Naughty and Nice, December 13 & 14, 2014
A program for the Orlando Gay Chorus' concert, "Naughty and Nice", on December 13 &amp
14, 2014, at the Plaza Theater in Orlando, Florida. The program includes short biographies on the Artistic Staff Harold Wright, Clay Price, Sue Glerum, Alecia Bloon, April Trimble and Dwight Shropshire, the Principle ASL interpreter Debbie Drobney, program notes, an outline of the show's itinerary, a list of chorus members and contributors, and a history of GALA Choruses and the Orlando Gay Chorus. The Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization, and part of the Gay and Lesbian Association (GALA) of Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a host of community events, such as Come Out With Pride, Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees, and World AIDS Day memorial services. In 2017, the group performed at over 105 events, including 15 performances for the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Members come from all walks of life and all sexual and gender orientations, including straight allies. OGC lives by the motto “Singing the World to a Better Place” and strives to use music to change attitudes and build a stronger community.
Orlando Gay Chorus
Original 28-page colored program, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
A postcard depicting a Navajo Basket Weaver near Adamana, Arizona. Now a ghost town with only four inhabited buildings, Adamana was once home to 30 families, and had a hotel until 1965 and a post office until 1969. It was known as the "Gateway to the Petrified Forest" because the Santa Fe Railroad stopped at the hotel and passengers stayed the night before continuing into the forest. This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
Original 3 x 5 inch black and white postcard: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1 (U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Student housing at Orlando-Sanford International Airport. This building was originally barracks constructed during the Vietnam War for Navy personnel at Naval Air Station Sanford. The former barracks are now used as student housing for Aerosim Flight Academy students. The Orlando-Sanford International Airport originally began as the Naval Air Station (NAS) Sanford. The air station was commissioned on November 3, 1942 as a naval aviation training facility during World War II. The Navy continued to train pilots at NAS Sanford throughout the Korean and Vietnam Wars. NAS Sanford was temporarily decommissioned after World War II in 1946 and then recommissioned as the Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Sanford in 1950 due to the outbreak of the Korean War and the ongoing Cold War. Soon afterward, the station was renamed NAS Sanford and redesignated as a full naval air station. Om February 6, 1959, NAS Sanford was dedicated as Ramey Field in honor of Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Ramey. In 1968, due to lack of funding caused by the Vietnam War, Congress directed the closure of NAS Sanford. The City of Sanford assumed authority over the former NAS Sanford facility the year after it closed and renamed it the Sanford Airport, which was managed by Commander J. S. "Red" Cleveland. The airport underwent various name changes over the next several decades: Sanford Regional Airport, Central Florida Regional Airport, Orlando-Sanford Regional Airport, and its current name, Orlando-Sanford International Airport. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, several Naval buildings were demolished and new buildings were constructed.
Original color digital images by Adam Rock, June 6, 2011.
RICHES of Central Florida
Naval Air Station Sanford Historic Marker
Seminole County Historic Marker at Naval Air Station Sanford Memorial, located at Veterans Memorial Park in Sanford, Florida. On May 30, 2003, the monument was commemorated to the Navy servicemen who served at the Naval Air Station Sanford, and features a fully restored RA-5C Vigilante. The Naval Air Station (NAS) Sanford was commissioned on November 3, 1942 as a naval aviation training facility during World War II. The Navy continued to train pilots at NAS Sanford throughout the Korean and Vietnam Wars. NAS Sanford was temporarily decommissioned after World War II in 1946 and then recommissioned as the Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Sanford in 1950 due to the outbreak of the Korean War and the ongoing Cold War. Soon afterward, the station was renamed NAS Sanford and redesignated as a full naval air station. On February 6, 1959, NAS Sanford was dedicated as Ramey Field in honor of Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Ramey. In 1968, due to lack of funding caused by the Vietnam War, Congress directed the closure of NAS Sanford. The City of Sanford assumed authority over the former NAS Sanford facility the year after it closed and renamed it the Sanford Airport, which was managed by Commander J. S. "Red" Cleveland. The airport underwent various name changes over the next several decades: Sanford Regional Airport, Central Florida Regional Airport, Orlando-Sanford Regional Airport, and its current name, Orlando-Sanford International Airport. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, several Naval buildings were demolished and new buildings were constructed.
Base map produced by Naval Air Station Sanford during the Vietnam War. The map shows the layout of the main buildings and runway, as they would have appeared prior to 1968 when the City of Sanford acquired the property and established its own airport. The Naval Air Station (NAS) Sanford was commissioned on November 3, 1942 as a naval aviation training facility during World War II. The Navy continued to train pilots at NAS Sanford throughout the Korean and Vietnam Wars. NAS Sanford was temporarily decommissioned after World War II in 1946 and then recommissioned as the Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Sanford in 1950 due to the outbreak of the Korean War and the ongoing Cold War. Soon afterward, the station was renamed NAS Sanford and redesignated as a full naval air station. On February 6, 1959, NAS Sanford was dedicated as Ramey Field in honor of Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Ramey. In 1968, due to lack of funding caused by the Vietnam War, Congress directed the closure of NAS Sanford. The City of Sanford assumed authority over the former NAS Sanford facility the year after it closed and renamed it the Sanford Airport, which was managed by Commander J. S. "Red" Cleveland. The airport underwent various name changes over the next several decades: Sanford Regional Airport, Central Florida Regional Airport, Orlando-Sanford Regional Airport, and its current name, Orlando-Sanford International Airport. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, several Naval buildings were demolished and new buildings were constructed.
Original 8.5 x 11 inch black and white photograph by United States Navy Photo Lab Sanford, May 5, 1965: NAS Collection, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Sanford Museum
The Naval Air Station Sanford Memorial, located at Veterans Memorial Park in Sanford, Florida. On May 30, 2003, the monument was commemorated to the Navy servicemen who served at the Naval Air Station Sanford, and features a fully restored RA-5C Vigilante. The Naval Air Station (NAS) Sanford was commissioned on November 3, 1942 as a naval aviation training facility during World War II. The Navy continued to train pilots at NAS Sanford throughout the Korean and Vietnam Wars. NAS Sanford was temporarily decommissioned after World War II in 1946 and then recommissioned as the Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Sanford in 1950 due to the outbreak of the Korean War and the ongoing Cold War. Soon afterward, the station was renamed NAS Sanford and redesignated as a full naval air station. On February 6, 1959, NAS Sanford was dedicated as Ramey Field in honor of Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Ramey. In 1968, due to lack of funding caused by the Vietnam War, Congress directed the closure of NAS Sanford. The City of Sanford assumed authority over the former NAS Sanford facility the year after it closed and renamed it the Sanford Airport, which was managed by Commander J. S. "Red" Cleveland. The airport underwent various name changes over the next several decades: Sanford Regional Airport, Central Florida Regional Airport, Orlando-Sanford Regional Airport, and its current name, Orlando-Sanford International Airport. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, several Naval buildings were demolished and new buildings were constructed.
Original color digital image by David Burel, February 17, 2011.
Naval Air Station Sanford Plat of Three Aviation Fields with Map of Seminole County
Plat of three aviation fields of the Naval Air Station (NAS) Sanford in Sanford, Florida, in 1941. A map of Seminole County, originally drawn in 1936, is also drawn on the back side. The air station was commissioned on November 3, 1942, as a naval aviation training facility during World War II. The Navy continued to train pilots at NAS Sanford throughout the Korean War and Vietnam War. NAS Sanford was temporarily decommissioned after World War II in 1946, and decommissioned again in 1950 when it was the Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Sanford, due to the outbreak of the Korean War and the ongoing Cold War. Soon afterward, the station was renamed NAS Sanford and redesigned as a full naval air station. On February 6, 1959, NAS Sanford was dedicated as Ramey Field in honor of Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Ramey. In 1968, due to lack of funding caused by the Vietnam War, Congress directed the closure of NAS Sanford. The City of Sanford assumed authority over the former NAS Sanford facility the year after it closed and renamed it the Sanford Airport, which was managed by Commander J. S. "Red" Cleveland. The airport underwent various name changes over the next several decades: Sanford Regional Airport, Central Florida Regional Airport, Orlando Sanford Regional Airport, and its current name, Orlando-Sanford International Airport. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, several Naval buildings were demolished and new buildings were constructed.
Original 12.75 x 29.75 inch drawing and map, May 25, 1941: Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Naval Air Station Sanford, Sanford, Florida
Naval Air Station Sanford Runway Construction
Runways (Aeronautics)--United States--Design and construction
The Naval Air Station Sanford constructed four runways starting in 1942. These 6,000 foot runways were built by local contractors and used to support the nearly 300 aircraft housed at Naval Air Station Sanford by the end of the Second World War. The Naval Air Station (NAS) Sanford was commissioned on November 3, 1942 as a naval aviation training facility during World War II. The Navy continued to train pilots at NAS Sanford throughout the Korean and Vietnam Wars. NAS Sanford was temporarily decommissioned after World War II in 1946 and then recommissioned as the Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Sanford in 1950 due to the outbreak of the Korean War and the ongoing Cold War. Soon afterward, the station was renamed NAS Sanford and redesignated as a full naval air station. On February 6, 1959, NAS Sanford was dedicated as Ramey Field in honor of Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Ramey. In 1968, due to lack of funding caused by the Vietnam War, Congress directed the closure of NAS Sanford. The City of Sanford assumed authority over the former NAS Sanford facility the year after it closed and renamed it the Sanford Airport, which was managed by Commander J. S. "Red" Cleveland. The airport underwent various name changes over the next several decades: Sanford Regional Airport, Central Florida Regional Airport, Orlando-Sanford Regional Airport, and its current name, Orlando-Sanford International Airport. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, several Naval buildings were demolished and new buildings were constructed.
