Ann Blyth and Newton "Newt" Perry on the Underwater Set of "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Motion pictures--Production and direction
Photograph of Ann Blyth (left) and Newton Perry (right) on the underwater set used in the film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid," which was built for filming at Weeki Wachee State Park in 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 Ann Blyth and Newton "Newt" Perry with underwater film set at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, 1948: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
RICHES
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida
Photograph of a Weeki Wachee Mermaids reunion event somewhere between 1950 and 1955. Newton "Newt" Perry looks on as two mermaids cut a cake with the messages "Welcome Mermaids" and "5th Annual Reunion" written on it in icing. 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 Reunion event, ca. 1950-1955: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Photograph of "Newt Perry's Aquatic Theater," showing Newton "Newt" Perry standing on a stage and speaking into a microphone, flanked on each side by two women in swimsuits somewhere between 1950 and 1960. A large glass tank stands behind the group. After Perry left Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in 1950, he established a traveling mermaid show called "Newt Perry's Aquatic Theater." 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's Aquatic theater, ca. 1950-1960: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Photograph of a man wearing diving goggles and fins handing an air hose to a Weeki Wachee Mermaid in a swimsuit and fins who is posing underwater 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 mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Photograph of a man and two women seated at a table on the floor of a body of water some time between 1950 and 1970. A standing man wearing a diving helmet appears to direct the scene participants. 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.
Newton "Newt" Perry Repairing Underwater Film Set
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry and man repairing an underwater film set some time 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 Newton "Newt" Perry and man repairing an underwater film set, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Newton "Newt" Perry Bartending Underwater
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry dressed as a bartender, standing at a bar underwater, and shaking a cocktail shaker some time 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 Newton "Newt" Perry bartending underwater, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Newton "Newt" Perry and Woman Dancing Underwater
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry and a woman dancing underwater, as a second woman looks on and claps while seated at a table some time 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 Newton "Newt" Perry and a woman dancing underwater, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Newton "Newt" Perry, Johnny Sheffield, and Johnny Weissmuller
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry, Johnny Sheffield, and Johnny Weissmuller during filming of "Tarzan Finds a Son" at Silver Springs in 1938. 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, Johnny Sheffield, and Johnny Weissmuller during filming of "Tarzan Finds a Son," 1938: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Underwater cinematography--Equipment and supplies
Photograph of one man and two women free diving underwater. An air supply tank labeled "Air Station No. 3 - 24 Ft" rests on the floor. The photograph was taken some time 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 underwater air station, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Newton "Newt" Perry Diving from Platform
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry diving off a diving platform some time 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 Newton "Newt" Perry diving from platform, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Photograph of a staged scene of two men and two women dining underwater, seated at a table and chairs some time 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 scene of two men and two women dining underwater, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Photograph of four men preparing to enter an underwater filming tank. Two of the men hold cameras. 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 a staged underwater footrace scene some time between 1950 and 1970. Three men crouch in a starting position on the floor of a body of water as a fourth man prepares to shoot a starting pistol. One woman appears to yell through a megaphone, and a second woman is seated at the right of the scene. 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 footrace scene, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry with a sea turtle some time between 1950 and 1970. Perry is embracing the turtle, which is resting on a floating platform. 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 with sea turtle, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Photograph of two men wearing football equipment some time between 1920 and 1940. 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 two football players, ca. 1920-1940: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Photograph of a man standing in front of advertising posters on the exterior of a building some time between 1920 and 1930. One poster is for the film "Captain Fly By Night," which was released in 1922. 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 man with advertising posters, ca. 1920-1930: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
An oral history interview of Scott Peterson, a member of the Orlando Gay Chorus. The interview was conducted by Sarah Schneider at the Orlando Public Library in Orlando, Florida, on October 23rd, 2016. Some of the topics covered include an introduction, joining the Orlando Gay Chorus, his favorite productions, the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub and its aftermath, the Orlando Gay Chorus’s response to the Pulse tragedy, the community response to the tragedy, the significance of Pulse before and after the mass shooting, the role of social media in the aftermath of the tragedy, the long-term consequences of the tragedy, and the significance of the Orlando Gay Chorus.
Peterson, Scott. Interviewed by Sarah Schneider, October 23, 2016. Audio record available. RICHES of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
RICHES of Central Florida
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando, Florida
GALA Choruses Festival, Denver, Colorado
Joy Metropolitan Community Church, Orlando, Florida
RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 26: The Oviedo Chickens
Episode 26 of RICHES Podcast Documentaries: The Oviedo Chickens. 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 26 explores the history of Oviedo, Florida, as it evolved from a rural community to suburbs. The podcast also features Downtown Oviedo's population of free-range chickens. Settlers brought chickens to Solary's Wharf, the south shore of Lake Jesup, around 1875. Many settlers grew a variety of crops, especially celery, and raised livestock. Despite rapid growth in more recent decades, many Oviedo residents yearn to maintain the small-town aura. Around 1994, a lone chicken appeared on Geneva Drive. A rooster was also seen, and within a few weeks, baby chickens appeared. The Oviedo Chickens have become popular in Oviedo and the surrounding areas, with entrepreneurs designing "I Break for Oviedo Chickens" bumper stickers and various t-shirts.
Original 14-minute and 24-second podcast by Josh Petitt, March 13, 2012: "RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 26: The Oviedo Chickens." RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Orlando, Florida.
RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 41: Oviedo, with Dr. Richard Adicks
Episode 41 of RICHES Podcast Documentaries: Oviedo, with Dr. Richard Adicks. 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 41 examines the history of Oviedo, Florida, a rapidly growing town situated on the outskirts or Orlando, and includes an interview with Dr. Richard Adicks.
Original 15-minute and 28-second podcast by Josh Petitt, October 29, 2012: "RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 41: Oviedo, with Dr. Richard Adicks." RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Orlando, Florida.
RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 12: Lawton House: Cracker Architecture in Oviedo, Florida
Episode 12 of RICHES Podcast Documentaries: Lawton House: Cracker Architecture in Oviedo, Florida. 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 12 focuses on the Lawton House, a tiny cracker house built in the 1890s and moved to 190 West Broadway Street in 1902, in the middle of Downtown Oviedo, Florida. This podcast includes an interview with the former Mayor of Oviedo, Miriam "Mimi" Bruce, and the President of Oviedo Historical Society, Lars White.
Original 17-minute and 31-second podcast by Josh Pettit, August 15, 2011: "RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 12: Lawton House: Cracker Architecture in Oviedo, Florida." RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Orlando, Florida.
Oviedo Historical Society, Downtown Oviedo, Florida
Historic Lakefront Building to Be Demolished: Deteriorated Log Cabin is Too Dangerous to Save
This is a newspaper article describing the planned demolition of the an historic log cabin-style building located at 300 Seminole Boulevard in Sanford, Florida. The log cabin was originally used as the American Legion Campbell-Lossing Post 53, which received the property from the City of Sanford during the Armistice Day celebrations on November 11, 1924. Mayor Forrest Lake dedicated the structure to the "future generations who would be better off because of the work of the American Legion." The cabin was constructed through private donations from local citizens and businesses, such as the Hill Lumber Company. A cannon from World War I was placed in front of the building on January 17, 1936, but the cannon was dismantled for scrap metal during World War II. The Sanford Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States acquired the building in 1973 and the American Legion moved to 3506 South Orlando Drive and later to 2874 South Sanford Avenue. Due to deterioration and poor conditions, inspector Gary Winn recommended demolition, which was approved by City Manager Bill Simmons. The American Legion is a social veterans' organization for former and current members of the United States Armed Forces. The organization was chartered by the United States Congress on September 16, 1919, following World War I. The American Legion has been active in influencing political and social change, such as the founding of the U.S. Veterans Bureau, which was the forerunner of the Veterans Administration and later the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); efforts to pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting the physical desecration of the American flag; the creation of the American Legion Baseball program; the passing of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights; contributing to the launch of the National Association for Mental Health; sponsorship of an independent study on the effects of the exposure of Agent Orange, a herbicidal weapon, on veterans of the Vietnam War; as well as many other activities and achievements.
Photocopy of original newspaper article: Pfeifauf, Nick. "Historic Lakefront Building to Be Demolished: Deteriorated Log Cabin is Too Dangerous to Save." The Sanford Herald, January 24, 1996: Private Collection of Luticia "Tish" Lee.
The Sanford Herald
American Legion Campbell-Lossing Post 53, Sanford, Florida
A fishing lure handmade by Jim Pfiffer and sold at Jackson Sporting Goods, which was owned by William R. Jackson. From approximately 1935 to 1950, the store was located at 28 East Church Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida. According to the records reviewed for the 1940s and the 1980s, a Jim Pfiffer was not located by name or profession and remains unknown. This lot, as well as the rest of the block, was later replaced by the CNA Tower and Barnett Plaza.
