PICO Hotel, located at 209 North Oak Avenue in Sanford, Florida, was built in 1887 for Henry Bradley Plant, President of the Plant Investment Company (PICO). The onion-shaped dome located on the southwest corner of the roof resembled a Turkish minaret. The dome was destroyed by a severe thunderstorm in the 1950s and was never replaced. The PICO Hotel served as the terminal hotel for a railroad and two steamship lines owned by Henry Plant. President Calvin Coolidge spent the night at the PICO Hotel during his visit to Sanford.
Original color digital images by Austin Smith, December 19, 2010.
RICHES of Central Florida
View of the Sanford Masonic Lodge #62, located at 212 North Park Avenue in Sanford, Florida. Sanford established its own Masonic Lodge in 1872 and is one of the oldest in Florida. The building was designed by renowned local architect Elton J. Moughton. The total cost of construction was $45,000. The Lodge opened in 1924. At the time that this photograph was taken, the building was serving as the office for two attorneys of law: A. A. McCalahan, Jr. and Charles Hart II.
Original color digital image by Austin Smith, December 19, 2010.
View of the First National Bank No. 1, located at 101 West First Street in Sanford, Florida. The building was originally constructed in 1883 by Lyman Bank and had a brick facade. In 1887, the bank switched hands and became the First National Bank. Building renovations took place the same year, which included adding a marble facade, moving the front entrance to the corner of the building, and placing a clock at the front of the building which would become the town clock located in Magnolia Square. First National Bank No. 1 is the oldest brick building in Sanford's downtown commercial district. The organizational meetings to create Rollins College were held in this building in 1885. At the time that this photograph was taken in 2010, the building was being occupied by the Corner Cafe.
The DeForest Block, located at 101 East First Street in Sanford, Florida. The building was constructed in 1887 by Henry L. DeForest as a general store. During that same year, Downtown Sanford along First Street was devastated by a fire that started at a bakery. The DeForest Block is one of only a few sets of buildings that survived the fire. In 1917, the Seminole County Bank renovated the block. The building was
The Hotchkiss Block, located at 213 East First Street in Sanford, Florida, in 2010. The block was named after Frederick Hotchkiss and constructed in the Romanesque Revival style in 1887. The previous brick building erected at this location was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1887.
Former First National Bank No. 2 , located at 101 East First Street in Sanford, Florida. Also known as Sanford's first skyscraper, the building was designed by Mowbray & Uffinger of New York. Construction began in 1922 using steel, limestone, brick, and tile. A major reason why masonry and steel was used in the construction of the building was in response to a fire that occurred in Sanford in 1887. Originating from a bakery in downtown, many of the surrounding buildings were destroyed because they were constructed out of wood. After the fire, commercial buildings were constructed either with bricks or masonry. The First National Bank remained in the building until 1929. The building has served as a home for several banks since 1938.
The Henry B. Lord building, located at 112 South Park Avenue in Sanford, Florida. From its completion in 1895 until 1992, the building was occupied by multiple jewelers. Henry B. Lord established Sanford's oldest jewelry store when he opened H. B. Lord Jewelry and Optical in 1879. In the 1930s, Henry McLaulin purchased the business. By 1943, McLaulin sold the jewelry store to W. E. Kader, who remained there until 1992. At the time that this photograph was taken in 2010, the building was housing The Wet Spot, a local drinking establishment.
View of the former PICO Block from the intersection of North Oak Avenue and West Commercial Street in Sanford, Florida. The building was constructed and opened by the Plant Investment Company (PICO) in 1887 to house the company's local offices. PICO owner Henry Plant owned and operated an extensive railway system throughout Florida. Also known as the Plant System, Plant competed with fellow railroad tycoon Henry Flagler and later extended his lines from Jacksonville through Sanford to Tampa. In the 1920s, the brick exterior of the building was covered with stucco and renamed the Welaka Apartments.
View of the former Brumley-Puleston Building, located at 100 East First Street in Sanford, Florida. Doctors L. A. Brumley and Samuel Puleston commissioned famed builder George A. Fuller to construct the building. Construction began in 1922 and completed a year later. On May 5, 1923, Roumillat and Anderson Drug Store opened in the building.
Letter from Sydney Chase to N. D. Cloward (April 17, 1925)
An original letter of correspondence written by Sydney Chase to N .D. Cloward. Cloward worked as a representative for Babson Park Citrus Growers Association in Lake Wales, Florida. In the letter, Chase is informing Cloward to recruit growers who dropped out of the Florida Citrus Exchange and join Chase & Company. This letter also shares some of the doubts and distrust Chase & Company felt toward the Florida Citrus Exchange, a state organization comprised of a large number of Florida citrus growers. While members who trusted the Exchange praised the organization as a united group of growers that promoted better distribution and marketing of their citrus products, growers such as Chase & Company were hesitant to hand over all of their power to a larger organization with poor marketing strategies and unregulated membership guidelines. Chase & Company was established in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to N. D. Cloward, April 17, 1925: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.10A, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Mayo Dade (May 7, 1925)
An original letter of correspondence written by Sydney Octavius Chase to Mayo Dade. Dade worked with Chase & Company and was a respected professional in the Florida citrus industry. The letter shares some of the doubts and distrust Chase & Company felt toward the Florida Citrus Exchange, a state organization comprised of a large number of Florida citrus growers. While members who trusted the Exchange praised the organization as a united group of growers that promoted better distribution and marketing of their citrus products, growers such as Chase & Company were hesitant to hand over all of their power to a larger organization with poor marketing strategies. Chase & Company was established in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Mayo Dade, May 7, 1925: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.10A, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Mayo Dade (April 20, 1925)
An original letter of correspondence written by Sydney Octavius Chase to Mayo Dade. Dade worked with Chase & Company and was a respected professional in the Florida citrus industry. In the letter, Chase urges Dade to continue recruiting former Florida Citrus Exchange members to Chase & Company. With an increased membership in the company, Chase hoped that including more growers would help balance out the less productive crops in the previous growing season. The letter also shares some of the doubts and distrust Chase & Company felt toward the Florida Citrus Exchange, a state organization comprised of a large number of Florida citrus growers. While members who trusted the Exchange praised the organization as a united group of growers that promoted better distribution and marketing of their citrus products, growers such as Chase & Company were hesitant to hand over all of their power to a larger organization with poor marketing strategies. Chase & Company was established in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Mayo Dade, April 20, 1925: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.10A, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Mayo Dade (March 12, 1925)
An original letter of correspondence written by Sydney Octavius Chase to Mayo Dade. Dade worked with Chase & Company and was a respected professional in the Florida citrus industry. In the letter, Chase urges Dade to continue recruiting former Florida Citrus Exchange members to Chase & Company. Former members mentioned in the letter include the Babson Park Sub-Exchange, the Davenport Sub-Exchange, and other Exchange members in DeSoto County. With an increased membership in the company, Chase hoped that including more growers would help balance out the less productive crops in the previous growing season. The letter also shares some of the doubts and distrust Chase & Company felt toward the Florida Citrus Exchange, a state organization comprised of a large number of Florida citrus growers. While members who trusted the Exchange praised the organization as a united group of growers that promoted better distribution and marketing of their citrus products, growers such as Chase & Company were hesitant to hand over all of their power to a larger organization with poor marketing strategies. Chase & Company was established in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Mayo Dade, March 12, 1925: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.10A, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Chase & Company members (April 13, 1925)
An original letter of correspondence written by Sydney Octavius Chase (1860-1941) to employees at Chase & Company in Orlando, Florida. The letter identifies that Chase & Company played an active role in recruiting dissatisfied members from the Florida Citrus Exchange in order to build and extend their business throughout the state. With an increased membership in the company, Chase hoped that including more growers would help balance out the less productive crops in the previous growing season. The letter also shares some of the doubts and distrust that Chase & Company felt toward the Florida Citrus Exchange (FCE), a state organization comprised of a large number of Florida citrus growers. While members who trusted the FCE praised the organization as a united group of growers that promoted better distribution and marketing of their citrus products, growers such as Chase & Company were hesitant to hand over all of their power to a larger organization with poor marketing strategies. Chase & Company was established in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Chase & Company members, April 13, 1925: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.10A, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Chase & Company Members (April 10, 1925)
An original letter of correspondence written by Sydney Octavius Chase to employees at Chase & Company in Orlando. The letter identifies that Chase & Company played an active role in recruiting dissatisfied members from the Florida Citrus Exchange in order to build and extend their own business throughout the state. With an increased membership in the company, Chase hoped that including more growers would help balance out the less productive crops in the previous growing season. The letter also shares some of the doubts and distrust Chase & Company felt toward the Florida Citrus Exchange, a state organization comprised of a large number of Florida citrus growers. While members who trusted the Exchange praised the organization as a united group of growers that promoted better distribution and marketing of their citrus products, growers such as Chase & Company were hesitant to hand over all of their power to a larger organization with poor marketing strategies. Chase & Company was established in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Chase & Company Members, April 10, 1925: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.10A, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Chase & Company Members (April 8, 1925)
An original letter of correspondence written by Sydney Octavius Chase to employees at Chase & Company in Orlando. The letter identifies that Chase & Company played an active role in recruiting dissatisfied members from the Florida Citrus Exchange in order to build and extend their own business throughout the state. One marketing strategy Chase & Company implemented included comparing sales numbers between the Exchange and its own production numbers. Members within the company solicited and circulated the information to growers in nearby districts. With an increased membership in the company, Chase hoped that including more growers would help balance out the less productive crops in the previous growing season. The letter also shares some of the doubts and distrust Chase & Company felt toward the Exchange, a state organization comprised of a large number of Florida citrus growers. While members who trusted the Exchange praised the organization as a united group of growers that promoted better distribution and marketing of their citrus products, growers such as Chase & Company were hesitant to hand over all of their power to a larger organization with poor marketing strategies. Chase & Company was established in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Chase & Company Members, April 8, 1925: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.10A, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Chase & Company Members (March 11, 1925)
An original letter of correspondence written by Sydney Octavius Chase to employees at Chase & Company in Orlando. In the letter, Chase identifies his dissatisfaction with the Florida Citrus Exchange and its role in negatively impacting the market value of Florida grapefruits. The letter also shares some of the doubts and distrust Chase & Company felt toward the Exchange, a state organization comprised of a large number of Florida citrus growers. While members who trusted the Exchange praised the organization as a united group of growers that promoted better distribution and marketing of their citrus products, growers such as Chase & Company were hesitant to hand over all of their power to a larger organization with poor marketing strategies. These opinions were apparent during the 1924-1925 growing season when the Exchange underwent major changes. On June 5, 1924, Dr. John Harvey Ross resigned as president of the Exchange, a move that upset a large portion of members. The Exchange immediately elected L. C. Edwards of Thonatasassa as the new president. Chase & Company was established in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century.
