RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 18: Winter Garden's 20th Century: Boom, Bust and Rebirth
Citrus fruit industry--Florida--Orange County
Episode 18 of RICHES Podcast Documentaries: Winter Gardens 20th Century: Boom, Bust and Rebirth. RICHES Podcast Documentaries are short form narrative documentaries that explore Central Florida history and are locally produced. These podcasts can involve the participation or cooperation of local area partners. Episode 18 explores the demographic changes of Winter Garden, Florida, during the 20th century. Originally a small agricultural hub, Winter Garden grew into a bustling suburbia in a short period of time. This episode focuses on Winter Garden's period of boom, bust and rebirth. Present-day Winter Garden was originally inhabited by Native Americans thousands of years before European colonization. Early European settlers began arriving in the area around Lake Apopka around 1845 with the encouragement of the Armed Occupation Act for settlement in the new State of Florida. The community began to grow rapidly when the Orange Belt Railway arrived in 1886 and citrus became the area's cash crop. A train depot was constructed in 1893 and the town was named Winter Garden. The area also became a popular tourist in the 1920s, nicknamed the "large-mouth bass capital." Winter Garden continued to thrive on citrus, proclaiming itself the largest citrus shipping point in the world during the 1940s. The citrus industry continued to boom throughout World War II, but quality dropped as Lake Apopka became polluted.
Original 16-minute and 35-second podcast by Nicholas Niemi, November 16, 2011: "RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 18: Winter Garden's 20th Century: Boom, Bust and Rebirth." RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Orlando, Florida.
RICHES of Central Florida
Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida
RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 43: The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation
Episode 43 of RICHES Podcast Documentaries: The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation. RICHES Podcast Documentaries are short form narrative documentaries that explore Central Florida history and are locally produced. These podcasts can involve the participation or cooperation of local area partners. Episode 43 focuses on the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, the relationship between the City of Winter Garden and the Foundation, and how the Foundation has changed over time.
Original 17-minute and 53-second podcast by Nicholas Niemi, November 30, 2012: "RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 43: The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation." RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Orlando, Florida.
Pine Needle Basket Weaved by a Geneva Resident
Pine needle basket woven by Mrs. Nixon, a Geneva resident, in 1917. Geneva is a community in Seminole County. The area was originally inhabited by the Timucuan tribe as early as 2000 B.C.E. Between 1765 and 1766, John and William Bartram explored the St. John's River, including the area that would become Geneva, which was inhabited at the time by the Seminole tribe formed in the 1760s. New settlers arrived and settled in Harney Cove during the 1843-1845 period. Harney Cove was renamed Geneva in 1880.
Original 12 x 12 inch pine needle basket by Mrs. Nixon, 1917: Museum of Geneva History, Geneva, Florida.
Oviedo's Plan: A Variety of Rules on Everything from Roads to Recreation
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on May 26, 1977. The article describes the Oviedo Comprehensive Plan developed by the Local Planning Agency (LPA). Plans include rules and regulations for land use, natural resources, housing, community services and facilities, transportation, parks and recreation, potable water, and sewage and solid waste disposal.
Original newspaper article: Noles, Randy. "Oviedo's Plan: A Variety of Rules on Everything from Roads to Recreation." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 4, No. 40, May 26, 1977, page 1 and 4: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Oviedo City Hall, Memorial Building, Downtown Oviedo, Florida
The Oviedo Heritage, a supplement for The Oviedo Outlook, published on June 30, 1977. This article, by Randy Noles, briefly describes the life of Dr. Theodore Luqueer Mead (1852-1936), who was famous for hybridizing orchids, amaryllis, and caladiums. Dr. T. L. Mead migrated from New York to Eustis, Florida, in 1869, and then to Oviedo in 1886. At his 85-acre estate in the Lake Charm area, Dr. Mead conducted experiments and accumulated one of the world's largest butterfly collections.
Original newspaper article: Noles, Randy. "Mead Left His Mark." The Oviedo Heritage, June 30, 1977: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Mead Botanical Gardens, Winter Park, Florida
Fifteenth Census Population for Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, 1930
The Fifteenth United States census records for Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, for 1930. The Census divides the population by categories of
Name, age, sex, race, marital status, occupants and relation to head of house, whether the home is owned or rented, value of home or rent, whether home is a farm residence, whether the home has a radio, college attendance, literacy, birthplace and birthplace of parents, citizenship status, language spoken before coming to United States, year of immigration, occupation or business, class of worker, whether worked the previous day, military status, and war or expedition participated in. A notable resident listed in this record is Lester George Magrath (1921 – 1996). This is the first census in which Magrath appears. Magrath was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 6, 1921, to Louise and Clifton Magrath. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corp. Magrath married his wife, Hazel, in Hillsborough County, Florida, in 1943. Magrath served in the Air Corp until 1972, achieving the rank of Master Sargent. After his service, Magrath retired to Valrico, Florida, where he died on July 18, 1996. Lester Magrath is memorialized in Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
United States Census Bureau
Digital reproduction of original census record by Charles I. O'Connell, April 16, 1930.
A 1918 draft list for Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida. Approximately 24 million men registered for the draft in 1917 and 1918. Those who were drafted reported to their local draft boards and then traveled to camp, where they were inducted into and trained for the United States Army. To keep track of draftees and whether they reported for duty, each local board created forms. Form 1029 PMGO provided information including name, order number, serial number, call number, primary industry, classification, report date, entrainment location, and the local board itself. John Watkins (1889-1918) is listed with order number 2233, serial number 953, and primary industry of autodriver. He has a mark in both Classifications I and II, though both meant he would eventually be eligible for service, and an X in the column for those who failed to report to military authorities. John Watkins was born on February 22, 1889 to James and Sarah Watkins in Ocala, Florida. Little is known about his life before the war. At age 29, he was inducted into the United States Army in Tampa, Florida on June 21, 1918. He was then sent to train at Camp Dix in New Jersey, as a Private in the 807th Pioneer Infantry, an all-black segregated unit. On September 4, 1918, the 807th departed from Hoboken, New Jersey to France aboard the USS Siboney. Soon after arrival in Europe, Watkins was promoted to the rank of Corporal, likely because he could read, write, and drive. Though the 807th served in a non-combatant role, they were often in the thick of battles, such as the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the last major engagement of the war, building and repairing infrastructure. Watkins survived the war and remained in France, continuing to repair roads and bury the dead. Within a month, on December 8, 1918, Watkins died of pneumonia, likely caused by the influenza epidemic. He is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery at Plot H Row 6 Grave 23. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Office of Provost Marshal General, Selective Service System
Digital reproduction of original typewritten draft list, June 21, 1918: Records of the Selective Service System (World War I), 1917-1918, Record Group 163, NAI Number 1159403.
A 1918 draft list for St. Augustine, Florida. Approximately 24 million men registered for the draft in 1917 and 1918. Those drafted reported to their local draft boards and then traveled to camp, where they would be trained for and inducted into the United States Army. To keep track of draftees and whether they reported for duty, each local board created forms. Form 1029 PMGO provided information such as name, order number, serial number, call number, primary industry, classification, report date, entrainment location, and the local board itself. Joseph Williams (1895-1942) is listed with order number 147, serial number 1377, call number 642, and his primary industry as cook. The form also lists him as Classification I, meaning he was immediately eligible for service. He originally reported for induction at the St. Johns County Board in Florida, but he was transferred to Ithaca, New York for induction and Camp Dix in New Jersey for training. Joseph Williams was born on March 4, 1895 and lived in St. Augustine, Florida for much of his life. Before World War I, he worked as a cook. He registered for the draft on May 29, 1917 and was selected for serice on June 20, 1918. He was sent to train at Camp Dix in New Jersey. From September 4, 1918 to July 3, 1919 he served overseas as part of Compan M of the 807th Pioneer Infantry. This unit was responsible for technical assistance such as repairing and constructing roads, bridges, and railways. After the war ended, Williams was discharged on July 9, 1919 and returned home to St. Augustine. There, he resumed life as a cook, and married his wife, Pauline. Williams died on December 23, 1942. He is buried in the St. Augustine National Cemetery at Section D, Grave 18. 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.