Original fishing lure by Jim Pfiffer: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Information Center, Orlando, Florida.
Jackson Sporting Goods, Downtown Orlando, Florida
City Cab Company Taxi Service and the American Fire and Casualty Company
This photograph shows three businesses located on South Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, sometime between 1941 and 1946: City Cab Company Taxi Service, Kelly's Tires, and the American Fire and Casualty Company. City Cab Co. was founded by Napoleon B. Broward as early as 1941. Broward left the company in 1943 and was replaced by the company's secretary treasurer, Paul Mears. Later renamed Mears Transportation, it became one of the largest taxicab companies in Orlando and still operates today. The Exchange Building, pictured in the distance, was home to American Fire, an Ohio-based insurance corporation that had offices in the top two floors of the building for 18 years. In 1946, the insurance company bought the building and renamed it the American Building. These lots, as well as the rest of the block, were later replaced by the CNA Tower and Barnett Plaza.
Original 8 x 10 inch black and white photograph: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Information Center, Orlando, Florida.
City Cab Company Taxi Service, Downtown Orlando, Florida
American Fire and Casualty Company, Downtown Orlando, Florida
RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 7: The Winter Park Sinkhole Part 1: Eyewitness Reactions to a Disaster
Episode 7, Part 1 of RICHES Podcast Documentaries: The Winter Park Sinkhole: Eyewitness Reactions to a Disaster. 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 7 examines the sinkhole that occurred from May 8 to May 10, 1981 in Winter Park, Florida, as well as the reactions of locals, the media, and the nation. After three days, the sinkhole grew to 350 feet and caused millions of dollars in damage. The sinkhole began filling with water that summer and eventually engineers filled the bottom with dirt and concert to stabilize the sinkhole. A lake formed in its place and was named Lake Rose in honor of Mae Rose Williams (née Owens), the woman who discovered the sinkhole. This podcast includes interviews with local business owners Darryl Donkel, Alan Duckworth, and Dennis W. Phillips, and an interview with Dr. Frank Kujawa of the University of Central Florida.
Original 16-minute and 42-second podcast by Clayton Phillips, May 31, 2011: "RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 7: The Winter Park Sinkhole Part 1: Eyewitness Reactions to a Disaster." RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Orlando, Florida.
RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 8: The Winter Park Sinkhole Part 2: The Effects and Aftermath
Episode 8, Part 2 of RICHES Podcast Documentaries: The Winter Park Sinkhole: The Effects and Aftermath. 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 8 examines the sinkhole that occurred from May 8 to May 10, 1981 in Winter Park, Florida, as well as the effects and aftermath. After three days, the sinkhole grew to 350 feet and caused millions of dollars in damage. The sinkhole began filling with water that summer and eventually engineers filled the bottom with dirt and concert to stabilize the sinkhole. A lake formed in its place and was named Lake Rose in honor of Mae Rose Williams (née Owens), the woman who discovered the sinkhole. This podcast includes interviews with local business owners Darryl Donkel, Alan Duckworth, and Dennis W. Phillips, and an interview with Dr. Frank Kujawa of the University of Central Florida.
Original 20-minute and 55-second podcast by Clayton Phillips, May 31, 2011: "RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 8: The Winter Park Sinkhole Part 2: The Effects and Aftermath." RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Orlando, Florida.
Fifteenth Census Population Schedule for Pensacola
The census population schedule for Pensacola, Florida, in 1930. Individuals are identified by name, titles and terms, gender, age, marital status, race, relationship to head of household, birthplace, birth year, the last place of residence, and occupation. A notable resident listed in this record is Doyle Fleming Nee (1921-1944), who attended Pensacola High School in Pensacola, Florida. He married one of his classmates before joining the U.S. Army Air Forces' (USAAF) 367th Fighter Squadron of the 358th Fighter Group during World War II. First Lieutenant Nee became a skilled airplane pilot and participated in many battles throughout France during his career. His life came to an end on October 2, 1944, when a friendly airplane struck his plane, and he evacuated the aircraft without a parachute near Faulquemont, France. 1st Lt. Nee is buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Digital reproduction of original handwritten census record by L. C. Phillips, April 15, 1930: Image Number 00761, Digital Folder Number 004950227, GS Film Number 2340050, Affiliate Film Number 315, Affiliate Publication Number T626, National Archives &amp
Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
Bureau of the Census
St. Joseph's Academy Boys Basketball Team, 1929
St. Joseph's Academy's seven-member boys basketball team standing in a wooded area in 1929. St. Joseph's Academy, located at 53 East Jefferson Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, opened on October 17, 1889, with just 40 students. The school, built by Father J. J. Creed of St. James Cathedral, was to serve the children of St. James Church until 1929, when a new Italian Renaissance-style school was opened at 505 East Ridgewood Street between Cathcart Avenue and Hillman Avenue. The school stood at the northeast corner of the church property at Main Street and Robinson Street, where the U.S. Post Office now stands in Downtown Orlando on 51 East Jefferson Street. Photographed from left to right are Franklin Zane, Jack Spellman, Eugene Jane, Paul Yochum, Ray Jane, and Fred Yochum would be the last basketball team of St. Joseph Academy.
Original 10 x 10 inch black and white photograph, 1929: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
St. Joseph's Academy, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Memorandum from D. H. Pierce (April 12, 1988)
A memorandum from D. H. Pierce, General Manager of Westinghouse Electric Corporation's Power Systems Operation Division, regarding the development of joint ventures with ASEA Brown Boveri (ABB). The partnership would serve power generation, transmission, and distribution markets in North American and Latin America. 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 2-page typed memorandum from D. H. Pierce, April 12, 1988: Private Collection of Harry L. Jaeger.
Westinghouse Electric Corporation, The Quadrangle, Orlando, Florida
Oral History of Gordon Pierce and Trina Cothrin
An oral history interview of Gordon Pierce (b. 1930) and Trina Cothrin, who both served in the U.S. Navy. Pierce was born in Buffalo, New York, on September 16, 1930. He enlisted in the Navy in 1948 and served until September of 1977, during the Cold War era and the Vietnam War. During his service, Pierce was station on the USS Wasp, the USS Coral Sea, the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the USS John F. Kennedy. He achieved the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer and earned a Navy Commendation Medal and a Navy Achievement Medal. Pierce's daughter, Trina Cothrin (b. 1958), was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on October 13, 1958. Cothrin enlisted in the Navy in October of 1979 and served until October of 1982, when her son was born. She was then in the U.S. Naval Reserve until 1993, when she joined the U.S. Army. She left the military in 2009, after serving in Operation Enduring Freedom during the War in Afghanistan. Throughout her service, Cothrin was stationed at Naval Air Station Miramar (NAS Miramar) in California, Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jacksonville), U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) in Qatar, and MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) in Tampa. She ultimately achieved the rank of Chief Yeoman. This oral history interview was conducted by Roger Jordan Sims on March 12, 2014. Interview topics include enlistment, boot camp, Naval Training Center Orlando (NTC Orlando), the Vietnam War, Operation Enduring Freedom and the War in Afghanistan, life after leaving the Navy, how Central Florida has changed over time, the legacy of NTC Orlando, and the Lone Sailor Memorial Project.
Pierce, Gordon. Interviewed by Roger Jordan Sims, March 12, 2014. UCF Community Veterans History Project, DP0014915. Audio/video record available. UCF Community Veterans History Project, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, Florida.
Cothrin, Trina. Interviewed by Roger Jordan Sims. UCF Community Veterans History Project, DP0014914. March 12, 2014. Audio/video record available. UCF Community Veterans History Project, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, Florida.
Naval Station Great Lakes, Great Lakes, Illinois
Naval Air Station Sanford, Sanford, Florida
Naval Air Station Key West, Key West, Florida
Naval Training Center Orlando, Orlando, Florida
Naval Air Station Miramar, Miramar, San Diego, California
Letter from Kenneth A. Plante to Gary I. Sharp (June 27, 1975)
A letter from Senator Kenneth A. Plante (1939-2015) to Gary I. Sharp, dated June 27, 1975. In this letter, Sen. Plante states that he endorses a potential purchase by the State of Florida of the Gourd Neck Springs area for use as a potential recreational park. Gourd Neck Springs is a small spring located in the southwest portion of Lake Apopka, in a small cove called “Gourd Neck” due to its distinctive shape. This area of the lake was considered in the 1960s as a potential nursery for fish. The Lake Apopka Technical Committee explored damming the Gourd Neck, separating it from the lake and preventing polluted lake water from entering, but these plans did not materialize. Efforts were also made in the 1960s to have the Gourd Neck area purchased by the State of Florida for use as a public park. The Gourd Neck Springs Park Association was formed in 1961 to study the site’s potential for a park and lobby for support from legislators. The land bordering the area was privately-owned by various individuals. One of these, Gary I. Sharp, continued seeking support for a park into the 1970s. While the project received support from Florida legislators and environmentalists, the land was never purchased by the state.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten letter from Kenneth A. Plante to Gary I. Sharp, June 27, 1975: binder 1975, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Lake Monroe (Seminole County and Volusia County, Fla.)