Original 5 x 7 inch black and white photograph by George T. Swiggum, May 1942: Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
A ticket stub for a concert featuring Nazareth at Orlando Seminole Jai-Alai Fonton in Fern Park, Florida. The opening bands were Mahogany Rush and Sammy Hagar (b. 1947). The concert took place on February 24, 1978, and was presented by Albert Promotions and FM 107. The ticket price was $6.50. Orlando-Seminole Jai Alai Fronton was built in 1962 and hosted concerts, graduations, and events in addition to jai-alai matches, which remained popular through the mid-1980s, when its popularity began to decline. The building was re-branded Orlando Live Events (OLE) in 2014. It is located at 6405 South U.S. Route 17-92 in Fern Park.
Original ticket stub: Private Collection of Julie Wahl.
Orlando-Seminole Jai Alai Fronton, Fern Park, Florida
A newspaper clipping about a concert featuring Nazareth with Mahogany Rush and Sammy Hagar (b. 1947) at the Orlando-Seminole Jai Alai Fronton in Fern Park, Florida. The concert took place on February 24, 1978, and was presented by Albert Promotions and FM 107. The ticket price was $6.50. This clipping contains a photograph of the members of Nazareth, from left to right, bottom to top: Darrell Sweet (1947-1999), Manny Charlton (b. 1941), Dan McCafferty (b. 1946), and Pete Agnew (b. 1946). Orlando-Seminole Jai Alai Fronton was built in 1962 and hosted concerts, graduations and events in addition to jai-alai matches, which remained popular through the mid-1980s, when its popularity began to decline. The building was rebranded Orlando Live Events (OLE) in 2014. It is located at 6405 South U.S. Route 17-92 (U.S. 17-92) in Fern Park.
Original newspaper article: "Nazareth tops bill." February 24, 1978: Private Collection of Julie Wahl.
Nearly 50 of 108 Stalls at Farmers' Market Already Have Been Rented
Federal Emergency Relief Administration (U.S.)
Newspaper article in the The Sanford Herald on the leasing of nearly half of the stall at the Sanford State Farmers' Market within days of opening. The Sanford State Farmers' Market, located at 1300 South French Avenue, was founded in 1934 in order to provide a central location in which farmers would sell their produce directly to consumers. The idea for the Sanford State Farmers' Market was devised by Fred Dorner and Gus Schmach, both members of the Seminole Agricultural Club. Sanford Chamber of Commerce president Harry Papworth also contributed to the development of the market. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) authorized construction plans on June 11, 1934. On June 20, 1934, the City of Sanford donated a portion of the Alex V. French properties to the State Marketing Board, which selected the northwest corner of French Avenue and Thirteenth Street. The board approved the installation of telegraph and telephone equipment, as well as a three-pump filling station. The Sanford State Farmer's Market opened on December 18, 1934. By 1939, the Farmers' Market was bringing a total volume of business of $627,065.81. In 1941, business volume reached over $700,000. On April 4, 1957, a fire destroyed the building and caused damages estimated at $2.5 million. Reconstruction began almost immediately and the Farmers' Market was expected to re-open by the fall of 1957. In 1991, plans were created to restore, preserve, and convert the citrus packing house into a museum.
Photocopy of original newspaper article: "Nearly 50 of 108 Stalls at Farmers' Market Already Have Been Rented." The Sanford Herald, December 14, 1934, pages 1 and 5: State Farmers' Market Collection, Museum of Seminole County History, Sanford, Florida.
The Sanford Herald
Sanford State Farmers' Market, Sanford, Florida
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of Mary Alice Powell Aulin (1904-1993) at the Winter Park Hospital in Winter Park, Florida, as she is being visited by her daughter, Bettye Jean Aulin Reagan (1923-), and her grandson, James Phelps Richardson. Alice Aulin was born in Sanford, Florida, to parents Charles Powell and Mary Maude Rabun Powell. Aulin arrived in Oviedo in 1921 to work as a switchboard operator and a seamstress. She married Andrew Aulin, Jr. (1893-1964), the son of Oviedo's first postmaster, Andrew Aulin, Sr. (1843-1918). Together, the couple had five children: Mary Lenora Aulin (b. 1924), Alice Kathryn Aulin (b. 1926), Charles Warren Aulin (1927-1964), Bettye Jean Aulin, and Andrew Aulin, Jr. (b. 1936).
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Need No Title. 1994: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
Nellie Furen's Sixth Grade Class at Sanford Grammar School, 1911-1912
Nellie Furen's sixth grade class at Sanford Grammar School during the 1911-1912 school year. Photographed in the front row, from left to right, is Ed Betts, J. D. Woodruff, Ed Millen, G. W. Spencer, Ernest Brotherson, Ercel Little, Watson McAlexander, and Peewee Tillis. In the second row is Roby Laing, Sherman Moore, Eva Hodges, Olga Vihlen, Maud Miot, Fannie Reba Munson, Virginia Brady, Carl McDonald, and John Morrison. In the third row is Percy Packard, Beatriece Hutchison, Clara Bowen, Laura Parker, Ruth Waldron, Fern Ward, Alice Caldwell, Harold Washburn, and an unidentified student. In the fourth row is Howard Wynn, Newton Stenstrom, an unidentified student, Annie Mae Morris. In the last row is Dennis Allen, Eunice Woodcock, Maud Allen, Guy Stenstrom, Argel Cameron, Rush Murphy, Walter Rowland, Miller Furen, and Collier Brown . Originally established as Sanford High School, the main building was constructed at 301 West Seventh Street in Sanford, Florida, in 1902. The building was designed by W. G. Talley in the Romanesque revival style. Due to an increasing student population, a new school building was constructed on the corner of East Ninth Street and South Palmetto Avenue in 1911. The original building on Seventh Street served as Westside Grammar Elementary School, which was later renamed Sanford Grammar School. After a desperate need for an addition to the school developed, the city granted the school $75,000. The school's lunchroom was opened on October 10, 1921, after months of fundraising efforts hosted by the Woman's Club. In November 23, 1984, the main school building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and converted into the Student Museum. However, despite objections from the community, the lunchroom was demolished on September 25, 2008. The main school building reopened as the University of Central Florida's Public History Center in 2012.
Original 7 x 5 inch black and white photograph: Sanford Grammar Collection, Archives Box 4B, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Sanford Grammar School, Sanford, Florida
Nellie Furen’s Sixth Grade Class at Sanford Grammar School, 1911-1912
Nellie Furen's sixth grade class standing on the front steps of Sanford Grammar School during the 1911-1912 school year. Photographed from left to right is: front row - Ed Betts, J.D Woodruff, Ed Millen, G.W. Spencer, Ernest Brotherson, Ercel Little, Watson McAlexander, and PeeWee Tillis; second row - Roby Laing, Sherman Moore, Eva Hodges, Olga Vihlen, Maud Miot, Fannie Reba Munson, Virginia Brady, Carl McDonald, and John Morrison; third row: Percy Packard, Beatrice Hutchinson, Clara Bowen, Laura Parker, Ruth Waldron, Fern Ward, Alice Caldwell, and Harold Washburn; fourth row: Howard Wynn, Newton Stenstrom, and Annie Mae Morris; back row: Dennis Allen, Eunice Woodcock, Maud Allen, Guy Stenstrom, Argel Cameron, Rush Murphy, Walter Rowland, Nellie Furen, and Collier Brown. Originally located at 301 West Seventh Street in Sanford, Florida, Seminole Grammar School was first established as Sanford High School 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 5 x 7 inch black and white photograph: East Wing Hallway Display, Seminole County Public School Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
A newspaper advertisement for Nelson and Company and Wheeler Fertilizer Company. The business was originally founded by Steen Nelson and Gus Nelson and called Nelson Brothers. The company changed its name to Nelson and Company after it became a three-way partnership between the brothers and Benjamin Franklin Wheeler. In 1923, Wheeler became sole owner after buying out the company. The Wheeler Fertilizer Plant was a holding of Nelson and Company. The original plant was destroyed in a fire in 1947, but eventually rebuilt six months later. Nelson and Company is located in what is now the Nelson and Company Historic District, and was incorporated in September of 2001. The 80-acre district encompasses four of Nelson and Company's historic buildings. This photograph shows the Nelson and Co. packing plant in 1913.
Original newspaper advertisement: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
Nelson and Company Packing Plant, Oviedo, Florida
Nelson and Company Bound Ledger - Black Hammock
A bound ledger for the Nelson and Company Packing Plant covering the Black Hammock region from May 23, 1936 to November 13, 1948. The ledger inlcudes transactions with Sanford Atlantic, the Citizens Bank of Oviedo, J.D. Jinkius, O.P. Herndon, and Doudrey. The company was originally founded by Steen Nelson and Gus Nelson and called Nelson Brothers. The company changed its name to Nelson and Company after it became a three-way partnership between the brothers and Benjamin Franklin Wheeler. In 1923, Wheeler became sole owner after buying out the company. The 80-acre historic district was incorporated in September of 2001 and encompasses four of Nelson and Company's historic buildings.
Original 188-page bound ledger: Private Collection of Nelson and Company.
A bound ledger for the Nelson and Company Packing Plant covering the Black Hammock region from November 18, 1913 to May 23, 1936. The ledger inlcudes transactions with W.H. Browning, W.A. Beasly, Davis and Giles, E.A. Douglas, Clerk of Circuit Court, the Citizens Bank of Oviedo, the National Bank of Jacksonville, United States Mortgage and Trust Co., and First National Bank of Sanford. The company was originally founded by Steen Nelson and Gus Nelson and called Nelson Brothers. The company changed its name to Nelson and Company after it became a three-way partnership between the brothers and Benjamin Franklin Wheeler. In 1923, Wheeler became sole owner after buying out the company. The 80-acre historic district was incorporated in September of 2001 and encompasses four of Nelson and Company's historic buildings.
Original 89-page bound ledger: Private Collection of Nelson and Company.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, inspired by a photograph of the Nelson and Company Packing Plant in 1913. The business was originally founded by Steen Nelson and Gus Nelson and called Nelson Brothers. The company changed its name to Nelson and Company after it became a three-way partnership between the brothers and Benjamin Franklin Wheeler. In 1923, Wheeler became sole owner after buying out the company. The Wheeler Fertilizer Plant was a holding of Nelson and Company. The original plant was destroyed in a fire in 1947, but eventually rebuilt six months later. Nelson and Company is located in what is now the Nelson and Company Historic District, and was incorporated in September of 2001. The 80-acre district encompasses four of Nelson and Company's historic buildings. This photograph shows the Nelson and Co. packing plant in 1913.