Office of the Provost Marshal General, Selective Service System
Digital reproduction of original typewritten draft list, June 19, 1918: Records of the Selective Service System (World War I), 1917-1939, Record Group 163, NAI Number 1159403.
Passenger List of Organizations and Casuals
An outgoing United States Army passenger list of organizations and casuals from Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1918. The United States Army Transport Service (ATS) compiled records of all persons who passed through United States and foreign ports via ATS ships, incoming as well as outgoing. Information included the name of the sip, the arrival or departure date and place, the servicemember's rank, age, regiment, and next of kin, and a non-servicemember's relation to a servicemember. The ship, the USS Orizaba, departed from Hoboken, New Jersey, for France in early September 1918. A notable soldier listed is Will Johnson (1889-1942). Born on July 6, 1889, in Wilmington, North Carolina, Johnson eventually moved to Georgia. Before the war, he married his wife, Hattie Hokes. After registering for the draft, Johnson joined the United States Army at Camp Gordon on July 17, 1918. Although he began his service in the 15th Depot Brigade, he became part of Company D of the 315th Labor Battalion on August 29, 1918. The unit boarded the USS Orizaba on September 4, 1918, to depart for France. Johnson and his unit remained in France after the war, leaving on July 7, 1919, from St. Nazaire. The Army discharged Johnson on July 29, 1919. He died on September 17, 1942, and is buried in the St. Augustine National Cemetery at Plot D, Grave 11. 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 outgoing Army passenger list: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774-1985
Record Group Number 92, Roll or Box Number 520.
The passenger list of organizations and casuals departing from Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1918. The document includes the soldier's number, name, rank, regiment, corps or department, emergency contact, and address. A notable passenger listed in the record is Riley Wright (1893-1919). Wright was likely born in 1893, although some documents list his birth year as 1895, near Falmouth in Suwannee County in Northern Florida. Like his father and grandfather before him, Wright worked as a farmer. He married Eva Coleman on April 15, 1917, and was drafted on August 3, 1918, joining the 807th Pioneer Infantry unit. In France, Wright and his unit served in a technical capacity, constructing and repairing roads, bridges and railways. Though the Army did not consider these infantry units as combat units, their work on the front lines brought them in direct contact with the enemy. The 807th participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, which was the last major engagement of the war. Wright survived the offensive. However, he succumbed to influenza on January 7, 1919. He is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery at Plot H Row 10 Grave 28 in Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, France. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program continues, engaging a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in national cemeteries available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 headstones at four national cemeteries, two in Florida (Florida National Cemetery and St. Augustine National Cemetery) and two in France (American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries at Aisne-Marne and the Meuse-Argonne), where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original passenger list: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774-1985, Record Group Number 92, Roll or Box Number 578.
Army Transport Service, Passenger Department, Hoboken, New Jersey
The passenger list for Colored Company D of the 546th Engineers. The company departed from New York, New York for France on September 25, 1918 on board the SS Oxfordshire. Commodore Isaac Murray (1896?-1947) (fourth from top) was part of this company and traveled to France on this ship. Commodore Isaac Murray was born in New Augustine, Florida in October sometime between 1895 and 1897 (his records give conflicting dates). He grew up in St. Augustine with six siblings. Like many, when the United States entered the World War, Murray registered for the draft on June 5, 1917, and he was inducted into the United States Army on August 4, 1918. He served as a private in Company D of the 546th Engineers from September 11, 1918 to August 26, 1919. The Engineers battalions were responsible for a wide range of behind-the-lines work, such as repairing roads and building barracks to keep the rest of the army moving. After returning to the United States, Murray was honorably discharged on September 12, 1919. He returned to his hometown where he lived with his wife and children until his death on October 18, 1947. He is buried in the St. Augustine National Cemetery at Section D Grave 87. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten passenger list, September 25, 1918: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774-1985, Record Group 92, Roll or Box Number 521.
The interment card for Eddie Landrum (1899-1937). Interment cards are control forms for burial lots in national cemeteries. They provide the details of name, birth, rank, serial number, units and wars served in, enlistment, discharge, death, interment date, gravesite and next of kin. According to this card, Eddie Landrum served in the 42nd Company, 157th Depot Brigade as a Private. He was inducted on August 22, 1918, given an honorable discharge on February 21, 1919, and died March 24, 1937. Elijah "Eddie" L. Landrum was born on July 3, 1899, in Sandersville, Georgia. Like his father, Landrum was a farmer before the war. As he was under the age of twenty-one, Landrum listed his birth year as 1895 in order to register for the draft when the United States entered World War I. On August 22, 1918, Landrum was drafted for service and sent to train at Camp Gordon, Georgia. He served as part of the 157th Depot Brigade, which remained in the United States to receive, train and uniform new recruits who would be sent to fight on the front lines in France. After the war, Landrum was discharged and returned to his work as a farmer. He married and eventually settled in St. Augustine, Florida. On March 24, 1937, Eddie Landrum passed away and was buried in the St. Augustine National Cemetery in Section A Grave 208. 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.
Office of the Quartermaster General, Memorial Division
Digital reproduction of original typewritten interment card: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774-1985, Record Group 92.
St. Augustine National Cemetery, St. Augustine, Florida
Money Transfer from Ebenezer Nanabamyin Okai
A money transfer sent by Ebenezer Nanabamyin Okai in Tema, Ghana, to Elaine Pancake, the customer relations coordinator for the Downtown Orlando Post Office, located at 51 East Jefferson Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida. This particular post office was constructed in a Spanish Colonial Revival style from 1939 to 1941 and dedicated on April 14, 1941. It has been occupied by the United States Postal Service since 1941, the Federal District Courthouse from 1941 to circa 1974, and the office of the Roman Catholic Church since 2003.
Original money transfer: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida
An oral history interview of educator Dillard A. Gould. The interview was conducted by Dr. Connie Lester and Jessica Oldham over Zoom on August 2nd, 2022. Some of the topics include his early life and education in Oviedo and playing sports, his military service, experiencing discrimination in the United States Army, and being stationed in Germany, working for AT&T, and his thoughts on African American advancement and the Oviedo Colored School Museum.
Gould, Dillard Alan. Interviewed by Connie Lester and Jessica Oldham, August 2, 2022. Audio record available. RICHES, Orlando, Florida.
RICHES
Memorandum from K. A. Oleson and A. R. Collier to Electric Utility Sales and Electric Utility International (September 14, 1983)
A memorandum from Marketing Manager K. A. Oleson and Commercial Operations Manager A. R. Collier to Electric Utility Sales and Electric Utility International regarding the reorganization of Westinghouse Electric Corporation's Steam Turbine Generator Division (STGD). In 1983, the Westinghouse power generation business operation, starting with the Steam Turbine Generator Division, was taking shape in its new Orlando headquarters under the management team led by General Manager Dr. Stan Quick (under E. J. "Gene" Cattabiani, Vice President of the Power Generation Group). This series of letters, memoranda, and charts documents the changes in management leadership at the Orlando site from 1983 through 1998, when the Westinghouse Power Genration Business was acquired by Siemens. Following the announcement of the retirement of Dr. Quick in 1984, the management was led by the team of Bob Ractcliffe and Howard Pierce. In 1987, Tom Campbell was appointed General Manager of the Power Generation Technology Systems Division under Nat Woodsen and Jim Moore, Vice Presidents of the Power Systems Business Unit. In 1988, the Power Generation Business Unit (PGBU) was formed under Frank R. Bakos, Vice President and General Manager (under Executive Vice President Ted Stern), and, in 1995, Randy H. Zwirn took the helm as Vice President and General Manager of the PGBU. He remained at the executive level for 20 years, through the PGBU acquisition by Siemens in 1998 and beyond to 2016. Originally called the Westinghouse Electric Company, George Westinghouse (1846-1914) founded his manufacturing company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 8, 1886. In 1889, he renamed his business The Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. Westinghouse's primary products include turbines, generators, motors and switchgear related to the generation, transmission, and use of electricity. The company changed its name to Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1945. In 1981, the company began to relocate its division headquarters for the Steam-Turbine Generator Divisions from Pennsylvania (turbines from Lester and generators from Pittsburgh) to Orlando. The PGBU building was located in The Quadrangle, at 4400 Alafaya Trail.
