The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 06, June 12, 1926
The Maitland News was a local newspaper originally published by the Maitland Realty Company (and later by The Maitland News Company) which began circulation in April 1926. This edition features articles on topics such as plans to establish a building and loan association for Maitland, fishing, housing and urban development, new books added to the library, local banking services, and a local events calendar. Also featured is a poem by local resident "Wib" Chaffee, and several advertisements for local businesses.
Original 4-page newspaper edition: The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 06, June 12, 1926: Newspaper Collection, accession number 2014.002.020V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 07, June 19, 1926
The Maitland News was a local newspaper originally published by the Maitland Realty Company (and later by The Maitland News Company) which began circulation in April 1926. This edition features articles on topics such as the paving of local streets, students receiving honors, a wedding, a resident receiving an academic prize, the remodeling of a church, growth in Maitland, banking and currency, new library books, and a local events calendar. Also featured are several advertisements for local businesses. This edition is missing pages 3 and 4.
Original 2-page newspaper edition: The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 07, June 19, 1926: Newspaper Collection, accession number 2014.002.020V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 08, June 26, 1926
The Maitland News was a local newspaper originally published by the Maitland Realty Company (and later by The Maitland News Company) which began circulation in April 1926. This edition features articles on topics such as the completion of the city's waterworks, the construction of a new town hall and firehouse, the town council's trip to DeLand to observe water pumps, freight shipping statistics for Florida, the growth of the central Florida area, citrus culture, banking, an obituary, two weddings, and a local events calendar. Also featured are several advertisements for local businesses.
Original 4-page newspaper edition: The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 08, June 26, 1926: Newspaper Collection, accession number 2014.002.020V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 09, July 3, 1926
The Maitland News was a local newspaper originally published by the Maitland Realty Company (and later by The Maitland News Company) which began circulation in April 1926. This edition features articles on topics such as a new fire truck, Chamber of Commerce meeting times, a new office building for the Maitland Realty Company, the establishment of fire zones, a new tax assessor, the Maitland Auxiliary, automobile accidents, and a local events calendar. Also featured are several advertisements for local businesses. This edition is missing pages 3 and 4.
Original 4-page newspaper edition: The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 09, July 3, 1926: Newspaper Collection, accession number 2014.002.020V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 10, July 10, 1926
The Maitland News was a local newspaper originally published by the Maitland Realty Company (and later by The Maitland News Company) which began circulation in April 1926. This edition features articles on topics such as airplane maps of Maitland, a new fire truck, a new citrus packing house, the Fourth of July, an obituary, the housing arrangements of local residents, and a local events calendar. Also featured are several advertisements for local businesses. This edition is missing pages 3 and 4.
Original 4-page newspaper edition: The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 10, July 10, 1926: Newspaper Collection, accession number 2014.002.020V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 11, July 17, 1926
The Maitland News was a local newspaper originally published by the Maitland Realty Company (and later by The Maitland News Company) which began circulation in April 1926. This edition features articles on topics such as the organization of the fire department, modern retail stores, waterworks bonds, a new contracting firm, highway construction, Bible school, a duplex apartment building, Chamber of Commerce meetings, economic development across the southeast United States, the housing arrangements of local residents, and a local events calendar. Also featured are several advertisements for local businesses.
Original 4-page newspaper edition: The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 11, July 17, 1926: Newspaper Collection, accession number 2014.002.020V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 12, July 24, 1926
The Maitland News was a local newspaper originally published by the Maitland Realty Company (and later by The Maitland News Company) which began circulation in April 1926. This edition features articles on topics such as new management at the Maitland Realty Company, tax rates, a grocery store, an automobile accident, a burglary incident, construction on a church rectory, billboard advertisements, building construction rates, banking and currency, the housing arrangements of local residents, and a local events calendar. Also featured are several advertisements for local businesses.
Original 4-page newspaper edition: The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 12, July 24, 1926: Newspaper Collection, accession number 2014.002.020V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 13, July 31, 1926
The Maitland News was a local newspaper originally published by the Maitland Realty Company (and later by The Maitland News Company) which began circulation in April 1926. This edition features articles on topics such as the passing of a pioneer resident of Maitland, the completion of a new town hall, Bible school, a local fire, water meters, the growth of Maitland, the housing arrangements of local residents, and a local events calendar. Also featured are several advertisements for local businesses.
Original 4-page newspaper edition: The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 13, July 31, 1926: Newspaper Collection, accession number 2014.002.020V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 14, August 7, 1926
The Maitland News was a local newspaper originally published by the Maitland Realty Company (and later by The Maitland News Company) which began circulation in April 1926. This edition features articles on topics such as a tropical storm, improvements to the Maitland School, Bible school, an injured child, the Maitland Auxiliary, summer activities, several resolutions regarding the improvements of city roads, a poem by Parson Ebony Snow, the housing arrangements of local residents, and a local events calendar. Also featured are several advertisements for local businesses.
Original 6-page newspaper edition: The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 14, August 7, 1926: Newspaper Collection, accession number 2014.002.020V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 15, August 14, 1926
The Maitland News was a local newspaper originally published by the Maitland Realty Company (and later by The Maitland News Company) which began circulation in April 1926. This edition features articles on topics such as street lights, an act of vandalism, a police raid on a still, a Presbyterian church service, improvements to the Maitland Garage, weeding, new library books, an article by W. R. G. Orwick on the intersection of business and religion, the housing arrangements of local residents, and a local events calendar. Also featured are several advertisements for local businesses.
Original 4-page newspaper edition: The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 15, August 14, 1926: Newspaper Collection, accession number 2014.002.020V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 16, August 21, 1926
The Maitland News was a local newspaper originally published by the Maitland Realty Company (and later by The Maitland News Company) which began circulation in April 1926. This edition features articles on topics such as a Chamber of Commerce meeting, a clean-up week, the closure of a restaurant for repairs, a new bank in Longwood, the explosion of a gasoline stove, the new municipal building, electrical laws, building permits, a new retail store, the housing arrangements of local residents, and a local events calendar. Also featured are several advertisements for local businesses.
Original 4-page newspaper edition: The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 16, August 21, 1926: Newspaper Collection, accession number 2014.002.020V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 17, August 28, 1926
The Maitland News was a local newspaper originally published by the Maitland Realty Company (and later by The Maitland News Company) which began circulation in April 1926. This edition features articles on topics such as the rebuilding of Maitland Lumber Company, lots sold in Greenwood Gardens subdivision, the Maitland Auxiliary, property values, a church gathering, a Chamber of Commerce meeting, clean-up efforts, riots in Calcutta in India, fishing, the opening of the school year, the housing arrangements of local residents, and a local events calendar. Also featured are several advertisements for local businesses.
Original 4-page newspaper edition: The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 17, August 28, 1926: Newspaper Collection, accession number 2014.002.020V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 18, September 4, 1926
The Maitland News was a local newspaper originally published by the Maitland Realty Company (and later by The Maitland News Company) which began circulation in April 1926. This edition features articles on topics such as the paving of streets, a Chamber of Commerce social event, clean-up efforts, the beautification of the town hall, electric light service, several property improvement resolutions, the re-opening of several banks, the housing arrangements of local residents, and a local events calendar. Also featured is a special section detailing the property assessments and improvement resolutions of many properties in Maitland, as well as several advertisements for local businesses.
Original 4-page newspaper edition: The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 18, September 4, 1926: Newspaper Collection, accession number 2014.002.020V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 19, September 11, 1926
The Maitland News was a local newspaper originally published by the Maitland Realty Company (and later by The Maitland News Company) which began circulation in April 1926. This edition features articles on topics such as the implementation of drainage pipes to connect Maitland's lakes and alleviate flooding, the need for a local fruit packing house, the distribution of property assessment pamphlets, the construction of new homes, a Labor Day celebration, a property assessment map of Eatonville, a piano recital, flower gardens, road paving contractor bids, an update on available library books, the housing arrangements of local residents, and a local events calendar. Also featured are several advertisements for local businesses.
