Thirteenth Census Population for Orange, Liberty, Florida, 1910
The Thirteenth United States Census for Orange, Liberty, Florida, for 1910. The census divides the population by sex, race, age, marital status, number of children, occupation, literacy, whether they owned or rented, farm or house, if they were a Civil War veteran, whether they were blind, deaf or dumb, the place of birth and mother tongue of foreign-born persons and their parents. If foreign born, the person was required to provide the year they immigrated, whether they were naturalized and if they were able to speak English. A notable resident listed in this record is Nelson Mullin (1887-1944). Born on July 21, 1887, in Camilla, Georgia, Mullin eventually moved to Florida, where he worked as a laborer. In 1909, he married his wife, Clara, and the two had a daughter. Mullin was inducted into the Army on June 21, 1918. He first served as part of Company D of the 520th Engineers Service Battalion. He was transferred to the 522nd Engineers in August 1918. From the beginning of 1919 until his discharge on February 15, 1919, Mullin served in the Supply Company of the 368th Infantry. He passed away on July 16, 1944, and was buried in the St. Augustine National Cemetery in Florida, at Section D Grave 38. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program continues, engaging a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in national cemeteries available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 headstones at four national cemeteries, two in Florida (Florida National Cemetery and St. Augustine National Cemetery) and two in France (American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries at Aisne-Marne and the Meuse-Argonne), where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
United States Census Bureau
Digital reproduction of original census record, April 25, 1910: Orange, Liberty, Florida; Roll T624_164; Page 8A; Enumeration District 0085; FHL microfilm 1344177.
Thirteenth Census Population for Quincey City, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, 1910
The Thirteenth United States Census records for Norfolk County, Quincey City, Massachusetts, for 1910. The census divides the population by categories of sex, race, age, marital status, number of children, occupation, literacy, whether they owned or rented, farm or house, if they were a Civil War veteran, and whether they were blind, deaf or dumb. A question was added regarding the place of birth and mother tongue of foreign-born persons and their parents. If foreign born, the person was required to provide the year they immigrated, whether they were naturalized and if they were able to speak English. A notable resident listed in this record is Henry Francis Cavicchi (1896-1991). This is the first census that Henry Francis Cavicchi appears in. Born on September 4, 1896 in Quincey, Massachusetts, Cavicchi was a first generation Italian-American. His father moved from Italy to the United States in the 1880s, where he married a Canadian immigrant and settled in New York. Shortly after Henry’s birth, the family moved to Massachusetts. After working for the family business, Cavicchi Polishing Machine Co., Henry briefly joined the United States Navy in June 1918, where he served during the First World War. When he left the Navy in 1919, Cavicchi returned to Massachusetts, where he married his wife, Emily A. Essex, in 1922. He continued working at Cavicchi Polishing Machine Co. with his father and brothers until his retirement in the 1980s. Cavicchi died on July 30, 1991, and is buried in the Florida National Cemetery. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original census record by Joseph H. Dunbury, April 19, 1910.
Quincey City, Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Thirteenth Census Population for Springdale, Lincoln County, South Dakota, 1910
The Thirteenth United States Census records for Springdale, Lincoln County, South Dakota, for 1910. The census divides the population by sex, race, age, marital status, number of children, occupation, literacy, whether they owned or rented, farm or house, if they were a Civil War veteran, whether they were blind, deaf or dumb, the place of birth and mother tongue of foreign-born persons and their parents. If foreign born, the person was required to provide the year they immigrated, whether they were naturalized and if they were able to speak English. A notable resident listed in this record is Earl Henry Patterson (1898-1971). Born in Van Buren, Indiana, on February 6, 1898, Patterson served as a Boatswain's Mate in the United States Coast Guard during World War I. After the war, he moved to Washington D.C., and married Clarice Wampler. Patterson served with the Coast Guard again during World War II. In 1970, the Pattersons moved to Florida to retire. He passed away a year later, on June 13, 1971, and is buried at the Florida National Cemetery, in Bushnell, Florida. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original census record, May 9, 1910.
This is a picture of Earl Wallace Underwood's headstone. Since Earl Underwood's body was never recovered and his place of burial in Epinal, this headstone was created and placed on the reverse side of his parents headstone in his hometown in Illinois.