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Nelson and Company. 1989: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
The Nelson and Company Packing Plant, located in what is now the Nelson and Company Historic District. The company was Originally founded by Steen Nelson and Gus Nelson and called Nelson Brothers. The company changed its name to Nelson and Company after it became a three-way partnership between the brothers and Benjamin Franklin Wheeler. In 1923, Wheeler became sole owner after buying out the company. The 80-acre historic district was incorporated in September of 2001 and encompasses four of Nelson and Company's historic buildings.
Original black and white photograph: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Nelson and Company Packing Plant, Downtown Oviedo, Florida
Nelson and Company Packing Plant and Wheeler Fertilizer Plant, 1973
The Nelson and Company Packing Plant, as well as the Wheeler Fetilizer Company Plant. The company was originally founded by Steen Nelson and Gus Nelson and called Nelson Brothers. The company changed its name to Nelson and Company after it became a three-way partnership between the brothers and Benjamin Franklin Wheeler. In 1923, Wheeler became sole owner after buying out the company. The Wheeler Fertilizer Plant was a holding of Nelson and Company. The original plant was destroyed in a fire in 1947, but eventually rebuilt six months later. Nelson and Company is located in what is now the Nelson and Company Historic District, and was incorparated in September of 2001. The 80-acre district encompasses four of Nelson and Company's historic buildings. This photograph was taken by Henry DeWolf in 1973 for an aerial survey of Oviedo.
Original 20 x 16 inch color photographs by Henry DeWolf: Private Collection of Arthur Evans.
Wheeler Fertilizer Plant, Oviedo, Florida
The Nelson and Company Packing Plant, located in what is now the Nelson and Company Historic District, in 1979. The company was Originally founded by Steen Nelson and Gus Nelson and called Nelson Brothers. The company changed its name to Nelson and Company after it became a three-way partnership between the brothers and Benjamin Franklin Wheeler. In 1923, Wheeler became sole owner after buying out the company. The 80-acre historic district was incorporated in September of 2001 and encompasses four of Nelson and Company's historic buildings.
Original black and white photograph, 1979: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
The Nelson Brothers packinghouse in Downtown Oviedo, Florida, in the early 20th century. The company was originally founded by Steen Nelson and Gus Nelson and called Nelson Brothers. The company changed its name to Nelson and Company after it became a three-way partnership between the brothers and Benjamin Franklin Wheeler, Sr. In 1923, Wheeler became sole owner after buying out the company. Nelson and Company is located in what is now the Nelson and Company Historic District, and was incorporated in September of 2001. The 80-acre district encompasses four of Nelson and Company's historic buildings. This particular building was destroyed by Hurricane Charley in 2004.
Original 10 x 5 inch black and white photographic print: Private Collection of Vicki Clonts.
Nelson Brothers Packinghouse, Downtown Oviedo, Florida
Nevada Power Company's Westinghouse 501B EconoPac Gas Turbines
The installation of three of the Westinghouse 501B (W501B) EconoPac gas turbine units at Nevada Power Company's Clark Generating Station in Las Vegas, Nevada, which began operations in 1979. These units were later converted to combined-cycle operation with the addition of heat recovery steam generators and a steam turbine. Originally called the Westinghouse Electric Company, George Westinghouse (1846-1914) founded his manufacturing company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 8, 1886. In 1889, he renamed his business The Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. Westinghouse's primary products include turbines, generators, motors and switchgear related to the generation, transmission, and use of electricity. The company changed its name to Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1945. In 1981, the company began to relocate its division headquarters for the Steam-Turbine Generator Divisions from Pennsylvania (turbines from Lester and generators from Pittsburgh) to Orlando, Florida. The Power Generation Business Unit (PGBU) building was located in The Quadrangle, at 4400 Alafaya Trail. Originally, Westinghouse had purchased a large plot of land for future development that extended westward from Alafaya Trail to Rouse Road. The original headquarters was located on several acres of that land parcel close to Alafaya Trail. As the PGBU grew in size, other buildings were rented and then, after PGBU was sold to Siemens Corporation, additional buildings were added to the complex. In 1994, after a major corporate management shuffling and commitment to change from an industrial manufacturing company to primarily a broadcasting/communications company, Westinghouse bought the CBS Network and changed its name to the CBS Corporation. As the PGBU grew in size, other buildings were rented and then, after PGBU was sold to Siemens Corporation in 1998, additional buildings were added to the Quadrangle.
Original color photograph, 1974: Private Collection of Harry L. Jaeger.
Clark Generating Station, Las Vegas, Nevada
A newspaper clipping from The Miami News on May 24, 1962. Below a photograph of Otto Oscar Zwicker (1899-1992) is an announcement that he has joined the sales staff of Hamilton Realty, Inc. Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, on April 7, 1899, Zwicker was drafted in the United States Army on November 4, 1918. He was discharged after serving a total of twenty-two days. He moved to Florida with his wife, Helen Mehen, in 1951. He worked in the furniture industry before selling real estate for the remainder of his working career. Zwicker died on October 20, 1992, and was interred at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original newspaper article: "New Associate." Miami News, May 24, 1962.
New Basis of Pay for Mermaids Effective August 1, 1956
Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
A three-page document given to mermaid Geanie Brooks detailing updated pay rates for Weeki Wachee Mermaids, effective August 1, 1956. The document expresses that the pay increase was made in order to attract better performers and better retain current staff. Mermaids were still going to be paid per show, and still required to take promotional photos and photos with visitors for no additional pay. Under the new rules, mermaids were going to be paid $2.30 per unit. The pay per unit would increase ten cents every month a mermaid performs until it reached the maximum rate of $4.70. Performing a show equaled one unit, and performing extra duties qualified mermaids for exta partial units. There were other ways to make money at Weeki Wachee, including training new mermaids. When a trainee performed their first show, the trainer would recieve $100. If the trainee didn't qualify, the trainer received $25. Trainees were paid $75 a month, plus room and board. After passing training, they would become extras in shows. In this position, they would make $170 a month. When a position of mermaid opened up, the extra who had been an extra the longest would move up. Mermaids received double pay for working on holidays. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original two-page document "New Basis of Pay for Mermaids Effective August 1, 1956," 1956: Private collection of Shirley Herdge.
RICHES
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida
New Cigar Factory: Sanford Will Be Center for Clear Havana Cigars in Future
A newspaper article about Florida-Cuba Cigar Company, a new cigar factory coming to Sanford, Florida, in 1919. The article describes the strategic location of the city for the growing cigar industry. The new factory was located on the second floor of Bishop Block, located at 301-309 East First Street in Downtown Sanford, and has churned out new cigar brands, such as the Tampa Trail, the Peg, the Some Brush, and others. The cigar industry was first brought to Florida by Cuban immigrants in the 1830s and became one of the most important industries in the Southeast by the last quarter of the 19th century, with Tampa serving as the cigar manufacturing center in the state. In the late 1800s, cigar factories began to appear in various other Florida cities, such as Jacksonville and Tallahassee. Cigar manufacturing first appeared in Sanford sometime between 1909 and 1912. The Florida cigar industry came to its peak in the first quarter of the 20th century, but then declined during the Great Depression and World War II, due to the accumulation of labor union conflicts over the years, the mechanization of production, and changing consumer demands. The industry was revitalized during the 1950s as production soared, despite the decline of the number of workers. Following the Cuban Revolution of the late 1950s and the U.S. embargo on Cuban products in 1962, the Florida cigar industry again declined. The Cuban embargo included tobacco, thus forcing American cigar rollers to begin using Dominican tobacco.
Photocopy of original newspaper article: "New Cigar Factory: Sanford Will Be Center for Clear Havana Cigars in Future." June 6, 1919: Cigars Collection, Museum of Seminole County History, Sanford, Florida.
Florida-Cuba Cigar Company, Downtown Sanford, Florida
A note describing the planning stages of the new clubhouse for the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC). According to the note, the club appointed a building committee and held a number of fundraising events. The Oviedo Woman's Club was founded in 1906 as the Oviedo Magazine Club by seven charter members: H. B. McCall, Edith Meade, Georgia Lee Wheeler, Lillian Lee Lawton, Mattie Aulin Wheeler, Milcah Yonge, and Mary King. The first clubhouse was constructed in 1914 and also served as Oviedo's first library. In 1916, the club joined the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs (FFWC) and officially changed its name to the Oviedo Woman's Club. In 1923, the woman's club was federated under the umbrella of the General Federation of Woman's Clubs (GFWC). A new clubhouse was built in 1961 on property donated by R. L. Croom, a former member, which is located at 414 King Street. The Oviedo Woman's Club is involved in many civic projects, including the annual Great Day in the Country Arts and Crafts Festival, the Spring Fundraiser, Tasting Luncheons, and Celebrate Spring Teas.
Original note: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Oviedo Woman's Club
Trade and Convention Center (Philadelphia, Pa.)--History.
A postcard depicting the exterior of the Municipal Auditorium Convention Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built in 1931 in the Art Deco architectural style, the building hosted numerous political conventions, sporting events, and musical performances before being demolished in 2005. This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
Original 3 x 5 inch black and white photographic postcard: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1 (U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Municipal Auditorium Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company
The Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company's new dialing exchange in Sanford, Florida, in the late 1950s. Southern Bell was originally part of the Bell Telephone Company, founded on July 9, 1877, in Boston, Massachusetts. Southern Bell, formerly called the Atlanta Telephonic Exchange, became a separate entity on December 20, 1879 in Atlanta, Georgia. The company was established to serve Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, parts of West Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. In 1917, operations for West Virginia were taken over by the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of West Virginia. On December 20, 1967, Southern Bell formed South Central Bell Telephone to operate in Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Although originally incorporated in New York, Southern Bell was reincorporated in Georgia as SBT&T Company in 1983. As of 2013, the company was absorbed into BellSouth Telecommunications and is headquartered in Atlanta.