Original 4-page newspaper edition: The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 19, September 11, 1926: Newspaper Collection, accession number 2014.002.020V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 20, September 18, 1926
The Maitland News was a local newspaper originally published by the Maitland Realty Company (and later by The Maitland News Company) which began circulation in April 1926. This edition features articles on topics such as a new town water pump, an anniversary party, tax assessment complaints, WDBO radio programming, the opening of school, locally-grown fresh fruit, a church dinner, the health concerns of a local pastor, the housing arrangements of local residents, and a local events calendar. Also featured are several advertisements for local businesses.
Original 4-page newspaper edition: The Maitland News, Vol. 01, No. 20, September 18, 1926: Newspaper Collection, accession number 2014.002.020V, room 2, case 2, shelf 10, box GV, Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
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 leather postal mail strap from the Downtown Orlando Post Office, located at 51 East Jefferson Street. Mail straps were used by Orlando postal workers to tie mail together. Leather satchels were used by U.S. postal workers to carry mail from 1864 to around 1974, when they made the switch to canvas, due to the scarcity and cost of leather. This strap came from one such leather satchel manufactured by Bucheimer or Bona Allen, Inc.
Original color digital image, September 2015: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
Students outside of St. Joseph’s Academy in Downtown Orlando, Florida. In 1889, St. Joseph’s Academy was constructed on the church grounds of St. James Catholic Church. The Catholic school was administrated by the Sisters of St. Joseph. The school began with 30 students and the student body peaked in 1927 with 200 pupils in attendance. In 1928, Father Michael Fox began construction of a new, larger school nearby and closed the academy in 1929.
Original 5 x 8 inch black and white photograph: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
East Robinson Street and North Magnolia Avenue, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Original 8.5 x 11 inch black and white photograph: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
St. Joseph's Academy, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Envelope to Roger Pounds, Ruth Pounds, and Peggy Jo Pounds
This envelope once contained a letter written to Roger Pounds and his wife and daughter, Ruth Pounds and Peggy Jo Pounds. Pounds was the president of Pounds Crate Company, providing containers for Orlando businesses. He and Ruth also ran a dance studio in the late 1950s. The Martha Washington stamp dates the envelope to roughly 1938, as that was the year the stamp was issued. Pounds passed away in 1996. This letter was likely personal and non-business related, based on the inclusion of Peggy Jo as the addressed recipient. It is addressed to 746 Clifford Drive, which was likely the Pounds' residence.
Original envelope to Roger Pounds, Ruth Pounds, and Peggy Jo Pounds: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
The classic and distinguished hat that was a part of the attire worn by both postmen and mail truck drivers. The iconic badge of the U.S. Post Office adorns the face of the hat to identify postmen as federal employees and also to signify the role they held within the Post Office. There were a multitude of designs available to wear ranging from berets, panama hats, or safari helmets. As of 1972, the hat was no longer required to be worn as part of the postman's uniform and instead replaced with baseball style hats that are optional.
Envelope to Mayor Carl T. Langford (April 23, 1979)
This envelope originally contained a letter written to Mayor Carl T. Langford a year before he stepped down as Mayor of Orlando. Mayor Langford was a popular mayor, known for his political irreverence and sense of humor. He presided as mayor from 1967 to 1980, during the city's greatest period of growth following the arrival of Walt Disney World. His most important legacy was the Orlando International Airport.
Original envelope to Mayor Carl J. Langford, April 23, 1979: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
Orlando City Hall, Downtown Orlando, Florida
This is a replica of a mail satchel cart used to transport multiple satchels of mail to ease the burden upon the mail carrier. The use of satchel carts is very situational and used in instances where the postal vehicle would be unable to reach a location with multiple post boxes. However, the use of the satchel cart must be approved by a Postmaster with its use being reserved by physically-impaired postmen first. The carts are fairly resilient and can transport up to 70 pounds of mail, which is equivalent to two mail satchels. Today, the use of satchel carts is on the decline, as segues have become more widespread and exponentially decrease the physical toll of wheeling a heavy mail trolley.
This envelope originally contained a letter written to prominent Orlando citizen Texann Ivy (now Buck). Texann graduated from high school in Orlando and went to college at Waco's Baylor University. There, she studied art, specializing in sculpture and 20th century American prints. She went on to publish two books on the latter subject in the 1980s, focusing on Depression-era printmakers. Today, she is still active in the Orlando cultural community and is a board member of Orlando Remembered. Given the date of the letter, the sender's location in Austin, Texas, and Texann's Orlando address, this letter was likely mailed shortly before she went to Baylor.
Original envelope to Texann Ivy, 1968: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
Birthday Plate from Father Fox to Lucille Fair
This plate was given to Lucille Fair as a birthday present from Father Michael J. Fox at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. For her birthday, Father Fox presented her with this plate along with a piece of cake as a birthday present. She continued to use it as her birthday cake plate for the next 90 years. She soon decided to donate the plate to St. Joseph's Parish in honor of Father Fox for all of the memories that she had received from it and to pass it on as a tribute to him. Fair grew up on Church Street in Downtown Orlando and continued to take part in the cities events. Father Fox was the first full-time pastor of St. James Church, which was connected to the parish of St. Joseph' Academy.
Original color digital images, September 2015: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
"Two envelopes, which were processed by the Downtown Orlando Post Office and addressed to Betty Riddle. The first envelope was stamped September 15, 1941, while the other envelope, sent nine months later, was stamped June 13, 1942. Riddle was a born and raised in Orlando in 1923 and would have been around 18 when these letters were sent. Riddle’s father, Robert Riddle, was the owner of the Eola Coffee Company on Lake Eola. Riddle married Carter C. Whitmire, Sr., who owned Whitmire’s Furniture Store. Riddle continued her involvement in Orlando as a member of many local clubs and organizations until her death in 2007. The most significant feature of these envelopes is that they both used 3 cent defense stamps as their postage. These stamps were issued in October of 1940 and contain a design sketched by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. These stamps were an attempt by FDR to encourage the United States to become involved in World War II. There were billions of these stamps sold across the U.S. in an effort to raise money for defense. Less than three months after the first envelope was stamped, the United States entered the war.
Original envelopes to Betty Riddle: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
A class picture taken outside of St. Joseph's Academy in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The academy was created in 1889, along with St. James Cathedral School, and they were both placed along the intersection of Robinson Avenue and Magnolia Avenue. In the beginning, the school had a total student count of around 30. However, by 1927, St. Joseph's had enrolled over 200 students. In 1929, following the supervision of then-pastor of St. James Catholic Church, Father Michael J. Fox, the school building on Ridgewood Street opened as a church school to accommodate students kindergarten through 12th grade. Soon after, the St. James' school would replace St. Joseph's Academy.
Original black and white photograph, June 2, 1913: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
A traditional mail satchel worn by mail carriers to deliver their packages. The one shown in the picture was one of the series of leather satchels that were manufactured and used from 1868 until 1974, when they were phased out by the canvas satchels which are currently still in use. The leather satchels are quite durable, lasting up to six years compared to the paltry 18-month lifespan of the canvas satchels. In terms of weight, these leather satchels could hold 35 pounds, with mailmen often carrying two at a time if their route contained a large number of clients. However, many mailmen refrained from carrying two satchels at once in order to swiftly flee from any aggressive dogs whose favorite pastime was to harass the mailmen.
The former building for the Downtown Orlando Post Office, located at 44 East Central Boulevard in Downtown, Orlando, Florida. From 1917 to 1941, the Orlando post office was housed in a building on the corner of Central Boulevard and Court Avenue and was known as the Federal Building. This building was home to the post office and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offices, and was the meeting place for the World War II draft committee. In 1941, the post office moved to its new location on Jefferson Street, but the Federal Building remained. In 1962, the Federal Building was bought by Ivey’s department store. The building was demolished to make room for a new parking lot. Today, the location is home to a BankUnited.
Original black and white photographic print, 1933: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
Federal Building, Downtown Orlando, Florida
This is a neighborhood mailbox padlock from the post-World War II period. Its case and shackle are made of brass, opened by key, and uses a five-lever lock. It was a type of lock distributed by the U.S. Post Office Department to residents of Orlando for street letter boxes. The lock was assigned to letter box code number 49. By the 1950s, the following codes were withdrawn from service: 24, 37-43, 45-47, and 52-54.