Postcard of a steamboat and pier on the Sanford Riverfront. By the mid-1880s, Sanford, Florida had become a major distribution center due to the city's strategic location along Lake Monroe and the St. Johns River. Even before Florida obtained statehood, steamboats frequented the St. Johns River carrying U.S. Army soldiers to Fort Mellon, located on the shores of Lake Monroe, to defend the area against Native Americans during the Seminole Wars. Steamboats were used at the fort and during the Battle of Camp Monroe to relocate Seminoles, explore the St. Johns River, and to distribute military forces. During the second half of the 1830s, steamboats were used to tow barges from the river to Lake Monroe in order to stimulate trade. The first commercial steamboat was developed as the Brock Line in the early 1850s. As trade grew, various wharves and docks were built in locations such as Mellonville Avenue, Palmetto Avenue, Oak Street, and Sanford Avenue. The Debary-Baya Merchant Line began transporting passengers in 1883, which further developed the steamboat industry. The line was purchased by the Clyde Line in 1886 and remained open until 1933. The growth of railroads was the primary cause of the decline of the steamboat industry.
Original 9 x 14 centimeter black and white postcard by Plaxo Printing Press: Postcard Collection, call number PC3080, Florida Photographic Collection, State Library and Archives of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida.
State Library and Archives of Florida
Missing Air Crew Report for Second Lieutenant Doyle Fleming Nee
A Missing Air Crew Report for Second Lieutenant Doyle Fleming Nee (1921-1944). This report was completed by Captain Lawrence W. Pool on October 3, 1944. 2nd Lt. Nee (1921-1944) was an alumnus of Pensacola High School in Pensacola, Florida. He married one of his classmates before joining the U.S. Army Air Forces' (USAAF) 367th Fighter Squadron of the 358th Fighter Group during World War II. 2nd Lt. Nee became a skilled airplane pilot and participated in many battles throughout France during his career. His life came to an end on October 2, 1944, when a friendly airplane struck his plane, and he evacuated the aircraft without a parachute near Faulquemont, France. 2nd Lt. Nee is buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Digital reproduction of original 1-page typewritten report by Lawrence W. Pool, October 3, 1944.
Newspaper article on the development of the New Tribes Mission, located at 1000 East First Street in Sanford, Florida. Originally named after the Sanford Mayor and president of Seminole County Bank, construction of the Forrest Lake Hotel began in 1916. Local architect Elton J. Moughton designed the hotel. In 1925, Hotel Forrest Lake opened and became a popular destination for tourists visiting Sanford. By 1929, the hotel closed after the stock market crash and the downfall of Florida's tourism and real estate boom. William E. Kirchhoff leased the building in 1934 and the hotel reopened in 1935 with the new name Mayfair Hotel. Under Kirchhoff's ownership, the Mayfair Hotel became known as one of the finest hotels in the South. Kirchhoff sold the hotel in 1948 to Horace Stoneham, owner of the New York Giants. Stoneham then sold the building to the Bernard McFadden Foundation in 1963. After the Naval Air Station Sanford acquired $1.3 million to fund the construction of a naval academy in 1963, the Foundation made significant alterations to the building to house students from the Sanford Naval Academy. The Foundation later sold the building to the New Tribes Mission in 1977. The New Tribes Mission's goal is to reach tribes who have no access to the Gospel through translated publications and missionary work.
Original newspaper article by Geoffrey Pounds. "New Tribes Mission Grows." The Sanford Herald. October 21, 1979.
A newspaper article about the origin of the names of various Florida towns. According to the article, Oviedo and Seville after respective cities in Spain. Andrew Aulin, Sr. (1843-1918), the Swedish immigrant credited with naming Oviedo, was appointed the town's first postmaster in 1879. Ormund Powers, the author of the article, also explains that McIntosh was named in honor of Colonel John C. McIntosh, who was scalped by Native Americans. According to the article, St. Cloud was named for a suburb of Paris, France, and served as a "semi official residence" for veterans of the Union Army.
Original newspaper article: Powers, Ormund. "Spanish Influence Town Names.": Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
An excerpt written by Theodore Pratt and published in Florida Magazine. The article discusses how barefoot mailmen delivered letters sent from Palm Beach to Miami, Florida, in the late 19th century. This excerpt was originally published in Pratt's book, That Was Palm Beach, published in 1968.
Photocopy of original magazine article by Theodore Pratt: Florida Magazine.
Florida Magazine
Letter from Peter C. H. Pritchard to Gary I. Sharp (June 3, 1975)
A letter from Peter C. H. Pritchard (b. 1943) to Gary I. Sharp, dated June 3, 1975. In this letter, Dr. Pritchard, Vice President of the Florida Audubon Society, writes in support of Sharp's proposal that the Gourd Neck Springs area of Lake Apopka be acquired for use as a public park. Dr. Pritchard states that the area is too small for purchase under the State of Florida's Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) program, but that the area has environmental value and would be worth acquiring by the public. Gourd Neck Springs is a small spring located in the southwest portion of Lake Apopka, in a small cove called “Gourd Neck” due to its distinctive shape. This area of the lake was considered in the 1960s as a potential nursery for fish. The Lake Apopka Technical Committee explored damming the Gourd Neck, separating it from the lake and preventing polluted lake water from entering, but these plans did not materialize. Efforts were also made in the 1960s to have the Gourd Neck area purchased by the State of Florida for use as a public park. The Gourd Neck Springs Park Association was formed in 1961 to study the site’s potential for a park and lobby for support from legislators. The land bordering the area was privately-owned by various individuals. One of these, Gary I. Sharp, continued seeking support for a park into the 1970s. While the project received support from Florida legislators and environmentalists, the land was never purchased by the state.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten letter from Peter C. H. Pritchard to Gary I. Sharp, June 3, 1975: binder 1975, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
An oral history with Kem McNair, a surfer, artist, musician, photographer, and owner of McNair Computer Arts LLC in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Born on December 27, 1952, McNair moved from southern Georgia to Central Florida around 1962. He learned to surf and became a member of the Surfari Club for many years. McNair has competed in various surfing contests and has won various championships, including the Florida Surfing Championship, and was a member of the Hobie Surf Team. Other topics discussed in the oral history include memories of Central Florida, the Surfari Club, learning how to surf, how surfing has changed over time, injuries McNair suffered from surfing, and traveling to surfing competitions.
McNair, Kem. Interview by Irene Pump and Lindsay Hemings. Daytona State College, New Smyrna Beach-Edgewater Campus. July 18, 2013. Audio/video record available. Daytona State College, New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
Daytona State College
Witch's Rock, Santa Rosa National Park, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Ollie's Point, Santa Rosa National Park, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Telegram from Smith W. Purdum to James D. Beggs, Jr. (April 8, 1941)
A letter from Orlando Postmaster James D. Beggs, Jr. to Walter Meyer, the Fourth Assistant Postmaster General. In the letter, Beggs acknowledges the receipt of a telegram from Senator Charles O. Andrews (1877-1946) regarding Meyer’s participation in the dedication of the Downtown Orlando Post Office. The original post office was housed in the Federal Building, located 44 East Central Boulevard in Downtown Orlando, Florida, from 1917 to 1941. In 1935, when James D. Beggs, Jr. became the postmaster, he began petitioning to move the post office from its Central Boulevard and Court Avenue location to a more spacious building. In 1939, St. James Catholic Church sold a plot of land of Jefferson Street for the new building. The building was designed by Louis A. Simon in the Northern Italian Palazzo Revival-style, and was constructed by J. P. Cullen & Son. The new building opened in 1941 and housed the post office, the courthouse, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offices. The building was named an Orlando Historic Landmark in 1989. However, it was eventually sold back to the St. James Church. In 2003, the building was renovated and came under joint ownership by both the church and the federal government. Today, the building retains its post office services but also includes offices for the Catholic Diocese.
Original telegram from Smith W. Purdum to James D. Beggs, Jr., April 8, 1941: Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck.
Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Sixteenth Census Population for Lawrence Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania, 1940
The Sixteenth United States Census records for Lawrence Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania, for 1940. The census divides the population by name, age, sex, race, marital status, residence, home owned or rented, value of home or monthly rent, whether living on a farm, other residents of same address, relation to head of house, attended school or college after March 1940, highest grade completed, state or foreign country of birth, employment status, hours of work per week, duration of employment, and wages. Supplemental questions include the father and mother's birthplace, language spoken in home during childhood, veteran status, father's veteran status, social security, usual occupation and industry, class of worker, if women have been married more than once, age at first marriage if so, and number of children born. A notable resident listed in the record is Rex Leon Parker (1924-1996). Born on October 4, 1924, in Fairview, West Virginia, Parker enlisted in the United States Army on July 7, 1944. He married Phyllis Adriance on February 6, 1946, a few months before being discharged from the Army in July, 1946. The couple had two daughters: Pamela Susan and Candace Ann. Rex Parker died on May 3, 1996, in Valrico, Florida, and is memorialized in the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
United States Census Bureau
Digital reproduction of original census record by Robert O. Quackenbush, May 1, 1940.
Fifteenth Census Population for Clark District, Harrison County, West Virginia, 1930
The Fifteenth United States Census records for Clark District, Harrison County, West Virginia, for 1930. The census divides the population into categories of name, age, sex, race, marital status, occupants and relation to head of house, whether the home is owned or rented, value of home or rent, whether home is a farm residence, and whether the home has a radio. It also records college attendance, literacy, birthplace and birthplace of parents, citizenship status, language spoken before coming to United States, year of immigration, occupation or business, class of worker, whether they worked the previous day, military status, and the war or expedition participated in. A notable resident listed is William Richard King (1927-1992). Born in Clarksburg, West Virginia, on March 7, 1927, King enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces on May 12, 1945, two months after his 18th birthday. He completed his tour of duty on October 31, 1949, then re-enlisted on July 28, 1950, at the rank of sergeant, to serve in the Korean War. King’s wife, Annemarie, immigrated to the United States on May 7, 1951, along with their daughter, Ellen Jean Stritter. Despite arriving with a marriage certificate, William and Annemarie were married again in the United States. King served in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars before his honorable discharge from military service on February 28, 1966. In 1974, William and Annemarie moved to Spring Hill, Florida, where their son Ralph also lived. William King died of natural causes on May 19, 1992, in Tampa, Florida. On March 17, 1995, a headstone was erected at the Florida National Cemetery. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original census record by Robert L. Quincie, April 3, 1930.
R. W. Estes Celery Company Ledger, 1947-1950
An account ledger for the R. W. Estes Celery Company, Estes' personal accounts, and the personal accounts of Estes' wife, Ruth H. Estes. R. W. Estes Celery Company was a celery growing and shipping business in Oviedo, Florida. The R. W. Estes Celery Company Precooler Historic District is located at 159 North Central Avenue and was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on September 20, 2001.
Original ledger: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
R. W. Estes Celery Company, Oviedo, Florida
Florida's Famed Underwater Fairyland...Silver Springs
Brochure produced in 1959, promoting Silver Springs, Florida. It also shows a map of Florida showing pre-Interstate system roads as several other Florida roadside attractions. Silver Springs was originally settled by the Timucuans in the early 1500s. Although they were able to reclaim their territory after Spanish invasion, the Timucuans were ultimately succeeded by other tribes, such as the Seminoles. In the 1850s, Silver Springs began to attract tourists for steamboat rides. The park's popularity skyrocketed when the glass-bottom boat was invented in 1878.
Original brochure by Ray, Davidson and Ray, 1959: Haynes Lithograph Company, Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
The Legend of the Bridal Chamber at Florida's Silver Springs Brochure
Brochure, produced in 1951, promoting the Silver Springs' attracting "The Bridal Chamber". The brochure also shows a map of Florida showing pre-Interstate highway roads as several other Florida roadside attractions. Silver Springs was originally settled by the Timucuans in the early 1500s. Although they were able to reclaim their territory after Spanish invasion, the Timucuans were ultimately succeeded by other tribes, such as the Seminoles. In the 1850s, Silver Springs began to attract tourists for steamboat rides. The park's popularity skyrocketed when the glass-bottom boat was invented in 1878.
Original brochure by Ray, Davidson and Ray, 1951: Snyder & Black, New York, New York: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Sanford High School Grammar Assignment, 1909
A grammar assignment completed by Sanford High School eighth grader William Raynor in 1909. Sanford High School was originally established at 301 West Seventh Street in Sanford, Florida, in 1902. The building was designed by W. G. Talley in the Romanesque revival style. Due to an increasing student population, a new school building was constructed on Sanford Avenue in 1911. The original building on Seventh Street served as Westside Grammar Elementary School, which was later renamed Sanford Grammar School. In 1984, the building was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places and converted into the Student Museum. The building reopened as the University of Central Florida's Public History Center in 2012. In 1927, a high school campus was designed by Elton J. Moughton in the Mediterranean revival style and constructed at 1700 French Avenue. The school reopened on January 10 and was renamed Seminole High School. In 1960, the high school moved to a new campus at 2701 Ridgewood Avenue and the former building on French Avenue was converted to Sanford Junior High School, which was later renamed Sanford Middle School. The old building was demolished in the summer of 1991 and replaced by a $5.77 million school complex. As of 2013, Seminole High School offers various Advanced Placement courses, the Academy for Health Careers, and the International Baccalaureate Programme for students.
Original school assignment completed by William Raynor, May 14, 1909: Sanford High School Collection, box 3A, folder Student Work 1909, item SCPS00516, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
A Sunday school picnic at Clifton Springs located near Lake Jesup in Oviedo, Florida. Although the caption states that the photograph was likely take around 1912, the precise date has been determined to be November 12, 1910. Some of the individuals appearing in the photograph are J. C. Brainan, J. H. Lee, Olauc Howard-Huret, Frank Anderson, Sid Brown and his wife, H. B. McCall, and Hugh White. Clifton Springs was named in honor of the hometown of Dr. Henry Foster, a wealthy grower from Lake Charm in Oviedo. Originally called White's Wharf, the site marks the approximate location where John Bartram and William Bartram camped during their excursion along the St. Johns River in 1765-1766. William G. White migrated to the area in the late 1870s and built a store here in 1879. White moved his store to Orlando in the 1880s. Many Oviedo residents used the site as the location for their annual May picnics, which began in 1880. The picnics were hosted by a joint committee of the local Baptist and Methodist churches. The wharf is now known as Hiley's Fish Camp.
Original black and white newspaper photograph: The Seminole Outlook: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
Oral History of Bettye Jean Aulin Reagan
An oral history interview of Bettye Jean Aulin Reagan, conducted by Rebecca Schwandt on April 2, 2015. Born January 27, 1934, Reagan is the granddaughter of Andrew Aulin, Sr. (1843-1918), who is credited with naming Oviedo, Florida. In this oral history, Reagan discusses growing up in Oviedo, attending school at Oviedo High School, the great technological advances that have occurred during her life, segregation and integration, her hopes and aspirations, and her family life. She also tells stories about her grandfather and talks about the history of the Aulin family, as well as the Lawtons and the Wheelers. Finally, Reagan discusses her career as an artist.