Original 15-page typed memorandum from K. A. Oleson and A. R. Collier to Electric Utility Sales and Electric Utility International, September 14, 1983: Private Collection of Harry L. Jaeger.
Westinghouse Electric Corporation, The Quadrangle, Orlando, Florida
Orange Blossom Trail: The Scenic Route Through Central Florida
Pamphlet on the scenic route of Orange Blossom Trail north from the Georgia-Florida border to Key West. The pamphlet lists roadside attractions near or on OBT, in an era before the construction of I-95, I-75 and I-4 nearly ended the traditional roadside attraction.
Original pamphlet by the Orange Blossom Trail Association: Vaughan & Co., Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Lake Monroe (Seminole County and Volusia County, Fla.)
Seminole Boulevard on the west edge of Sanford along Lake Monroe. Seminole Boulevard is the part of U.S. Highway 17 that runs along the coast of Lake Monroe in Sanford, Florida. U.S. Highway 17 begins in Punta Gorda, briefly runs east, and then goes north along Peace River through Arcadia, Zolfo Springs, and Wauchula. The road then joins U.S. Highway 98 at Fort Meade and continues northward until Bartow, when it separates to travel northeast. At Winter Haven, U.S. 17 becomes concurrent with U.S. Highway 92 through Kissimmee, where both highways join U.S. Highway 192. When all three roads meet U.S. Highway 441, U.S. 17/92 turns north into downtown Orlando and then splits from U.S. 441 at State Road 50/Colonial Drove and continues east until it turns north at State Road 15/Mills Avenue. In Sanford, U.S. 17/92 crosses over the St. Johns River into Volusia County and then splits north of DeLand as U.S. 17 travels north toward Palatka, again crossing the St. Johns River. The highway then continues through Clay County, suburban Jacksonville, and Nassau County until it reaches the Florida border. The entire highway spans across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Lake Monroe is a lake that is part of the St. Johns River system in Florida and is also the eigth largest lake in the Orlando metropolitan area. Sanford is located on its northern shore and DeBary and Deltona are located along its northern shore. Two major roadways, State Road 415 and Interstate 4, run near the lake. Lake Monroe also formes the border of Seminole County and Volusia County.
Original 4 x 6 inch color postcard by Orange News Company: Postcard Collection, call number PC5643, Florida Photographic Collection, State Library and Archives of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida.
State Library and Archives of Florida
Newspaper collage from the 1970 Jones High School yearbook. The articles describe the Orange County teachers strike of 1969, in which 27 teachers stayed home in protest of the county's decision to move black students to white schools and convert their former schools to other uses. The county implemented this policy after the courts ordered desegregation in all schools. Three of four black high schools were converted, but Jones High was spared. 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.
Original newspaper clippings: Jones High School Historical Museum, Orlando, Florida.
Newspaper collage from the 1970 Jones High School yearbook. The articles describe a lottery in which teachers' names were drawn from a fishbowl to determine which school they would be assigned to. The county implemented this policy after the courts ordered desegregation in all schools. 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.
Proposed Charter of the Orlando Ministerial Association
Proposed charter for the Orlando Ministerial Association, which was a group of white, black and Jewish clergymen whose goal was to meet the social, moral and religious problems of Orlando. The association was open to people of all races and creeds, making it one of the few integrated associations in Orlando at the time. The charter committee included Fred A. Corliss, J. E. Williams, E. Page, J. C. Fuller, R. B. Hemingway and J. M. Phipps.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten reports, March 5, 1956: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
First Unitarian Church of Orlando
First Unitarian Church of Orlando, Florida
Minutes of Charter Meeting, February 20, 1958
The Orlando Ministerial Association's minutes of a charter meeting on February 20, 1958. The meeting was held at Temple Israel in Winter Springs, Florida. The association was founded with the purpose of being "open to all clergymen of Orlando regardless of faith or race or creed" and to "attempt to meet the challenge and development of Orlando, with its concomitant social, moral and religious problems, through the unified thinking and action of all religious leaders". The document lists the charter members and the elections of officers. The minutes were recorded by John C. Fuller of the First Orlando Unitarian Church, who was the secretary of the association at this time. There are handwritten edits on both documents.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten reports, February 20, 1958: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Minutes of Monthly Meeting, March 6, 1958
Minutes of a monthly meeting of the Orlando Ministerial Association. The meeting was held on March 6, 1958, at the temple of Liberal Judaism in Orlando, Florida. The document introduces a number of new members and mentions that the minutes of the charter meeting were approved. The record also mentions that a member brought up that a charter needed to be composed, which the rest of the group attending agreed with. The document was written by John C. Fuller, who was Secretary of the Orlando Ministerial Association.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten report, March 6, 1958: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Temple of Liberal Judaism, Orlando, Florida
Minutes of Monthly Meeting, April 3, 1958
Minutes of a monthly meeting of the Orlando Ministerial Association. The meeting was held on April 3, 1958, at the Y.M.C.A. in Orlando, Florida. According to the document, a number of visitors became members during the meeting and it was decided that all members would pay one dollar until set dues were voted upon. The proposed charter was read to the members and discussed. The members decided that the charter should state that the association would confine itself to Greater Orlando. The meeting concluded with Reverend Staggers and Rabbi Kurz giving a presentation about the topic "Problems Facing Ministers in this Community". The document was written by John C. Fuller, who was Secretary of the Orlando Ministerial Association.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten report, April 3, 1958: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Minutes of a monthly meeting of the Orlando Ministerial Association. The meeting was held on May 8, 1958, at the Y.M.C.A. in Orlando, Florida. According to the document, the members in attendance discussed the bombing of a synagogue and a black elementary school in Jacksonville on April 28, 1958. Anonymous callers claimed responsibility for the bombings and reportedly belonged to a group called the "Confederate Union". The document details how the members of the meeting were disturbed by this and conducted several actions, including setting up a committee to pass a resolution concerning the bombings, sending a letter of commendation to the mayor and police department of Jacksonville, and having the special committee consider sending a letter to Senator Smathers, asking him to get the Justice Department involved. The document was written by John C. Fuller, who was Secretary of the Orlando Ministerial Association.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten report, May 8, 1958: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Minutes of Monthly Meeting, June 5, 1958
Minutes of a monthly meeting of the Orlando Ministerial Association. The meeting was held on June 5, 1958, at the Y.M.C.A. in Orlando, Florida. The focus of this meeting was the bombings of a synagogue and African-American school that took place in Jacksonville on April 28, 1958. Two letter were read by Rabbi Kurz, who was the chairman of a special committee concerning the tragedy. The first letter was to the mayor and police department of Jacksonville and the second was to Representative Herlong and two Florida senators. At the end of the meeting, it was authorized that letters of thanks be sent to Mr. Brock, secretary of the Y.M.C.A. for letting them use their building as a meeting place. Appreciation of Pat Pinkerton of the Orlando Sentinel was also expressed due to her providing fair coverage of the meeting. The document was written by John C. Fuller, who was Secretary of the Orlando Ministerial Association.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten report, June 1958: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Minutes of Monthly Meeting, October 2, 1958
Minutes of a monthly meeting of the Orlando Ministerial Association. The meeting was held on October 2, 1958, at the Y.M.C.A in Orlando, Florida. The first topic discussed was an election of permanent officers that would take place on October 20, 1958. The second topic discussed was the discrimination of African-Americans by the United Appeal. This inequality being best exemplified by the existence of a colored division within the United Appeal. The final topic discussed concerned the refusal of the Orlando Sentinel to accept advertisements from African-American churches. The document was written by John C. Fuller, who was Secretary of the Orlando Ministerial Association.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten report, October 2, 1958: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Minutes of Monthly Meeting, October 30, 1958