This is a handstamp postmark that was used to mark postage stamp to prevent reuse. Prior to the advent of stamps to prepay postage, such markings only served to provide information to postal clerks as they handled the stampless envelope. After stamps came into use, cancellations became necessary to void the stamp for repeat usage. This type of stamp cancellation was nicknamed "killer" and featured wavy lines or sometimes bars. This particular handstamp was created by De Guehery's Rubber Stamp Company, which was located at 64 West Robinson Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, and is now known as Orlando Rubber Stamps and Sign Company.
De Guehery's Rubber Stamp and Sign Company, Downtown Orlando, Florida
This a notary/corporate postmark used to officially apply to a piece of mail as it passes through the mailstream. It includes town data (Orlando) and was part of a process where postal workers would stamp markings indicating routing, directory service, postage due, censorship, registration, special delivery, forwarding, carriage by special transportation, etc. This particular handstamp was created by De Guehery's Rubber Stamp Company, which was located at 64 West Robinson Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, and is now known as Orlando Rubber Stamps and Sign Company.
A notary/corporate postmark used to officially apply to a piece of mail as it passes through the mailstream. It includes town data and was part of a process where postal workers would stamp markings indicating routing, directory service, postage due, censorship, registration, special delivery, forwarding, carriage by special transportation, etc.
A postage stamp issued in 1947. Claude Pepper (1900-1989), then U.S. Senator from Florida, wrote Postmaster General Hannegan on July 9, 1947, to petition for a postage stamp to commemorate the dedication of the Everglades National Park. The Everglades National Park Commission had began efforts to produce such a stamp. John Pennekamp had found a former U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) artist to translate ideas into a finished design to be rendered in "a pretty green" ink. BEP issued a design on October 20 and by December of that year, the resulting stamp featured an outline map of Florida and white heron.
Original 1.44 x 0.84 inch postage stamp, December 5, 1947: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Construction of the New Downtown Orlando Post Office Building
The new Downtown Orlando Post Office building, located at 51 East Jefferson Street, during construction 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.
A Catholic procession in Downtown Orlando, Florida, sometime between 1939 and 1941. Altar servers are followed by the bishop, priests, and congregants. In these processions, a cross bearer and candle holder, who are not pictured, led the procession and were followed by any extra servers, deacons, priests, and in this case, a bishop. If a bishop is present, at least two servers will follow behind to be ready to take his crosier and his mitre. During a Confirmation ceremony or any other special mass, members of the congregation may process in between the cross and candle bearers and the deacons. In the background, a sign for Walter Menges' Clothier To Men can be seen. The store was located on North Orange Avenue in between Jefferson Street and Robinson Street. Other shops near here included a Rexall drug store and Brenner's Ladies Dress Shop.
Original black and white photograph: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
Walter Menges' Men's Clothing Shop, Downtown Orlando, Florida
St. James Cathedral's Original Wooden Church Building
St. James Cathedral was originally finished in June of 1891 under Bishop John Moore of the Diocese of St. Augustine, Father Swembergh, and later Father Creed, who succeeded Father Swembergh following his death. Since its original 40 by 70 feet wooden structure, the cathedral has been renovated three times. It was rebuilt entirely in 1952, renovated to become the cathedral of the Diocese of Orlando in the late 1970s, after St. Charles Borromeo Cathedral had burned down. More recently, in 2009, the cathedral was renovated again to restore some of the original stone work and rose windows.
Original black and white drawing: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
St. James Cathedral, Downtown Orlando, Florida
An envelope sent from Group 21 MEBA to Texann Ivy in October of 1967. Texann Ivy Buck is a graduate of Edgewater High School in Orlando, Florida, and Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Specializing in 20th Century American prints, sculpture, and in the Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) prints, Buck established Texann Ivy Fine Arts, located at 818 Ellwood Avenue in Orlando, in 1977. In the 1980s, she curated an exhibition on 1930s American printmaking at the Cornell Museum of Art at Rollins College in Winter Park. In 2013, she created a display honoring Dr. Jerry B. Callahan, which is on permanent display at the Callahan Neighborhood Center, located on Parramore Avenue in Orlando. She remains involved with Orange County art, history, and cultural institutions.
Original envelope to Texann Ivy, October 1967: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
Employees at New Downtown Orlando Post Office Building
Postal employees after the construction of the new Downtown Orlando Post Office building, located at 51 East Jefferson Street, circa 1941. The photograph includes 109 employees ranging from superintendent to clerk. The Postmaster and Assistant Postmaster are included in the middle row of the photo. The group is comprised of mostly white men; however, the second row shows a woman, and the first and third rows show three African-American men. The building was constructed in a Spanish Colonial Revival style from 1939 to 1941 and dedicated on April 14, 1941. It has been occupied by the United States Postal Service since 1941, the Federal District Courthouse from 1941 to circa 1974, and the office of the Roman Catholic Church since 2003. The building was renovated in the early 2000s and was modified for office and retail use, with the post office retaining 13,200 square feet. Plans included an adjacent parking garage on the north side, though that that aspect never came to fruition. St. James Roman Catholic Cathedral, located across Court Street from the post office, purchased the parts of the building not utilized by the post office and use it for Chancery office space.
Envelope from Ferguson/CFSC to Texann Ivy Buck
An envelope sent from Ferguson/CFSC to Texann Ivy Buck. The envelope was sent multiple times, as there are six stamps. Buck is a graduate of Edgewater High School in Orlando, Florida, and Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Specializing in 20th Century American prints, sculpture, and in the Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) prints, Buck established Texann Ivy Fine Arts, located at 818 Ellwood Avenue in Orlando, in 1977. In the 1980s, she curated an exhibition on 1930s American printmaking at the Cornell Museum of Art at Rollins College in Winter Park. In 2013, she created a display honoring Dr. Jerry B. Callahan, which is on permanent display at the Callahan Neighborhood Center, located on Parramore Avenue in Orlando. She remains involved with Orange County art, history, and cultural institutions.
Original envelope from Ferguson/CFSC to Texann Ivy Buck, March 2011: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
A Florida Centennial postage stamp, along with identifying labels. The image of the Great Seal of the State of Florida is surrounded by the Old City Gates in St. Augustine on the left and the State Capitol Building on the right. The two images have the years of the centennial above them: 1845 was when Florida was admitted as a state, and 1945 was the centennial anniversary. The stamp cost three cents at the time.
Photocopy of original postage stamp, 1945: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
Florida State Capitol, Tallahassee, Florida
A mailman badge worn on hats and coats by post office staff. In 1922, the letter carrier’s badge was redesigned. The new badge was solid, of nickel-plated metal, elliptical in shape, and topped with a 1/2 inch tall eagle with wings spread two inches wide. The numbers, raised in the center of the badge, were 9/16ths of an inch long. The words "U. S. Post Office" were raised along the top, and the name of the Post Office and state were along the bottom. Raised five-pointed stars adorned the right and left sides, visually separating the text. The badge was curved at 10% to conform to the shape of the headgear.
In 1922, the letter carrier’s badge was redesigned. The new badge was solid, of nickel-plated metal, elliptical in shape, and topped with a 1/2 inch tall eagle with wings spread two inches wide. The numbers, raised in the center of the badge, were 9/16ths of an inch long. The words "U. S. Post Office" were raised along the top, and the name of the Post Office and state were along the bottom. Raised five-pointed stars adorned the right and left sides, visually separating the text. The badge was curved at 10% to conform to the shape of the headgear.
A postcard displaying a drawing of the new Downtown Orlando Post Office building, located at 51 East Jefferson Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The post office was built and finished in 1941 as a result of funding provided by the federal government. The land it was built upon had formerly been the site of a Catholic school, but was sold during the Great Depression. The post office building, after debuting in 1941, served Downtown dutifully through the middle of the 20th century in numerous capacities. It served as a post office, a courthouse, and a base for the United States Marshals Service (USMS), as well as several important roles in government adjudication at a federal and local level. In 1989, the Federal Building at Jefferson Street was declared a landmark in the city of Orlando.