Original black and white photograph: Greater Sanford Regional Chamber of Commerce, Sanford, Florida.
Greater Sanford Regional Chamber of Commerce
New Downtown Orlando Post Office Building
The new Downtown Orlando Post Office building, located at 51 East Jefferson Street, circa 1941. In 1935, when James Beggs, Jr. became the postmaster, he began petitioning to move the post office from its Central Boulevard and Court Avenue location to a more spacious building. In 1939, St. James Catholic Church sold a plot of land on Jefferson Street for the new building. The building's designer was Louis Simon, who used a Northern Italian Palazzo Revival style. The new building opened in 1941 and housed the post office, the courthouse, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offices. The building was named an Orlando Historic Landmark in 1989. However, it was eventually sold back to the St. James Church. In 2003, the building was renovated and came under joint ownership by both the church and the federal government. Today, the building retains its post office services but also includes offices for the Catholic Diocese.
Original black and white photographic print: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida
A newspaper advertisement in The South Florida Argus issue for January 3, 1886. This issue includes an advertisement for a new grocery store located in Magruder's Block, diagonally opposite of the San Leon Hotel in Sanford, Florida. The store was run by William H. Adams, Sr.
Print reproduction of microfilmed newspaper advertisements: The South Florida Argus, January 3, 1886: Microfilm Cabinet, reel BN06021, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
William H. Adams, Sr's Grocery Store, Sanford, Florida
Journal article about developments of the ice industry in the Florida cities of Fort Pierce, Gainesville, Miami, and Sanford in 1904. In Fort Piece, Joseph Jefferson, C. C. Chillingworth, and A. R. Beaujean organized a company that planned on erecting an electric light plant and ice factory in the city. The Diamond Ice Company planned to enlarges its 20-ton ice and cold storage plant in Gainesville. In Miami, the Florida East Coast Ice Company began building a 30-ton ice plant with ice storage rooms and machinery furnished by the Frick Company of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. The Sanford Ice Company also made plans to enlarge its ice factory in Sanford and to install new machinery. Ice manufacturing became a prominent industry in the United States by the beginning of the twentieth century. Most ice houses consisted of two stories with the first floor used as food storage and the second floor used to store the ice. Ice houses provided blocks of ice for home ice boxes and allowed agricultural businesses to transport their fruits and vegetables in refrigerated vehicles.
Original journal article: "Florida." Ice and Refrigeration 1, vol. 27 (1904): 197.
New Jersey Turnpike Near Southern Terminus Postcard
A postcard depicting the New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP)'s southern terminus in Pennsville Township, New Jersey, just a mile east of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. The turnpike opened in 1951 and was intended to be the world's model highway. It is still the most heavily traveled tollway in the United States. This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
Original 3 x 5 inch color postcard: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1 (U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
New Jersey Turnpike, Pennsville Township, New Jersey
A postcard depicting the New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP). The turnpike opened in 1951 and was intended to be the world's model highway. It is still the most heavily traveled tollway in the United States. This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
New Jersey Turnpike's Delaware River Bridge Postcard
A postcard depicting the Delaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge, which connects the New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) to the Pennsylvania Turnpike's East-West Mainline. Construction for the bridge began on January 15, 1954, and the bridge opened on May 25, 1956. This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
African American churches--Southern States
New Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, located at 1115 West Twelfth Street in Goldsboro, an African-American community in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. New Mount was founded in 1918 by former members of the First Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, which is also located in Goldsboro at 700 South Elm Avenue. Seeking a more outwardly diligent ministry, a group of 30 parishioners were first congregated in the home of Mr. J. W. Simmons, located on Avocado Avenue. The subsequent meetings were then held at New Salem Primitive Baptist Church, located at 1500 West Twelfth Street, under the leadership of Reverend F. J. R. Brown. The church continued to grow, and within the same year church members began building a structure located on West Twelfth Street and Pecan Avenue, which was designed and built by famed African-American architect Prince W. Spears. Once completed in 1920, the church continued to expand and increase their involvement within the surrounding community. The church was rebuilt in 1938, adding numerous improvements and buildings to their plot of land. In 1993, New Mount Calvary was officially incorporated with the State of Florida, and later received its 501(c)3 with the U.S. Department of Treasury of the Internal Revenue Service in 2002. New Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church still stands as an iconic edifice, dedicated to serving their congregation's faith and community.
Original color digital images by Kathleen MacDonald, June 17, 2011.
New Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Goldsboro, Sanford, Florida
New Pecos River High Bridge on Southern Pacific Lines Postcard
A postcard depicting the new Pecos River High Bridge carrying the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP). The original bridge was completed in 1892, but was replaced by a new one in 1944. This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
Pecos River High Bridge, Pecos River, Texas
A color postcard featuring the railway station in New Smyrna, Florida, in the 1890s. Although the postcard does not specify, this railway station was likely the Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Indian River Railway Company (later part of the Florida East Coast Railway Company) station within the city. In 1892, Henry Flagler (1830-1913) extended the Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Indian River Railway Company to New Smyrna, which resulted in increased growth for the town.
Original 9 centimeter x 14 centimeter color postcard: "New Smyrna, Fla. Railway Station." Hugh C. Leighton Company, Portland, Maine: Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Lake Monroe (Seminole County and Volusia County, Fla.)
An advertisement from November 1871 for the opening of the general store in Sanford, Florida. The Sanford General Store was founded by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) in March 1871. The store was created with hopes of bolstering the success of the Sanford Sawmill, opened the prior year. The creation of the store was the result of advising offered to Sanford by Edwin G. Eastman. Eastman suggested that a general store would be the surest way to improve profitability of the ailing sawmill, as mill employees would be paid with goods from the store. The general store's initial years of operation were plagued by problems. The store suffered from periodic shortages of crucial supplies. Local farmers, faced with poor agricultural production, had a difficult time turning their produce into the cash needed to purchase goods. The only way Sanford proved able to ensure consistent sales was through the extension of credit to local settlers. This approach proved untenable, however, as impoverished customers proved unable to pay their debts to the store. In January of 1873, the store was owed $4,000 by delinquent customers, a number that ballooned to $25,000 by 1879. As Sanford's personal financial state suffered, maintaining the stock of groceries became increasingly difficult. By March of 1879, Sanford was unable to continue the operation of the general store and decided to dispose of the remaining supplies and lease the building, alongside the wharf and its attached warehouse, for three years terms at $550 per year.
Original advertisement: box 52, folder 1, subfolder 52.1.2, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Newspaper article on the development of the New Tribes Mission, located at 1000 East First Street in Sanford, Florida. Originally named after the Sanford Mayor and president of Seminole County Bank, construction of the Forrest Lake Hotel began in 1916. Local architect Elton J. Moughton designed the hotel. In 1925, Hotel Forrest Lake opened and became a popular destination for tourists visiting Sanford. By 1929, the hotel closed after the stock market crash and the downfall of Florida's tourism and real estate boom. William E. Kirchhoff leased the building in 1934 and the hotel reopened in 1935 with the new name Mayfair Hotel. Under Kirchhoff's ownership, the Mayfair Hotel became known as one of the finest hotels in the South. Kirchhoff sold the hotel in 1948 to Horace Stoneham, owner of the New York Giants. Stoneham then sold the building to the Bernard McFadden Foundation in 1963. After the Naval Air Station Sanford acquired $1.3 million to fund the construction of a naval academy in 1963, the Foundation made significant alterations to the building to house students from the Sanford Naval Academy. The Foundation later sold the building to the New Tribes Mission in 1977. The New Tribes Mission's goal is to reach tribes who have no access to the Gospel through translated publications and missionary work.
Original newspaper article by Geoffrey Pounds. "New Tribes Mission Grows." The Sanford Herald. October 21, 1979.
New Tribes Mission International Headquarters, Sanford, Florida
History of the building for the New Tribes Mission International Headquarters, located at 1000 East First Street in Sanford, Florida. Originally named after the Sanford Mayor and president of Seminole County Bank, construction of the Forrest Lake Hotel began in 1916. Local architect Elton J. Moughton designed the hotel. In 1925, Hotel Forrest Lake opened and became a popular destination for tourists visiting Sanford. By 1929, the hotel closed after the stock market crash and the downfall of Florida's tourism and real estate boom. William E. Kirchhoff leased the building in 1934 and the hotel reopened in 1935 with the new name Mayfair Hotel. Under Kirchhoff's ownership, the Mayfair Hotel became known as one of the finest hotels in the South. Kirchhoff sold the hotel in 1948 to Horace Stoneham, owner of the New York Giants. Stoneham then sold the building to the Bernard McFadden Foundation in 1963. After the Naval Air Station Sanford acquired $1.3 million to fund the construction of a naval academy in 1963, the Foundation made significant alterations to the building to house students from the Sanford Naval Academy. The Foundation later sold the building to the New Tribes Mission in 1977. The New Tribes Mission's goal is to reach tribes who have no access to the Gospel through translated publications and missionary work.
Original document: "New Tribes Mission International Headquarters, Sanford, Florida": Archives, New Tribes Mission, Sanford, Florida.
New Tribes Mission
The lobby of the New Tribes Mission, located at 1000 East First Street in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. Originally named after the Sanford Mayor and president of Seminole County Bank, construction of the Forrest Lake Hotel began in 1916. Local architect Elton J. Moughton designed the hotel. In 1925, Hotel Forrest Lake opened and became a popular destination for tourists visiting Sanford. By 1929, the hotel closed after the stock market crash and the downfall of Florida's tourism and real estate boom. William E. Kirchhoff leased the building in 1934 and the hotel reopened in 1935 with the new name Mayfair Hotel. Under Kirchhoff's ownership, the Mayfair Hotel became known as one of the finest hotels in the South. Kirchhoff sold the hotel in 1948 to Horace Stoneham, owner of the New York Giants. Stoneham then sold the building to the Bernard McFadden Foundation in 1963. After the Naval Air Station Sanford acquired $1.3 million to fund the construction of a naval academy in 1963, the Foundation made significant alterations to the building to house students from the Sanford Naval Academy. The Foundation later sold the building to the New Tribes Mission in 1977. The New Tribes Mission's goal is to reach tribes who have no access to the Gospel through translated publications and missionary work.