Minutes of a monthly meeting of the Orlando Ministerial Association. The meeting was held on October 30, 1958, at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando. This meeting is notable for being the first annually held business meeting. The first topic discussed was that a resolution be drawn up on the matter of desegregating "The Negro Division" of the United Appeal. It would be written by Reverends Staggers, Fuller, Jupiter and C.A Johnson. The second topic discussed was the refusal of the Orlando Sentinel to accept advertisement from African American churches. It was decided that a delegation of members from the Orlando Ministerial Association would meet with the editors of the newspaper to discuss the issue. Next, elections of permanent officers were held. The meeting concluded with a resolution of the Jacksonville bombings being passed called the Declaration of Conscience. The resolution condemned the bombings, saying that the bombers were working against the teachings of Jesus, Moses and Isaiah. The document was written by John C. Fuller, who was Secretary of the Orlando Ministerial Association.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten report, October 30, 1958: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Orlando Ministerial Association Thanksgiving Service Booklet
The Orlando Ministerial Association's Thanksgiving service booklet from November 24, 1960. The cover of the booklet features a photograph of a church surrounded by autumn foliage. The interfaith service was the first such community workshop service open to all peoples in the community.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten booklet, November 24, 1960: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Minutes of Monthly Meeting, December 5, 1958 and January 19, 1958
Minutes of two monthly meetings of the Orlando Ministerial Association. The meetings were held on December 5, 1958, and January 19, 1959. The record of the December meeting was written by acting secretary J. E. Williams. It was conducted at the Y.M.C.A., and Bill Briggs, the religion editor of the Orlando Sentinel, was present. A letter from the Martin Company inviting the Orlando Ministerial Association to attend a lunch at the plant was accepted. The meeting concluded with Rabbi Shwartz reading excerpts from "Only in America" by Harry Golden. The readings, which pertained to the racial situation in the south, were positively received by the members in attendance. The record of the January meeting was authored by John C. Fuller. It reported on the Orlando Ministerial Association's tour of the Martin Company's plant.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten report, December 5, 1958 and January 19, 1958: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
A Declaration of Conscience by the Orlando Ministerial Association
A rough draft of a resolution entitled "A Declaration of Conscience", which was read to the members of the Orlando Ministerial Association during their meeting on October 2, 1958. The resolution addresses a recent bombing of a place of worship.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten document, October 2, 1958: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Minutes of Monthly Meeting, February 5, 1959
Minutes of a monthly meeting of the Orlando Ministerial Association. The meeting was held on February 5, 1959, at the Y.M.C.A. in Orlando, Florida. Secretary John. C. Fuller announced that a special offer was available to clergymen for Time magazine and that tickets were on sale for the annual Florida Council on Human Relations dinner. The committee appointed to confront the discrimination shown by the United Appeal was asked to submit their resolution to the rest of the members as soon as possible. Pat Pinkerton of the Orlando Sentinel was present to discuss the newspaper's policy of rejecting news and advertisements from African-American churches. Pinkerton urged the ministers of those churches to submit their news and advertisements early in the week directly in care of her. It was decided that the next meeting would include a panel discussion concerning "Religion in the Public Schools".
Digital reproduction of original typewritten report, February 5, 1959: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Minutes of Monthly Meeting, March 5, 1959
Minutes of a monthly meeting of the Orlando Ministerial Association. The meeting was held on March 5, 1959, at the Y.M.C.A. in Orlando, Florida. Pat Pinkerton of the Orlando Sentinel was present to discuss an update on the newspaper's policy of rejecting news and advertisements from African-American churches. At the previous meeting, Pinkerton suggested that the ministers of those churches submit their news and advertisements early in the week and directly in care of her. She reported that two advertisements had been published since then. A panel discussion on "Religion in the Public Schools" was conducted. It was agreed that it would continue at the next meeting.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten report, March 5, 1959: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Minutes of Monthly Meeting, April 2, 1959
Minutes of a monthly meeting of the Orlando Ministerial Association. The meeting was held on April 2, 1959, at the Y.M.C.A. in Orlando, Florida. A financial report was made and Rabbi Shwartz began a discussion about the "Parent Option Plan", which was a bill that was to be introduced to the state legislature. The purpose of the plan was to siphon money from public schools to private institutions so that white children could avoid having to attend desegregated public schools. The Orlando Ministerial Association voiced opposition to this legislation. The committee appointed to contact the United Appeal reported that they received favorable responses from officials. The discussion of "Religion in the Public Schools" was postponed, and the meeting was adjourned with a prayer.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten report, April 2, 1959: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Minutes of a monthly meeting of the Orlando Ministerial Association held in May 1959. One of the topics discussed was the high dropout rate at Jones High School, a notable African American school in Orlando. It was decided that a committee would be appointed to attend a PTA meeting at the school. It was also decided that a luncheon would be held on June 4, 1959, and the wives of the clergymen would be invited.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten report, May, 1959: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Minutes of Monthly Meeting, December 3, 1959
Minutes of a monthly meeting of the Orlando Ministerial Association. The meeting was held on December 3, 1959, at the Y.M.C.A. in Orlando, Florida. The matter of a possible amalgamation of the two local ministerial associations was discussed. The status of the organization's project in regard to the United Appeal was discussed. Reverend Jupiter reported that following their protest to the Appeal concerning the "Negro Division" and double solicitation of Negro working people, this year's arrangement presented no change in the situation whatsoever. It was decided that a special committee make a return visit to the Appeal to ask why something was not done as agreed upon.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten report, December 3, 1959: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Minutes of Monthly Meeting, January 7, 1960
Minutes of a monthly meeting of the Orlando Ministerial Association. The meeting was held on January 7, 1960, at the Y.M.C.A. in Orlando, Florida. Harold E. Scott, chairman of the Citizens Committee for Good Government, began the meeting by speaking about the importance of citizens practicing their democratic rights and opportunities in the community. He especially focused on the importance of freedom of speech. Rabbi Shwartz reported on a possible merge with the Orange County Ministerial Association, announcing that they were co-sponsoring a luncheon with the Mental Health Association. A program committee was established and the meeting was adjourned.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten report, January 7, 1960: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Minutes of Monthly Meeting, March 3, 1960
Minutes of a monthly meeting of the Orlando Ministerial Association. The meeting was held on March 3, 1960, at the Y.M.C.A. in Orlando, Florida. The committee charged with looking into a possible merger had no report available on a possible amalgamation with the Orange Country Ministerial Association. Members unanimously concluded that they needed to register and urge their churchgoers to vote. Also discussed was the Sunday Closing Law, which mandated that all businesses had to close on Sunday. The Orlando Ministerial Association was against this because they saw it as a violation of constitutional rights. Non-violent lunch counter protests were also discussed.
Digital reproduction of original typewritten report, March 3, 1960: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Address Sheet with Notes on Orlando Ministerial Association Laws
A sheet containing a list of addresses on the front side and handwritten notes on the back. These notes appear to be the draft of a speech supporting equal opportunity in education in the United States. The end of the speech states that the Orlando Ministerial Association is embarrassed by the proposals advanced at the White Citizens Council meeting that was held in the Orlando Colosseum.