This headstone was created in 1947 when Earl Underwood's parents died and were buried.
This is a picture of the grave of Earl Wallace Underwood, Technical Sargent of the 36th bomber squadron of the 482nd bomber group (H), U.S. Air Force during WWII.
An aerial view of Orlando City Hall in Downtown Orlando, Florida, in the 1960s or 1970s. Along with city hall, several other buildings are viewable in the background, namely the American Fire and Casualty Company. The photograph is titled "This is Orlando" and contains no publishing information, dates, or discernible origin. At the bottom of the photograph, there is a sentence highlighting the cities desirable parking situation and convenient size. Accompanying this image is a plaque transcribed with a quote by Ormund Powers, whose words highlight the change the city was experiencing during that time. Powers was a journalist for The Orlando Sentinel whose career spanned seven decades.
Original black and white photographic print: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Orlando City Hall, Orlando, Florida.
Orlando City Hall, Downtown Orlando, Florida
American Fire and Casualty Company, Downtown Orlando, Florida
A newspaper article about farmer George M. Arie who built a treehouse off State Road 419 in an area known as Arie Corner. The article details how it moved the tree, built the treehouse and where he resided at the time of publication.
Original newspaper article: Frey, Bob. "This Tree House Tops All." The Seminole Star: Private Collection of Sue Blackwood.
This Week in Florida History: Woman's Club Makes History
A newspaper article written by Ben Wheeler and published by The Oviedo Voice in February of 2006. The article describes the history of the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC) and also provides a brief history of woman's clubs in Florida. According to the article, the Green Cove Springs' Village Improvement Association was formed as the first woman's club in Florida on February 20, 1883. 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 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: Wheeler, Ben. "This Week in Florida History: Woman's Club Makes History." The Oviedo Voice, Vol. XVI, No. 7, February 16-22, 2006: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Oviedo Woman's Club
Royal Palm Hammock State Park, Homestead, Florida
Everglades National Park, Homestead, Florida
This Week in Sanford: Amusement Section (June 21, 1926)
Advertisement for the Milane Theatre's feature showing of Just Suppose, for the week of June 21, 1926. The Milane Theatre was built 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.
Digital reproduction of original newspaper article: This Week in Sanford, Vol. 01, No. 23, June 21, 1926, page 3: Item number DP0008900. Central Florida Memory. http://digitalcollections.lib.ucf.edu/u?/CFM,120797.
This Week in Sanford: Amusement Section (June 28, 1926)
Advertisement for the Milane Theatre's feature showing of The Cave Man, as well as a fashion show called "The Storm" for the week of June 28, 1926. The Milane Theatre was built 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 newspaper article: This Week in Sanford Vol. 01, No. 24 (June 28, 1926): 3.
The Thomas building was an architectural arcade, which included several stores. The building was located at the intersection of Church Street and Magnolia Avenue, with a street address of 100 East Church Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida. Magnolia was previously Main Street until the mid-1900s. Most of the block was occupied with small shops, such as Cervantes Spanish Restaurant, Family Loan Company, Roger Reality Company, and other shops. Slightly larger businesses such as the Astor Hotel, later the Bass Hotel, also existed on the block. The building was torn down and a new building was constructed in the late 1950s and demolished in the early 1960s. The Thomas Building was also sometimes referred to as the Church and Main Arcade. This lot, as well as the rest of the block, was later replaced by the CNA Tower and Barnett Plaza.
Original black and white photograph: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Information Center, Orlando, Florida.
Thomas Building, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Thomas Building, Ladies Uniforms, and Orlando Steam Laundry
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 the Thomas Building, which was an arcade that included several stores. The building was located at the intersection of Church Street and Magnolia Avenue, with a street address of 100 East Church Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida. Magnolia was previously called Main Street until the mid-1900s. Most of the block was occupied with small shops, such as Cervantes Spanish Restaurant, Family Loan Company, Roger Reality Company, and other shops. Slightly larger businesses such as the Astor Hotel, later the Bass Hotel, also existed on the block. The building was torn down and a new building was constructed in the late 1950s and demolished in the early 1960s. The Thomas Building was also sometimes referred to as the Church and Main Arcade. This lot, as well as the rest of the block, was later replaced by the CNA Tower and Barnett Plaza.