Original color postcard: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
Personnel at the Downtown Orlando Post Office, 1941
Taken in 1941, this group photograph shows all the operational staff at the newly constructed Downtown Orlando Post Office, located at 51 East Jefferson Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida. All employees of the Post Office, including the custodians, were considered full employees of the federal government making these jobs quite sought after by the general public. Employees were well taken care of thanks to government benefits and job security was rather high making these jobs secure and reliable sources of income. 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.
Original black and white photograph, 1941: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
Personnel at the Downtown Orlando Post Office, 1930
The staff of the Downtown Orlando Post Office, located at 44 East Central Boulevard in Downtown Orlando, Florida, in 1930, including Postmaster Dr. Laycock and assistant Postmaster Dedaney. All employees of the Post Office, including the custodians, were considered full employees of the federal government making these jobs quite sought after by the general public. Employees were well taken care of thanks to government benefits and job security was rather high making these jobs secure and reliable sources of income. 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.
Original black and white photograph, 1930: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
A replica of a 1931 Ford Model A mail truck. During the 20th century, the U.S. Post Office Department began to increasingly rely on automobiles for the rapid and effective delivery of mail. First used in rural areas, mail trucks began to see increased use in urban areas starting from the 1930s with the entry of new mail trucks, such as the Ford Model A pictured here. Able to carry an enormous amount of mail, these trucks began to proliferate across the major cities of the United States. Additionally, various other mail vehicles were used depending on the location of the post office and the terrain that the vehicles needed to handle. For example, tinier tri-wheeled mail trucks would sometimes be used to tiny suburbs, while heftier and larger mail trucks would be used to traverse the dirt roads of the countryside to deliver mail in rural places.
This table, made of wood, was submerged under water for 115 years in Lake Monroe, Florida. The table was initially from the old Fort Mellon dock, built by an individual referred to as "Colonel A. C." in 1836. Fort Mellon, established during the Second Seminole War, was originally named Camp Monroe. The name was later changed after Captain Charles Mellon became the sole causality of an Indian attack year later in 1837. The table measures 46 inches long and 17 inches wide. The table is broken up into three distinct sections, with the end sections having their own design crafted out of wood. The center of the table has an "x" in the center. One hundred and fifteen years later, Sidney M. Richarde discovered and removed the wooden table from Lake Monroe. It was donated to the Museum of Seminole County History by Marlene Heaps and Richard Heaps.
Original color digital image, 2015: Museum of Seminole County History, Sanford, Florida.
The fossilized vertebra of a mastodon found in the Wekiva River in Florida around 1924. The area around the Wekiva River and springs is now known, through fossils and discovered bones, as a major source for large prehistoric animals such as mastodons, mammoths, rhinoceros, giant sloths, horses and alligators. Mastodons are a distinct species from the Proboscidea order that lived in North America almost 11,000 thousand years ago. The mastodon was a herding animal with a diet consisting of a mix of browsing and grazing diets. They were around seven to ten feet tall and weighed roughly four to six tons. While the exact reason for extinction is unknown, it is widely accepted that mastodons disappeared during the mass extinction known as the Pleistocene megafauna.
Dolls in patchwork clothing created by members of the Seminole tribe in the 1940s. By the end of the 19th century, the few indigenous people remaining in South Florida after the Seminole Wars lived in isolated camps in the wilderness of the Everglades area known as Big Cypress Swamp. Their encounters with white settlers and traders introduced them to hand-cranked sewing machines and other goods. With these new sewing machines, different designs were sewn out of brightly colored cotton fabric pieces in a style that came to be known as patchwork. The designs were intricately made and were inspired by animals and elements of their natural environment. In 1917, Alice Osceola, the wife of William McKinley Osceola, became the first known woman to wear patchwork adornment on her clothing. As more women took up the practice, the clothing became more elaborate and colorful. Indigenous women made patchwork articles to sell to tourists visiting their camps and settlements. Patchwork clothing and goods became a hallmark of the tribes' handicrafts and sales of these items helped support many Seminole and Miccosukee families before the arrival of the gaming industry. Seminole seamstresses made these dolls out of red palmetto fibers and dressed them in patchwork-style clothing like that of the tribe's women. The dolls are highly prized today by collectors of Seminole Indian artifacts. These specific dolls date to the 1940s and were donated to the Museum of Seminole County History by Clarabel Van Tuyl.
This straight tube is considered the most primitive form of a smoking pipe. This specific pipe is made out of Steatite ,but it is also common to find these pipe’s made out of Greenstone. These pipes are known to be symmetrical and have a smooth prepared finish. Most of these pipes were used as smoking pipes, but it is also known that indigenous shamans used pipes in ritual settings and for healing purposes. Commonly used during tribal pow-wows, members of the tribe put tobacco into one side of the pipe and smoked the tobacco at the other end with a reed. This rare pipe was found in Seminole County, Florida, and has numerous cracks throughout with one side of the pipe’s bowl broken off.
Bullets from the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and the Confederacy between 1861 and 1865. After four years of battle, the Union destroyed the Confederacies infrastructure, successfully crushing their ability to continue fighting. The Civil War became the testing ground for advanced rifles and new kinds of bullets. The U.S. Ordnance Department, after conducting tests, determined that the Army should use percussion lock guns, rifled, firing conical bullets of moderate (.58 Caliber) size. Confederate President Jefferson Davis had approved these findings on July 5, 1855, when he was U.S. Secretary of War. The Confederate States of America (CSA), which was short on money and arms, rifled older muskets, which fired 0.69 caliber bullets. Along with those rifles, the CSA also bought foreign guns of many types and also used captured Union weapons. This wide range of rifles used during the war explains the multiple kinds of bullets later found on battlegrounds. The Museum of Seminole County History has a wide range of bullets found from that period that include: .54, .68, .58, .69, .53, .54, .57, .44, hospital bullets, and sharps rifle bullets.
Orange County's Sheriff's Book of Wanted Persons, 1882-1889
The Orange County book of wanted persons from 1882 to 1889, during the tenure of two sheriffs: Sheriff Thomas "Long Tom" Shine who served from January 27, 1877, until February 15, 1885, and Julias Caesar Anderson, who served until his death on January 20, 1901. Sheriff Anderson saw a very different Orange County than his predecessors, because railroads had doubled the local population in five years. While most of the wanted fugitives are from Central Florida, there were also warrants from across Florida. There were also warrants from different states, such as California, Alabama, New York, and Georgia. The reward prices varied from suspect to suspect, but most were within the range of 50 dollars, although some were as high as 450 dollars. While there are no more warrants issued from Florida after 1889, there were national warrants dating to 1897. This book was donated to the Museum of Seminole County History by Sheriff John Polk, who was the dean of Florida sheriffs from 1969 to 1990.
The Seminole County jail records from 1926 to 1939, which include handwritten information on all booked parties that entered the jail. It includes the person's name, age, sex, skin color, eye color, hair color, height, weight, shoe size, commuting officer, date of commutation, crime, term of sentence, destination of commutation, and the date delivered. Also included is a section for remarks that occasionally provides extra details about the case or suspect. The records are in alphabetical order and some of these jail records were written during Prohibition (1920 to 1933). According to the records, a significant number of arrests in Seminole County, Florida, can be attributed to alcohol-related crimes. Records for 1940 to 1946 are available upon request.