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Chase & Company Members, March 11, 1925: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.10A, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Letter from C. M. Tyler to Chase & Company Members (May 26, 1919)
An original letter of correspondence written by C. M. Tyler to employees at Chase & Company in Jacksonville, Florida. Tyler's letter provides information about the internal organization of the Florida Citrus Exchange, a state organization comprised of a large number of Florida citrus growers. The purpose of Tyler's letter was to identify the weaknesses of the Exchange and to encourage growers to side Chase & Company rather than join the Exchange. While members who trusted the Exchange praised the organization as a united group of growers that promoted better distribution and marketing of their citrus products, growers such as Chase & Company were hesitant to hand over all of their power to a larger organization with poor marketing strategies. Chase & Company was established in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century.
Original letter from C. M. Tyler to Chase & Company Members, May 26, 1919: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 7, folder 14.10A, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
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 Princess Theater 115 West First Street Sanford, Florida 32771
Historic Sanford Welcome Center 203 East First Street Sanford, Florida 32771
Creative Sanford, Inc., Sanford, Florida
According to its website, "The mission of the Historic Sanford Welcome Center is to enrich the Sanford experience by serving as a communications hub; operating as a welcome center to provide education and information marketing Sanford as an arts, culture, recreation and historic destination."
Historic Sanford Welcome Center
Historic Sanford Welcome Center 230 East First Street Sanford, Florida 32771
According to its website, "The Lake Mary Historical Museum exists to preserve and promote the history of the city and the surrounding area. Efforts to maintain and enhance the museum are accomplished by members of the Lake Mary Historical Society and other volunteers. The museum houses a collection of artifacts, photographs, documents and other materials related to the history of Lake Mary and the surrounding communities. The artifacts housed in the museum have either been donated or are on permanent or temporary loan."
Lake Mary Historical Society
Lake Mary Historical Museum 158 North Country Club Road Lake Mary, Florida 32746
Creative Sanford, Inc. is a non-profit organization created to manage Celery Soup: Florida's Folk Life Play 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, 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. 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.
Creative Sanford, Inc.
According to its website, "The Rural Heritage Center engages families and community in cultural and educational experiences by preserving rural traditions which teach lessons for present and future generations."
Island & Village of Geneva Rural Heritage Center, Inc.
Historic Geneva School House 101 East Main Street Geneva, Florida 32732
A classroom at Sanford High School's second campusl, located at the corner of East Ninth Street and South Palmetto Avenue in Sanford, Florida. Although the image is undated, it was likely taken sometime between 1911 and 1927. The backside of the photograph includes a postal stamp with the name of R. W. Deane, most likely the printer, and his/her address: 810 East Twenty-Fifth Street. Sanford High School was originally established at 301 West Seventh Street 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 8 x 10 inch black and white photograph: Sanford High School Collection, box 3A, Sanford High School Students folder, item SCPS00486, Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Clara Louise Guild, born June 5, 1864, was the first graduate of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. Her family originally hailed from Boston, Massachusetts. Her father, William Guild, was a Harvard Medical School graduate and pharmacist. Clara enrolled at Rollins College on November 4, 1885, at the age of 21. In May of 1890, along with Ida May Missildina, Clara became a member of Rollins College's first graduating class, with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Guild never married, but steadily progressed in her career, receiving her Master of Arts degree from Rollins in May of 1898. She would later become principal of Sanford High School from 1907 to 1920. In total, her educational career spanned four decades, Guild retired in 1939, and passed away at her Winter Park home on August 21, 1945.
Original black and white photograph: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Education--Educators, General Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Sanford's PICO Hotel, located at 209 North Oak Avenue, was built in 1887 for Henry B. Plant, President of the Plant Investment Company or (PICO). The onion-shaped dome located on the southwest corner of the roof resembled a Turkish minaret. The dome was destroyed by a severe thunderstorm in the 1950s and was never replaced. The PICO Hotel served as the terminal hotel for a railroad and two steamship lines owned by Henry Plant. President Calvin Coolidge spent the night at the PICO Hotel during his visit to Sanford.
Print reproduction of original black and white postcard: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Businesses--Hotels, General Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
The Howard-Packard Land Company offices, based out of the Peoples Bank Building located on 101 West First Street in Sanford, Florida.The building was constructed in 1883 as the Lyman Bank and is the oldest brick building in Sanford's downtown district. In 1908, the building was refaced with a marble front. Howard-Packard Land Co. established their offices in the Peoples Bank Building in 1904. According to a 1909 advertisement printed in the United States Investor, the Howard-Packard Land Company offered twenty year mortgages at 8% interest. The value of the land holdings ranged between $500 and $100,000. The advertisement also states that, "the funds secured from the sale of these bonds will be used solely for the improvement and installation of the sub-irrigation system on lands which are held as security for this bond issue."
Reproduction of original black and white photograph, November 25, 1910: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Businesses--Assorted, General Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
The Sanford Herald
For many years citrus reigned supreme in Sanford, Florida. From December 1894 to February 1895, Sanford experienced temperatures as low as 18 degrees. The Sanford area experienced what would be known as "The Great Freeze." The hard freezes destroyed most of the area's citrus trees and their fruit. The citrus crop never fully recovered and farmers were forced to search for other crops to grow. Ultimately, Sanford's citizens determined that celery would be an appropriate substitution, since the crop was much more resilient against extreme temperatures. By the 1890s, celery became Sanford's primary export, and as early as 1900, the city had earned the nickname "The Celery City."
Reproduced black and white photograph: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Agriculture--Citrus, General Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
W. H. Underwood Buggies and Wagons: Harness and Farm Implements
Carriage and wagon making--United States
Automobile industry and trade--United States
W. H. Underwood established his carriage factory between late 1908 and early 1909, according to a trade news publication from February 1909. The Underwood Factory manufactured carriages, delivery wagons, special-use vehicles, sign painting, and primitive automobiles. Underwood's factory was considered to be "the swellest and largest line of vehicles this side of Jacksonville." He would later become an alderman for the City of Sanford. A 1913 newspaper report indicates that his wife died in 1913 from ptomaine poisoning, an allergic reaction to eating bad oysters.