Original typewritten address card: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Minutes of Special Meeting, March 17, 1960
Minutes of a monthly meeting of the Orlando Ministerial Association. The meeting was held on March 17, 1960, at the Y.M.C.A. in Orlando, Florida. The meeting began with Reverend E.A. Jupiter giving his report on the lunch counter demonstrations that took place in the first week of March. He claimed that the situation was rigged to take the steam out of the protest. He recommended that African Americans recognize the transition taking place in American life, use rank and file leadership rather than self-appointed leaders, re-spend the dollar so as to re-structure consumer practice, and use boycotts to provoke action for bi-racial problem solving. He recommended that whites recognize transition, take initiative without being pushed, be willing to meet with and talk about problems with African Americans, and take action. It was also mentioned that many whites would be willing to support projects striving toward integration if they were kept anonymous. The meeting concluded with the president, Rabbi Shwartz, giving Reverend Jupiter a farewell tribute.
Original typewritten report, March 17, 1960: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Letter from Robert W. Hunt to Members of Temple of Liberal Judaism (March 31, 1960)
A letter from Robert W. Hunt, President of the Orange County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), to the members of the Temple of Liberal Judaism, on March 31, 1960. A memorandum received from the national office of the NAACP was attached to the letter. Hunt states that anyone who reads the memorandum would be in sympathy with the cause of the NAACP. He urges all sympathizers to boycott shopping at Woolworth, Kress, Grant, Kresge and McCrory.
Original typewritten letter from Robert W. Hunt to Members of Temple of Liberal Judaism, March 31, 1960: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
A memorandum attached to a letter from Robert W. Hunt, President of the Orange County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), to the members of the Temple of Liberal Judaism, on March 31, 1960. The document calls for a boycott of several establishments that refused to serve African Americans at their lunch counters., including F.W Woolworth, S.S Kresge, S.H Kress and W.T Grant stores. The memorandum mentions the arrests of hundreds of protestors in Orangeburg, South Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia, and singles out Governor Ernest F. Hollings Jr of Georgia and Governor John Patterson of Alabama, as being especially against peaceful African American protests. It states that Southern state governments were supporting the anti-African American lunch counter policies and that the federal government was not doing enough to stop it. The memorandum urges African Americans to take matters into their own hands and boycott the establishments in all sections of the country.
Original typewritten memorandum from the NAACP: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
A card with handwritten notes from an unidentified member of the Orlando Ministerial Association. The front of the card contains fragmented terms and sentences. On the back of the card are notes describing events that occurred in 1960. It states that a Mr. Jack Kazanas would be coming to the March 17th meeting to speak to the Orlando Ministerial Association about his churches. The end of the note states that Rabbi Feldman requested a prayer book for an unnamed county jail "visitor".
Original handwritten notes from the Orlando Ministerial Association: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Minutes of Special Meeting, April 21, 1960
Minutes of a monthly meeting of the Orlando Ministerial Association. The meeting was held on April 21, 1960, at the Y.M.C.A. in Orlando, Florida. Secretary John C. Fuller reported that the County Bar Association was sending all the members copies of material for Law Day. He also reported that he sent a letter to Governor Collins commending him for his stance on the lunch counter protests and had received a response from him. The Special Resolutions Committee passed the resolutions.
Original typewritten report, April 21, 1960: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
The Orlando Ministerial Association's resolution on Florida Senate Bill no. 682, the Sunday Closing Law. According to the document, the association opposed the bill, whose referendum was scheduled for May 3, 1960, because they believed that establishing a religious day of worship for Orange County citizens would violate the First Amendment of the Constitution. The association also believed the proposed bill was discriminatory because it singled out special groups while allowing others to be exempt. In addition, the resolution claims that the proposed law gave county law enforcement agents the power to question a citizens about their religion, which violated the separation of church and state. The resolution was passed on April 21, 1960.
Original typewritten report: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Resolution on Lunch Counter Demonstrations
The Orlando Ministerial Association's resolution on lunch counter demonstrations. The resolution, passed on April 21, 1960, supported non-violent demonstrations at segregated lunch counters in Orlando stores. According to the document, the association believed that the concepts of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man defied segregation, and that non-violent demonstrations were an effective way of highlighting the immorality of segregation in a peaceful way. The association also resolved that Florida Governor Thomas Leroy Collins be commended for calling out the immorality of stores with segregated lunch counters. The resolution lastly called on all religious people in the community to refuse to patronize any store practicing segregation on its premises.
Original two-page typewritten report, April 21, 1960: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Letter from John C. Fuller to Colleagues (September 28, 1960)
A letter from John C. Fuller, Secretary of the Orlando Ministerial Association (OMA), to all members of the organization on September 28, 1960. Fuller invites members to attend the opening meeting of the fall at the Y.M.C.A. in Orlando, Florida, on October 4, 1960. The back of the document contains handwritten notes of the names of several OMA members belonging to a committee.
Original typewritten letter from John C. Fuller to Colleagues, September 28, 1960: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Minutes of Meeting, Thursday, December 8, 1960
Minutes of a monthly meeting of the Orlando Ministerial Association (OMA). The meeting was held on December 8, 1960. The meeting began with a discussion about the Thanksgiving service hosted at the First Unitarian Church. The Association decided that a committee, including John C. Fuller, would draft a letter to all clergymen, including those of the Protestant Evangelical Association, inviting them to join the OMA. It was also decided that new officers would be elected on January 5, 1961. The meeting concluded with a committee being set up to look into the OMA establishing a public community college.
Original typewritten report, December 8, 1960: First Unitarian Church of Orlando.
Seven-inch, 33 1/3 speed record titled "Recruit Training - Sounds to Remember" Naval Training Center, Orlando, Florida. The record was produced by the Walsworth Publishing Company of Marceline, Missouri. The Orlando Naval Training Center (NTC) was commissioned on July 1, 1968 and built on land formerly used for the Orlando Air Base, which was decommissioned in 1946. Construction for the second camp began in 1969 and was scheduled to be completed by mid-1973, the year in which Orlando became the only site of recruit training for enlisted women. The NTC closed on March 31, 1995.
Original 33 1/3 speed record by Orlando Naval Training Center: "Recruit Training: Sounds to Remember": Walsworth Publishing Company, Marceline, Missouri: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Walsworth Publishing Company
Orlando Naval Training Center, Orlando, Florida
The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green, August 31, 1994
The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green comic from the inaugural issue of The Watermark, published on August 31, 1994. The comic strip was created by Eric Orner, an openly gay cartoonist, and centered around Ethan Green, a gay man trying to balance work with love. The comic was first published in 1989 and ran for 15 years before it was retired. The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green was also adapted into film in 2005. Since 1994, The Watermark has been the cornerstone source of LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, and others) 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 comic strip: Orner, Eric. The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan GreenThe Watermark, Vol. 1, No. 1, August 31, 1994, page 18: Publications Collection, GLBT History Museum of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Watermark Media
The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green: Flashback 1976
The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green comic from the inaugural issue of The Watermark, published on September 14, 1994. The comic strip was created by Eric Orner, an openly gay cartoonist, and centered around Ethan Green, a gay man trying to balance work with love. The comic was first published in 1989 and ran for 15 years before it was retired. The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green was also adapted into film in 2005. Since 1994, The Watermark has been the cornerstone source of LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, and others) centered news for the Central Florida region. Founded by Tom Dyer in Orlando, the publication began generating bi-weekly issues beginning September 14, 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 comic strip: Orner, Eric. The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan GreenThe Watermark, Vol. 1, No. 2, September 14, 1994, page 18: Publications Collection, GLBT History Museum of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
World Champion Pine Chip by Bill Orr. Growing up in Michigan, Orr (1925-) worked breaking in mustang ponies. When World War II broke out, Orr joined the U.S. Army and was a member of the cavalry regiment. Later seeing action on Okinawa in the Pacific Theater, he was among the first servicemen to serve in Japan after the war. Orr found his way to the Research Studio in 1961 after applying for a position through a newspaper advertisement. Orr, along with Maury Hurt, was instrumental in leading the movement to save the Art Center from developers in the 1960s. As an artist he made a living doing life-size portraits of horses. He would go on to establish himself as a leading equine artist, a tribute to his lifetime love of horses.
Original painting: Orr, Bill. World Champion Pine Chip: Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
Punta Gorda Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot
The Punta Gorda Train Depot, also known as the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot, was erected in Punta Gorda, Florida, in 1928. The depot was built with in Spanish style that was popular at the time and resembles a Mediterranean resort. It was built to service mostly freight but passengers were also carried. On east side of the building lay the tracks. During the segregation era, the depot's entrance had different doors for "whites" and "coloreds." Two different waiting areas and bathrooms were built to separate passengers.
Original color digital images by Joseph Ortner, March 2014.
Punta Gorda Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot, Punta Gorda, Florida
Annual Report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, 1950
The annual report of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1950. The organization began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. In this year's report, the board gives an annual review of the accomplishments of the past and a summation of the objectives for the next year.
Original 6-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1950: Folder SSWCD Annual Reports, 1949-1975, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District
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.
In Memory of Harry "Big Newt" Boston, Sr.
This is the dedication from former members of the Oviedo Black Hawks baseball team for Harry "Big Newt" Homer, Sr. Boston, who was an integral part of Oviedo's African-American community. Originally from Valdosta, Georgia, he graduate from Valdosta State College (now Valdosta State University). After college, he joined the U,S, Army, where he served as a medic during World War II. After migrating to Oviedo, Florida, Boston built a baseball diamond where local black youths played. The teams were known as the Oviedo Black Hawks for boys and Oviedo Lady Black Hawks for girls. On his bus, affectionately nicknamed the "Big Newt Bus," Boston would take the teams to games across Florida and other states as far north as Tennessee. The City of Oviedo honored him by naming Boston Hill Park, located at 777 South Central Avenue, in his honor. On May 21, 1994, the city also proclaimed that date Harry "Big Newt" Boston Day. Boston passed away on October 3 of that same year at the Winter Park Memorial Hospital in Winter Park.
Original 4-page pamphlet by the Oviedo Black Hawks, May 2000: Private Collection of Jacqueline Morgan.
Fifteenth Census Population for Double Run, Militia District 1762, Georgia, 1930
The Fifteenth United States census records for Double Run, Georgia in Hickox County for 1930. The census divides the population into categories of name, age, sex, race, marital status, occupants and relation to head of house, whether the home is owned or rented, value of home or rent, whether home is a farm residence, and whether the home has a radio. It also records college attendance, literacy, birthplace and birthplace of parents, citizenship status, language spoken before coming to United States, year of immigration, occupation or business, class of worker, whether they worked the previous day, military status, and the war or expedition participated in. A notable individual listed in this record is Major James Lamarr Moore (1923-1994), who appears on sheet 2B, line 78. Major Moore was born to Raymond R. Moore and Nettie Mae Moore on December 14, 1923 in Oxford, Alabama. At the time of the census, James (line 74) was six years old and Raymond Moore (listed as G. R.) was a farmer. His parents are listed on lines 76 and 77, and his four siblings are listed on lines 79, 80, and 1 and 2 on the next sheet. James enlisted in the United States Army on January 1, 1923, to serve in World War II. His military career spanned two decades and he ended his service as a Major. As a civilian, he married twice and had four children and three step-children. He owned and operated GEICO Insurance offices and was also a partner in the Fed Chek organization, where he served as Vice President. He died from heart failure of June 26, 1994, and is interned at Florida National Cemetery in section MC, site 19.He is one of the individuals commemorated in the Veterans Legacy Project. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original census record by Esther J. Owens, April 7, 1930: Census Place: Double Run, Wilcox, Georgia
An audio recording of "Stepping," composed and performed by Nathen Page (1937-2003) live on-air on WUCF-FM on June 23, 2000. Page was an American guitarist from West Virginia who moved to Central Florida in 1979, where he remained active until his death in 2003. Page was known for his unorthodox way of playing, including using a thumb pick on his forefinger. He performed with numerous jazz musicians, including Sonny Rollins (b. 1930), Roberta Flack (b. 1937), Sam Rivers (1923-2011), Herbie Mann (1930-2003), and Jackie McLean (1931-2006). Page released this on-air recording as a 2000 album, entitled Thinking of You. The performance included his regular quartet, with Kevin Bales on piano, Leon Anderson on drums, and Jeff Handley on bass.
Original 8-minute and 12-second audio recording: Page, Nathen. "Stepping," by Nathen Page, Kevin Bales, Leon Anderson, and Jeff Handley: WUCF-FM, Orlando, Florida, June 23, 2000.
WUCF-FM
WUCF-FM, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
"Blues in the Key of Page" by Nathen Page
An audio recording of "Blues in the Key of Page," composed and performed by Nathen Page (1937-2003) live on-air on WUCF-FM on June 23, 2000. Page was an American guitarist from West Virginia who moved to Central Florida in 1979, where he remained active until his death in 2003. Page was known for his unorthodox way of playing, including using a thumb pick on his forefinger. He performed with numerous jazz musicians, including Sonny Rollins (b. 1930), Roberta Flack (b. 1937), Sam Rivers (1923-2011), Herbie Mann (1930-2003), and Jackie McLean (1931-2006). Page released this on-air recording as a 2000 album, entitled Thinking of You. The performance included his regular quartet, with Kevin Bales on piano, Leon Anderson on drums, and Jeff Handley on bass.
Original 7-minute and 3-second audio recording: Page, Nathen. "Blues in the Key of Page," by Nathen Page, Kevin Bales, Leon Anderson, and Jeff Handley: WUCF-FM, Orlando, Florida, June 23, 2000.
An audio recording of "Carrie," composed and performed by Nathen Page (1937-2003) live on-air on WUCF-FM on June 23, 2000. Page was an American guitarist from West Virginia who moved to Central Florida in 1979, where he remained active until his death in 2003. Page was known for his unorthodox way of playing, including using a thumb pick on his forefinger. He performed with numerous jazz musicians, including Sonny Rollins (b. 1930), Roberta Flack (b. 1937), Sam Rivers (1923-2011), Herbie Mann (1930-2003), and Jackie McLean (1931-2006). Page released this on-air recording as a 2000 album, entitled Thinking of You. The performance included his regular quartet, with Kevin Bales on piano, Leon Anderson on drums, and Jeff Handley on bass.
Original 5-minute and 50-second audio recording: Page, Nathen. "Carrie," by Nathen Page, Kevin Bales, Leon Anderson, and Jeff Handley: WUCF-FM, Orlando, Florida, June 23, 2000.
An audio recording of "Bistro Stomp," composed and performed by Nathen Page (1937-2003) live on-air on WUCF-FM on June 23, 2000. Page was an American guitarist from West Virginia who moved to Central Florida in 1979, where he remained active until his death in 2003. Page was known for his unorthodox way of playing, including using a thumb pick on his forefinger. He performed with numerous jazz musicians, including Sonny Rollins (b. 1930), Roberta Flack (b. 1937), Sam Rivers (1923-2011), Herbie Mann (1930-2003), and Jackie McLean (1931-2006). Page released this on-air recording as a 2000 album, entitled Thinking of You. The performance included his regular quartet, with Kevin Bales on piano, Leon Anderson on drums, and Jeff Handley on bass.
Original 5-minute and 23-second audio recording: Page, Nathen. "Bistro Stomp," by Nathen Page, Kevin Bales, Leon Anderson, and Jeff Handley: WUCF-FM, Orlando, Florida, June 23, 2000.
An audio recording of "Blues for Alvin," composed and performed by Nathen Page (1937-2003) live on-air on WUCF-FM on June 23, 2000. Page was an American guitarist from West Virginia who moved to Central Florida in 1979, where he remained active until his death in 2003. Page was known for his unorthodox way of playing, including using a thumb pick on his forefinger. He performed with numerous jazz musicians, including Sonny Rollins (b. 1930), Roberta Flack (b. 1937), Sam Rivers (1923-2011), Herbie Mann (1930-2003), and Jackie McLean (1931-2006). Page released this on-air recording as a 2000 album, entitled Thinking of You. The performance included his regular quartet, with Kevin Bales on piano, Leon Anderson on drums, and Jeff Handley on bass.
Original 9-minute and 21-second audio recording: Page, Nathen. "Blues for Alvin," by Nathen Page, Kevin Bales, Leon Anderson, and Jeff Handley: WUCF-FM, Orlando, Florida, June 23, 2000.
An audio recording of "Thinking of You," composed and performed by Nathen Page (1937-2003) live on-air on WUCF-FM on June 23, 2000. Page was an American guitarist from West Virginia who moved to Central Florida in 1979, where he remained active until his death in 2003. Page was known for his unorthodox way of playing, including using a thumb pick on his forefinger. He performed with numerous jazz musicians, including Sonny Rollins (b. 1930), Roberta Flack (b. 1937), Sam Rivers (1923-2011), Herbie Mann (1930-2003), and Jackie McLean (1931-2006). Page released this on-air recording as a 2000 album, entitled Thinking of You. The performance included his regular quartet, with Kevin Bales on piano, Leon Anderson on drums, and Jeff Handley on bass.
Original 4-minute and 57-second audio recording: Page, Nathen. "Thinking of You," by Nathen Page, Kevin Bales, Leon Anderson, and Jeff Handley: WUCF-FM, Orlando, Florida, June 23, 2000.
An audio recording of "Blues for Brad," composed and performed by Nathen Page (1937-2003) live on-air on WUCF-FM on June 23, 2000. Page was an American guitarist from West Virginia who moved to Central Florida in 1979, where he remained active until his death in 2003. Page was known for his unorthodox way of playing, including using a thumb pick on his forefinger. He performed with numerous jazz musicians, including Sonny Rollins (b. 1930), Roberta Flack (b. 1937), Sam Rivers (1923-2011), Herbie Mann (1930-2003), and Jackie McLean (1931-2006). Page released this on-air recording as a 2000 album, entitled Thinking of You. The performance included his regular quartet, with Kevin Bales on piano, Leon Anderson on drums, and Jeff Handley on bass.
Original 6-minute and 38-second audio recording: Page, Nathen. "Blues for Brad," by Nathen Page, Kevin Bales, Leon Anderson, and Jeff Handley: WUCF-FM, Orlando, Florida, June 23, 2000.
Original 7-minute and 51-second audio recording: Page, Nathen. "Blues in the Key of Page," by Nathen Page, Kevin Bales, Leon Anderson, and Jeff Handley: WUCF-FM, Orlando, Florida, June 23, 2000.
Malverne Boys Acclaimed As New Swing-Sing Trio
Music--New York (State)--New York--20th century
A newspaper article entitled, "Malverne Boys Acclaimed As new Swing-Sing Trio". Included in the article is a promotional image of the band. Written by Anthony Panzarella, the article describes a recent performance at an overseas press club reception for Sammy Davis Jr. It also lists a number of shows that they had played, along with the career aspirations for each of the three members. Initially called the Executives, the band was formed in 1963 by Jesse Cutler (then known as Lou London), Ricky Shutter and Steve Wagner. The band signed to Mercury Records in 1964, where they recorded a hit single called "Everybody Do the Duck". That same year, the band appeared as guests on the Joe Franklin Show, Wonderama, The Clay Cole Show, American Bandstand, Hullaballoo and Shindig. Over the next two years they performed at charity events and private celebrity parties all over Long Island and New York City. They played in the company of the Rolling Stones, Sammy Davis Jr., Barbra Streisand, Anthony Newley, Joan Collins and the Beatles. The group broke up in 1966. Jesse Cutler has spent an illustrious career, beginning at age 12, as a musician, composer, actor, producer, and entrepreneur. Starting in New York City in the 1960s and then in Los Angeles from the early ‘70s through the late ‘90s, Jesse performed with his bands and in the original cast of Godspell on Broadway, made records that saw Billboard’s Top 100, formed his own companies and appeared on TV and radio and in national print.
Original newspaper article: "Malverne Boys Acclaimed As new Swing-Sing Trio." ca. 1963 to 1966: Private Collection of Jesse Cutler.
An oral history interview of Michael Partain (b. 1968), who served in the U.S. Navy during the Cold War Era. Partain was born at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina on January 30, 1968. He enlisted in the Navy on January 2, 1988, but was disqualified due to illness on February 20. During his short service, Partain trained at Naval Training Center Orlando (NTC Orlando). This oral history interview was conducted by Amanda Hill on March 6, 2014. Interview topics include Partain's background, enlistment, basic training, advanced training at the Nuclear Propulsion School, the effect of the Navy's presence in Central Florida on the region, NTC Orlando, training, his illness and subsequent qualification, and life after leaving the Navy.
Partain, Michael. Interviewed by Amanda Hill, March 6, 2014. Audio/video record available. Item DP0014905, UCF Community Veterans History Project, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, Florida.
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
Recruit Training Center Orlando, Naval Training Center Orlando, Orlando, Florida
The 1850 and 1860 Census, Schedule 2, Slave Inhabitants
Underwood, Joseph R. (Joseph Rogers), 1791-1876
Two pages from a larger digital article, "The 1850 and 1860 Census, Schedule 2, Slave Inhabitants," from the AfriGeneas Library, which dedicates itself to literature concerning African-American genealogy, as well as researching African ancestry in the Americas. This excerpt discusses a Congressional debate from the first session of the 31st Congress. The focus of the debate was whether to name slaves (listing their name, age, sex, etc.) using the newly proposed U.S. Census tables, or to simply enumerate them, getting an aggregate number for census purposes.
Original digital article: Paterson, David E. "The 1850 and 1860 Census, Schedule 2, Slave Inhabitants": Private Collection of Ida Boston.
A postcard depicting a group celebrating Memorial Day in 1912 in Lynn Haven, Fla. One man in the center of the group holds and American flag on a pole, while four children sit on the boardwalk. This postcard is part of a private collection kept by Roger Hipel of St. Cloud, Florida.
Original 5 x 3 black and white postcard: Private Collection of Roger Hipel.
Postcard with a photo of two homes being built in Lynn Haven, Florida. On the back of the postcard is a handwritten message that is addressed to Mrs. Edgar Bootman at 437 H St. NW in Washington, D.C. The message reads, "Dear Bessie, Please send yoke so I can get it by Friday move. Lovingly, Lucielle" This postcard is part of a private collection kept by Roger Hipel of St. Cloud, Florida.
A postcard depicting a scene on Florida Avenue in Lynn Haven, Florida. Two business buildings are located on the right side of the street, while more buildings line the left side heading north. Five men stand outside the closest building on the left side, while another group of men sit in front of the right side building. A horse and buggy head north down the street. On the back of the postcard is a handwritten message addressed to Mrs. Edgar Bootman at 437 H St. NW in Washington, D.C. The message reads, "Dear Bessie, Arrived home safe 10 min. of 12. Now write me soon. Lucille" This postcard is part of a private collection kept by Roger Hipel of St. Cloud, Florida.
A newspaper photograph 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 photograph by Jean Patteson: The Sanford Herald: Private Collection of Daphne F. Humphrey.