Original color painting by James Stoll: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Information Center, Orlando, Florida.
Ladies Uniforms, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Orlando Steam Laundry, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Thomas E. Eason and Crew of "Sweet and Lovely"
This is a photograph of SSgt. Thomas Eason alongside the crew he was flying with at the time of his death. Thomas E. Eason (1922-1945) served over three years in the United States Air Force, 569th Bomber Squadron, 390th Bomber Group, as a waist gunner on a B-17 nicknamed "Sweet and Lovely." He completed twenty-eight missions in both the Pacific and European Theaters of World War II. On January 20, 1945, he was killed in Eastern France after his plane was shot down by enemy combatants. Over the course of his service, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters. Today, he is buried in the Epinal American Cemetery.
The photo depicts Eason in front of a B-17 bomber, along with his crew mates. Thomas E. Eason (1922-1945) served over three years in the United States Air Force, 569th Bomber Squadron, 390th Bomber Group, as a waist gunner on a B-17 nicknamed "Sweet and Lovely." He completed twenty-eight missions in both the Pacific and European Theaters of World War II. On January 20, 1945, he was killed in Eastern France after his plane was shot down by enemy combatants. Over the course of his service, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters. Today, he is buried in the Epinal American Cemetery.
This grave marker denotes where SSgt. Thomas E. Eason is buried in the Epinal American Cemetery in Eastern France. Thomas E. Eason (1922-1945) served over three years in the United States Air Force, 569th Bomber Squadron, 390th Bomber Group, as a waist gunner on a B-17 nicknamed "Sweet and Lovely." He completed twenty-eight missions in both the Pacific and European Theaters of World War II. On January 20, 1945, he was killed in Eastern France after his plane was shot down by enemy combatants. Over the course of his service, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters.
Epinal American Cemetery. Thomas E. Eason (1922-1945) served over three years in the United States Air Force, 569th Bomber Squadron, 390th Bomber Group, as a waist gunner on a B-17 nicknamed "Sweet and Lovely." He completed twenty-eight missions in both the Pacific and European Theaters of World War II. On January 20, 1945, he was killed in Eastern France after his plane was shot down by enemy combatants. Over the course of his service, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters.
Thomas Hanandos, Co. B, 33 Reg't U.S.C.T.
The record of desertion for Thomas Hanandos by the United States Colored Troops on November 14, 1889. According to the document, Hanandos was absent without leave from October 21, 1863, to October 24, 1863. Thomas Hanandos was a runaway slave from Saint Augustine, Florida. On January 12, 1863, Hanandos enlisted into the Company B, First Regiment South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, serving as a Private during the American Civil War. During his time in the military, his pay was cut from $13 to $7 a month. On October 21, 1863, Hanandos deserted Camp Shaw. Four days later, he returned and was detained by United States Army officials until November 4. He was released back to active duty by Union Brigadier General Rufus Saxton. After the war, Hanandos was acquitted for the charge of desertion on November 14, 1889, and received an Army pension the same day. Little is known about his life after the war other than his interactions with the federal government. Hanandos passed away on November 24, 1915, and was later buried in the Saint Augustine National Cemetery in Saint Augustine, Florida in Section A, Plot 190. 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 United States Colored Troops Military Service Record Record of Desertion, November 14, 1869: National Archives and Records Administration.
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.
Original black and white photograph: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Thor-Able Mission Being Prepared for Launch at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (U.S.)
The Thor-Able rocket sits on the pad being prepared for launch. These missions were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17 (LC-17).
Original black and white photographic print: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.
Chronopoints
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17, Cape Canaveral, Florida
Though Few Took Advantage of It, Oviedo Wants to Keep Lower Tolls
A newspaper article published in The Oviedo Voice on January 2, 2003. According to the article, city officials from Oviedo and Winter Springs were lobbying the Central Florida Expressway Authority to continue offering discounted tolls to drivers using the Central Florida GreeneWay (Florida State Road 417). The Florida Turnpike Enterprise conducted a study to determine how many residents were using SR 417 to travel between Oviedo and Winter Springs. The study found that fewer than 200 riders used the bypass daily. However, the number may be inaccurate, as only drivers using the Sun-Pass (formerly called the E-Pass) were counted.