Reproduction of glass plate negative by Jefferson Clay Ensminger: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Ensminger, General Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Steamboats--Florida--Saint Johns River--History
Lake Monroe (Seminole County and Volusia County, Fla.)
The Caloosa was one of many steamboats that operated along the St. Johns River during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Steamboats first appeared on the St. Johns in the 1860s. During the next several decades, the St. Johns River became Florida's first major tourist attraction for vacationing Northerners. The river became the state's first "highway", enabling homesteaders to move into the central part of the state. The steamboat era on the St. John's came to an end in the 1880s with the introduction of the Central Florida Railroad.
Built in 1875 by General Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891), the Sanford House Hotel was able to accommodate over 150 guests. At the turn of the century, the Sanford House Hotel was the center of all major city events and celebrations. The hotel extended all the way from Firstst Street to Commercial Street and was the center of the city's social and political life. Rates for a room in 1884 ranged from $15 to $20 per week. The 1887 fire came very close to the Sanford House, and it was feared that sparks would add it to the destruction. What saved it were wet blankets which were draped from the roof and windows. The Sanford House Hotel was torn down in May of 1920.
Original black and white photograph: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Businesses--Hotels, General Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
The Ensminger Brothers would later be known as two of the most preeminent photographers in Central Florida, capturing scenes of everyday life throughout the region, as well as serving as two of the primary photographers to document troop mobilization in Tampa during the Spanish-American War. The Ensmingers had operated photography studios throughout the American northeast, and previously in Independence, Iowa, before permanently moving to Sanford in 1884. Also seen in the photograph from left to right is a drug store, J. W. Wellington Real Estate, and a fishing tackle and guns store.
Original black and white photograph: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Businesses--Assorted, General Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Sanford Fire Department First Anniversary
Hook and Ladder Company #1 and Hose Company #1 parading along Sanford Avenue on January 1, 1884. The building pictured behind the companies is believed to be Sanford Fire Department, the city's first fire station. On September 20, 1887, the Great Fire of 1887 broke out and burned for two days, due to the city's lack of adequate fire equipment. The fire destroyed a significant portion of the business district and the City of Sanford responded by increasing its fire protection measures, improving water pressure, and constructing numerous fire hydrants.
Original black and white photograph, January 1, 1884: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Municipal--Fire Department, General Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Atlantic Coast Line Passenger Station on West French Avenue
This location contains was home to a two-story brick Atlantic Coast Line passenger station, Sanford's third train station, which was built for a cost of $70,000 and opened on January 14, 1913. It served passengers until 1952, and was torn down in the 1960s. The Atlantic Coast Line, controlled by J. P. Morgan, operated throughout the American Southeast during the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, The ACL had numerous lines throughout Florida and played a major role in building up Central Florida's infrastructure during the early 20th century.
Original black and white photograph: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Transportation--Railroads, General Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
This cityscape shows four trains parked at the Sanford Train Depot at the turn of the 20th century. The building to the right in the background is the Plant System Headquarters, controlled by Henry Plant. W. J. Hill and Company Hardware can be seen to the right in the foreground. Behind the depot is Lake Monroe and the Sanford waterfront.
View of First Street Looking Towards Sanford Avenue
This is an especially dated dry plate photograph of Sanford, Florida in 1887. The majority of Sanford's buildings prior to the fire of 1887 were built of wood, without much structural integrity. The photograph shows signs of flaking emulsion, as there is mild discoloration throughout the image and blurring along its edges.
Original black and white photograph: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Residential--City Views, General Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
First Street Looking Towards Sanford Avenue
The purpose of this cityscape is to contrast the drastic transformation the city of Sanford, Florida underwent between 1877 and 1910. Within the space of a single generation, the city had gone from a remote outpost for crackers and the most hardened of pioneer settlers to one of Florida's most preeminent cities. This image captures the prosperity and activity that can be attributed to what The Sanford Herald deigned as "The Great Industrial Awakening of the South."
The earliest settlements in the Sanford area consisted of primitive construction materials, many homes were built with little more than palmetto fans and pine saplings. After the fire of 1887, many of the city's buildings were rebuilt with brick, to prevent the city from being any more susceptible to fire than it already was.
Original black and white photograph: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Residential--Homes, General Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
The Little Red School House, located at 519 South Palmetto Avenue, is Sanford's oldest standing building. Seminole County bought the land for the two-room school from the Florida Land and Colonization Company. Officially called East Side Primary, the building was constructed in 1883. Professor Coiner of Emory College in Oxford, Georgia, and Angie Tucker of Sanford, Florida, were the first two teachers at the Little Red School House. The building served as the first school house for Sanford's students, until the construction of Sanford Grammar School in 1902. Carrie Ensminger, daughter of Jefferson Clay Ensminger, and future educator, attended school here in 1893. She is pictured farthest to the right on the third row. The building was remodeled numerous times until World War II, when it became a nursery school. Since the 1960sn, the building has been used as a center for Headstart, a soup kitchen, an arts center, and a treatment facility for women with drug addiction issues. In 1995, the City of Sanford acquired the building from the Seminole County School Board. Sanford donated it to the Tajiri School for Performing Arts and Academics, founded by Patricia Merritt-Whatley, in 1998.
Original newspaper article: The Sanford Herald: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Education--Sanford Public Schools, General Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
A town fair held on First Street following the period in Sanford's history known as the "Decade of Disasters." The "Decade of Disasters" started with a bakery fire in 1887, which destroyed much of the city's east side, including many of the wooden buildings along First Street. A state-wide yellow fever epidemic in 1888 further depleted the city's population. The financial collapse of 1893 hit Florida investors hard, as did the "Great Freeze" of 1894-95, which destroyed the region's citrus crop. However, by the turn of the century, Sanford experienced a boom in construction which would culminate with the construction of the Seminole County Courthouse in 1913. This festival represents the prosperity that the Celery City had started to achieve during the boom period between 1897 and 1913.
Original black and white photograph: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Events--Fairs, General Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
This portrait is of Mary Ensmigner, Jefferson Clay Ensminger's eldest daughter. According to History of Buchanan County, Iowa: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Mary was five years old in 1881; this would place her year of birth between 1875 and 1876. In this portrait, taken during some time in the 1900s, Mary appears to be in her mid- to late twenties.
This photograph was incorporated into the Orange County Bicentennial Committee's More than a Memory collection, which explicitly traces the photo's origins to the Sanford Grammar School, located at 301 West Seventh Street in Sanford, Florida. Three circles of young girls are seen in the photograph holding hands with one another. The bottom portion of the original glass plate negative has suffered from significant flaking emulsion, which have been carried over to all subsequent prints. Originally established as Sanford High School, the building constructed at 301 West Seventh Street in Sanford, Florida, in 1902. The building was designed by W.G. Talley in the Romanesque revival style. Due to an increasing student population, a new school building was constructed on the corner of East Ninth Street and South Palmetto Avenue in 1911. The original building on Seventh Street served as Westside Grammar Elementary School, which was later renamed Sanford Grammar School. 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.
J. N. Whitner's Celery Farm During Harvest Time
Mecca Hammock Farms during the harvest season in the 1890s . This celery farm was owned by J. N. Whitner and B. F. Whitner Sr. In 1897, the Whitners planted three-quarters of an acre with celery imported from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Sanford was not always known as the "Celery City". The origins of Sanford's connection to celery farming began on December 26, 1894, when a freeze damaged the area's citrus groves. They began to recover during a warm and wet January which promoted new shoots, but a second freeze hit on February 7, 1895, practically wiping them out. The 24 degree temperature was the coldest known in Florida to that point. The freeze was so intense that the sap froze inside the trunks, many of which split open, sounding like gunshots, and crashed to the ground. The population quickly dropped from 5000 to 2000 as the groves were abandoned. I.H. Terwilliger stayed after the freezes and is believed to have planted the first celery grown in Sanford in 1896. By 1898, celery became the crop synonymous to Sanford.
Self portrait of Jefferson Clay Ensminger, likely taken at the same time as his other portraits. Ensminger was born in 1843 in Stark County, Ohio. His father was a photographer and he likely picked up the trade from the family business based out of Ashland, Ohio. Ensminger spent much of his young adult life on the move, intermittently establishing photography studios in New York City, New York; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Independence, Iowa; and eventually Sanford, Florida. Ensminger and his family moved to Sanford in 1884 and shortly after became close friends with the aging General Henry Shelton Sanford Sanford, who commissioned Ensminger to perform a series of photographs. Ensminger would spend the remaining 28 years of his life in Sanford and the studio he established with his brother would be known as a Sanford institution.