Seminole County Jail, Downtown Sanford, Florida
For many parents in Orlando, Florida, Richard Peeples, also known as Mr. Richard, is a big-time musical talent, thanks to his popularity with their children. Peeples and his band, the Pound Hounds, entertain children with what he describes as "whimsical pop rock." Henry Stone was a record company executive and producer in Miami, who recorded Ray Charles, James Brown, KC and the Sunshine Band, and was responsible for many disco recordings. The segment looks at a documentary being filmed about the recording legend. The Artisode also includes brief segments on recording artist Justin Hayward and the Moody Blues, an upcoming documentary on Bing Crosby, WUCF's Student Artist of the Week, Michael Romaniello, and the Jungle Book on Broadway. WUCF-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) television station serving the Central Florida television market. The station, operated by the University of Central Florida, is the region's sole PBS member station, reaching an estimated population of 4.6 million people in its aerial viewing area. Arts and culture take center stage in WUCF-TV's weekly local series: "WUCF Artisodes." Each episode airs Thursdays at 8 p.m., featuring a local artist or initiative, as well as stories on the arts from across the country. Developed in partnership with 28 PBS stations nationwide, this series is part of WUCF-TV's mission to give everyone a front-row seat to the arts. This Artisodes originally aired as "WUCF Artisodes #171: Mr. Richard" on September 10, 2015.
Original 24-minute and 42-second audio/video recording: WUCF Artisodes. "WUCF Artisodes #171: Mr. Richard." Directed by . Written by . WUCF-TV. September 10, 2015.
WUCF-TV
Orangewood Christian School, Maitland, Florida
A newspaper article published by The Central Florida Press on June 20, 1930. According to the article, the Fort Pierce Growers' Association, which was a local unit of the Florida Citrus Exchange (FCE), was considering a proposal to build a packing, pre-cooling, coloring, cold storage, and canning plant in Fort Pierce. The plan would have required a loan from the Federal Farm Board. The Fort Pierce Growers' Association was incorporated on December 10, 1917. Located at 18 Fisherman's Wharf in Fort Pierce, Florida, Philip C. Gates, Sr. served as the president and director of the business; Norman W. Platts as its vice president and director; and James A. Kerce the' secretary, treasurer, and agent at the time that it became in active in 1983.
Original newspaper article: "Fort Pierce Growers' Association." The Central Florida Press, Vol. 1, No. 9, June 20, 1930, page 2: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Fort Pierce Growers' Association, Fort Pierce, Florida
A newspaper article published by The Central Florida Press on June 20, 1930. According to the article, an individual (whose name is unreadable) arrived in Avon Park, Florida, on June 15, 1930. The article discusses the box-manufacturing capacity of a number of packing houses in Avon Park. Avon Park was first settled in 1884 by Oliver Martin Crosby, a native of Connecticut who came to study wildlife in the Everglades. As president of the Florida Development Company, Crosby recruited settlers to the area, which was named Lake Forest in 1886. Avon Park was officially incorporated on January 1, 1926, and was named after the English town of Stratford-upon-Avon, which was the home of many of its early settlers.
Original newspaper article: "Avon Park Packing Houses." The Central Florida Press, Vol. 1, No. 9, June 20, 1930, page 2: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
A newspaper advertisement for Vista Del Mar, an oceanfront adult condominium located at 5400 Florida State Road A1A in Vero Beach, Florida. According to the ad, which was published in 1974, real estate developers were planning an adult condo community with nine three-story, garden-type buildings. A 748-foot one- and two-bedroom apartments ranged from $24,000.
Original newspaper advertisement, 1974: Oviedo Historical Society, Downtown Oviedo, Florida.
Whitaker's Old Country Store, a junk resale store located on East Broadway Street across the street from the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, near the old railroad tracks of the Orlando-Winter Park Railroad, also known as the Dinky Line.
Original black and white photograph: Oviedo Historical Society, Downtown Oviedo, Florida.
Whitaker's Old Country Store, Downtown Oviedo, Florida
Browdy's Mini-Mart, a convenience store located at the north side of the intersection of Avenue B and East Broadway Street/County Road 419 in Downtown Oviedo, Florida.
Browdy's Mini-Mart, Downtown Oviedo, Florida
Oviedo Florists and Oviedo City Cleaners, Inc.
The intersection of Broadway Street and Central Avenue in Downtown Oviedo, Florida. Oviedo Florists was located on the corner of the intersection at 40 West Broadway Street, with Oviedo City Cleaners, Inc. just next door at 30 West Broadway Street. The laundromat was established on April 5, 1976, with Frances A. Crews as its Director. The company filed for dissolution on September 26, 2008.
Oviedo Florists, Downtown Oviedo, Florida
Oviedo City Cleaners, Inc., Downtown Oviedo, Florida
Oviedo Drug and Meat World, two local stores located in Oviedo, Florida, in 1979. The two stores were located on the corner of East Broadway Street/County Road 419 and Florida State Road 426.
Original black and white photograph, 1979: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Looking west along East Broadway Street towards Central Avenue in Oviedo, Florida. The shops in the photograph include a pet food and supply store, Pot Latch, a barber shop, and Albert's Jewelers, which was located at 24 East Broadway Street.
Original black and white photograph: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Lake Charm Fruit Company Packing House, 1942
The Lake Charm Fruit Company Packing House, located along Geneva Road, on the south side of County Road 419 in Oviedo, Florida, in 1942. The Lake Charm Fruit Co. was established on January 22, 1923. Although the backside of the photograph states that the packing house burned down in the 1970s, it was actually destroyed in a fire in 1961. The company officially dissolved on October 21, 1974.
Original black and white photograph, 1942: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Lake Charm Fruit Company Packing House, Oviedo, Florida
The Dance Floor at Sweetwater Park, located at 201 East Magnolia Street in Oviedo, Florida, circa 1942. In 1926, Theodore Luqueer Mead and his wife, Edith Katharine Antill Edwards Mead, donated five acres of wooded hammock land to be used for the park. The Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC) Originally spent a number of years trying to develop the park, but ultimately deferred the project to the Town of Oviedo. The OWC later donated benches to the park in 1950.
Three African-American farm workers on a celery field in Oviedo's Black Hammock. Oviedo's earliest settlers grew citrus and celery on the area's mucky, rich topsoil. While citrus was the dominant crop for some time, celery took the lead after the Great Freeze of 1894-1895, which destroyed many citrus groves in the Central Florida area. Oviedo's celery industry flourished, especially during World War II, and thus contributed to Central Florida's unprecedented growth and development during that period.
Charles Simeon Lee on Lettuce Farm in Black Hammock
Charles Simeon Lee (1892-1991) on his lettuce farm in Black Hammock, an area along Lake Jesup in Oviedo known for its groves, farms, and nurseries. Early settlers to the area grew citrus, celery, lettuce, and other vegetables on Oviedo's mucky, rich topsoil. A farmer and the youngest son of Orange County Commissioner James Hiram Lee, Sr. (1844-1920) and Laura Agusta Barnett Lee (1851-1940). Lee was born on October 27, 1892, and married Goldie Eva Beckley Lee (1892-1976) on April 21, 1915. During the Great Depression, Lee grew celery and bought 20,000 acres to start a cattle ranch. He passed away on November 9, 1991.
Seaboard Air Line Railroad Train in Black Hammock
A Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) train in Black Hammock of Oviedo, Florida, on May 25, 1927. The train was shipping Sunrise and Big Win brands of celery. Oviedo's earliest settlers grew citrus and celery on the area's mucky, rich topsoil. While citrus was the dominant crop for sometime, celery took the lead after the Great Freeze of 1894-1895, which destroyed many citrus groves in the Central Florida area. Oviedo's celery industry flourished, especially during World War II, and thus contributed to Central Florida's unprecedented growth and development during that period.
Original black and white photograph, May 25, 1927: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Allstate Construction College Advertisement
A newspaper advertisement for Allstate Construction College's electrical engineering program. According to the ad, the college prepared students to pass the new state electrical exam and was taught by an instructor who was a state-licensed electrical contractor, a state general contractor, and an electrical engineer. The college was located at 401 Cranberry Lane in Brandon, Florida.
Allstate Construction College, Brandon, Florida
Old Downtown Oviedo, Florida, looking east from the intersection of Broadway Street/County Road 419/Florida State Road 426 and Florida State Road 434/Florida State Road 419. A Coca-Cola sign can be seen the right side of the photograph. The two-story building on the left was later replaced by the Townhouse Restaurant, which is located at 9 East Broadway Street.