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 10, 2011.
The New Tribes Mission, located at 1000 East First Street in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. Originally named after the Sanford Mayor and president of Seminole County Bank, construction of the Forrest Lake Hotel began in 1916. Local architect Elton J. Moughton designed the hotel. In 1925, Hotel Forrest Lake opened and became a popular destination for tourists visiting Sanford. By 1929, the hotel closed after the stock market crash and the downfall of Florida's tourism and real estate boom. William E. Kirchhoff leased the building in 1934 and the hotel reopened in 1935 with the new name Mayfair Hotel. Under Kirchhoff's ownership, the Mayfair Hotel became known as one of the finest hotels in the South. Kirchhoff sold the hotel in 1948 to Horace Stoneham, owner of the New York Giants. Stoneham then sold the building to the Bernard McFadden Foundation. After the Naval Air Station Sanford acquired $1.3 million to fund the construction of a naval academy in 1963, the Foundation made significant alterations to the building to house students from the Sanford Naval Academy. The foundation later sold the building to the New Tribes Mission in 1977. The New Tribes Mission's goal is to reach tribes who have no access to the Gospel through translated publications and missionary work.
Original color digital images by Laura Cepero, June 10, 2011.
An advertisement for the opening of the wharf in Sanford, Florida. The original Sanford Wharf, built by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) and Joseph Wofford Tucker (1821-1897), was completed in September 1870. The wharf, made of yellow cypress, was 540 feet in length and cost $2,970. At the end of the wharf was a 30-by-20-foot storehouse. The wharf was built by Sanford to encourage development in the area. However, the wharf itself produced few profits and did little to return Sanford's initial investment. The original structure was destroyed when Lake Monroe flooded in 1871. Much of the wood from the original structure was salvaged by Henry L. DeForest (1857-1902) and a group of Swedish laborers and a new, larger wharf was built in 1872.
Original advertisement: box 52, folder 1, subfolder 52.1.1, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
A postcard depicting the New York City skyline at night. Near the center of the photograph is the Empire State Building, which was long considered the tallest structure in the world at 102 stories and 1,252 feet high. Built by architects Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates, the building opened on May 1, 1931, when President Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) pressed a button to turn on the lights. This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
Empire State Building, New York City, New York
New York Avenue Looking at East Lake Tohopekaliga Postcard
Postcard depicting an artist rendition overlooking New York Avenue. Along the dirt road are buildings, some businesses while other appear to be homes in the distance. The first building on the right is the building of contractor, N.F. Bass. Next to which is the Makinson store, selling hardware, furniture, and building materials. Makinson Hardware was originally a family owned store that started in Kissimmee, and opened a new location in St. Cloud. The Kissimmee store is still open today. In the distance is East Lake Tohopekaliga. Along the top of the postcard says "New York Avenue, Looking to Late, St. Cloud, Florida." On the back of the postcard is a handwritten message addressed to Arthur S. Hanson at 26 [Mck] St of Haverhill, Massachusetts. The message reads, "[...] daily only so Arthur please write on a ceratin day each week so I will know [first] - what day to look for my letter. Love mother". This postcard is part of a private collection kept by Roger Hipel of St. Cloud, Florida.
Original 5 x 3 inch colored postcard: Private Collection of Roger Hipel.
Postcard depicting a scene on New York Avenue in St. Cloud, Florida. Along either side of the avenue are buildings, likely homes as well as businesses. One building on the left includes the Seminole Pharmacy as well as a parlor. Men are seen standing in front of the buildings on the left side of the road. Horse drawn carriages can also be seen in front of the buildings. Running perpendicular to the avenue appears to be a railroad with a railroad car carrying supplies. Written along the bottom of the picture is, "New York Ave. Addis Photo. St. Cloud Fla." On the back of the postcard is a message addressed to Mr. J. E. Griffith at 74 Water St. in Keene New Hampshire. The message reads, "Sept. 15, 10. A year ago today there was not a house beside the hotel on this ave." New York Avenue is one of the first state-named streets in St. Cloud and now makes up the city's downtown area. This postcard is part of a private collection kept by Roger Hipel of St. Cloud, Florida.
Original 5 x 3 inch black and white postcard: Private Collection of Roger Hipel.
New York Giants Farm Clubs: Location of Ball Diamonds, Sanford, Florida
Plans for the New York Giants Farm Clubs' baseball diamonds drawn on October 7, 1947. The Giants' Spring Training Facility offered a summer athletic experience for boys in order to gain extra revenue. In 1947, the City of Sanford collaborated with the New York Giants, now the San Francisco Giants, to layout and create a 10-diamond practice field. The Giants also owned the Mayfair Hotel and Mayfair Country Club and golf course until the early 1960s, and players would use these facilities when staying in town for training. The Giants franchise moved to San Francisco in 1957.
Original drawing, October 7, 1947: "New York Giants Farm Clubs, Location of Ball Diamonds." Sanford, Florida: Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
New York Giants Farm Clubs' Baseball Diamonds, Sanford, Florida
New York Post Office - 8th Ave. & 31st St. Postcard
A postcard depicting a view of the exterior of the General Post Office Building on Eighth Avenue in New York City, New York. Built in 1912, it is main post office in the city and is now called the James A. Farley Post Office Building. In 1982, the post office became a monument and was dedicated to James Farley (1888-1976), the 53rd Postmaster General. The building is most famous for its beaux arts architecture and the inscription it bears: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." Contrary to popular belief, this is not the motto of the U.S. Postal Service, but was chosen by the architects. This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
General Post Office Building, New York City, New York
A postcard depicting a view down New York Road in Absecon, New Jersey. This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
New York State Census, Population for Brooklyn, New York, 1925
The New York State Census records for Brooklyn, New York in 1925. Individuals are identified by name, titles and terms, relationships, race, gender, and age, citizenship, and occupation. A notable resident listed in this record is William Webb (1910–1944). The Florida-France Soldiers Stories Project seeks to tell the stories of the Florida soldiers buried in the American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries in France. Our goal is to honor and commemorate the brave individuals who gave their lives supporting the Allied forces, liberating France, and defeating Germany in the Second World War. Simultaneously, our goal is to teach the students who participate in this research project about the history of France and Florida during World War II, about the history of individual servicemen, and about how to implement historical research methods in their work.
New York City Census
Digital reproduction of original handwritten state census record by Frank Newell, June 1, 1925.
A postcard depicting Newark International Airport along the New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP). Originally called Newark Metropolitan Airport, the airport opened for service on October 1, 1928. It was renamed Newark International Airport in the 1970s and then Newark Liberty International Airport in 2002. The turnpike opened in 1951 and was intended to be the world's model highway. It is still the most heavily traveled tollway in the United States. This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
Newark International Airport, Newark, New Jersey
The New Tribes Mission, located at 1000 East First Street, in 1982 after renovations. Originally named after the Sanford Mayor and president of Seminole County Bank, construction of the Forrest Lake Hotel began in 1916. Local architect Elton J. Moughton designed the hotel. In 1925, Hotel Forrest Lake opened and became a popular destination for tourists visiting Sanford. By 1929, the hotel closed after the stock market crash and the downfall of Florida's tourism and real estate boom. William E. Kirchhoff leased the building in 1934 and the hotel reopened in 1935 with the new name Mayfair Hotel. Under Kirchhoff's ownership, the Mayfair Hotel became known as one of the finest hotels in the South. Kirchhoff sold the hotel in 1948 to Horace Stoneham, owner of the New York Giants. Stoneham then sold the building to the Bernard McFadden Foundation. After the Naval Air Station Sanford acquired $1.3 million to fund the construction of a naval academy in 1963, the Foundation made significant alterations to the building to house students from the Sanford Naval Academy. The Foundation later sold the building to the New Tribes Mission in 1977. The New Tribes Mission's goal is to reach tribes who have no access to the Gospel through translated publications and missionary work.
Original black and white photograph by Clyde Stancil, 1982.
A newspaper article about the status of Sergeant John B. Hancock (1913-1944), a U.S. Army soldier from Auburndale, Florida. Sgt. Hancock was born in Thomasville, Georgia, in 1913, but later migrated to Auburndale. He enlisted in the 45th Infantry Division's 179th Infantry Regiment. Sgt. Hancock served initially in Africa in 1943, until the 45th Infantry Division's participation in the Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky. The division then went on to participate in the Allied invasion of Italy, where Sgt. Hancock was injured. He was returned to duty in February 1944 in southern France. On November 1, 1944, Sgt. Hancock went Missing in Action (MIA) after serving in the Allied invasion of Southern France, codenamed Operation Dragoon. He was eventually buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Photocopy of original newspaper article: Private Collection of Linda Hughes.
Newspaper Article Announcing the Employment of Rebecca Young as a Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid
A newspaper article published on February 22, 1973, in the Marshalltown Times-Republican announcing Rebecca Young's (then Rebecca Stalhhut) employment as a Weeki Wachee Mermaid. The article reads, "Becky Stahlhut, a mid-term graduate of Marshalltown High School has been accepted to swim as a mermaid in the world famous Spring of Live Mermaids at Weeki Wachi [sic], Fla. She was a member of the MHS girls swim team, synchronized swim group, intructor and life guard at the YMCA and on the Y swim team. Becky is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ron Stalhhut of St. Petersburg, Fla., formerly of Marshalltown." Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original Newspaper Article: "Miss Stahlhut To be 'Mermaid'", Marshalltown Times-Republican article, February 22,1973: Private Collection of Becky Young.