Reagan, Bettye Jean Aulin. Interviewed by Rebecca Schwandt, April 2, 2015. Audio/video record available. Oviedo History Harvest, Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of the Nelson and Company Packing Plant in 1913. The business was originally founded by Steen Nelson and Gus Nelson and called Nelson Brothers. The company changed its name to Nelson and Company after it became a three-way partnership between the brothers and Benjamin Franklin Wheeler. In 1923, Wheeler became sole owner after buying out the company. The Wheeler Fertilizer Plant was a holding of Nelson and Company. The original plant was destroyed in a fire in 1947, but eventually rebuilt six months later. Nelson and Company is located in what is now the Nelson and Company Historic District, and was incorporated in September of 2001. The 80-acre district encompasses four of Nelson and Company's historic buildings. This photograph shows the Nelson and Co. packing plant in 1913.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Nelson and Company. 1989: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
Nelson and Company Packing Plant, Oviedo, Florida
A painting created by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, in 1996. The painting was inspired by photograph of a Sunday school picnic at Clifton Springs located near Lake Jesup in Oviedo, Florida, on November 12, 1910. Some of the individuals appearing in the painting are J. C. Brainan, J. H. Lee, Olauc Howard-Huret, Frank Anderson, Sid Brown and his wife, H. B. McCall, and Hugh White. Clifton Springs was named in honor of the hometown of Dr. Henry Foster, a wealthy grower from Lake Charm in Oviedo. Originally called White's Wharf, the site marks the approximate location where John Bartram and William Bartram camped during their excursion along the St. Johns River in 1765-1766. William G. White migrated to the area in the late 1870s and built a store here in 1879. White moved his store to Orlando in the 1880s. Many Oviedo residents used the site as the location for their annual May picnics, which began in 1880. The picnics were hosted by a joint committee of the local Baptist and Methodist churches. The wharf is now known as Hiley's Fish Camp.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Church Picnic. 1988: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of Joe Lee, an African-American laborer, with Blue Goose celery at Charles Simeon Lee, Sr.'s farm in Oviedo, Florida, in 1928. The two Lees were of no relation. C. S. Lee (1892-1991) was born on October 27, 1892, and married Goldie Eva Beckley Lee (1892-1976) on April 21, 1915. During the Great Depression, Lee grew celery and bought 20,000 acres to start a cattle ranch. He passed away on November 9, 1991.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Loading Celery. 2003: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
Dinda Family Hauling Logs by Bettye Reagan
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of Michael Dinda, Sr. (1863-1935) and his twin sons, Michael Jacob Dinda, Jr. (1895-1978) and John Paul Dinda (1895-1968) hauling logs in Slavia, Florida, around 1915. Dinda was one of the founders of both Slavia and of St. Luke's Lutheran Church. Dinda moved his family to the area in 1913. During this time, John Dinda was visiting from college. He also began teaching at the Holy Trinity Slovak Lutheran Church in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1915.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Dinda Family Hauling Logs. 2001: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
Dindas Feeding Chickens by Bettye Reagan
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of two women feeding chickens on a farm in Slavia, Florida. Slavia was established in 1911 when the Slavia Colony Company purchased about 1,200 acres of land west of Oviedo. The earliest settlers of the community came from rural areas in Central Europe who were attracted to Florida's warm climate and rich soil. By the mid-1920s, celery became Slavia's leading cash crop.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Dindas Feeding Chickens. 1989: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of farm workers loading celery onto a truck in Slavia, Florida. Slavia was established in 1911 when the Slavia Colony Company purchased about 1,200 acres of land west of Oviedo. The earliest settlers of the community came from rural areas in Central Europe who were attracted to Florida's warm climate and rich soil. By the mid-1920s, celery became Slavia's leading cash crop.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Duda Celery Farm. 2004: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of the Whitney-Wolcott House, located at 6297 Lake Charm Circle, near Lake Charm in Oviedo, Florida. After buying property from Dr. Henry Foster in 1886, Calvin Whitney built his Victorian Revival-style, two-story winter home near Lake Charm. Whitney, who was the president of the A.B. Chase Piano Company, partnered with Dr. Foster in 1889-1890 to form the Lake Charm Improvement Company, which built a bulkhead, drained from the lake, and removed muck from the bottom. Whitney and Dr. Foster hired a Philadelphia-based mason to construct a sidewalk around the lake. The home was later owned by O. Gus Wolcott. Another well-known inhabitant of the house was Wyatt Wyatt, author of Catching Fire and Deep in the Heart, in the 1990s.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Wolcott Home. 1999: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of Downtown Oviedo, Florida sometime, between 1880 and 1919. The painting depicts two past businesses located on Broadway: Peters Shoes and J. B. Jones and Brothers. The Timucuan Native Americans originally inhabited the area of present-day Oviedo, although the remains of their settlements have disappeared. Homesteaders arrived along the shores of Lake Jesup in 1865 just after the Civil War ended and began growing celery and citrus. The area was called the Lake Jesup Community until March 13, 1879, when postmaster Andrew Aulin, Sr. (1843-1918), a Swedish immigrant, chose the name Oviedo.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Peters Shoes. 2001: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of the Lawton General Store Oviedo, Florida sometime between 1900 and 1939. The store was run by two brothers: Thomas Willington Lawton (1882-1963) and Winborn Joseph Lawton, Sr. (1881-1971). T. W. Lawton graduated from Rollins College in 1903. He later received his master's degree from Andover Newton College in Boston, Massachusetts. Following college, Lawton returned to Oviedo, where he married Charlotte "Lottie" Lee (1887-1984) and served as the principal of the Oviedo School from 1905 to 1907. In 1916, he became the first elected Superintendent of Schools of Seminole County. He held that post until 1952 and passed away 11 years later in 1963. Lawton Elementary School is named in his honor. W. J. Lawton, Sr. served as a trustee of the First Baptist Church of Oviedo, as well as a secretary and treasurer for the church's Sunday school. He graduated from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, in 1900. Lawton married Lillian Della Lee (ca. 1883-1977) and had four children: Elizabeth Lawton Laney, Kathryn Lawton, John. K. Lawton, and Winborn Joseph Lawton, Jr. Lawton was in the mercantile business, worked as an insurance agent, and grew citrus.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Lawton's Store. 1998: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of George W. B. Dakin with his daughter, Florence Dakin, and wife, Anna Marie Olcott Dakin, at the Racimo Plantation, an orange grove along the St. Johns River, in 1887. The caption incorrectly cites the name of Dakin's wife as Anne Maria. Dakin purchased property near Georgetown, Florida, in the early 1880s and settled his family there. Within the next decade, his son, Leonard Dakin, who took the photograph, developed the Racimo Plantation with 5,000 orange trees, 40 laborers, and a packinghouse. The grove was destroyed by a freeze in 1895.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Dakin Family. 1997: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of the Dakin family in Georgetown, Florida. The family consisted of George W. B. Dakin and Anna Marie Olcott Dakin, along with their children: Florence Dakin, Leonard Dakin, Paul Dakin, and Jesse Messmore Dakin. The Dakins owned Racimo Plantation, an orange grove along the St. Johns River, in 1887. Within the next decade, Leonard Dakin developed the Racimo Plantation with 5,000 orange trees, 40 laborers, and a packinghouse. The grove was destroyed by a freeze in 1895.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Dakin Family Picnic. 1997: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
The Oviedo Garage, a complete automotive service business located at 139 North Central Avenue in Downtown Oviedo, Florida, operated by Bob Slavik and Helen Slavik. The garage was built within the first decade after the end of World War II. The Slaviks resided at 435 North Lake Jessup Avenue. Helen Slavik also served as the city clerk from 1965 to 1968. Together, the couple had one child, Roger Slavik. At the time that this photograph was printed in The Seminole Outlook, the building was owned by the Oviedo Tire Center. The site later became the location of the Townhouse Restaurant, which has since been demolished for road improvements.
Sunday Afternoon Baseball by Bettye Reagan
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of men, possibly students, playing baseball in front of the Oviedo School, located at 601 King Street in Oviedo, Florida, in the 1940s. The school was first established in 1922 as a K-12 school. In 1948, the secondary grades separated from the elementary school. The upper grade levels formed Oviedo High School and moved to the campus at 601 King Street. Oviedo High School is notable for The Lion's Tale, the award-winning school newspaper recognized by various national and state scholastic press associations; its high ratings from the Governor's A+ Plan for Education; and its successful athletics programs.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Sunday Afternoon Baseball. 2001: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
Lake Jessup Morning by Bettye Reagan, 2001
A painting of Lake Jesup in 2001 by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida. One of the largest lakes in Central Florida, Lake Jesup is located along the middle basin of the St. Johns River. In the 1990s, after decades of pollution, the lake was cleaned up by a coalition consisting of the Friends of Lake Jesup, the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD), the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). In 2008, the Florida State Road (SR) 46 bridge was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CoE) and the FDOT to cross the lake.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Lake Jessup Morning. 2001: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
Wekiva River (Lake County-Orange County, Fla.)
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of the first bridge built across the Wekiva River. The Wekiva River, sometimes spelled Wekiwa, in a river originating in Apopka and joining the St. Johns River. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has designated Wekiva as a Florida State Canoe Trail, an Outstanding Florida Water body, and an Aquatic Preserve. The wood used to build the bridge in the photograph was milled in Markham, a community west of Sanford and north of Heathrow, Florida.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Wekiva River Bridge. 2001: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of a picnic at Meads Woods near Oviedo, Florida. Mead Woods was named after 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 painting: Reagan, Bettye. Meads Woods Picnic: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
Meads Woods Picnic No. 2 by Bettye Reagan
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Meads Woods Picnic No. 2. Year: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of Mary Alice Powell Aulin (1904-1993) at the Winter Park Hospital in Winter Park, Florida, as she is being visited by her daughter, Bettye Jean Aulin Reagan (1923-), and her grandson, James Phelps Richardson. Alice Aulin was born in Sanford, Florida, to parents Charles Powell and Mary Maude Rabun Powell. Aulin arrived in Oviedo in 1921 to work as a switchboard operator and a seamstress. She married Andrew Aulin, Jr. (1893-1964), the son of Oviedo's first postmaster, Andrew Aulin, Sr. (1843-1918). Together, the couple had five children: Mary Lenora Aulin (b. 1924), Alice Kathryn Aulin (b. 1926), Charles Warren Aulin (1927-1964), Bettye Jean Aulin, and Andrew Aulin, Jr. (b. 1936).