Original newspaper article: "Though Few Took Advantage of It, Oviedo Wants to Keep Lower Tolls." The Oviedo Voice, Vol. XIII, No. 1, January 2, 2003: Private Collection of Sarah Thorncroft.
Red Bug Lake Road SR-417 Entry Ramp, Oviedo, Florida
SR- 426/Aloma Avenue SR-417 Entry Ramp, Winter Springs, Florida
Thousands of Hallmarks - One Successful Mission
To assure proper checks and approvals by all appropriate individuals, small, custom-inked stamps called "hallmarks" were used by Apollo Project. Each worker who conducted one approved of the quality or conformance of the inspected item. These hallmarks are visible on equipment and reports of that era.
Original certificate: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.
John F. Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida
George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama
Citrus fruit industry--Florida--Orange County
Three citrus workers at Isleworth Grove in Windermere, Florida in 1904. Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century. By 1886, the Chase brothers purchased several citrus groves to expand their business, including Isleworth Grove. Isleworth Grove covered a total of 1,300 acres along the Butler Chain of Lakes. Between 1894 and 1895, Central Florida was hit by several freezes and most of the citrus crop was destroyed. Chase & Company did not grow citrus crops again until 1904 when Joshua came back from an extended stay in California. Between 1894 and 1900, different types of pesticide equipment was created, including equipment driven by steam, machines, and horses.Randall Chase joined in the family business soon after his brother, Sydney Chase, Jr., did in 1922. Randall became the president of Chase & Company from 1948-1965. The Isleworth property stayed in the Chase family until 1984 when Franklin Chase, the son of Sydney Chase, sold the property to famed golfer Arnold Palmer.
Original 5 x 7 inch black and white photograph by Chase & Company: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 212, folder 8.18, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Three Killed on Local List of Casualties
An article published in The Wilkes-Barre Record announcing the death of three servicemen during World War II. One notable servicemen cited in the article is Major Jack Cameron Heist (1919-1944). Maj. Heist was born to Henry S. Heist and Christina Heist on November 6, 1919, in Eustis, Florida. He received his commission on May 29, 1941, to serve in World War II. Maj. Heist was an Ammunition Officer for the XIX Corps. He died during his service in an ambush on September 2, 1944, near Thiant, France. He is currently buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France. Maj. Heist is one of 85 Florida residents interned at Epinal.
Digital reproduction of original newspaper article: "Three Killed on Local List of Casualties." The Wilkes-Barre Record, September 20, 1944, page 3. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4441134/the_wilkesbarre_record/.
The Wilkes-Barre Record
Three Mermaids Posing on the Beach at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Photograph of three mermaids posing on the beach at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. The exterior of the underwater theater is visible in the background. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
Original photograph of mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
RICHES
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida
A newspaper article published in The Decatur Herald on July 30, 1953. The article discusses the promotion of three employees of the Decatur General Electric Company plant. One of the men, Arthur Herman Huisken Jr. (1919-1996), was promoted from supervisor of wage rate and methods to general foreman of the Silicone Fabricated Rubber Section. Born on January 30, 1919, in Baltimore, Maryland, Huisken later moved to the Midwest with his family, living in Wisconsin and Illinois. While attending Purdue University, Huisken enlisted in the United States Navy Reserves. After graduation, he received commissioning as an officer, first as a Ensign and later a Lieutenant Junior Grade. He served on the USS Steamer Bay, which was as an escort carrier that assisted in various operations in the Palau Islands, the Philippines, and Japan. The ship returned to the West Coast of the United States in August of 1945. After his discharge on April 22, 1946, Huisken began his career with General Electric in the plastic division of the company. His career took him to various places, including Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Decatur, Illinois, Taunton and Lynn, Massachusetts. While in Pittsfield, he met Janet Gray, whom he married on October 26, 1946. The couple bore a daughter, Deborah, and a son, David. After his retirement from General Electric, he and his wife moved to Central Florida, settling in Leesburg. On July 3, 1996, Huisken passed away at the age of seventy-seven, leaving behind his wife and two children. The Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, placed a memorial headstone in honor of Huisken and later for his wife, Janet, who passed away in 2008. 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: “Three Promoted at GE.” Decatur Herald, July 30, 1953.