Newspaper Articles on the Berriman Brothers Cigar Factory in Sanford
A newspaper article on the status and future of the cigar industry in Sanford, Florida. Published in The Florida Times-Union in 1910, the article states that Sanford does not expect to become a cigar center, but that the city will welcome all cigar factories that wish to locate there. The article also states that Berriman and Company was in need of approximately 50 employees for the holiday season. The Berriman Brothers operated a large, cigar manufacturer headquartered in Tampa. The brothers sold their firm to Wengle and Mandell in 1930 and the company transformed its production to undercoating products in 1950. The cigar industry was first brought to Florida by Cuban immigrants in the 1830s and became one of the most important industries in the Southeast by the last quarter of the 19th century, with Tampa serving as the cigar manufacturing center in the state. In the late 1800s, cigar factories began to appear in various other Florida cities, such as Jacksonville and Tallahassee. Cigar manufacturing first appeared in Sanford sometime between 1909 and 1912. The Florida cigar industry came to its peak in the first quarter of the 20th century, but then declined during the Great Depression and World War II, due to the accumulation of labor union conflicts over the years, the mechanization of production, and changing consumer demands. The industry was revitalized during the 1950s as production soared, despite the decline of the number of workers. Following the Cuban Revolution of the late 1950s and the U.S. embargo on Cuban products in 1962, the Florida cigar industry again declined. The Cuban embargo included tobacco, thus forcing American cigar rollers to begin using Dominican tobacco.
Photocopy of original newspaper article: The Florida Times-Union, October 7, 1910: Cigars Collection, Museum of Seminole County History, Sanford, Florida.
The Florida Times-Union
Newt Perry and Weeki Wachee Mermaid Performing Show
Newt Perry and a Weeki Wachee mermaid posing underwater, performing a show. The two are swimming near a prop that resembles a castle. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Newt Perry Announcing a Mermaid Show at Weeki Wachee Spring's Underwater Theater
Newt Perry announcing a mermaid show in the first underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs. There are 15 guests watching the performance, sitting on fruit crates. This image was taken sometime between 1948 and 1960. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Photograph of "Newt Perry's Aquatic Theater," showing Newton "Newt" Perry standing on a stage and speaking into a microphone, flanked on each side by two women in swimsuits somewhere between 1950 and 1960. A large glass tank stands behind the group. After Perry left Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in 1950, he established a traveling mermaid show called "Newt Perry's Aquatic Theater." Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry's Aquatic theater, ca. 1950-1960: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida
Newton "Newt" Perry and Woman Dancing Underwater
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry and a woman dancing underwater, as a second woman looks on and claps while seated at a table some time between 1950 and 1970. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry and a woman dancing underwater, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Newton "Newt" Perry Bartending Underwater
Motion pictures--Production and direction
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry dressed as a bartender, standing at a bar underwater, and shaking a cocktail shaker some time between 1950 and 1970. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry bartending underwater, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Newton "Newt" Perry Diving from Platform
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry diving off a diving platform some time between 1950 and 1970. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry diving from platform, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Newton "Newt" Perry Dressed as Santa Claus Decorating an Underwater Christmas Tree
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry dressed as Santa Claus decorating an underwater Christmas tree at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry dressed as Santa Claus decorating an underwater Christmas tree, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Newton "Newt" Perry Dressed as Santa Claus with Mary Darlington
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry dressed as Santa Claus with a Weeki Wachee Mermaid named Mary Darlington around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry dressed as Santa Claus with Mary Darlington, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Underwater cinematography--Equipment and supplies
A photograph of an underwater filming scene showing Newton "Newt" Perry in a diving helmet at an underwater camera, some time between 1950 and 1970. This photograph may be either from Weeki Wachee Springs State Park or from Newton "Newt" Perry's career as an underwater filmmaker. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of underwater filming scene, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Newton "Newt" Perry in Underwater Theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry with three men in an underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. One of the men is holding a movie camera. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry in underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Newton "Newt" Perry Repairing Underwater Film Set
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry and man repairing an underwater film set some time between 1950 and 1970. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry and man repairing an underwater film set, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Newton "Newt" Perry Underwater With Female Swimmer and Air Station Postcard
Original printed postcard showing an image of Newton "Newt" Perry underwater with a female swimmer some time between 1950 and 1970. Perry is partially seated inside a glass air supply tank. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original printed postcard with image of Newton "Newt" Perry underwater, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry with a sea turtle some time between 1950 and 1970. Perry is embracing the turtle, which is resting on a floating platform. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry with sea turtle, ca. 1950-1970: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
Newton "Newt" Perry, Johnny Sheffield, and Johnny Weissmuller
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry, Johnny Sheffield, and Johnny Weissmuller during filming of "Tarzan Finds a Son" at Silver Springs in 1938. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry, Johnny Sheffield, and Johnny Weissmuller during filming of "Tarzan Finds a Son," 1938: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
A newspaper clipping about Rock Super Bowl III, featuring Peter Frampton (b. 1950), Kansas, The J. Geils Band, and Rick Derringer (b. 1947) at the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The concert took place on September 4, 1977, and was presented by Beach Club. The ticket prices ranged between $8.50 and $12.50, including tax. From 1977 to 1983 the Tangerine Bowl hosted a series of music festivals known as "Rock Super Bowls." The Tangerine Bowl has also been known as Orlando Stadium, the Citrus Bowl, Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, and is currently known as Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium. The stadium opened in 1936 and has been home to numerous sporting and entertainment events throughout its existence. The Tangerine Bowl was located at 1 Citrus Bowl Place in Orlando.
Original article: "NEXT SUNDAY." 1977: Private Collection of Julie Wahl.
This painting accompanies the Orlando Remembered exhibit at the Downtown Orlando Information Center, located at 201 South Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The painting was created by James Stoll, who has contributed various works of art, as well as some scale model replicas, to several Orlando Remembered exhibits. This particular portion of the painting features Nick Serros' Fish & Poultry Company sometime around 1938. Nick Serros (b. 1888), the company owner, was born in Greece in 1888 and immigrated to the United States in 1923. He opened his business in the late 1930s. The business remained on the block until it was bought out to make way for the CNA Tower and Barnett Plaza. In 1941, Serros' held a location of 117 South Court Street, but moved to 37 East Jackson Street by 1943. The following year, the business was listed at 37-41 E. Jackson and remained at that location until 1952.
Original color painting by James Stoll: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Information Center, Orlando, Florida.
Nick Serros' Fish and Poultry Company, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Six men standing in front of Nick Serros' Fish & Poultry Company in Downtown Orlando, Florida, sometime around 1938. Nick Serros (b. 1888), the company owner, was born in Greece in 1888 and immigrated to the United States in 1923. He opened his business in the late 1930s. The business remained on the block until it was bought out to make way for the CNA Tower and Barnett Plaza. In 1941, Serros' held a location of 117 South Court Street, but moved to 37 East Jackson Street by 1943. The following year, the business was listed at 37-41 E. Jackson and remained at that location until 1952.
Original 8 x 10 inch black and white photograph: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Information Center, Orlando, Florida.
Nolan Playing Basketball at Restore Orlando
Nolan, a childhood friend of Jeremiah Jenkins, playing basketball at the Restore Orlando (now the Emmanuel Fellowship and Worship Center) after-school program. Created by Jerry Applebee and Polly Applebee in 1994, the Restore Orlando's after-school program organized outings such as horseback riding and helicopter rides. The Applebees were affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene in the Parramore neighborhood of Downtown Orlando, Florida. Dedra Jenkins fought to have a basketball court built for the older children at Kaley Square Park across the street. Originally, owners of the church and park did not want a court because they feared it would be a place where drug dealers would congregate. This photograph, taken by an unknown volunteer at the program, was originally discarded, along with other similar photographs, and then found by a local resident near the Emmanuel Fellowship and Worship Center, which is located at the former site of Restore Orlando. The collection was given to the contributor, Dedra Jenkins.
Original 3 x 5 inch color photograph, 1996: Private Collection of Dedra Jenkins.
Restore Orlando, Holden-Parramore, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Nondiscrimination Provision from the United States Department of Agriculture and the Soil Conservation Service,1974
Nondiscrimination Provision from the United States Department of Agriculture and the Soil Conservation Service from 1974. In the document, State Conservationist William E. Austin informs the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District that the Nondiscrimination Provision is required in agreements entered in connection with the Soil Conservation Service programs. The provision applies to applications in connection with watershed or resource conservation and development projects, work plan agreements in connection with watershed or resource conservation and development projects, land rights agreements, relocation agreements, or Memorandums of Understanding.
Original 2-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1974: Folder SSWCD Statistical and Historical Information, 1948-1977, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District
Sanford's Riverfront from a north view during the 19th century, with a steamship pictured in the background. The present-day Sanford, Florida, area was originally inhabited by the Mayaca and Joroco tribes by the time Europeans arrived. The tribe was decimated by war and disease by 1760 and was replaced by the Seminole tribe. In 1821, the United States acquired Florida from Spain and Americans began to settled in the state. Camp Monroe was established in the mid-1830s to defend the area against Seminoles during the Seminole Wars. Following an attack on February 8, 1837, the camp was renamed Fort Mellon in honor of the battle's only American casualty, Captain Charles Mellon. The Town of Mellonville was founded nearby in 1842 by Daniel Stewart. When Florida became a state three years later, Mellonville became the county seat for Orange County, which was originally a portion of Mosquito County. Citrus was the first cash crop in the area and the first fruit packing plant was constructed in 1869. In 1870, Henry Shelton Sanford purchased over 12,000 acres of land west of Mellonville to form the community of Sanford. which he called "The Gateway City to South Florida." Sanford was incorporated in 1877 and absorbed Mellonville in 1883. The Great Fire of 1887 devastated the city, which also suffered from a statewide epidemic of yellow fever the following year. The citrus industry flourished until the Great Freezes of 1894 and 1895, causing planters to begin growing celery in 1896 as an alternative. Celery replaced citrus as the city's cash crop and Sanford was nicknamed "The Celery City." In 1913, Sanford became the county seat of Seminole County, once part of Orange County. Agriculture dominated the region until Walt Disney World opened in October of 1971, effectively shifting the Central Florida economy towards tourism and residential development. In 2003, Sanford began the redevelopment of the waterfront with the RiverWalk Project to revitalize the city's riverfront.