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Need No Title. 1994: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of the backyard of Paul Mikler, a history teacher and coach from Oviedo, Florida. Mikler was born on July 8, 1916, and was raised in Slavia, an unincorporated community that was once part of Oviedo. He taught at Oviedo High School (OHS), where he was seminal in shaping the school's baseball program, from 1946 to 1970. Mikler passed away on April 12, 2000.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Mikler Playhouse. 2003: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of Andrew Aulin, Sr. (1843-1918), the Swedish immigrant credited with naming the town of Oviedo, Florida. Aulin immigrated to Oviedo in 1870 and, in 1879, he was appointed the postmaster of the area formerly called the Lake Jesup Settlement,. Aulin also founded the local Ionic Lodge, which was the predecessor to the Masonic Lodge. Aulin was married to Emma Leonora Lawton Aulin (1853-1907) and had five children: Theodore Aulin, Willie Aulin, Mattie Aulin, Mary Aulin, and Andrew Aulin, Jr.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Andrew Aulin, Sr.. 2005: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of Broadway in Downtown Oviedo, Florida, during the 1940s. The Timucuan Native Americans originally inhabited the area of present-day Oviedo, although the remains of their settlements have disappeared. Homesteaders arrived along the shores of Lake Jesup in 1865 just after the Civil War ended and began growing celery and citrus. The area was called the Lake Jesup Community until March 13, 1879, when postmaster Andrew Aulin, Sr. (1843-1918), a Swedish immigrant, chose the name Oviedo.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Oviedo. 1984: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of Hotel Oviedo in Oviedo, Florida. The Timucuan Native Americans originally inhabited the area of present-day Oviedo, although the remains of their settlements have disappeared. Homesteaders arrived along the shores of Lake Jesup in 1865 just after the Civil War ended and began growing celery and citrus. The area was called the Lake Jesup Community until March 13, 1879, when postmaster Andrew Aulin, Sr. (1843-1918), a Swedish immigrant, chose the name Oviedo.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Oviedo Hotel: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Peters Shoes. 1986: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of the road to Clifton Springs, a spring in Oviedo, Florida. Clifton Springs was named in honor of the hometown of Dr. Henry Foster, a wealthy grower from Lake Charm in Oviedo. Originally called White's Wharf, the site marks the approximate location where John Bartram and William Bartram camped during their excursion along the St. Johns River in 1765-1766. William G. White migrated to the area in the late 1870s and built a store here in 1879. White moved his store to Orlando in the 1880s. Many Oviedo residents used the site as the location for their annual May picnics, which began in 1880. The picnics were hosted by a joint committee of the local Baptist and Methodist churches. The wharf is now known as Hiley's Fish Camp. The road featured in this photograph is now Florida State Road (SR) 419.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Road to Clifton. 1986: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, of Mary Alice Powell Aulin (1904-1993) with three of her great grandchildren: Reagan Nicole Wilder (1978-), Brandie Lee Wilder (1980-), and Robert Brady Wilder (1982-). Alice Aulin was born in Sanford, Florida, to parents Charles Powell and Mary Maude Rabun Powell. Aulin arrived in Oviedo in 1921 to work as a switchboard operator and a seamstress. She married Andrew Aulin, Jr. (1893-1964), the son of Oviedo's first postmaster, Andrew Aulin, Sr. (1843-1918). Together, the couple had five children: Mary Lenora Aulin (b. 1924), Alice Kathryn Aulin (b. 1926), Charles Warren Aulin (1927-1964), Bettye Jean Aulin, and Andrew Aulin, Jr. (b. 1936). The Wilder children were born of Aulin's granddaughter, Debbie Lynn Reagan (1958-) and Robert Downey Wilder (1953-).
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Grandma Aulin: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting of the Econlockhatchee River by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida. Called the Econ River for short, this tributary is the longest river in the state of Florida. The Econ River flows north from Lake Conlin, through the Econlockhatchee River Swamp, joining the St. Johns River near Puzzle Lake.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Econ River. 2002: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, depicting farmworkers grinding sugarcane at the Wheeler family farm. The Wheelers lived at 340 South Lake Jessup Avenue in Oviedo, Florida. The family patriarch, Benjamin Franklin Wheeler, Sr. (1878-1954), was born in Dade City on January 2, 1878. After his father passed away in 1889, his family relocated to his mother's hometown in Oviedo. At age 16, Wheeler began working as a telegraph operator for the Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) Railroad. In 1898, he purchased a seedling citrus grove that had been abandoned during the Freeze of 1894-1985. Wheeler soon became a successful citrus grower and celery cultivator. Wheeler married George Lee Wheeler in 1908 and the couple later had three children: Clara Lee Wheeler Evans (1917-2010); Benjamin Franklin Wheeler, Jr. (1920-2006); and Miriam Louise Wheeler (b. 1922). In 1908, Wheeler partnered with C .F. Brannon and Steen Nelson to operate the Nelson Brothers packinghouse. In 1923, Wheeler purchased the company and renamed it Nelson & Company, Inc. Wheeler also served on the Seminole County Commission and the Oviedo City Council. He was also seminal in organizing the Seminole County Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Citrus Mutual, and the Citizens Bank of Oviedo.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Grinding Sugar Cane. 1994: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, featuring chickens at the Cross Seminole Trail. The trail was created from the former railroad line of the Sanford & Indian River Railroad, running between Sanford and Oviedo. In the early 1900s, a spur was added to the line, running north and east in order to allow farmers of Black Hammock a way to ship their produce to Sanford and Winter Park. The spur was later abandoned due to the advent of automobiles and the decline of the agricultural industry in Black Hammock. The tracks remained until they were purchased by the State of Florida for the Cross Seminole Trail.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Oviedo Chickens. 1996: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, featuring people along the Cross Seminole Trail. The trail was created from the former railroad line of the Sanford & Indian River Railroad, running between Sanford and Oviedo. In the early 1900s, a spur was added to the line, running north and east in order to allow farmers of Black Hammock a way to ship their produce to Sanford and Winter Park. The spur was later abandoned due to the advent of automobiles and the decline of the agricultural industry in Black Hammock. The tracks remained until they were purchased by the State of Florida for the Cross Seminole Trail.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Seminole Trail. 1996: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
Lake Jessup Morning by Bettye Reagan, 2012
A painting of Lake Jesup in 2012 by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida. One of the largest lakes in Central Florida, Lake Jesup is located along the middle basin of the St. Johns River. In the 1990s, after decades of pollution, the lake was cleaned up by a coalition consisting of the Friends of Lake Jesup, the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD), the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). In 2008, the Florida State Road (SR) 46 bridge was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CoE) and the FDOT to cross the lake.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Lake Jessup Morning. 2012: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of the Oviedo Garage, a complete automotive service business located at 139 North Central Avenue in Downtown Oviedo, Florida, operated by Bob Slavik and Helen Slavik. The garage was built within the first decade after the end of World War II. At the time that this photograph was printed in The Seminole Outlook, the building was owned by the Oviedo Tire Center. The site later became the location of the Townhouse Restaurant, which has since been demolished for road improvements.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Oviedo Garage. 2001: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
Headstone of William Henry Coe at the Edgewater-New Smyrna Cemetery
The headstone for William Henry Coe (1824-1879), the founder of Glencoe, at the Edgewater-New Smyrna Cemetery, also known as Hawks Park Cemetery, located at 700 South Ridgewood Avenue in Edgewater, Florida. Due to poor health, Coe moved with his wife and children from Connecticut to Jacksonville in 1874 and established an orange grove the following year four miles west of New Smyrna, an area that would later become Glencoe. In 1877, Coe became an editor for The Florida Star, a newspaper founded by his son, Captain Charles Henry Coe (1856-1954). In April of 1879, Coe was appointed Deputy Collector of Customs for the port at New Smyrna. Just a few months later, on October 23, Coe died of silicosis, likely a result of his work as a copper miner in Illinois during the 1840s. The headstone in this photograph was a replacement for the original, which had been lost over 120 years prior.
Original color digital image by Robert Redd, 2015: Private Collection of Andrew M. Foster.
Edgewater-New Smyrna Cemetery, Edgewater, Florida
The Edgewater-New Smyrna Cemetery, also known as Hawks Park Cemetery, located at 700 South Ridgewood Avenue in Edgewater, Florida. Originally named Hawks Park Cemetery, the graveyard was established in 1890 and is located near the historic downtown district of New Smyrna. Hawks Park was a community founded by Dr. John M. Hawks, the author of The East Coast of Florida (1887), around 1872. The name was changed to Edgewater on October 24, 1924, by an act of the Florida Legislature. William Henry Coe (1824-1879), the founder of Glencoe, and his son, Captain Charles Henry Coe (1856-1954), founder of The Florida Star and author of Red Patriots: The Story of the Seminoles (1898), are buried in this cemetery.