Chuluota Baptist Church Sixty-Fifth Anniversary
A history of the Chuluota Baptist Church from its founding to its 65th anniversary in 1939. The congregation's first services were held in November of 1874 in the home of W. C. Jacobs with Reverend R. W. Lawton and Reverend George Gandez leading religious services. Many of the church's founding congregants were migrants from Whiteville, North Carolina. The church was officially founded two months later as Harmony Baptist Church on January 8, 1875. A log church was constructed about one mile east of Chuluota, near Lake Pickett. In 1883, church meetings were moved to a schoolhouse near the southern portion of Chuluota. A new church building was built and dedicated as Harmony Baptist Church of Chuluota, located at 201 Lake Mills Road, in 1888. The Sunday school was established on November 10, 1889. Construction for a new concrete building began in 1955 and was dedicated in 1956. An education wing was added in 1961. The church is now known as the First Baptist Church of Chuluota.
Original typewritten document, November 16, 1939: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Harmony Baptist Church, Chuluota, Florida
Chuluota Baptist Church, Chuluota, Florida
The Oviedo Depot, located at 636 South Lake Jessup Road in Oviedo, Florida, in 1975. The depot was Originally constructed at 520 South Lake Jessup Avenue in 1886 as part of the Henry Bradley Plant railroad system. The design of the depot was based on the design standards set by the Plant System. This standardized system for the Florida lines had three depot styles based on the population of the town or city it serviced. The Oviedo design was the small town wooden depot design, as opposed to the larger cities that had brick depots. The depot was later moved to its present location at 636 South Lake Jessup Road. During World War II, the roof of the depot was used as guide for patrolling planes that flew out of Sanford Airport. Along with the depot, there was Originally a red warehouse for the produce and a water tank used for the train engines. In the 1970s, the depot was sold to the Connolly family, which chose to preserve it from demolition. The depot now sits on the Connolly's property as a guesthouse and its exterior is fully restored.
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.
Nelson and Company Packing Plant, Downtown Oviedo, Florida
A Sunday school picnic at White's Wharf, located near Lake Jesup in Oviedo, Florida, in 1910. Some of the individuals appearing in the photograph are J. C. Brainan, J. H. Lee, Olauc Howard-Huret, Frank Anderson, Sid Brown and his wife, H. B. McCall, and Hugh White. White's Wharf marks the approximate location where John Bartram and William Bartram camped during their excursion along the St. Johns River in 1765-1766. William G. White migrated to the area in the late 1870s and built a store here in 1879. White moved his store to Orlando in the 1880s. The site was also known as Clifton Springs, which is a name in honor of the hometown of Dr. Henry Foster, a wealthy grower from Lake Charm in Oviedo. Many Oviedo residents used the site as the location for their annual May picnics, which began in 1880. The picnics were hosted by a joint committee of the local Baptist and Methodist churches. The wharf is now known as Hiley's Fish Camp.
Original black and white photograph, November 12, 1910: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
T. W. Lawton Elementary School, located at 151 Graham Avenue in Oviedo, Florida, in 1931. Originally called the T. W. Lawton Elementary School, the one-room schoolhouse was first constructed in 1876 in order to serve the three families that lived on Old Orlando Road, near Bear Gully. Julia Golden was the first teacher and most of the students were African Americans. When one of the families moved to Clonts Quarters during the first year, the school moved with them. In 1899, the school was moved to the middle of town. In 1922, Seminole County built a four-room brick schoolhouse with an auditorium seating 75-80. White students attended the new schoolhouse, while black students remained at the original school, then called Oviedo Colored Elementary School and later renamed Jackson Heights. In 1923, the new school had its first graduating class. H. J. Laney was the school principal at the time that this photograph was taken and Thelma Lee Clonts, the contributor of the picture, was beginning her education at the school with Katy Walken as her teacher. The school's name was later changed to T. W. Lawton Elementary School and is now known as Lawton Elementary School.
Photocopy of original black and white photograph, October 1, 1931: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
T. W. Lawton Elementary School, Oviedo, Florida
The Lee Family on the front porch of their home along Lake Charm in Oviedo, Florida. Photographed standing, from left to right, are Lillian Della Lee (ca. 1883-1977); William "Wiley" Lee (1869-1905); John Theodore Lee (1871-1959); George Lee; B. F. Wheeler; and James Hiram Lee, Sr. (1844-1920). Seated in the photograph are Annie Ethel Lee; Laura Agusta Barnett Lee (1851-1940); James Hiram Lee, Jr. (1890-1959); and Charlotte "Lottie" Lee (1887-1984). The family patriarch, James Hiram Lee, Sr., was a veteran of the Confederate military, Lee served as an Orange County Commissioner, before Seminole County was established. The county courthouse was constructed in 1892, while Lee was chairman of the commission. Lee's wife, Laura, migrated from Columbia County to Oviedo and married Lee in 1867. The couple settled near Lake Charm in the Lake Jesup community (present-day Oviedo) in 1874 and had nine children. Wiley Lee married Fannie Vaughan Lee (1873-1944) and later committed suicide in 1905. James, Jr. served in the military during World War I. Lottie married Thomas Willington Lawton (1882-1963), the first elected Superintendent of Schools of Seminole County. Lillian married Winborn Joseph Lawton, Sr. (1881-1971), who served as a trustee of the First Baptist Church of Oviedo, a secretary and treasurer for the church's Sunday school, an insurance agent, and a citrus grower. She was also a charter member and the former present of the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC), the former president of the Woman's Missionary Society, and a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church of Oviedo. Annie married Walter Pascal Carter (1879-1939). George married Benjamin Franklin Wheeler, a prominent citrus grower, celery cultivator, and politician.
Photocopy of original black and white photograph: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
James Hiram Lee, Jr. and Charles Simeon Lee with Friends
James Hiram Lee, Jr. (1890-1959) and Charles Simeon Lee (1892-1991), sons of James Hiram Lee, Sr. (1844-1920) and Laura Agusta Barnett Lee (1851-1940), with other children in Oviedo, Florida. C. S. Lee was born on October 27, 1892, and married Goldie Eva Beckley Lee (1892-1976) on April 21, 1915. During the Great Depression, Lee grew celery and bought 20,000 acres to start a cattle ranch. He passed away on November 9, 1991. Other boys seen in the photograph include blue Anderson, Joe Leinhart, a McKnight boy, Cater Lawton, Robert Lawton, William Clark, and Fred Poiller.
The Whitney-Wolcott House, located at 6297 Lake Charm Circle, near Lake Charm in Oviedo, Florida. After buying property from Dr. Henry Foster in 1886, Calvin Whitney built his Victorian Revival-style, two-story winter home near Lake Charm. Whitney, who was the president of the A.B. Chase Piano Company, partnered with Dr. Foster in 1889-1890 to form the Lake Charm Improvement Company, which built a bulkhead, drained from the lake, and removed muck from the bottom. Whitney and Dr. Foster hired a Philadelphia-based mason to construct a sidewalk around the lake. The home was later owned by O. Gus Wolcott. Another well-known inhabitant of the house was Wyatt Wyatt, author of Catching Fire and Deep in the Heart, in the 1990s.
Robert Floyd King and Minnie Lee King at a Black Hammock Celery Field
Robert Floyd King and Minnie Lee King (ca. 1918-2002) at a celery field in Black Hammock, an area in Oviedo, Florida, in the early 1920s, when Minnie was four or five. Minnie graduated from Oviedo High School in 1936 and later married George C. Means. As an active members of the community Minnie Lee King Means helped organize the Oviedo Garden Club and the Oviedo Historical Society. She was also a member of the Oviedo Woman's Club. Minnie's husband was a salesman for the Wheeler Fertilizer Company from 1947 to 1985.