Three Weeki Wachee Mermaids Performing on the Hydraulic Lift
Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
A Weeki Wachee Springs underwater performance. The image shows two Weeki Wachee mermaids standing on the hydraulic lift that ABC installed in the springs in the 1960s. There is a third mermaid mid-pose in front of the bydraulic lift. As the picture was taken in August 1971 and there is a treasure chest prop in the left corner, the show is presumed to be "Peter Pan." After ABC took over Weeki Wachee Springs, the performances changed annually. 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 color photograph of Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaids and Hydraulic Lift, August 1971: Private Collection of karen Geiken.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida
Three Weeki Wachee Mermaids Performing Underwater
Postcard depicting three Weeki Wachee Mermaids performing in a show. Two of the mermaids are dressed up in leis and hula skirts and the other is wearing a Hawaiian shirt playing a ukelele. Mermaids are standing on a metal platform that is a hydraulic lift. The platform moved up and down. 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 postcard of Weeki Wachee Mermaids Mid-Performance, c. 1960s: Private Collection of Arlene Brooks.
Thunderbirds Finish First Year of Battle
A newspaper article from 45th Division News, a publication for the U.S. Army's 45th Infantry Division of the 157th Infantry Regiment. The 45th Infantry Division was part of the Oklahoma Army National Guard, with its members fighting in World War II and the Korean War. The division took part in the Allied invasion of Sicily and the attack on Salerno in the Italian Campaign in 1943, followed by the Battle of Anzio and the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944. During Operation Dragoon, the 45th Division landed in southern France in latter half of 1944. In 1945, the 45th joined other forces for the Western Allied invasion of Germany, ending the European Theatre of World War II when Germany surrendered in May.
Original newspaper article: Barrett, Bill. "Thunderbirds Finish First Year of Battle." 45th Division News, Vol. IV, No. 44, July 8, 1944: 45th Infantry Division Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Private Collection of Linda Hughes.
Ticket Booth at Milane Theatre A Thing of Beauty
Newspaper article on the Milane Theatre's ticket booth, designed by H. S. Selleck and built by Sanford Novelty Works. The Milane Theatre was built at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz 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.
Photocopy of original newspaper article: Milane Theater Collection, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Tile from the Cathedral Church of St. Luke
The Cathedral Church of St. Luke is located at 130 North Magnolia Avenue in Dowtown Orlando, Florida, and was founded in 1867 by Francis W. Eppes (1801-1881), the nephew of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). The congregation originally worshipped in a log cabin and services were conducted by Eppes, despite his status as a layman. In October 1882, William Crane Gray (1835-1919) was elected and consecrated as the first bishop of the Missionary Jurisdiction of South Florida, which included Central Florida and Orlando, at the time. A new church building for St. Luke's was erected under Reverend C. W. Ward during that same year. The building was enlarged in 1884, and again in 1903. On March 31, 1902, Bishop Gray designated St. Luke's as the official Cathedral Church for South Florida and appointed Reverend Lucien A. Spencer as the cathedral's first dean. In 1922, the cathedral building was relocated to make room for a new cathedral designed by Frohman, Robb, and Little of Boston, Massachusetts. During that same year, the Missionary Jurisdiction of South Florida was admitted to the General Convention of the Episcopal Church as the Diocese of South Florida. On April 13, 1925, Bishop Cameron Mann laid the cornerstone. However, as the land bust struck Florida in 1926, the building remained only partially constructed and a temporary wall was built to seal the altar side of the church. Over the years, the building has received a number of structural additions and renovations, including an educational unit memorializing members of the congregation who died serving in World War II; the Chapter House erected in the 1950s; the renovation of the cathedral nave, the erection of the choir gallery over the narthex, and the installation of a 88-rank pipe organ in the early 1970s; and the removal of the temporary wall and the competition of the building's original design during 1986 and 1987. In 1970, the Diocese of South Florida was divided into three smaller dioceses; St. Luke's became the Cathedral Church for the Diocese of Central Florida.