Digital reproduction of original 5 x 8 inch black and white graph on Florida Memory Project: "North From Verandah." Reference Collection, shelf number 15174, call number RC07050, Florida Photographic Collection, State Library and Archives of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida.
State Library and Archives of Florida
Northwest Corner of South Magnolia Avenue and East Second Street
The parking lot on the northwest corner of South Magnolia Avenue and East Second Street in Downtown Sanford, Florida, in 2012. In the 1920s, a building designed by architect Elton James Moughton was located here.
Original color photograph by Christine Dalton, 2012: Elton Moughton Archives, Private Collection of Christine Dalton.
Northwest Corner of South Magnolia Avenue and East Second Street, 1924
Automobile industry and trade--Southern States
The building on the northwest corner of South Magnolia Avenue and East Second Street in Downtown Sanford, Florida. The building was designed by architect Elton James Moughton. As of 2012, the location is being used as a parking lot. The Seminole Hotel, later renamed the Florida Hotel, can also be seen on the far left in this photograph. The hotel, which was located at 101 East First Street, is also known for housing the office of W. T. Cotter, a local architect, in the 1880s.
Original black and white photograph by Woodward: item 14264-JJ4: Elton Moughton Archives, Private Collection of Christine Dalton.
Seminole Hotel, Downtown Sanford, Florida
Northwest Rooftop View of the Hester-Shephard Block
A rooftop view of the Hester-Shephard block, located at 109 South Palmetto Avenue in Sanford, Florida. The block was named after M. K. Hester and Samuel W. Shepard. The three-story building was constructed after the September 1887 fire. From 1890 to 1974, the building housed the city's first fire station. The building also housed Sanford City Hall, the police station, and the jail. In 1923, Seminole County's only legal hanging occurred behind the building. In 1928, the top floor was condemned and removed. From the 1970s to the 1990s, Sanford Dry Cleaners was located there, until it was renovated as a private residence.
Original 7 x 5 inch black and white photograph: Vincent Collection, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Ritz Theater. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theater and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Original black and white photograph: Ritz Theatre Collection, Museum of Seminole County History, Sanford, Florida.
A newspaper article published by The Lion's Tale, Oviedo High School's student newspaper, in February of 1984. This article is about OHS senior Ed Norton, who was chosen as the recipient of the La Sertoma Club award. The La Sertoma Club is an international, non-partisan, non-political, non-profit, and non-sectarian organization that focuses on youth and community needs and scholarships for over 80 years. Oviedo High School is a Seminole County Public School located in Oviedo, Florida. Originally called the Oviedo School, the institution was first established in 1932 as a K-12 school. In 1948, the secondary grades separated from the elementary school. The upper grade levels formed Oviedo High School and moved to the campus at 601 King Street. Oviedo High School is notable for The Lion's Tale, the award-winning school newspaper recognized by various national and state scholastic press associations; its high ratings from the Governor's A+ Plan for Education; and its successful athletics programs.
Original newspaper article: Walter, Cheryl. "Norton Awarded by La Sertoma Club." The Lion's Tale, Vol. XIII, No. 5, February 1984: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
The Lion's Tale
Notables to Be Here for Dedication: Public Urged to Join High State Officers in Ceremonies Set for 2:30 Tomorrow
Newspaper article in the The Sanford Herald on the planned dedication of the Sanford State Farmers' Market in 1934. The Sanford State Farmers' Market, located at 1300 South French Avenue, was founded in 1934 in order to provide a central location in which farmers would sell their produce directly to consumers. The idea for the Sanford State Farmers' Market was devised by Fred Dorner and Gus Schmach, both members of the Seminole Agricultural Club. Sanford Chamber of Commerce president Harry Papworth also contributed to the development of the market. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) authorized construction plans on June 11, 1934. On June 20, 1934, the City of Sanford donated a portion of the Alex V. French properties to the State Marketing Board, which selected the northwest corner of French Avenue and Thirteenth Street. The board approved the installation of telegraph and telephone equipment, as well as a three-pump filling station. The Sanford State Farmer's Market opened on December 18, 1934. By 1939, the Farmers' Market was bringing a total volume of business of $627,065.81. In 1941, business volume reached over $700,000. On April 4, 1957, a fire destroyed the building and caused damages estimated at $2.5 million. Reconstruction began almost immediately and the Farmers' Market was expected to re-open by the fall of 1957. In 1991, plans were created to restore, preserve, and convert the citrus packing house into a museum.
Photocopy of original newspaper article: "Notables to Be Here for Dedication: Public Urged to Join High State Officers in Ceremonies Set for 2:30 Tomorrow." The Sanford Herald, No. 42, December 17, 1934>, pages 1-2: State Farmers' Market Collection, Museum of Seminole County History, Sanford, Florida.
Note and Gift from John B. Hancock to Edna P. Hancock
A note and gift from Sergeant John B. Hancock (1913-1944) to his wife, Edna P. Hancock. Sgt. Hancock was born in Thomasville, Georgia, in 1913, but later migrated to Auburndale, Florida. Hancock managed a Great Atlantic &amp
P) store in Haines City until he enlisted in the 45th Infantry Division's 179th Infantry Regiment. Sgt. Hancock served initially in Africa in 1943, until the 45th Infantry Division's participation inthe Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky. The division then went on to participate in the Allied invasion of Italy, where Sgt. Hancock was injured. He was returned to duty in February of 1944 in southern France. On November 1, 1944, Sgt. Hancock went Missing in Action (MIA) after serving in the Allied invasion of Southern France, codenamed Operation Dragoon. He was eventually buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Photocopy of original 1-page handwritten note from John B. Hancock to Edna P. Hancock: Private Collection of Linda Hughes.
Note from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford
An undated note from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford. Macfarlane was the secretary for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1884 until its dissolution in 1892. Presumably, he worked in the company's main office, located at 13 Austin Friars in the business district of London, United Kingdom. In this note, Macfarlane promised to send to Henry Sanford a collection of reports and documents related to the company's Florida property. The Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. In 1879, faced with financial difficulties, Sanford turned to a trusted associate in the United Kingdom, a Scottish industrialist named Sir William Mackinnon (1823-1893), to help him attract investors. The formation of the company was in large part due to the efforts of MacKinnon, whose reputation and influence helped bring investors on board. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. The one-time cash payment was a needed reprieve for Sanford, who faced financial difficulties by the end of the 1870s. The board of directors included Mackinnon, as well as W. C. Gray and Edwyn Sandys Dawes, partners in Gray-Dawes and Company, a London-based banking and investment house. Other directors included Alexander Fraser, Anthony Norris, George A. Thomson, and Eli Lee. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board. In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County. Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Original note from A. W. Macfarlane to Henry Shelton Sanford: box 54, folder 1, subfolder 54.1.17, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Note from Manager of Weeki Wachee to Becky Young Requesting Interview
A typed note on card stock the size of a business card sent to Rebecca Young from Weeki Wachee Springs, requesting her to come by for an interview. Text reads, "Rebecca: Come up as soon as you can for water test and pre-employment interview." The name of the person who sent the note is obscured. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original note from Weeki Wachee Springs to Becky Young, 1973: Private Collection of Becky Young.
Notice of Application for Approval of Bridge Plans
A public notice from the I.S. Army Corps of Engineers discussing the possible approval of bridge plans proposed by the Florida State Road Department. The plans are for a replacement of an existing bridge, where Florida State Road 48 (SR 48) crosses the Apopka-Beauclair Canal in Mount Dora. The goal of distributing the public notice is to collect data in support of or opposition to the proposed bridge plans. A map and schematics are attached.
Original notice, November 29, 1966: binder 1966, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Apopka-Beauclair Canal, Mount Dora, Florida
Notice of Election of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1973
Notice of Election of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1973. The Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. In the Notice of Election of Supervisors from 1973, Kenneth R. Littlejohn from the Florida Department of Agriculture &amp
Consumer Services indicates that supervisors S.B. Crowe, Hubert Bagwell, and C.A. Wales were elected in 1973 and their term would expire in 1977.
Original 1-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1973: Folder SSWCD Statistical and Historical Information, 1948-1977, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Notice of Public Hearing on Lake Apopka Restoration
A notice of a public hearing to be held by Senator Walter Sims and Senator Kenneth A. Plante (1939-2015) of the Florida Senate. The purpose of the hearing was to collect information and allow for public input into a potential effort for the restoration of Lake Apopka. Sen. Sims organized a committee for restoring Lake Apopka in 1975, focusing on the lake drawdown method for restoring the lake. Lake drawdown is a method of environmental restoration that is used to control erosion and aquatic vegetation. Lake drawdown has also been sought as a potential method to lessen the effects of pollution by exposing the lake bed and allowing bottom sediments to dry, trapping pollutants. Opponents of lake drawdowns cite the impact of polluted water on areas downstream of the area being drained, in cases where the targeted lake is connected to a river system. Citrus growers have also opposed drawdowns on the grounds that draining large lakes makes nearby citrus groves more vulnerable to freezes, as lakes help keep temperatures stable throughout the year. Drawdowns of Lake Apopka have been sought by restoration efforts dating back to the 1960s, beginning with the Lake Apopka Restoration Project, organized by Governor Claude R. Kirk Jr. (1926-2011) and headed by C.W. Sheffield. These efforts were delayed and no drawdown was performed by the project. Plans for a drawdown continued to be developed, and federal and state efforts to gather funds and perform feasibility studies began in 1970. An experimental drawdown of Lake Apopka was performed in 1971, lowering the lake level by four feet, but was halted after public fears that wildlife deaths in the area were the result of the drawdown. Drawdown plans continued through the 1970s, but were continually delayed and projected costs for the project rose sharply. The project was cancelled by Governor Bob Graham (b. 1936) in 1979.