T. W. Lawton Elementary School, located at 151 Graham Avenue in Oviedo, Florida. Originally called the T. W. Lawton Elementary School, the one-room schoolhouse was first constructed in 1876 in order to serve the three families that lived on Old Orlando Road, near Bear Bully. Julia Golden was the first teacher and most of the students were African Americans. When one of the families moved to Clonts Quarters during the first year, the school moved with them. In 1899, the school was moved to the middle of town. In 1922, Seminole County built a four-room brick schoolhouse with an auditorium seating 75-80. White students attended the new schoolhouse, while black students remained at the original school, then called Oviedo Colored Elementary School and later renamed Jackson Heights. In 1923, the new school had its first graduating class. H. J. Laney was the school principal at the time that this photograph was taken and Thelma Lee Clonts, the contributor of the picture, was beginning her education at the school with Katy Walken as her teacher. The school's name was later changed to T. W. Lawton Elementary School and is now known as Lawton Elementary School.
Original color photographs: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
James Hiram Lee, Sr. (1844-1920). a veteran of the Confederate military. Lee served as an Orange County Commissioner, before Seminole County was established. The county courthouse was constructed in 1892, while Lee was chairman of the commission. Lee's wife, Laura, migrated from Columbia County to Oviedo and married Lee in 1867. The couple settled near Lake Charm in the Lake Jesup community (present-day Oviedo) in 1874 and had nine children, including William "Wiley" Lee (1869-1905); John Theodore Lee (1871-1959); Mary Louise Lee (1876-1877); Annie Ethel Lee Carter; James Hiram Lee, Jr. (1890-1959); Charles Simeon Lee (1892-1991), George Lee Wheeler, and Lillian Della Lee Lawton (ca. 1883-1977).
Laura Agusta Barnett Lee (1851-1940), who migrated to the Oviedo area from Columbia County, Florida. Barnett married James Hiram Lee, Sr. (1844-1920), a veteran of the Confederate military, in 1867 and the couple settled near Lake Charm in the Lake Jesup community (present-day Oviedo) in 1874. Her husband served as an Orange County Commissioner, before Seminole County was established. The county courthouse was constructed in 1892, while Lee was chairman of the commission. Together, the Lees had nine children, including William "Wiley" Lee (1869-1905); John Theodore Lee (1871-1959); Mary Louise Lee (1876-1877); Annie Ethel Lee Carter; James Hiram Lee, Jr. (1890-1959); Charles Simeon Lee (1892-1991), George Lee Wheeler, and Lillian Della Lee Lawton (ca. 1883-1977).
The Oviedo band at a Sunday school picnic at White's Wharf, located near Lake Jesup in Oviedo, Florida, in 1911. Some of the individuals appearing in the photograph are Cater Lawton, Karl Graff, Hugh White, bandmaster Stuman, John McCulley, McKnight, Joe Leinhart, McKnight, Edward McCall; Henry Bun McCall, Charles Lee, and Seaboard Air Line Railroad agent Koppel. White's Wharf marks the approximate location where John Bartram and William Bartram camped during their excursion along the St. Johns River in 1765-1766. William g. White migrated to the area in the late 1870s and built a store here in 1879. White moved his store to Orlando in the 1880s. The site was also known as Clifton Springs, which is a name in honor of the hometown of Dr. Henry Foster, a wealthy grower from Lake Charm in Oviedo. Many Oviedo residents used the site as the location for their annual May picnics, which began in 1880. The picnics were hosted by a joint committee of the local Baptist and Methodist churches. The wharf is now known as Hiley's Fish Camp.
Original black and white photograph, December 13, 1911: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Joe Lee on Charles Simeon Lee's Celery Farm
Joe Lee, an African-American laborer, with Blue Goose celery at Charles Simeon Lee, Sr.'s farm in Oviedo, Florida, in 1928. The two Lees were of no relation. C. S. Lee (1892-1991) was born on October 27, 1892, and married Goldie Eva Beckley Lee (1892-1976) on April 21, 1915. During the Great Depression, Lee grew celery and bought 20,000 acres to start a cattle ranch. He passed away on November 9, 1991.
Original black and white photograph, 1928: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Old Downtown Oviedo, Florida. The Timucuan Native Americans Originally inhabited the area of present-day Oviedo, although the remains of their settlements have disappeared. Homesteaders arrived along the shores of Lake Jesup in 1865 just after the Civil War ended and began growing celery and citrus. The area was called the Lake Jesup Community until March 13, 1879, when postmaster Andrew Aulin, a Swedish immigrant, chose the name Oviedo.
A map of Lake Charm, a 19-acre lake located in the Lake Jesup Watershed of Oviedo, Florida, sometime between 1865 and 1870. The map shows mostly orange groves and farmland owned by a handful of individuals: Walter Gwynn, Dr. Henry Foster, Mary E. Foster, and Catherine M. Remington. Walter Gwynn (1828-1897), comptroller for the State of Florida, bought the land south of Lake Jesup in 1859 and built his home on Lake Charm in 1868. His daughter, Martha Gwynn, is credited with naming the lake. In 1870, Dr. Henry Foster migrated to Lake Charm from New York and began growing oranges. He later developed the area as a resort in the 1880s.
Original map: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
The Memorial Building, located at 38 South Central Avenue in Downtown Oviedo, Florida, in 1974. The building was dedicated during the tenure of Mayor Lee Gary in honor of Oviedo's veterans. At the time that the photograph was taken, the Memorial Building housed Oviedo City Hall, which include the Mayor's Office, the City Clerk's Office, the Oviedo Water Department, the Oviedo Municipal Court, and the Oviedo Police Department. The city hall and the police department are now located at 400 Alexandria Boulevard. The Memorial Building is currently being used for event rentals.
Original color newspaper photograph, 1974: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Northbound on Central Avenue in Downtown Oviedo, Florida, in 1974. A number of businesses can be seen in the photograph, including Oviedo Florists, located at 40 West Broadway Street; Oviedo City Cleaners, Inc., located at 30 West Broadway Street, and Citizens Bank of Oviedo, located at 156 Geneva Drive. Oviedo City Cleaners was established on April 5, 1976, with Frances A. Crews as its Director. The company filed for dissolution on September 26, 2008. Citizens Bank of Oviedo opened on July 1, 1946. The land on which the bank sits was Originally the Bill Browning celery farm. The Citizens Bank of Oviedo took in over half a million dollars in deposits on its first day, with B. F. Wheeler as president and Charles Shaffer as the cashier. Citizens' Bank of Oviedo is now the Citizens' Bank of Florida with locations throughout Seminole County.
Oviedo City Cleaners, Inc., Oviedo, Florida
Citizens Bank of Oviedo, Oviedo, Florida
A Fourth of July barbecue at Sweetwater Park, located at 201 East Magnolia Street in Oviedo, Florida. Theodore Luqueer Mead and his wife, Edith Katharine Antill Edwards Mead, donated five acres of wooded hammock land to be used for the park. The Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC) Originally spent a number of years trying to develop the park, but ultimately deferred the project to the Town of Oviedo. The OWC later donated benches to the park in 1950. The event was hosted by American Legion Post 243 to raise funds for a chlorinator for the town swimming pool. Post 243 is currently located at A491 West Broadway Street. The American Legion is a social veterans' organization for former and current members of the United States Armed Forces. The organization was chartered by the United States Congress on September 16, 1919, following World War I. The American Legion has been active in influencing political and social change, such as the founding of the U.S. Veterans Bureau, which was the forerunner of the Veterans Administration and later the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); efforts to pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting the physical desecration of the American flag; the creation of the American Legion Baseball program; the passing of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights; contributing to the launch of the National Association for Mental Health; sponsorship of an independent study on the effects of the exposure of Agent Orange, a herbicidal weapon, on veterans of the Vietnam War; as well as many other activities and achievements.
Thomas Willington Lawton and Winborn Joseph Lawton, Sr. at the Lawton General Store
Thomas Willington Lawton (1882-1963) and his brother, Winborn Joseph Lawton, Sr. (1881-1971), at the Lawton General Store in Oviedo, Florida. T. W. Lawton graduated from Rollins College in 1903. He later received his master's degree from Andover Newton College in Boston, Massachusetts. Following college, Lawton returned to Oviedo, where he married Charlotte "Lottie" Lee (1887-1984) and served as the principal of the Oviedo School from 1905 to 1907. In 1916, he became the first elected Superintendent of Schools of Seminole County. He held that post until 1952 and passed away 11 years later in 1963. Lawton Elementary School is named in his honor. W. J. Lawton, Sr. served as a trustee of the First Baptist Church of Oviedo, as well as a secretary and treasurer for the church's Sunday school. He graduated from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, in 1900. Lawton married Lillian Della Lee (ca. 1883-1977) and had four children: Elizabeth Lawton Laney, Kathryn Lawton, John. K. Lawton, and Winborn Joseph Lawton, Jr. Lawton was in the mercantile business, worked as an insurance agent, and grew citrus.