Red Azalea by David Reese, one of Central Florida's best known watercolorists. Reese began his art studies at the High Museum School of Art in Atlanta, Georgia, and continued at the Art Students League and the Fashion Academy (both in New York), and at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. He taught at the Fashion Academy, Atlanta Art Institute, Armstrong State College in Savannah, Stetson University in Deland, and Valencia Community College (present-day Valencia College) in Orlando. Reese, formerly the director of the Loch Haven Art Center in Orlando, was also an instructor at the Creald้ฉ School of Art in Winter Park, where he taught classes and workshops in watercolor. Reese typically paints segments of nature by taking a small portion of a scene and blowing it up as big as 30 inches by 40 inches. He also occasionally uses slides as references, and says he will take a scene as small as a quarter of the slide and magnify it to huge proportions. Finally, Reese also occasionally paints landscapes. In his technique, Reese relies mainly on composition and subject matter for impact.
Original watercolor painting by David Reese: City of Orlando Terrace Gallery, Orlando, Florida.
"At Weekiwachee Springs It's All Done Under..."
Newspaper article entitled "At Weekiwachee Springs It's All Done Under..," describing the mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, published in the Independent, St. Petersburg, Florida, on November 21, 1947. The article was written by John A. Reese, Jr. 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.
Reese, John A., Jr., The Independent, St. Petersburg, Florida
Original clipping of newspaper article, November 21, 1947: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Astronauts' Biggest 'Booster': Button Pusher with Prime Job
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (U.S.)
A newspaper article by Peter Reich published in The Chicago's American. The article provides a contemporaneous account of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler, manager of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14 (LC-14) and launch conductor, whose job was launching astronaut Gordon Cooper into space on a Project Mercury rocket.
Original newspaper article: Reich, Peter. "Astronauts' Biggest 'Booster': Button Pusher with Prime Job." The Chicago's American, May 9, 1963: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.
The Chicago's American
Chronopoints
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14, Cape Canaveral, Florida
General Dynamics/Astronautics, San Diego, California
Letter from R. R. Reid to Bishop John Moore (June 6, 1881)
A letter of correspondence between R. R. Reid, a property and store owner in Palatka, and Bishop John Moore over the purchase of a plot of land. At the time, Bishop Moore was in charge of the St. Augustine Catholic Diocese, which included Orlando, Florida. In 1881, he purchased a block in Downtown Orlando that was encompassed by Magnolia Avenue, Orange Avenue, Jefferson Street, and Robinson Street. The church was finished in 1887 and was originally named the Holy Nativity Catholic Church. In 1888, the name was changed to St. James Catholic Church.
Original handwritten letter from R. R. Reid to Bishop John Moore, June 6, 1881: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
Oral history of Algerine Miller, interviewed by Autumn Reisz on March 2, 2013, for the UCF Public History Center's History Harvest. In the oral history, Miller discusses how she found out about the History Harvest, the documents and photographs she contributed, and her family's property in Sanford, Florida. Born in Orangeburg County, South Carolina in 1909, Algerine's father Moddie moved to Sanford, where he and his wife, Alberta, purchased the property that the Miller family still owned as of 2013.
Miller, Algerine. Interviewed by Autumn Reisz. UCF Public History Center. March 2, 2013. Video record available. UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
A poster advertising an exhibition of the photographic series of Reg Garner, a Sanford resident. The event was held on August 23, 2006. While not a Creative Sanford, Inc. event, this poster illustrates the co-op arrangement at the Princess Theater, located at 115 West First Street in Sanford, Florida. Creative Sanford, Inc. is the lease holder, but co-ops the space with other groups to share the costs involved in leasing the theater space. The Princess Theater was first opened in 1915 as a live theater and film theater until the mid-1960s, when it was converted into an automobile parts dealership for over 20 years. The theater was revitalized by Creative Sanford.
Original color digital image by Autumn Reisz, October 11, 2013.
Creative Sanford, Inc., Sanford, Florida
A wooden cut-out of a man and woman dressed for the Celery Ball. The Celery Ball is a fund raising event held by Creative Sanford, a non-profit organization created to manage Celery Soup: Florida's Folk Life Play community theater productions, each year. For the Celery Ball, several "kings" and "queens" compete to raise money to support Creative Sanford's mission, the highest male and female fundraisers being crowned the top king and queen. The Celery Ball in 2014 was The Great Gatsby-themed and featured silent auctions. The original idea for the Celery Soup project came from Jeanine Taylor, the owner of a folk-art gallery on First Street in Sanford, Florida. Their first production was Touch and Go, a play focusing on the people of Sanford and their determination to overcome various obstacles, including the Freeze of 1894-1895, the fall of Sanford's celery industry, and the closing of Naval Air Station (NAS) Sanford in the 1960s. Richard Geer and Jules Corriere, partners from Community Performance International, were in charge of assessing oral histories, converting them into scenes for the play, and writing original songs. Director Geer also used an all-volunteer cast from the local community, many of whom were not experienced actors. In the process of producing the show, Creative Sanford decided to rehabilitate an historic building, the Princess Theater, which is located on 115 West First Street and owned by Stephen Tibstra. The Creative Sanford offices are housed in the Historic Sanford Welcome Center, located at 203 East First Street.
The front display window at the Princess Theater, located at 115 West First Street, for the Creative Sanford, Inc. and Celery Soup: Florida's Folk Life Play production of Remade - Not Bought. The window display is filled with baking related props like pies, an old stand mixer, a cookbook, mixing bowls, an apron, a measuring cup, and various ingredients for making pies The faux props were made by school children in Seminole County. Remade - Not Bought was a Celery Soup play produced by Creative Sanford performed October 18 through November 3, 2013. The play was written by Peter Newman, Brian Casey, Trish Thompson, Annye Refoe, and Laura Donaldson. Remade - Not Bought was directed by Nicholas Murphy, the artistic director of Cornerstone Theatre in Orlando, and includes original music by Ruth King. The play features stories real-life stories based on oral histories of Sanford residents.
Original color digital images by Autumn Reisz, October 11, 2013.
A poster for a breast cancer awareness fundraiser called "Music for Melons." The event was held at the Princess Theater, located at 115 West First Street in Sanford, Florida, on September 28, 2013. "Music for Melons" featured performances by Angelyn Rhode, Paul 50, Lisa Stern, the Melon Sisters, Galaxy Mindz Dance Crew, Wekiva River Players Junior Theater, Winter Springs Performing Arts, and many more. The fundraiser collected $10 donations and all proceeds went to the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K. "Music for Melons" was produced by a breast cancer awareness walking team of the same name. The team was founded by Rhode, a breast cancer survivor, in 2011.
Dressing rooms (Performing arts)--United States
The cast dressing rooms backstage at the Princess Theater, located at 115 West First Street in Sanford, Florida. The dressing rooms were expanded and improved for the Creative Sanford, Inc. and Celery Soup: Florida's Folk Life Play production of Remade - Not Bought performed October 18 through November 3, 2013. The play was written by Peter Newman, Brian Casey, Trish Thompson, Annye Refoe, and Laura Donaldson. Remade - Not Bought was directed by Nicholas Murphy, the artistic director of Cornerstone Theatre in Orlando, and includes original music by Ruth King. The play features stories real-life stories based on oral histories of Sanford residents.
The riser seating at the Princess Theater, located at 115 West First Street in Sanford, Florida. There are three bays of riser seating in the theater. High siding was added to back and sides to provide cast members with more privacy. Remade - Not Bought was a Celery Soup: Florida's Folk Life Play and Creative Sanford, Inc. play performed from October 18 through November 3, 2013. The play was written by Peter Newman, Brian Casey, Trish Thompson, Annye Refoe, and Laura Donaldson. Remade - Not Bought was directed by Nicholas Murphy, the artistic director of Cornerstone Theatre in Orlando, and includes original music by Ruth King. The play features stories real-life stories based on oral histories of Sanford residents.
The stage set, during construction, at the Princess Theater, located at 115 West First Street, for Remade - Not Bought. Remade - Not Bought was a Celery Soup: Florida's Folk Life Play and Creative Sanford, Inc. play performed from October 18 through November 3, 2013. The play was written by Peter Newman, Brian Casey, Trish Thompson, Annye Refoe, and Laura Donaldson. Remade - Not Bought was directed by Nicholas Murphy, the artistic director of Cornerstone Theatre in Orlando, and includes original music by Ruth King. The play features stories real-life stories based on oral histories of Sanford residents.
Trish Thompson, Vice President and former President of Creative Sanford, Inc., in October 2013. Creative Sanford is a non-profit organization created to manage Celery Soup community theater productions. The original idea for the Celery Soup: Florida’s Folk Life Play project came from Jeanine Taylor, the owner of a folk-art gallery on First Street in Sanford, Florida. Their first production was Touch and Go, a play focusing on the people of Sanford and their determination to overcome various obstacles, including the Freeze of 1894-1895, the fall of Sanford's celery industry, and the closing of Naval Air Station (NAS) Sanford in the 1960s. Richard Geer and Jules Corriere, partners from Community Performance International, were in charge of assessing oral histories, converting them into scenes for the play, and writing original songs. Director Geer also used an all-volunteer cast from the local community, many of whom were not experienced actors. In the process of producing the show, Creative Sanford decided to rehabilitate an historic building, the Princess Theater, which is located on 115 West First Street and owned by Stephen Tibstra. The Creative Sanford offices are housed in the Historic Sanford Welcome Center, located at 203 East First Street.