Original 1-page typewritten notice, February 21, 1975: binder 1975, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
The entrance to the Oak Ridge portion of the residential development in Sky Lake, Florida. The cross street on the left is Sand Lake Road. Sky Lake is a residential community and unincorporated area located approximately seven miles south of Downtown Orlando between Lancaster Road and Sand Lake Road. The community was developed in late 1950s and 1960s by Hymen Lake. Houses originally sold in the range of $10,000 to $15,000. In the 1970s, Sky Lake became one of the first housing developments to be racially integrated. The community was originally proposed to include one thousand homes within the middle of the square mile block and a ring of commercial developments along the perimeter.
Original 8 x 10 inch black and white photograph by Fred DeWitt: Pine Castle Historical Society, Pine Castle, Florida.
This brochure shows model homes that were being built in the Oak Ridge community of Pine Castle, Florida. The brochure features five ranch model homes and includes prices and available interest rates. Florida Ranch Lands, Inc. is a real estate development firm founded by Craig Linton in the early 1960s. Linton's firm was best known for brokering the land deal that brought the Walt Disney Company to its present location. This brochure was also co-opted by Florida Gas Utilities Company.
Original 8-page brochure: Collection of the Pine Castle Historical Society, Pine Castle, Florida.
A closeup aerial of homes in the Oak Ridge II phase of Sky Lake, which was located in the southern part of the development, in the 1960s. Sky Lake is a residential community and unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida. It is located approximately seven miles south of Downtown Orlando between Lancaster Road and Sand Lake Road. The community was developed in late 1950s and 1960s by Hymen Lake. Houses originally sold in the range of $10,000 to $15,000. In the 1970s, Sky Lake became one of the first housing developments to be racially integrated. The community was originally proposed to include one thousand homes within the middle of the square mile block and a ring of commercial developments along the perimeter.
Oak Ridge II By Orlando's Largest New Home Builders
This brochure shows model homes that were being built in the Oak Ridge II community of Pine Castle, Florida. The brochure features five ranch model homes and includes prices and available interest rates. Florida Ranch Lands, Inc. is a real estate development firm founded by Craig Linton in the early 1960s. Linton's firm was best known for brokering the land deal that brought the Walt Disney Company to its present location. This brochure was also co-opted by Florida Gas Utilities Company.
Original 13-page brochure: Collection of the Pine Castle Historical Society, Pine Castle, Florida.
The Ocala Union Station, located at 531 Northeast First Avenue in Ocala, Florida, in the 1920s. Built in 1917, the Ocala Union Station was not the pioneer depot for Ocala's booming phosphorus mining, citrus cultivation, and Silver Springs tourism. Ocala was a developing city for transportation long before Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) and Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) crossed lines and created Union Station. According to the Historic Ocala website, Ocala had achieved its population, well-developed system of transportation, and prosperous economy by 1895, well before the arrival of the Ocala Union Station, Periodic recessions, however, from 1890 to 1920 took an especially hard toll on Florida. U.S. Census data shows that the Marion County population fell from 26,941 in 1910 to 23,968 in 1920—an 11 percent drop. As the Ocala Union Station grew as a result of tourism, trade, and the Florida Land Boom, it helped reverse the trend. Census data from 1930 shows 29,578 people living in Marion County, which houses the station to this day.
Digital reproduction of reprinted black and white photograph: Kevin McCarthy and Ernest Jernigan. Ocala. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2001.
Arcadia Publishing
The Ocala Union Station, located at 531 Northeast First Avenue in Ocala, Florida, in 2014. Built in 1917, the Ocala Union Station was not the pioneer depot for Ocala's booming phosphorus mining, citrus cultivation, and Silver Springs tourism. Ocala was a developing city for transportation long before Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) and Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) crossed lines and created Union Station. According to the Historic Ocala website, Ocala had achieved its population, well-developed system of transportation, and prosperous economy by 1895, well before the arrival of the Ocala Union Station, Periodic recessions, however, from 1890 to 1920 took an especially hard toll on Florida. U.S. Census data shows that the Marion County population fell from 26,941 in 1910 to 23,968 in 1920—an 11 percent drop. As the Ocala Union Station grew as a result of tourism, trade, and the Florida Land Boom, it helped reverse the trend. Census data from 1930 shows 29,578 people living in Marion County, which houses the station to this day.
Original color digital images by Carlos R. Mercado, March 12, 2014.
Ocoee Project - Genre-based Bibliography (06-25-2020)
A genre-based bibliography for the Ocoee Project from the Alliance for Truth and Justice. The Alliance for Truth and Justice (ATJ) is a volunteer-based organization that engages with the community to promote education concerning the truth of local history and to advocate justice for those who have been harmed by inequities born of prejudice. ATJ builds on the work of Montgomery-based Equal Justice Initiative as well as the local efforts of Democracy Forum, the West Orange Reconciliation Task Force, and the Ocoee Human Relations Diversity Board. This project is rooted in acknowledging the 1920 Election Day Massacre in Orange County and all of the violence committed in the name of white supremacy. Their mission statement says that they are "working to create a more hopeful, collaborative, and just society for every person in Orange County, Florida."
Original genre-based bibliography by the Alliance for Truth and Justice, Orange County, Florida.
A poster for the Orlando Gay Chorus concert, “Odd Numbers”. The event was held at the John & Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center in Loch Haven Park, located at 812 East Rollins Street in Orlando, Florida, on June 14 and 15, 2003. The event's tagline reads, "songs we've always wanted to sing but..." Tickets were $18 in advance through Rainbow City, Urban Think, and orlandogaychorus.org and $21 at the door. The poster features a white background with abstract green accents and simple blue and green text. Featured artwork includes the logos of the OGC and various sponsors across the bottom of the poster. The Orlando Gay Chorus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization part of GALA Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a whole host of community events like Come Out With Pride, Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees, and World Aids Day memorial services. In 2017, the group performed at over 105 events, including 15 performances for the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Members come from all walks of life and all sexual and gender orientations, including straight allies. OGC lives by the motto “Singing the World to a Better Place” and strives to use music to change attitudes and build a stronger community.
Original color poster: University of Central Florida Special Collections, Orlando, Florida.
John & Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center, Loch Haven Park, Orlando, Florida
A program for the Orlando Gay Chorus' concert, "Odd Numbers", on June 14 &amp
15, 2003, at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center in Orlando, Florida. The program includes short biographies on the Artistic Director Terry Thomas, the Accompanist Genoa Minga, and the ASL interpreters Patricia Clifton and Paul Rutherford, program notes, an outline of the show's itinerary, a list of chorus members and contributors, and a history of GALA Choruses. It also features biographies of the special guests: Malikah Burroughs, Chuck Davis
Lisa Ferrigno, and Darcel Stevens. The Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization, and part of the Gay and Lesbian Association (GALA) of Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a host of community events, such as Come Out With Pride, Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees, and World AIDS Day memorial services. In 2017, the group performed at over 105 events, including 15 performances for the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Members come from all walks of life and all sexual and gender orientations, including straight allies. OGC lives by the motto “Singing the World to a Better Place” and strives to use music to change attitudes and build a stronger community.
Original 24-page program, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center, Orlando, Florida
Office Memorandum of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, 1952
Office Memorandum of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1952. The Seminole Soul and Water Conservation District began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. In the Office Memorandum from 1952, H.B. Helms, the assistant state conservationist, informs Albert R. Swartz, the acting area conservationist, that J.G. McMeekin of the Regional Records and Reports Division has advised that Seminole District #43 may discontinue submitting form SCS-198 as the sample requirement for land conversion has been met. The one page document is signed by H.B. Helms.
Original 1-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1952: Folder SSWCD Statistical and Historical Information, 1948-1977, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
The officers and men of the USS Carola at the Chateau Barracks in Brest, France, in June 1919. Built as a steam yacht in 1885 in Culzean, Scotland, the ship was acquired by the United States Navy on June 10, 1917. It was commissioned USS Carola IV (SP 812), on July 7, 1917. The boat was decommissioned on December 27, 1919, and sold to a resident of Brest, France. It was scrapped in 1957. A notable soldier in this image is Henry Lawrence Gau (1899-1988). Gau was born to Paul and Ann Gau in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on October 7, 1899. Both of Gau’s parents were immigrants who came from Germany and Canada. Gau had three siblings: Laura, Preston, and Chester. On June 6, 1917, Gau joined the United States Navy. While serving in World War I, Gau worked on the USS Carola and patrolled the coasts of France. In early 1920, Gau returned to live with his family. He married his second wife, Elizabeth, in August of 1937. Gau joined the Army in 1939 at the age of forty to serve in World War II, where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He also later served in the Korean War. Gau moved to Florida in his later years, where he met and married his third wife, Mildred. They lived at Sun City Center, a retirement community on Florida’s West coast, where Gau joined the community’s Retired Officers Association. Gau was buried at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida, in 1988. His wife joined him in 1996. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original black and white photograph.
A newspaper article the installation of new officers for the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC). Claire Evans was installed as the new president, with Teresa Duda, Nancy Beasley, and Karen Morgan as vice presidents. Mary Walker was installed as treasurer, Grace Whittier as recording secretary, Judy Stamps as corresponding secretary, and Helen Leinhart as parliamentarian. The Oviedo Woman's Club was founded in 1906 as the Oviedo Magazine Club by seven charter members: H. B. McCall, Edith Meade, Georgia Lee Wheeler, Lillian Lee Lawton, Mattie Aulin Wheeler, Milcah Yonge, and Mary King. The first clubhouse was constructed in 1914 and also served as Oviedo's first library. In 1916, the club joined the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs (FFWC) and officially changed its name to the Oviedo Woman's Club. In 1923, the woman's club was federated under the umbrella of the General Federation of Woman's Clubs (GFWC). A new clubhouse was built in 1961 on property donated by R. L. Croom, a former member, which is located at 414 King Street. The Oviedo Woman's Club is involved in many civic projects, including the annual Great Day in the Country Arts and Crafts Festival, the Spring Fundraiser, Tasting Luncheons, and Celebrate Spring Teas.
Original newspaper article: "Officers Installed." The Evening Herald, May 13, 1975: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.