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.
History of the First Baptist Church, Oviedo, Florida: First 100 Years, 1869-1969
A history of the First Baptist Church of Oviedo from its founding in 1869 to its centennial celebration in 1969. The book begins with a brief history of the Central Florida area, followed by a history of Oviedo. The first service for the First Baptist Church was led by Reverend W. G. Powell on the property of W. H. Luther, located along Lake Jessup Avenue. The first church building was made of wood and was located on what was the property of Lois Ruddell at the time that this book was written. The old building served the church until 1887, later became the house of the Beasley family, and was finally torn down. A new wooden church building was erected in 1887 and remained in use until 1926. The brick church building constructed later on is still in use by CrossLife Church.
Original 32-page booklet: History of the First Baptist Church, Oviedo, Florida: First 100 Years, 1869-1969, 1969: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
First Baptist Church of Oviedo, Oviedo, Florida
The centennial edition of The Oviedo Outlook published in 1979 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Oviedo, Florida. The newspaper begins with a brief history of Oviedo, followed by articles devoted to important members of the community, including Evelyn Cheek Lundy and John Lundy, Thad Lee Lingo, Jr. and Lacy Aire Lingo, Clare Wheeler Evans, Wayne Jacobs and Karen Jansen Jacobs, Thomas Moon, Marguerite Partin, Frank Wheeler, Katherine Lawton, Tom Estes, Ed Yarborough and Ima Jean Bostick Yarborough, Virginia Balkcom Mikler, Paul Mikler, Sparks Lingo Ridenour and John Ridenour, Ray "Rex" Clonts and Thelma Lee Clonts, Jean Jordan and Harold Jordan, the Malcolm family, Edward Duda, Penny Mitchem Olliff and Leon Olliff, Louise Wheeler Martin and Bill Martin, Miriam "Mimi" Wheeler Bruce and Douglas Allen, Viola Smith, and Cay Westerfield.
Original 28-page booklet: The Oviedo Outlook: Centennial Edition, 1979: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
First Methodist Church of Oviedo, Oviedo, Florida
St. Luke's Lutheran Church, Slavia, Oviedo, Florida
The Oviedo Outlook, Volume 4, Number 40, May 26, 1977
Volume 4, number 40 of The Oviedo Outlook, published on May 26, 1977. The Oviedo Outlook was published every Thursday at 173 West Broadway Street in Oviedo, Florida. The newspaper was operated by the NPN Corporation, president and general manager Lawrence E. Neely, vice president and managing editor James "Randy" R. Noles, and secretary-treasurer and business manager Marilyn Neely. Topics discussed in various articles in this issue include a meeting between Oviedo City Council members and Seminole County Commissioners, a fish fry held in honor of former Chief of Police George Kelsey, Oviedo's new city plan, the history of the First Baptist Church of Chuluota, Oviedo High School's (OHS) Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA) chapter, Circuit Judge Robert McGregor's ruling on a rape case, athlete awards at OHS, poetry wards for students of Jackson Heights Middle School (JHMS), a burglary at T.W. Lawton Elementary School, the death of Lillian Della Lee Lawton, graduation at Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida), Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) elections at JHMS, and results of the Oviedo Little League. This issue also includes a classified section and numerous advertisements through the issue. This issue is missing pages 5 through 8.
Original 8-page newspaper edition: The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 4, No. 40, May 26, 1977: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Oviedo City Hall, Memorial Building, Downtown Oviedo, Florida
First Baptist Church of Chuluota, Chuluota, Florida
Seminole County Criminal Justice Center, Sanford, Florida
Florida Technological University, Orlando, Florida
Jackson Heights Middle School, Oviedo, Florida
Langford Resort Hotel, Winter Park, Florida
Home of Lillian Della Lee Lawton, Oviedo, Florida
First United Methodist Church of Oviedo, Oviedo, Florida
Suspicious Councilmen Agree to Meet with Commissioners
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on May 26, 1977. The article discusses the planned meeting between members of the Oviedo city council and Dick Williams, chairman of the Seminole County Commission, on June 2, 1977. According to the article, city council members were suspicious of the county's plans. The continuation of the article is missing.
Original newspaper article: "Suspicious Councilmen Agree to Meet with Commissioners." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 4, No. 40, May 26, 1977, page 1: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on May 26, 1977. The article discusses a fish fry to raise money for former Oviedo Chief of Police, George Kelsey, who had undergone surgery for a degenerative bone ailment. The event was held at the Fin and Feather Restaurant on June 4 and was sponsored by the Greater Oviedo Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Oviedo Police Benevolent Association (PBA). The continuation of the article is missing.
Original newspaper article: "Kelsey Fish Fry Slated June 4." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 4, No. 40, May 26, 1977, page 1: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Chuluota 1st Baptist Church: 104 and Still Growing
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on May 26, 1977. The article describes the history of the Chuluota Baptist Church from its founding to 1977. The congregation's first services were held in November of 1874 in the home of W. C. Jacobs with Reverend R. W. Lawton and Reverend George Gandez leading religious services. Many of the church's founding congregants were migrants from Whiteville, North Carolina. The church was officially founded two months later as Harmony Baptist Church on January 8, 1875. A log church was constructed about one mile east of Chuluota, near Lake Pickett. In 1883, church meetings were moved to a schoolhouse near the southern portion of Chuluota. A new church building was built and dedicated as Harmony Baptist Church of Chuluota, located at 201 Lake Mills Road, in 1888. The Sunday school was established on November 10, 1889. Construction for a new concrete building began in 1955 and was dedicated in 1956. An education wing was added in 1961. The church is now known as the First Baptist Church of Chuluota.
Original newspaper article: "Chuluota 1st Baptist Church: 104 and Still Growing." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 4, No. 40, May 26, 1977, page 1 and 9: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Letters From the People: VICA Sponsor Thanks Citizens
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on May 26, 1977. The article features a letter to the editor by Wayne E. Lanham, an instructor at Oviedo High School and the sponsor of the school's chapter of Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA). VICA is career and technical student organization founded in 1965. In the letter, Lanham thanks members and sponsors of the high school's VICA. In 1999, the national organization changed its name to SkillsUSA-VICA and then shortened it to SkillsUSA in 2004.
Original newspaper article: "Letters From the People: VICA Sponsor Thanks Citizens." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 4, No. 40, May 26, 1977, page 2: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on May 26, 1977. The describes the fundraising efforts by Gary Metcalf, a former drum major at Oviedo High School, who was trying to raise money to travel with the Continental Singers to Europe. At the time that the article was posted, Metcalf was attending North Texas State University. Metcalf received contributions from Wayne Johnson of Orangewood Feed and Tack and the First Baptist Church of Oviedo.
Original newspaper article: "Metcalf Fund Short." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 4, No. 40, May 26, 1977, page 2: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
OHS Honors Outstanding Athletes at Banquet
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on May 26, 1977. The article describes Oviedo High School's Athletic Banquet that was held at the Sanford Civic Center and lists the various awards and recipients. Oviedo High School is a Seminole County Public School located in Oviedo, Florida. Originally called the Oviedo School, the institution was first established in 1922 as a K-12 school. In 1948, the secondary grades separated from the elementary school. The upper grade levels formed Oviedo High School and moved to the campus at 601 King Street. Oviedo High School is notable for The Lion's Tale, the award-winning school newspaper recognized by various national and state scholastic press associations of its high ratings from the Governor's A+ Plan for Education of and its successful athletics programs.
Original newspaper article: "OHS Honors Outstanding Athletes at Banquet." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 4, No. 40, May 26, 1977, page 2: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.