Jones-Francis Maternity Hall, Georgetown, Sanford, Florida
J. A. Paul Receipt for Isaac Vanderpool (June 21, 1893)
A receipt from J. A. Paul to Isaac Vanderpool for groceries, dated June 21, 1893. The Vanderpools were one of the original families in Maitland, Florida, with Isaac Vanderpool, the patriarch of the family, buying 160 acres of land in the year 1870. In 1876, after facing a large financial loss and disaster in New York, Isaac and his wife, Harriet Vanderpool, permanently moved to the Maitland area. At the time of their arrival, the area only had about four or five family homesteads and orange groves. Vanderpool was part of the first committee to help incorporate the town of Lake Maitland. The committee included Vanderpool, Henry S. Kedney, George Packwood, and Richard Packwood. The Vanderpool family was also heavily involved in civic affairs, which included the establishment of the town of Eatonville by Vanderpool and Josiah C. Eaton. The Vanderpools were paricipants in the creation of the Florida Audubon Society and the organization of the Maitland Public Library. Harriet Vanderpool, along with Bishop Henry C. Whipple, founded the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, and, in 1927, she wrote the "Maitland Song," which the chamber of commerce adopted as the official song for the city. In 1887, Vanderpool became Mayor of Maitland and during this time, acquired land for the city first cemetery. In 1892, he built the first packinghouse in Maitland, which was featured in TheGate City Chronicle as the state most modern and best packinghouse.
Original 4 x 8.25 inch receipt, June 21, 1893: Vanderpool Collection, accession number 2014.002.018V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
Letter from David Pearlman to Helen L. Stairs (June 13, 1994)
Letter to Helen L. Stairs from David Pearlman confirming the sale of the Ritz Theatre to RCT Projects, Inc. Originally the Milane Theatre was built 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 letter from David Pearlman to Helen L. Stairs, June 13, 1994: Ritz Theatre Collection, Museum of Seminole County History, Sanford, Florida.
Memorandum from W. R. Peavy, Jr. (July 23, 1962)
A 1-page memorandum from W. R. Peavy, Jr., a fishery biologist with the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, regarding the May 1962 Lake Apopka fish kill. The memorandum revises the earlier estimate of fish killed, found in Harold L. Moody's memorandum toO. E. Frye, Jr., Assistant Director of the commission, from 50,000 lbs to 120,000 pounds. Frye states his belief that DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and parathion sprayed from agricultural aircraft were responsible for the kill. Samples of the dead fish were shipped to the University of North Carolina for analysis by Dr. Charles Weiss, Professor of Sanitary Science. The results were inconclusive regarding pesticides, as the cause of the kill due to decay suffered in transit. However, some samples did show evidence of exposure to pesticide.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten memorandum from W. R. Peavy, Jr., July 23, 1962: binder 1962, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
A postcard depicting a view of an alleyway in Antwerp, Belgium. Founded sometime between 150 and 270, Antwerp is the most populous city in Belgium. 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 5 x 3 inch color postcard: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1A (non-U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Weeki Wachee Springs Swimming Area, c. 1950s
Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
Early image of Weeki Wachee Springs swimming area and parking lot, taken sometime between 1948 and 1960. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter, Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987. It was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original black and white photograph of Weeki Wachee Springs, c 1940s-1950s: Delee Perry Collection.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida
A signed photograph of Eileen Perry Hogshead, the daughter of Newton "Newt" Perry, aged fourteen, as a Weeki Wachee Mermaid. The photograph was taken by Newton Perry around 1950. On the reverse of the photograph is a hand-written caption by Newton. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter, Delee Perry, took over Perry's swim school following her father's death in 1987. It was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Eileen Perry Hogshead, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida
Exterior of Underwater Theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
An exterior photograph of the underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Florida, around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Mermaid Swimming in Front of an Underwater Filming Tank Designed by Newton "Newt" Perry
Motion pictures--Production and direction
Underwater cinematography--Equipment and supplies
A photograph of a mermaid swimming in front of an underwater filming tank created by Newton "Newt" Perry some time between 1950 and 1970. The photograph may be either from Weeki Wachee Springs State Park or from Newton "Newt" Perry's career as an underwater filmmaker. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of underwater filming tank, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Photograph of underwater diver in diving suit with a sunken treasure chest, some time between 1950 and1970. The photograph may be either from Weeki Wachee Springs State Park or from Newton "Newt" Perry's career as an underwater filmmaker. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of underwater diver in diving suit, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Swimming Area at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
A photograph of a swimming area with bathers in front of a building at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Florida, around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of swimmers at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
A photograph of an underwater filming scene showing Newton "Newt" Perry in a diving helmet at an underwater camera, some time between 1950 and 1970. This photograph may be either from Weeki Wachee Springs State Park or from Newton "Newt" Perry's career as an underwater filmmaker. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of underwater filming scene, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Weeki Wachee Mermaids Eating Watermelon Underwater
Three Weeki Wachee Mermaids eating watermelon underwater. Before the mermaids performed plays, their shows consisted of underwater ballet, a deep dive into the depths of the spring, and other stunts. A common stunt the mermaids performed was to eat and drink underwater. Most commonly the mermaids ate bananas and drank soda out of glass bottles. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter, Delee Perry, took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987. It was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of mermaids eating underwater: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Weeki Wachee Mermaid Posing Underwater in Costume Tail
Weeki Wachee Springs Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Weeki Wachee Mermaid posing underwater: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Underwater photograph of a mermaid wearing goggles and holding an air hose at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Weeki Wachee mermaid underwater, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Underwater Filming Tank Designed by Newton "Newt" Perry
Photograph of an underwater filming tank created by Newton "Newt" Perry between 1950 and 1970. This photograph may be either from Weeki Wachee Springs State Park or from Newton "Newt" Perry's career as an underwater filmmaker. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Fish Swimming in Front of an Underwater Filming Tank
Photograph of a fish swimming in front of an underwater filming tank created by Newton "Newt" Perry between 1950 and 1970. This photograph may be either from Weeki Wachee Springs State Park or from Newton "Newt" Perry's career as an underwater filmmaker. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Visitors to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Photograph of a line of visitors to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park outside the underwater theater around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of visitors to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Visitors to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Underwater Theater
Photograph of visitors to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in underwater theater around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Mermaids Performing at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Photograph of mermaids performing at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. The three mermaids sit on boards in the water. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of mermaids performing at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Newton "Newt" Perry in Underwater Theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry with three men in an underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. One of the men is holding a movie camera. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry in underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Exterior of the Underwater Theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Exterior photograph of the underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of the underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Weeki Wachee Mermaids in Staged Underwater Dining Scene
Photograph of three Weeki Wachee Mermaids in staged underwater dining scene at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. The mermaids are eating watermelon and breathing using air hoses while sitting at a table placed on the bottom of a body of water. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Weeki Wachee Mermaids in staged underwater dining scene at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Three Mermaids Posing on the Beach at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Photograph of three mermaids posing on the beach at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. The exterior of the underwater theater is visible in the background. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Weeki Wachee Mermaid Entering Water Tank
Photograph of an unidentified Weeki Wachee mermaid standing on a ladder in preparation to enter a water tank around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of a mermaid at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Photograph of a staged scene of four men eating watermelon underwater while seated around a table somewhere between 1950 and 1970. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of staged underwater dining scene, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Photograph of Nancy Tribble taking a breath from an air hose while seated underwater in costume as a Weeki Wachee Mermaid around 1948. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Weeki Wachee Mermaid, ca. 1948: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Weeki Wachee Mermaids Posing in a Circle on the Shore
Photograph of Weeki Wachee Mermaids posing in a circle on the shore at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. The mermaids are wearing swimsuits rather than fins. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Newton "Newt" Perry Dressed as Santa Claus Decorating an Underwater Christmas Tree
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry dressed as Santa Claus decorating an underwater Christmas tree at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry dressed as Santa Claus decorating an underwater Christmas tree, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Newton "Newt" Perry Dressed as Santa Claus with Mary Darlington
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry dressed as Santa Claus with a Weeki Wachee Mermaid named Mary Darlington around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry dressed as Santa Claus with Mary Darlington, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.