Woven Tales and Signature Boards at the Princess Theater
A display wall in the Princess Theater, located at 115 West First Street in Sanford, Florida. This wall displays two important artifacts related to Creative Sanford, Inc.: "Woven Tales", materials woven during an earlier play; and the signature boards of all of the actors and volunteers who participated in previous performances. Creative Sanford is a non-profit organization created to manage Celery Soup community theater productions. The original idea for the Celery Soup: Florida’s Folk Life Play project came from Jeanine Taylor, the owner of a folk-art gallery on First Street in Sanford, Florida. Their first production was Touch and Go, a play focusing on the people of Sanford and their determination to overcome various obstacles, including the Freeze of 1894-1895, the fall of Sanford's celery industry, and the closing of Naval Air Station (NAS) Sanford in the 1960s. Richard Geer and Jules Corriere, partners from Community Performance International, were in charge of assessing oral histories, converting them into scenes for the play, and writing original songs. Director Geer also used an all-volunteer cast from the local community, many of whom were not experienced actors. In the process of producing the show, Creative Sanford decided to rehabilitate an historic building, the Princess Theater, which is located on 115 West First Street and owned by Stephen Tibstra. The Creative Sanford offices are housed in the Historic Sanford Welcome Center, located at 203 East First Street.
Baggs' Produce Cart from "Remade - Not Bought"
the Baggs' Produce cart prop used in several scenes for Remade - Not Bought to symbolize the Baggs' grocery store. This store was part of the community for decades and has served as a de facto meeting place for residents of Sanford, Florida. Remade - Not Bought was a Celery Soup: Florida's Folk Life Play and Creative Sanford, Inc. play performed from October 18 through November 3, 2013. The play was written by Peter Newman, Brian Casey, Trish Thompson, Annye Refoe, and Laura Donaldson. Remade - Not Bought was directed by Nicholas Murphy, the artistic director of Cornerstone Theatre in Orlando, and includes original music by Ruth King. The play features stories real-life stories based on oral histories of Sanford residents.
Oral history told by Trish Thompson, Vice President of Creative Sanford, Inc. The interview was conducted by Autumn Reisz and Mark Miller on October 11, 2013 and focuses on Thompson's experiences with Creative Sanford and Celery Soup. Other topics include adapting the Swamp Gravy model to Celery Soup, how Creative Sanford and Celery Soup have evolved over time, the oral history interviewing process, partnering with the African-American community, the effects of the George Zimmerman trial on Sanford, adapting oral histories into community plays, goals of Creative Sanford and Celery Soup, community involvement and feedback, fundraising and the Celery Ball, production costs, preserving the legacy of Creative Sanford and Celery Soup, and maintaining community involvement. Creative Sanford, Inc. is a non-profit organization created to manage Celery Soup community theater productions. The original idea for the Celery Soup project came from Jeanine Taylor, the owner of a folk-art gallery on First Street in Sanford, Florida. Their first production was Touch and Go, which took several years of planning. The play focused on how the people of Sanford overcame obstacles throughout their history. Some of these stories include the fall of Sanford's celery industry, the Freeze of 1894-1895, and the closing of Naval Air Station (NAS) Sanford in the 1960s. Richard Geer and Jules Corriere, partners from Community Performance International, were in charge of assessing oral histories, converting them into scenes for the play, and writing original songs. Director Geer also used an all-volunteer cast from the local community, many of which were not experienced actors. During the process of producing the show, Creative Sanford decided to rehabilitate an historic building, the Princess Theater, which was located on 115 West First Street and owned by Stephen Tibstra. The Creative Sanford offices are housed in the Historic Sanford Welcome Center, located at 203 East First Street. As of December 2013, the Executive Board for Creative Sanford included President Brian Casey, Vice President Trish Thompson, Treasurer Linda Hollerbach, Secretary Dr. Annye Refoe, and Founder Jeanine Taylor. The Board of Directors consisted of Cheryl Deming, Juanita Roland, Wendy Wheaton, and Dr. Connie Lester, a professor of history at the University of Central Florida. Honorary Board Members included: Glenda Hood, former Florida Secretary of State and Mayor of Orlando; Valada Flewellyn, a local poet, author, and historian; and Jackie Jones, a local entertainer and arts advocate.
Thompson, Trish. Interviewed by Autumn Reisz and Mark Miller. Creative Sanford, Inc. Offices, Sanford Welcome Center. October 11, 2013. Audio/video record available. RICHES of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Oral history of David C. Grace, the Master Gardener and docent at the Student Museum and Center for Social Studies, located at 301 West Seventh Street in Sanford, Florida. Grace was born in Wichita, Kansas, on December 2, 1942. He attended Wichita State University and was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the United States Army in 1965. He performed missile maintenance at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, until he retired after three years. He accepted a job with United Telephone and moved to Fort Myers around 1970. When United Telephone purchased the Winter Park Telephone, Grave migrated to Central Florida. After being laid off, he decided to become a Master Gardener for the Student Museum, while also working as a Chief Financial Officer for the Florida Safety County. This interview was conducted by Autumn Reisz in Sanford on October 30, 2012.
Grace, David C.. Interviewed by Autumn Reisz. UCF Public History Center. October 30, 2012. Audio/video record available. UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Student Museum and Center for Social Studies, Sanford, Florida
An oral history interview of Martha Reuter (b. 1964), who is nicknamed Connie. Reuter was born in Abingdon, Virginia, on March 20, 1964. She enlisted in the U.S. Navy (USN) on May 7, 1984, and completed her service on April 1, 1988. Reuter re-enlisted just six months later in the U.S. Naval Reserve (USNR) and was discharged on October 31, 2005. Reuter attended Naval Training Center Orlando (NTC Orlando). She later served at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Naval Air Station Ingleside in Ingleside, Texas. This oral history interview was conducted by Leanne Wiggins on March 6, 2014. Interview topics include Reuter's background, enlistment, naval training, attending boot camp at NTC Orlando, serving was a woman in the Navy, graduation from boot camp, Liberty Call, the USS Blue Jacket, the Grinder, serving as a photographer's mater, the Naval Reserve, and the Lone Sailor Memorial Project.
Reuter, Martha. Interviewed by Leanne Wiggins. Audio/video record available. Item DP0014908, UCF Community Veterans History Project, RICHES of Central Florida, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas
Naval Station Ingelside, Ingelside, Texas
World Trade Center, New York City, New York
An oral history interview of William Reuter (b. 1961), who served in the U.S. Navy from 1979 until 2012. Reuter was born in Camden, New Jersey on April 21, 1961. He served in Libya during the Action in the Gulf of Sidra and in the fjords of Norway. Reuter achieved the rank of Captain, earned a Legion of Merit, and served as Executive Officer (XO) at the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) at Naval Training Center (NTC) Orlando. This oral history interview was conducted by Daniel Bradfield on March 10, 2014. Interview topics include Reuter's experiences as XO at NAWCTSD, the simulation industry, Recruit Training Center (RTC) Orlando, the Lone Sailor Memorial Project, and applying to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Reuter, William. Interviewed by Daniel Bradfield, March 10, 2014. UCF Community Veterans History Project, DP0014907. Audio/video record available. UCF Community Veterans History Project, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, Florida.
Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Naval Support Activity, Orlando, Florida
Pine Crest Elementary School Principal's Monthly Payroll Report, August 15, 1955-September 12, 1955
Pine Crest Elementary School's Monthly Payroll Report for the period of August 15, 1955-September 12, 1955. The principal was Margaret Reynolds and her secretary was June Vance. The payroll included eleven teachers: Polly Daniels and Ann F. Echols, first grade; Margaret Barnes and Rosine Carnes, second grade; Eleanor Bennett and Mary Walter, third grade; Mary T. Barnes and Marguerite Paul, fourth grade; and Lucile Campbell, William N. Lavender, and Inez Manos, sixth grade. Lavender resigned on September 6, 1955, and was presumably replaced by Inez Manos the day before. S. G. Weeks was the janitor, Pine Crest Elementary School opened in 1955 at 405 West 27th Street in Sanford. The school was built in order to accommodate the growing population of baby-boomers that led to overcrowding at Southside Elementary and Westside Grammar Elementary School. Margaret Reynolds, daughter of the owners of Kader's Jewelry store on Park Avenue, was the school's first principal. Several of the teachers and staff at Southside, including Reynolds, transferred to Pine Crest when it opened.
Original payroll report, 1955: Sanford Grammar Collection, Archives Box 4B, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Pine Crest Elementary School, Sanford, Florida