Original tile: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Regions Bank, Orlando, Florida.
Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Time Capsule Placed at Mercury 7 Monument
The time capsule is located at the Mercury 7 Monument, which was placed at the entrance to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14 (LC-14). Contents of the time capsule are said to include John Glenn's (b. 1921) Marine Corps pilot wings, capsule blueprints, and photographic film documentation. Standing to the head of the site is a sculpture of the emblem of Project Mercury. The "7" signifies the original 7 Mercury astronauts, known as the Original Seven and Astronaut Group 1. The astronauts were Alan Shepard (1923-1998), Gus Grissom (1926-1967), John Glenn, Scott Carpenter (1925-2013), Wally Schirra (1923-2007), Gordon Cooper (1927-2004), and Deke Slayton. The marker, which was not in place when the photograph was taken, quotes President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963): "One of the most complex tasks ever presented to man in this country...the achievement of manned flight in orbit around the Earth." President Kennedy requested that the time capsule be opened 500 years, hence in 2464.
Mercury 7 Monument, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Cape Canaveral, Florida
The Tinker Building, located at 16-18 West Pine Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, in 2002. After moving to Orlando in 1920, Joseph B. Tinker constructed the Commercial-style in 1925, using glazed brick tiles and terracotta, for his real estate offices. Tinker was shortstop for the Chicago Cubs, manager of the Orlando Tigers, and the first Floridian to be selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame. The first floor housed the Singer Sewing Machine Company and other tenants have included the Balfour Hardware Store, starting in 1928. In 1941, the property was purchased by the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company and then later sold to Carey Hand. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 1980.
Original color image by Thomas Cook, 2002: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
RICHES of Central Florida
Tinker Building, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Singer Sewing Machine Company, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Balfour Hardware Store, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Downtown Orlando, Florida
The Tinker Building, located at 16-18 West Pine Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, in 2003. After moving to Orlando in 1920, Joseph B. Tinker constructed the Commercial-style in 1925, using glazed brick tiles and terracotta, for his real estate offices. Tinker was shortstop for the Chicago Cubs, manager of the Orlando Tigers, and the first Floridian to be selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame. The first floor housed the Singer Sewing Machine Company and other tenants have included the Balfour Hardware Store, starting in 1928. In 1941, the property was purchased by the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company and then later sold to Carey Hand. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 1980.
Original color image by Thomas Cook, 2003: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
The Tinker Field Stadium, located at 287 South Tampa Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, in 2003. Tinker Field is named after Joseph B. Tinker, who was a shortstop for the Chicago Cubs, manager of the Orlando Tigers, and the first Floridian to be selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame. The first baseball field at this location was built in 1914. The stadium was dedicated in 1923 and could seat approximately 1,500 people. In 1934, a fence was added. The field was home of the Orlando Rays, a minor league baseball team, until they moved to the Cracker Jack Stadium in 2000. Tinker Field was also the Spring Training home for the Cincinnati Reds from 1923 to 1935, the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1934 to 1935, and the Washington Senators and the Minnesota Twins from 1936 to the 1990s. On May 14, 2004, Tinker Field was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The field has also served as the home to the Orlando Electric Daisy Carnival, an electric dance music festival, in 2011 and 2012. The stadium currently seats 5,100 people.
Tis the Season… There's No Place Like Home, December 13 & 14, 1997
A program for the Orlando Gay Chorus' concert, "'Tis the Season... There's No Place Like Home", on December 13 &amp
14, 1997, at the Anne Giles Densch-Civic Theater Complex in Orlando, Florida, Florida. The program includes short biographies on the Music Director Aubrey Connelly, the guest narrator Jack Harell and the Accompanist Kathy Slage, 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 a holiday greeting from the President of the Orlando Gay Chorus, Tommy Robinson. 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 12-page black and white program with a colored front cover, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
Anne Giles Densch-Civic Theater Complex, Orlando, Florida
To Attract, Retain and Grow: The History of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council
High technology industries--United States
"To Attract, Retain and Grow: The History of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council" is a paper by Dr. Connie L. