienced once of its most successful periods, seen some of golf's greatest athletes such as Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen. The club, for a time, saw a state of disrepair and depression. For a short time, the club became the Seminole County Club after renovation in 1945. Then, in the late 1940s, the New York Giants received the Mayfair Inn for Spring training which allowed them to take control of the golf course. This led to the most prosperous period of the golf course and country club becoming a part of the PGA tour between 1955 to 1957, seeing players like Arnold Palmer tee-off on the course. Now called the Mayfair Country Club, the club and golf course is located at 3536 Country Club Road in Sanford, Florida.
Original 3 x 5 inch black and white photograph by Chase & Company, 1922: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 211, folder Sanford Country Club and Golf Course, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Hole 9 Looking Towards Green From Center of Fairway
Center of the fairway facing the direction of the green at the Sanford Country Club and Golf Course in 1922. The land for the club and course was originally purchased as a portion of a 20,000-acre tract by General Joseph Finegan for $40. In 1870, Henry Sanford purchased the tract and sold some of it in 1878 to Charles Amory. In 1922, the city of Sanford bought 152-acres to design and construct a municipal 18-hole golf course. The course opened in October of 1922 with only four holes available for playing. The remainder of the golf course was opened in September of 1924. From the year 1927-1939, the golf course and country club experienced once of its most successful periods, seen some of golf's greatest athletes such as Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen. The club, for a time, saw a state of disrepair and depression. For a short time, the club became the Seminole County Club after renovation in 1945. Then, in the late 1940s, the New York Giants received the Mayfair Inn for Spring training which allowed them to take control of the golf course. This led to the most prosperous period of the golf course and country club becoming a part of the PGA tour between 1955 to 1957, seeing players like Arnold Palmer tee-off on the course. Now called the Mayfair Country Club, the club and golf course is located at 3536 Country Club Road in Sanford, Florida.
Original 3 x 5 inch black and white photograph by Chase & Company: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 211, folder Sanford Country Club and Golf Course, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
A poster for the Orlando Gay Chorus concert, “Holiday Concert”. The event was held at the Knowles Memorial Chapel at Rollins College, located at 1000 Holt Avenue in Winter Park, Florida, on December 18 and 19, 1993. The show was directed by Dr. Charles Callahan with accompaniment by Associate Director Kenion A. Thompson. The poster features thick stripes of green, black, red and gold with a large white eighth note in the center. Text is minimal, depicting title, time, location, and the OGC heading. The Orlando Gay Chorus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization part of GALA Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a whole host of community events like Come Out With Pride, Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees, and World Aids Day memorial services. In 2017, the group performed at over 105 events, including 15 performances for the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Members come from all walks of life and all sexual and gender orientations, including straight allies. OGC lives by the motto “Singing the World to a Better Place” and strives to use music to change attitudes and build a stronger community.
Orlando Gay Chorus
Original color poster: University of Central Florida Special Collections, Orlando, Florida.
Knowles Memorial Chapel, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida
A poster for the Orlando Gay Chorus show, "Holiday Concert”. The event was held at the Knowles Memorial Chapel at Rollins College, located at 1000 Holt Avenue in Winter Park, Florida, on December 14 and 15, 1991. The show was directed by Dr. Charles Callahan. The poster has an off-white background with a shaded eighth note in green and gold. Text is minimal, featuring a read scripted title and gold block text for time, location, and the OGC heading at the bottom. The Orlando Gay Chorus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization part of GALA Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a whole host of community events like Come Out With Pride, Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees, and World Aids Day memorial services. In 2017, the group performed at over 105 events, including 15 performances for the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Members come from all walks of life and all sexual and gender orientations, including straight allies. OGC lives by the motto “Singing the World to a Better Place” and strives to use music to change attitudes and build a stronger community.
A program for the Orlando Gay Chorus' concert, "Holiday Concert", on December 1, 1990, at the Knowles Memorial Chapel at Rollins College. The program includes a checklist of concert etiquette, an events calendar, brief biographies of Music Director Dr. Charles Callahan, and Accompanist Terry E. Thomas, program notes, an outline of the show's itinerary, how to join the chorus, a description of GALA choruses, a list of the chorus members, and how to become a contributor. It also contains a sing-along insert. The Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization, and part of the Gay and Lesbian Association (GALA) of Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a host of community events, such as Come Out With Pride, Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees, and World AIDS Day memorial services. In 2017, the group performed at over 105 events, including 15 performances for the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Members come from all walks of life and all sexual and gender orientations, including straight allies. OGC lives by the motto “Singing the World to a Better Place” and strives to use music to change attitudes and build a stronger community.
Original 8-page black and white program and 2-page insert, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
A program for the Orlando Gay Chorus' concert, "Holiday Concert", on December 14 and 15, 1991, at the Knowles Memorial Chapel at Rollins College. The program includes brief biographies of Music Director Dr. Charles Callahan, and Accompanist and Associate Director Ken Thompson, II, a brief history of the GALA Choruses and the Orlando Gay Chorus, program notes, an outline of the show's itinerary, how to join the chorus, a list of the chorus members, a checklist of concert etiquette, a donors' list, advertisements, and how to become a contributor. It also contains a sing-along insert, a membership application with a holiday greeting from the Parliament House Orlando. The Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization, and part of the Gay and Lesbian Association (GALA) of Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a host of community events, such as Come Out With Pride, Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees, and World AIDS Day memorial services. In 2017, the group performed at over 105 events, including 15 performances for the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Members come from all walks of life and all sexual and gender orientations, including straight allies. OGC lives by the motto “Singing the World to a Better Place” and strives to use music to change attitudes and build a stronger community.
Original 16-page program, 2-page insert, 1-page application, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Holiday Inn Staff Posing in Front of Hotel Sign in Celebration of 9th Anniversary
Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
The staff of the Weeki Wachee Holiday Inn standing in front of the hotel's iconic sign. The marquee on the sign reads, "Our 9th Anniversary June 5 1975." This Holiday Inn was located directly across the street from Weeki Wachee Springs and opened in 1966. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original Black and white photograph of Weeki Wachee Holiday Inn Stafff, June 5, 1975: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Collection.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida
A program for the Orlando Gay Chorus' concert, "Holiday Jubilee", on December 18 &amp
19, 1999, at the Annie Russell Theater at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. The program includes short biographies on the Artistic Director Dr. David L. Brunner, the Guest Narrator Pamela O' Bannon and the Accompanist Kathy Slage, program notes, an outline of the show's itinerary, a list of chorus members and contributors, and a history of GALA Choruses. It also includes a correction insert and two ticket stubs to the show. The Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization, and part of the Gay and Lesbian Association (GALA) of Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a host of community events, such as Come Out With Pride, Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees, and World AIDS Day memorial services. In 2017, the group performed at over 105 events, including 15 performances for the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Members come from all walks of life and all sexual and gender orientations, including straight allies. OGC lives by the motto “Singing the World to a Better Place” and strives to use music to change attitudes and build a stronger community.
Original 20-page program, a 1-page insert, and 2 ticket stubs, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Annie Russell Theater, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida
Postcard of the Holy Cross Episcopal Church, located at 410 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, Florida around 1915. Gertrude Dupuy Sanford, the wife of General Henry S. Sanford (1823-1891), established the Holy Cross Episcopal Church in 1873. The church was consecrated on April 20, 1873, and became the first Episcopal mission in Central Florida. The original Holy Cross was designed by famed architect Richard Upjohn in the Carpenter Gothic architectural style. During the summer of 1880, the original Holy Cross was destroyed by a hurricane. Following the destruction of the original Holy Cross, Henry and Gertrude Sanford raised money for the construction of a second church. The second Holy Cross Church was completed in 1880, and is most likely the building photographed in this postcard. The church was destroyed by a fire in 1923. The third church built on the site following the destruction of the second was designed by Elton Moughton, a local architect, and completed in 1924. The third Holy Cross church was built in the “pre-depression” Spanish Mediterranean style.
Original 5 x 7 inch black and white postcard: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 211, folder 3.30A, item CC 105, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
The Holy Cross Episcopal Church, located at 410 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, Florida. Gertrude Dupuy Sanford, the wife of General Henry S. Sanford (1823-1891), established the Holy Cross Episcopal Church in 1873. The church was consecrated on April 20, 1873, and became the first Episcopal mission in Central Florida. The original Holy Cross was designed by famed architect Richard Upjohn in the Carpenter Gothic architectural style. During the summer of 1880, the original Holy Cross was destroyed by a hurricane. Following the destruction of the original Holy Cross, Henry and Gertrude Sanford raised money for the construction of a second church. The second Holy Cross Church was completed in 1880. The church pictured is most likely the second incarnation of the Holy Cross Episcopal Church. It was destroyed in 1923 by a fire. The third church built on the site following the destruction of the second was designed by Elton Moughton, a local architect, and completed in 1924. The third Holy Cross church was built in the “pre-depression” Spanish Mediterranean style.
Original 8.5 x 11 inch black and white photograph by Chase & Company: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 211, folder 3.30A, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
A newspaper article about an issue of DC Comics' Green Lantern that would address homophobia. According to the author, the idea for addressing the issue of gay bashing—verbal or physical abuse directed at the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, and others) community—was inspired by the friendship that cartoonist Judd Winick (b. 1970) developed with Pedro Zamora (1972-1994), his openly gay, HIV-positive castmate on MTV's The Real World: San Francisco. This article was published in The Watermark, Central Florida's local LGBTQ+ publication. Since 1994, The Watermark has been the cornerstone source of LGBTQ+ centered news for the Central Florida region. Founded by Tom Dyer in Orlando, the publication began generating bi-weekly issues beginning August 31, 1994. Since then, The Watermark has consistently published newspaper-style issues every other Thursday. Gaining traction, the publication expanded in 1995 to include Tampa and, in 1997, The Watermark became a permanent piece of LGBTQ+ culture when the publication initiated the first large-scale Gay Days Weekend event, the Beach Ball at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. Before 1999, the publication printed 20,000 copies every week, distributing them to over 500 locations between its two major cities. Following 1999, the publication launched watermarkonline.com shifting to an online publication style. In 2016, Rick Claggett purchased The Watermark.
Original newspaper article: Sullivan, John E. "Holy Homophobia!." The Watermark Colors, Vol. 9, No. 19, September 12-25, 2002, page 1: Publications Collection, GLBT History Museum of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Watermark Media
Jones High School Home Economics class in 1957. The photograph appeared in the 1957 Jones High School yearbook. Located in the Parramore/Lorna Doone neighborhood of downtown Orlando, Jones High School was the first area public school for African-Americans. The original building was located on the corner of Garland Avenue and Church Street, but the school was renamed the Johnson Academy and moved to a new building on the corner of Chatham Avenue and West Jefferson Street. In 1921, the school was renamed in honor Principal L. C. Jones and a brick colonial revival building was constructed on the corner of Parramore Avenue and Washington Street. The school was finally moved to its current location at 801 South Rio Grande Avenue in 1952.