This photograph shows activity at an unidentified dock as the contents of a steamship are unloaded. The scene also includes several locomotives both arriving and departing from the adjacent station. This is image is a prime example of efforts towards industrialization made in Central Florida at the turn-of-the-century.
This photograph is a portrait of a man in his mid-twenties, wearing the traditional Victorian-era collar, crovat, and three-piece suit. Evidence indicates that the young man in this photograph is Fredrick Ensminger, born 1877.
This photograph is a portrait of a young man in his early teens, wearing a suit, popular in style of the early 1900's. A note on the back of the photograph indicates that the photograph is one of Jefferson Clay Ensminger's son.
This portrait is of Jefferson Clay Ensminger's daughter, Carrie Ensminger, at an unspecified time. Carrie Ensminger was born in 1882 and attended school at the Little Red School House in 1893. She would later become a teacher at Sanford Grammar School, and is listed on the teacher's roster in 1910.
Letter from David Stark to W. R. Vincent (December 30, 1975)
National Archives and Records Administration (U.S.)
An official project of the Orange County Bicentennial Committee. "More than a Memory" is an insightful scrapbook of Central Florida's history. This letter is a correspondence between one of the book's three editors, David Stark, and W. R. Vincent. In the letter, Stark thanks Vincent for his participation in the project and attached reproductions of Ensminger's original glass plates.
Original letter from David Stark to W. R. Vincent, December 30, 1975: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Ensminger, General Collection, Student Museum, Sanford Florida.
Black and white photographs of the front of Sanford Municipal Athletic Field and of the infield and bleachers . Located less than a mile from Historic Downtown Sanford, Sanford Memorial Stadium now stands next to the original site, which was built in 1926. Many Major League stars have played in the stadium including Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Tim Raines, and David Eckstein. Sanford Stadium is the location where Jackie Robinson first took to the field in 1946 to play baseball as a member of a white Class AAA International League Team in Daytona Beach, Florida, which was partnered with the Montreal Royals. By the time Robinson took the field, however, the crowd ended up booing him off before he could play. The police chief had actually threatened to cancel the game if Robinson took the field.
Original black and white photograph: Florida Historical Society, Cocoa, Florida.
Florida Historical Society
The lot located at 104 South Sanford Avenue in Georgetown, an historic African-American neighborhood in Sanford, Florida. The earliest known resident of this address was D. C. Howard in 1917. At the time that this photograph was taken in January 2012, the lot was vacant with no buildings.
Original color digital image by Adam Rock, January 23, 2012.
The Goldsboro Historical Museum is located at 1211 Historic Goldsboro Boulevard in the Goldsboro community of Sanford, Florida. The museum highlights this heritage with exhibits about Goldsboro as a city and as a part of Sanford. Exhibits focus on the people, schools, churches, and businesses of Goldsboro. The museum is open Tuesday-Friday 1:00-5:00 PM. Admission is free.
Goldsboro Historical Museum
Goldsboro Historical Museum 1211 Historic Goldsboro Boulevard Sanford, Florida 32771
The Oviedo Historical Society was organized in November 1973 by a group of citizens. The society is a 501(3) non-profit organization. Its purpose is to help preserve the community identity of Oviedo by collecting and disseminating knowledge about local history, serve as a repository for documents and artifacts relating to Oviedo history, promote the preservation and marking of historic sites and buildings in the Oviedo area and foster interest in local, state, national, and world history.
Oviedo Historicay Society, Inc.
Oviedo Historical Society 200 West Broadway Street Oviedo, Florida 32765
What To Do and See in the Cape Canaveral Area
Booklet on tourism in the Cape Canaveral area including Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island, Eau Gallie, Melbourne, and Titusville. The cover shows Mercury Astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper. The booklet is an aid for people vacationing or moving to the area. It details activities, restaurants, events, sports, television listings, schools, real estate information, and more.
Original booklet, 1963: What To Do and See in the Cape Canaveral Area (Cocoa Beach, Florida: Brownell Associates, 1963): Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
U.S. Air Force
Postcard showing the United States Post Office and Federal Courthouse at 42-44 East Central Boulevard in Orlando, Florida. The building was constructed in a Spanish Colonial Revival style from 1939 to 1941 and dedicated on April 14, 1941. It has been occupied by the United States Post Office since 1941, the Federal District Courthouse from 1941 to circa 1974, and the office of the Roman Catholic Church since 2003. The building was renovated in the early 2000s and was modified for office and retail use, with the Post Office retaining 13,200 square feet. Plans included an adjacent parking garage on the north side, though that that aspect never came to fruition. St. James Roman Catholic Cathedral, located across Court Street from the Post Office, purchased the parts of the building not utilized by the Post Office and use it for Chancery office space.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard by Genuine Curteich-Chicago: Orange News Company, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Postcard showing Lake Eola Park and its bandstand in Orlando, Florida. The bandstand is on the west side of the park. Lake Eola and the park that surrounds it are one of the unusual features that sets the city of Orlando apart from other places. From its earliest days Downtown Orlando was situated on the west side of the lake. As the town grew into a city, Lake Eola continued to be a focal point for the inhabitants, who used it for bathing, swimming and fishing, while on its shores people picnicked, listened to concerts and religious services. Much of the land around Lake Eola was donated to Orlando by Jacob Summerlin who designated that it be a public park. It has remained one ever since. The rest of the park land was donated by the Musselwhite Family and Mayor Frank Sperry.
Booklet about the Bok Tower Gardens published in 1950. Edward Bok retired to the town of Lake Wales, Florida. Bok set out a plan to establish a natural garden and bird sanctuary where people to visit to quietly enjoy nature.He engaged Frederick Law Olmstead, Jr. to design the grounds and asked architect Milton B. Medary to design and build a carillon tower. Lee Lawrie, a noted sculptor from New York, designed the elaborate marble sculpture that adorns the tower. Work was completed in 1928 and, on February 1, 1929, President Calvin Coolidge dedicated the sanctuary. Edward Bok died less than a year later in 1930 and was buried at the foot of the tower. The tower and the carillon housed inside is Bok Tower Gardens' most distinctive feature. The carillon consists of sixty bells, ranging in size from 16 pounds to just under 12 tons. The bells are played like an organ with the keys connected to the clappers of each bell. Bok Tower has had only three regular carillonneurs in its more than 70 years. The sanctuary's first carillonneur was Anton Brees, serving as the only carillonneur from 1928 until 1967. Milford Myhre has been the resident carillonneur since 1968. William De Turk has been the assistant carillonneur since 1993. De Turk is also the librarian of the Anton Brees Carillon Library, which is reportedly the largest and most comprehensive carillon library in the world.
Original booklet by the American Foundation Incorporated: The Mountain Lake Sanctuary (United States of America: Edward Stern and Company Incorporated, 1950): 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.
Street map of the City of Orlando, Florida, printed in 1936. The map shows the route of a 23-mile scenic drive around 18 lakes in Orlando. It has listings of apartment houses, churches, hotels, real estate brokers, newspapers, schools, clubs, newspapers and more. The map also lists 66 places on the scenic drive illustrated on the map.
Original 17 x 22 inch map, 1936: Greater Orlando Chamber of Commerce, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Greater Orlando Chamber of Commerce
Booklet of postcards featuring Orlando, Florida. It was made by Curt Teich and Company Chicago and includes images of the Confederate Soldiers Monument, where it was originally located in the middle of the intersection of Magnolia Avenue and Central Boulevard, as well as Lake Eola and the surrounding park.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcards: Cur Teich and Company, Chicago, Illinois: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Postcard showing the Orlando skyline in a night scene as seen from the eastern side of Lake Eola Park. Some of the buildings shown are the Angebilt Hotel, the Orange County Courthouse, and the Lake Eola Band Stand. Lake Eola and the park that surrounds it are one of the unusual features that sets the city of Orlando apart from other places. From its earliest days Downtown Orlando was situated on the west side of the lake. As the town grew into a city, Lake Eola continued to be a focal point for the inhabitants, who used it for bathing, swimming and fishing, while on its shores people picnicked, listened to concerts and religious services. Much of the land around Lake Eola was donated to Orlando by Jacob Summerlin who designated that it be a public park. It has remained one ever since. The rest of the park land was donated by the Musselwhite Family and Mayor Frank Sperry.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard: E. C. Kropp Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
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.
Postcard showing the Seminole Hotel which was built in 1886 on the eastern end of New England Avenue, on Lake Osceola in Winter Park, Florida. The hotel, which cost $150,000 to construct, featured a formal dining room that could seat hundreds, sumptuous covered porches, a bowling alley, and 200 guest rooms. The first winter season had more than 2,300 registered guests. The hotel provided a source of employment for many African Americans in Hannibal Square, the historic African-American neighborhood of Winter Park. On September 18, 1902, a fire caused extensive damage and the owners decided to sell the property for residential lots. In 1913, a new Seminole Hotel was built on the western shore of Lake Osceola on the eastern end of Webster Avenue, present-day Kiwi Circle. In 1970, the building sold for $250,000 and was demolished and replaced by residential developments.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard: E. R. Favor, Winter Park, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Scene on Pine St. Showing Grand Theatre Postcard
Postcard showing Grand Theatre, located at 37 West Pine Street in Orlando, Florida. The theater opened in the 1920s. During the 1940s and 1950s, the theatre operated as a first run house, typically playing second tier motion pictures. In 1956, the name was changed to the Astor Theatre. The building was demolished around 1960.
Santa Claus Joins Army Air Forces, Christmas 1943
An Army Air Forces menu created for the Christmas of 1943. The cover shows Santa Claus piloting an airplane over an airbase. There are illustrations of a decorated Christmas tree, a palm tree and what appears to be orange trees. The interior has a Christmas note from Hume Peabody, Brigadier General of the U.S. Army who was Commanding General of the Army Air Force Tactical Center. Although Japan and China were already engaged war since 1937, September 1, 1939 is generally considered the beginning date of World War II. It was on this day that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler invaded Poland, inciting France and the United Kingdom to declare war on Germany. Through the course of the war, belligerents were general divided into two groups: the Allied Powers, consisting of the United Kingdom, France, the Soviet Union, China, Poland, Canada, Australia, India, Yugoslavia, Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa, New Zealand, Norway, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia, Brazil, Denmark, Luxembourg, Cuba, Mexico, the Philippines, Mongolia, and Iran; and the Axis Powers, consisting of Germany, Japan, Italy, Hingary, Romania, and Bulgaria. The United States did not join the Allies until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. War was waged for several years. On May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered to Soviet and Polish troops in response to the capture of Berlin just a few days earlier, in effect ending the war in Europe. The war in the Pacific theater did not end until Japan surrended on August 15, 1945, in response to the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. World War II transformed the globe's geopolitical context. The United Nations (UN) was established and the United States and Soviet Union emrged as opposing superpowers, setting the stage for the 46-year long Cold War. Much of Europe was left in economic collapse and decolonization began in Asia and Africa.
Original menu, 1943: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Postcard showing the San Juan de Ulloa Hotel, located at 32 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The building was constructed from 1885 to 1886 by Captain C. E. Pierce at an initial cost of $150,000. The original owner was Henry S. Kedney, who moved from Minnesota to Maitland in 1870 and then to Orlando in 1885. The initial building was a three-story, wood-framed building topped with a dome. In 1887, Harry L. Beeman moved to Orlando and bought the San Juan Hotel. He added two stories and a new addition for $500,000 around 1900. From 1890 to 1900, it also housed the Downtown Orlando Post Office. In 1903, Beeman added a veranda on the north side. In 1914, Henry Green took charge of $20,000 in alterations, including the addition of a laundry room, 12 private baths, and the conversion of the barbershop into a café. In the spring of 1922, Turner Construction Company added an additional eight stories at a cost of $357,000. In May 1928, there was a plan to spend $150,000 to rebuild it along modern lines but it is not known if this was carried out or to what extent. The hotel also housed a series of services for hotel guests and Orlando residents alike. Among these were several restaurants, a barbershop, and a laundry. The San Juan was the main focal point for activity in Orlando in the early years, but the hotel hit hard times in the 1960s and was re-opened as the Grand Central Hotel, which opened on October 6, 1978. The Grand Central served a gay clientele, featuring several themed bars and lounges. In 1979, the hotel was destroyed by fire. The building was eventually demolished in 1981. The current use of site is a business office originally known as the First Union Bank Tower. It is a 16-story, 300,000-square foot building, completed in 1983.
Brochure on the San Juan Hotel, one of the oldest hotels in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The brochure showcases that activities for tourists in Orlando Florida, as well as the luxury of the San Juan. The brochure was published around 1955. The San Juan de Ulloa Hotel, located at 32 North Orange Avenue in Orlando, Florida. The building was constructed from 1885 to 1886 by Captain C. E. Pierce at an initial cost of $150,000. The original owner was Henry S. Kedney, who moved from Minnesota to Maitland in 1870 and then to Orlando in 1885. The initial building was a three-story, wood-framed building topped with a dome. In 1887, Harry L. Beeman moved to Orlando and bought the San Juan Hotel. He added two stories and a new addition for $500,000 around 1900. From 1890 to 1900, it alsohoused Orlando's Post Office. In 1903, Beeman added a veranda on the north side. In 1914, Henry Green took charge of $20,000 in alterations, including the addition of a laundry room, twelve private baths, and the conversion of the barbershop into a café. In the spring of 1922, Turner Construction Company added an additional eight stories at a cost of $357,000. In May 1928, there was a plan to spend $150,000 to rebuild it along modern lines but it is not known if this was carried out or to what extent. The hotel also housed a series of services for hotel guests and Orlando residents alike. Among these were several restaurants, a barbershop, and a laundry. The San Juan was the main focal point for activity in Orlando in the early years, but the hotel hit hard times in the 1960s and was re-opened as the Grand Central Hotel, which opened on October 6, 1978. The Grand Central served a gay clientele, featuring several themed bars and lounges. In 1979, the hotel was destroyed by fire. The building was eventually demolished in 1981. The current use of site is a business office originally known as the First Union Bank Tower. It is a sixteen-story, 300,000-square foot building, completed in 1983.
Original brochure: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
A postcard showing the San Juan de Ulloa Hotel, located at 32 North Orange Avenue in Orlando, Florida. The building was constructed from 1885 to 1886 by Captain C. E. Pierce at an initial cost of $150,000. The original owner was Henry S. Kedney, who moved from Minnesota to Maitland in 1870 and then to Orlando in 1885. The initial building was a three-story, wood-framed building topped with a dome. In 1887, Harry L. Beeman moved to Orlando and bought the San Juan Hotel. He added two stories and a new addition for $500,000 around 1900. From 1890 to 1900, it alsohoused Orlando's Post Office. In 1903, Beeman added a veranda on the north side. In 1914, Henry Green took charge of $20,000 in alterations, including the addition of a laundry room, twelve private baths, and the conversion of the barbershop into a café. In the spring of 1922, Turner Construction Company added an additional eight stories at a cost of $357,000. In May 1928, there was a plan to spend $150,000 to rebuild it along modern lines but it is not known if this was carried out or to what extent. The hotel also housed a series of services for hotel guests and Orlando residents alike. Among these were several restaurants, a barbershop, and a laundry. The San Juan was the main focal point for activity in Orlando in the early years, but the hotel hit hard times in the 1960s and was re-opened as the Grand Central Hotel, which opened on October 6, 1978. The Grand Central served a gay clientele, featuring several themed bars and lounges. In 1979, the hotel was destroyed by fire. The building was eventually demolished in 1981. The current use of site is a business office originally known as the First Union Bank Tower. It is a sixteen-story, 300,000-square foot building, completed in 1983.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard: Valentine & Son's Publishing Company, Ltd., Great Britain: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Valentine & Son's Publishing Company, Ltd.
Russ Mattress and Manufacturing Company Fan
A fan advertising the Russ Mattress and Manufacturing Company that was located at 1122 West Church Street in Orlando, Florida. The front of the fan shows a winter scene with snow-covered houses and a U.S. Patent number # 1655229. The fan was produced by the U. O. Colson Company of Paris, Illinois. The patent for the fan was applied for by Frank H. Klie in 1927 and granted on January 3, 1928.
Original fan: U. O. Colson Company, Paris, Illinois: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Postcard, posted on February 5, 1909, showing the Rosalind Club located 37 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida. It was constructed in 1901 in the Neo-Classical Revival style as a reproduction of the Biloxi, Mississippi home of Jefferson Davis, the first and only President of the Confederate States of America. Davis' niece, Lucy Hayes Lawrence, chose the design. The building was moved to Colonial Drive circa 1921 to make room for the Angebilt Hotel. The original owner was the Sorosis Club. In 1903, it became the home of the Rosalind Club, which was founded in 1894 as the Ladies Social Club of Orlando. The Rosalind Club remained there until 1916 when their new building was finished on the shore of Lake Eola, on the street that became Rosalind Avenue. After 1916, the building was used by the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club. It was bought by M. J. Daetwyler and moved to Colonial Drive for use as an apartment house.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard, 1909: W. S. Branch, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook
Programme of the First Concert of the Orlando Choral Union
A programme for the First Concert of the Orlando Choral Union at the Orlando Opera House, held on Monday, April 13, 1891. Located on 119-125 South Court Avenue, the Opera House was owned by Charles Weimer and built by N. C. Stubblefield in 1884.
Original program, 1891: The Daily Record Print, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Postcard showing the Osceola County Courthouse, the oldest courthouse in the State of Florida that is still in use. The land on which the historic building now stands was purchased from the D. B. Stewart family in 1888 for $2,205.32. On June 3, 1889, bids to construct the courthouse and jail were received and the bid in the amount of $23,879.00 from the Pierce-Torrey Investment Company of Orlando was accepted. Actual construction of the building began in July of 1889. In January of 1890, a portion of the tower collapsed when the supporting timbers were removed, causing a temporary setback in construction as well as in finances, but the courthouse was finally completed by May of that year. In 1977, the Osceola County Courthouse was added to the National Historic Register of Historic Places. In 2011, restoration of the building to its original design begun. Although Osceola County has built a new and larger courthouse, the third floor courtroom continues to be used as an active courtroom, allowing Osceola County to continue to claim the honor of having the oldest courthouse still in use in the State of Florida.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard: Cochrane's Book Store, Palatka, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Orlando, Fla. Skyline by Moonlight Postcard
Postcard sent in 1943 from Marvin B. Pernick to Marybelle Campbell. The postcard shows the Orlando skyline in a night scene as seen from the eastern side of Lake Eola Park. Some of the buildings shown are the Angebilt Hotel, rhe Orange County Courthouse, and the Lake Eola Band Stand. Lake Eola Park is one of the unusual features that sets the city of Orlando apart from other places. From its earliest days Downtown Orlando was situated on the west side of the lake. As the town grew into a city, Lake Eola continued to be a focal point for the inhabitants, who used it for bathing, swimming and fishing, while on its shores people picnicked, listened to concerts and religious services. Much of the land around Lake Eola was donated to Orlando by Jacob Summerlin who designated that it be a public park. It has remained one ever since. The rest of the park land was donated by the Musselwhite Family and Mayor Frank Sperry.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard by Genuine Curteich-Chicago, 1943: Orange News Company, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Pamphlet on tourist attractions in Orlando, Florida. The pamphlet shows many photos of Central Florida, as well as a basic map of the state of Florida showing US-441, which is present-day Orange Blossom Trail. Images include a aerial view of downtown Orlando, Bok Tower, Marineland, Daytona Beach, Sanlando Springs, Ringling Art Museum, and Silver Springs.
Original pamphlet: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Orange Blossom Trail: The Scenic Route Through Central Florida
Pamphlet on the scenic route of Orange Blossom Trail north from the Georgia-Florida border to Key West. The pamphlet lists roadside attractions near or on OBT, in an era before the construction of I-95, I-75 and I-4 nearly ended the traditional roadside attraction.
Original pamphlet by the Orange Blossom Trail Association: Vaughan & Co., Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Postcard showing an early scene of Orange Avenue, looking south from Washington Street in Orlando, Florida. In the distance on the west side of the street is the San Juan Hotel, which was built 1885-1886. In front of the San Juan is the Orange County Jail and it's exercise yard. The three-story jail building was built in 1884.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Postcard showing a bird's eye view of Orange Avenue in Orlando, Florida. The cross street in the foreground is Church Street. On the west side of Orange Avenue at the corner of Church Street is the First National Bank Building, located at 190 South Orange Avenue. The bank was constructed between 1929-1930 and designed by Howard M. Reynolds in an Egyptian Revival style, covered in terra cotta with Art Deco-style false columns designed to look like sheaves of wheat. The building cost $300,000 to construct and opened on March 24, 1930.From 1929 to 1960, the building was occupied by the bank. Starting in the mid 1980s, it became Valencia Community College's Downtown Campus. On the east side of the street is the Woolworth Building at 135-141 South Orange Avenue. Constructed in 1924, the building was built for $100,000 by Franklin J. Mason and was opened in July 1924. The building was occupied by the Woolworth Store from 1924 until 1989, and then by Terror on Church Street, a Haunted House attraction, in the 1990s. This block, which includes the McCrory's Store, was demolished in January 2004. The Woolworth Store replaced the Guernsey Hardware building at 135-141 South Orange, which was constructed circa 1881 and demolished in 1924. Guernsey Hardware as originally the Cassius A. Boone Hardware Store. Boone operated his hardware store along with his partner, William A. Patrick. In 1895, the building and the stock was purchased by Joseph L. Guernsey. Boone chose to go into the citrus industry instead of running a store. Guernsey Hardware operated in the store until 1922.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard by Genuine Curteich-Chicago, 1951: Orange News Company, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Orange Ave. Looking North, Orlando, Fla. Postcard
Postcard showing Orange Avenue in Orlando, Florida. The Rutland Building, located at 63 North Orange Avenue, can be seen in the foreground. The original two-story structure was designed by F. Earl Deloe in the Art Moderne-style for Joseph Rutland's menswear store in 1941. In 1952, three additional stories were added. Rutland's closed its downtown store in the late 1960s, but remained open in the Colonial Plaza Shopping Center. Behind Rutland's is the Angebilt Hotel, located at 37 N. Orange. The building was constructed between 1921-1923. Plans to build the hotel were announced in June 1921 and construction cost $1 million. The Angebilt Hotel opened on March 14, 1923. The original owner was Joseph Fenner Ange, who moved to Orlando in 1913 from Martin County, North Carolina. Two months after the building's opening, Ange sold his interest in the hotel. In November 1924, a group of Orlando businessmen purchased the hotel for $1.25 million. Florida's first registered architect, Murray S. King, designed the building in the twentieth century commercial style, complete with eleven stories and 240 hotel rooms. Since its opening, the building has housed the Angebilt Hotel, the Bank of Orange and Trust Company, and the offices for two radio stations including WDBO ("Way Down By Orlando"), which was the first regular radio station in Orlando. As of 2010, it also is occupied by business offices and two restaurants. Across the street is the San Juan de Ulloa Hotel, located at 32 North Orange Avenue in Orlando, Florida. The hotel was constructed from 1885 to 1886 by Captain C. E. Pierce at an initial cost of $150,000. The original owner was Henry S. Kedney, who moved from Minnesota to Maitland in 1870 and then to Orlando in 1885. The initial building was a three-story, wood-framed building topped with a dome. In 1887, Harry L. Beeman moved to Orlando and bought the San Juan Hotel. He added two stories and a new addition for $500,000 around 1900. In 1903, Beeman added a veranda on the north side. In 1914, Henry Green took charge of $20,000 in alterations, including the addition of a laundry room, twelve private baths, and the conversion of the barbershop into a café. In the spring of 1922, Turner Construction Company added an additional eight stories at a cost of $357,000. In May 1928, there was a plan to spend $150,000 to rebuild it along modern lines but it is not known if this was carried out or to what extent. From 1890 to 1900, it housed Orlando's Post Office. The hotel also housed a series of services for hotel guests and Orlando residents alike. Among these were several restaurants, a barbershop, and a laundry. The San Juan was the main focal point for activity in Orlando in the early years. The San Juan hit hard times in the 1960s and was re-opened as the Grand Central Hotel, which opened on October 6, 1978. The Grand Central served a gay clientele, featuring several themed bars and lounges. In 1979, the hotel was destroyed by fire. The building was eventually demolished in 1981. The current use of site is a business office originally known as the First Union Bank Tower. It is a sixteen-story, 300,000-square foot building, completed in 1983.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard by Genuine Curteich-Chicago, 1944: Orange News Company, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Postcard showing a bird's eye view of Orange Avenue in Orlando, Florida. The cross street in the foreground is Church Street. On the west side of Orange Avenue at the corner of Church Street is the First National Bank Building, located at 190 South Orange Avenue. The bank was constructed between 1929-1930 and designed by Howard M. Reynolds in an Egyptian Revival style, covered in terra cotta with Art Deco-style false columns designed to look like sheaves of wheat. The building cost $300,000 to construct and opened on March 24, 1930.From 1929 to 1960, the building was occupied by the bank. Starting in the mid 1980s, it became Valencia Community College's Downtown Campus. On the east side of the street is the Woolworth Building at 101 South Orange Avenue. Constructed in 1924, the building was built for $100,000 by Franklin J. Mason and was opened in July 1924. The building was occupied by the Woolworth Store from 1924 until 1989, and then by Terror on Church Street, a Haunted House attraction, in the 1990s. This block, which includes the McCrory's Store, was demolished in January 2004. The Woolworth Store replaced the Guernsey Hardware building at 101 South Orange, which was constructed circa 1881 and demolished in 1924. Guernsey Hardware as originally the Cassius A. Boone Hardware Store. Boone operated his hardware store along with his partner, William A. Patrick. In 1895, the building and the stock was purchased by Joseph L. Guernsey. Boone chose to go into the citrus industry instead of running a store. Guernsey Hardware operated in the store until 1922.
Postcard showing the Masonic Temple, located on 205 East Central Boulevard in Orlando, Florida. The building was constructed in the 20th Century Commercial style in 1925 and was dedicated on January 13, 1926. The original owner was the Free and Associated Masons of Orlando from 1926 until 1982. The building was purchased in 1982 for $660,000 and underwent extensive modifications, including an additional two stories. The building now serves as professional offices.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard by C. T. American Art: Asheville Post Card Company, Asheville, North Carolina: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Orlando street map printed in 1914 by the State Bank of Orlando. The cover of the map lists the officers and directors of the State Bank of Orlando, as well as a listing of churches. The map was made for the Carl Dann Real Estate Company of Orlando and was compiled by G. R. Ramsey, and platted and drawn by J. A. McLeod. It lists West Street, renamed Rosalind Avenue around 1916; Main Street, renamed Magnolia Avenue; Magnolia Street, renamed Palmetto Avenue; and East Street, renamed Summerlin Avenue.
Original map by J. A. McLeod and G. R. Ramsey, 1914: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Lawn Bowling Handbook, complied and edited by Harold L. Esch and published in 1948. The book contains a history of lawn bowling and a description of the rules. On the last page is an advertisement by the Greater Orlando Chamber of Commerce for lawn bowling at Sunshine Park in Orlando, Florida. The Chamber of Commerce office was located at 113 East Central Avenue.
Esch, Harold L. Lawn Bowling Handbook. Wauwatasa, Wisc: Harold L. Esch, 1948.
Grant's Tourist Guide of Orlando, Florida with Map
Tourism--Florida--Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Tourist guide of Orlando, Florida published in 1919. Grant's Tourist Guide includes a sketch of Orlando written by Samuel A. Robinson and delivered as a speech in 1918 to the Orlando Board of Trade. The guide has numerous printed photographs of Orlando landmarks and ads for various hotels, boarding houses and other tourist-orient businesses.
Original booklet by Homer D. Grant: Grant's Tourist Guide of Orlando, Florida with Map (DeLand, Florida: E. O. Painter Printing Company, 1919).
Lake Tohopekaliga, Osceola County, Florida
Florida's Weeki Wachee: Spring of Live Mermaids
Weeki Wachee Spring (Fla.)--Amusement parks
Springs--Florida--Hernando County Region
Brochure for Weeki Wachee produced in the mid-1950s. Weeki Wachee features performances by underwater mermaids, a glass-bottom boat ride, and other natural attractions. The springs are named after the Seminole words for "little spring" or "winding river." In 1946, former U.S. Navy member Newton Perry began to develop a tourist attraction at Weeki Wachee. By the 1950s, Weeki Wachee was one of the top tourist stops in the United States. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) purchased the site in 1959 and continued to expand. In 2008, Weeki Wachee was taken over by the state of Florida as a state park.
Cypress Gardens Booklet from the 1950s that includes information on plants, Cypress Gardens' water-ski show, and motion pictures filmed at Cypress Gardens. Billed as Florida's first commercial tourist theme park, Cypress Gardens opened on January 2, 1936 as a botanical garden planted by Dick Pope Sr. and his wife Julie. Over the years, it became one of the biggest attractions in Florida, known for its water ski shows, lush gardens, and Southern Belles. It became known as the "Water Ski Capital of the World" because many of the sport's landmark firsts and the over 50 world records broken there. Numerous motion pictures were filmed at the Cypress Gardens, including portions of This is Cinerama, the first feature filmed in the wide-screen format, as well as a string of Esther Williams films and television specials in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1950s, young women dressed in the crinolines reminiscent of the Antebellum South. During the American Civil War Centennial, young men dressed in Confederate uniforms would be photographed with the Southern Belles. With the addition of a custom photography boat named Miss Cover Girl in the early 1960s, the park became a popular site for the filming of television commercials. However, Cypress Gardens closed in 2009. Legoland occupies the former lot.
Original booklet: Florida Cypress Gardens (Orlando, Florida: Litho U.S.A. Vaughan). Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Florida Circle Tours brochure produced by United Tours in 1950. The brochure details a nine-day coach tour of Florida starting in Jacksonville and traveling to Silver Springs, Orlando, Winter Haven, Cypress Gardens, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Snell Island, Tampa Bay, Tamiami Trail, the Everglades, Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Palm Beach, Indian River, Daytona Beach, Marineland, St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra. It also lists optional trips to Havana, Cuba or Nassau, Bahamas by air or steamer. United Tours was located at 329 East Flagler Street in Miami, Florida.
Original brochure, 1950: United Tours, Miami, Florida.: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Biscayne Bay, Miami-Dade County, Florida
Indian Creek Village, Indian Creek, Florida
Florida: A Fabulous State of Well-Being!
Florida state brochure titled, "Florida: A Fabulous State of Well-Being!" The brochure includes a welcome note from then Governor LeRoy Collins (1955-1961).
Original brochure: "Florida: A Fabulous State of Well-Being!": Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
First Church of Christ, Scientist Postcard
Postcard showing the First Church of Christ, Scientist, formerly located on 24 North Rosalind Avenue. The building was constructed between 1926 and May 1928. Architect George Foote Dunham built it in the Italian Renaissance and Classical Revival style with 2 and a half stories, masonry, a copper dome, and a main facade with a Doric portico. From 1928 to 1975, it was the home of the First Church of Christ, Scientist. The Christian Scientists sold it in 1975 to the St. George Greek Orthodox Church. The Church sits across from Lake Eola and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard by C. T. American Art Colored: Asheville Post Card Company, Asheville, North Carolina: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
913th Engineers First Anniversary Booklet
First anniversary yearbook of the 913th Engineers Air Force Headquarters Company of the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics in Orlando, Florida. The company was first established at Mitchel Field, New York on November 1, 1942. After the addition of a cadre from the 908th Engineer Air Force Headquarters Company of Hamilton Field, California, the company resettled in South Camp of the Fighter Command School in Florida on December 1, 1942. The 913th soon absorbed the 895th Engineer Company and Captain Robert B. Kirk took charge. The company was responsible for supplementing the engineer staff of the air force and performing operational and training missions.
913th Engineers Air Force Headquarters Company of the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics
Original booklet by the 913th Engineers Air Force Headquarters Company of the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics: 913th Engineers Anniversary (Orlando, Florida: Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics, 1943). Collection of Thomas Cook.
Ex President and Mrs. Calvin Coolidge at Dedication of Florida's Big Tree Postcard
Postcard showing the Senator, a cypress located at Seminole Big Tree Park. Big Tree Park lies off of U.S. 17-92, south of Sanford in a swampy, mainly undeveloped area. The park's focal points are two ancient and giant bald cypress trees. The largest is known as the Senator; the other is known as the Senator's Brother. The two trees are possibly named in honor of M. O. Overstreet, a Florida state senator who donated the surrounding land to Seminole County in 1951, although they had their current names as early as the 1920s. The trees were a popular tourist attraction from the 1880s onward. In 1929, former President Calvin Coolidge and his wife, who were frequent visitors to Mt. Dora, visited the trees and dedicated them with a bronze plaque. The plaque was stolen in 1945. Both trees are extremely old and their age is typically given at 3,500 years. The Senator was believed to be the largest bald cypress in Florida; however, questions have been raised concerning the definition of "largest." It appears today that the Senator reigns as the cypress with the largest volume, the total amount of wood above ground. The current measurements may make it the largest bald cypress in the United States. As of 2011, the tree's height has been measured around 118 feet tall. It has been said that prior to the 1928 hurricane, it stood as tall as 160 feet.
Original 3.5 x 5.5 inch black and white postcard: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Postcard, posted in March of 1911, showing East Robinson Avenue a few blocks north of Central Boulevard in Orlando, Florida. The avenue was named for Samuel Robinson of Emmett, Michigan, who was a surveyor for Orange County for seventeen years. He was responsible for planting the many trees along Magnolia Avenue where he built his home. Now called Robinson Street, the road passes along the northern shore of Lake Eola.
Cypress Gardens booklet from the 1950s that includes information on plants, Cypress Gardens' water-ski show, and motion pictures filmed at Cypress Gardens. Billed as Florida's first commercial tourist theme park, Cypress Gardens opened on January 2, 1936 as a botanical garden planted by Dick Pope, Sr. and his wife, Julie. Over the years, it became one of the biggest attractions in Florida, known for its water ski shows, lush gardens, and Southern Belles. It became known as the "Water Ski Capital of the World" because many of the sport's landmark firsts and the over 50 world records broken there. Numerous motion pictures were filmed at the Cypress Gardens, including portions of This is Cinerama, the first feature filmed in the wide-screen format, as well as a string of Esther Williams films and television specials in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1950s, young women dressed in the crinolines reminiscent of the Antebellum South. During the American Civil War Centennial, young men dressed in Confederate uniforms would be photographed with the Southern Belles. With the addition of a custom photography boat named Miss Cover Girl in the early 1960s, the park became a popular site for the filming of television commercials. Cypress Gardens closed in 2009. Legoland occupies the former lot.
Original booklet: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Postcard showing the Victorian-style Orange County Courthouse with Lake Eola in the background. The streets are Main Street (present-day Magnolia Avenue) and Central Avenue (present-day Central Boulevard). The Orange County Courthouse was constructed in 1892 and its cornerstone was laid on January 15, 1892. The architect was A. S. Wagner and the general contractor was the W. C. Green Company of Chicago, Illinois. The red brick, three-story building, which cost $57,000, was built in the Gothic Revival style with a eighty-foot high clock tower. The clock and bell were provided for by W. C. Sherman, a local businessman who raised several thousand dollars for the project. The clock mechanism was manufactured by Dent, London, founded by Edward John Dent, the company which made the Big Ben clock movement in London, England. The bell in the tower weighed 1,500 pounds, was tuned "F", was selected by local musician Harry Newell, and, as of 2011, is on display in the lobby of the Orange County Courthouse. The Orange County Courthouse occupied the building until 1927, when a new primary courthouse was constructed next door. Afterward, it was used for Orange County offices. On July 30, 1957, the building was condemned and then demolished on December 30, 1957. A new Orange County Courthouse Annex building was constructed on the site. In the late 1990s, the Courthouse Annex was demolished and replaced with an urban park called Heritage Square, owned by Orange County. The gray building on the right is the McEwan Clinic, located at 100 East Central Boulevard, which was constructed in 1911. The original owner was Dr. John Singer McEwan. The building was designed to be Orlando's first public hospital. A third story was added circa 1920 to make a total of twenty hospital rooms. Apart from being a hospital and clinic, it was also the Florida Public Service Corporation, later the office of the Florida Gas Company, clothing stores (Artistry), and a 7-Eleven. As of 2011, it is the Central Station Bar. Across the Main Street from the Courthouse is the Orlando Lawn Bowling Clubs grounds.
The Cher-O-Key, the bimonthly school newspaper published by the Journalism Club of Cherokee Junior High School, which was located at 550 South Eola Drive in Orlando, Florida when it opened in 1927. The Volume I, Number 10 edition was published on April 26, 1929 and cost one cent. Articles in the newspaper include an awards ceremony acknowleding outstanding students, the myster of Miss Vanemburg's "environment", two Guidance Program events, student editorials, a calendar of events, a paper published by the Spanish class, club news, Student Council's visit to the "Singing Tower" at Mountain Lake, personal news from teachers and students, the recent track and field meet, a baseball game between eighth and ninth graders, class picnics, and a humor section.
Original school newspaper by Robert Cox, ed.: The Cher-O-Key Vol. I No. 10. April 26, 1929. Prviate Collection of Thomas Cook.
Journalism Club of Cherokee Junior High School
The Cher-O-Key, the bimonthly school newspaper published by the Journalism Club of Cherokee Junior High School, which was located at 550 South Eola Drive in Orlando, Florida when it opened in 1927. The Volume I, Number 9 edition was published on April 12, 1929 and cost one cent. Articles in the newspaper include the school victory at a track and field meet, a ministrel performed by the eighth grade, the performance of "Mother Carey's Chickens," A Model Club meet, student editorials, a calendar of events, the state of national education and higher education, club news, personal news from students, the eighth grade "Who's Who" contest, sports news, and eighth grade event heald for parents, and a humor section.
Original school newspaper by Robert Cox, ed.:The Cher-O-Key Vol. I No. 9. April 12, 1929. Prviate Collection of Thomas Cook.
The Cher-O-Key, the bimonthly school newspaper published by the Journalism Club of Cherokee Junior High School, which was located at 550 South Eola Drive in Orlando, Florida when it opened in 1927. The Volume I, Number 8 edition was published on March 22, 1929 and cost one cent. Articles in the newspaper include amendments to the Student Council constitution, the upcoming performance of "Mother Carey's Chickens", student editorials, a calendar of events, exchanges with other schools' newspapers, club news, personal news from students and teachers, sports news, a humor section, and the school's girls' basketball victory over Memorial.
Original school newspaper by Robert Cox, ed.:The Cher-O-Key Vol. I No. 8. March 22, 1929. Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
The Cher-O-Key, the bimonthly school newspaper published by the Journalism Club of Cherokee Junior High School, which was located at 550 South Eola Drive in Orlando, Florida when it opened in 1927. The Volume I, Number 7 edition was published on March 8, 1929 and cost one cent. Articles in the newspaper include awards that the school one at the Central Florida Exhibition, a new picture file in the school library, a ninth grade debate, a perfomance by the Hi-Y Club, student editorials, a calendar of event, exchanges with other schools' newspapers, Thelma Jones' contest-winning limerick, club news, a short story about two West Virginian slaves during the American Civil War, personal news from teachers, sports news, and a humor section.
Original school newspaper by Robert Cox, ed.: The Cher-O-Key Vol. I No. 6. March 8, 1929. Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Cherokee Junior High School, Orlando, Florida
The Cher-O-Key, the bimonthly school newspaper published by the Journalism Club of Cherokee Junior High School, which was located at 550 South Eola Drive in Orlando, Florida when it opened in 1927. The Volume I, Number 6 edition was published on February 21, 1929 and cost one cent. Articles in the newspaper include the election of Joe Bird as Student Council President, musical productions by seventh graders, a speech by Miss Freeman of the Orlando Ice Dealers Association, a performance by Mr. Westover, student editorials, a calendar of events, a contet spondered by Cher-O-Key, club news, Student Council news, readings performed by Florida Routh, personal news from students and teachers, sports news, an athletic calendar, and the Who's Who contest.
Original school newspaper by Ruth Wetherington, ed.: The Cher-O-Key Vol. I No. 6. February 21, 1929: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
The Cher-O-Key, the bimonthly school newspaper published by the Journalism Club of Cherokee Junior High School, which was located at 550 South Eola Drive in Orlando, Florida when it opened in 1927. The Volume I, Number 5 edition was published on February 1, 1929 and cost one cent. Articles in the newspaper include Thrift Week, a speech by Dr. J. Dean Adcock of the First Baptist Church, Student Council's visit to the Orlando Municipal Auditorium, the theatrical production "The Family Album", student editorials, a calendar of events, Cherokee Junior High's Bookbinding Department, the Expression Club's theatrical productions, the activities of the Margaret F. S. Flace's art class, personal news from students, sports news, the school's new projection lantern, and students from local Orlando elementary schools who were promoted to junior high school.
Original school newspaper by Ruth Wetherington, ed.: The Cher-O-Key Vol. I No. 5. February 1, 1929: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
The Cher-O-Key, the bimonthly school newspaper published by the Journalism Club of Cherokee Junior High School, which was located at 550 South Eola Drive in Orlando, Florida when it opened in 1927. The Volume I, Number 4 edition was published on December 21, 1928 and cost one cent. Articles in the newspaper include the performance of the musical "Once in a Blue Moon", the Red Cross' Christmas Seal Campaign, student scholarship, club news, a calendar of events, several Christmas poems and stories, seventh grade literature, and Cherokee Junior High's defeat by Memorial High School in a soccer game.
Original school newspaper by Ruth Wetherington, ed.: The Cher-O-Key Vol. I No. 4. December 21, 1928: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.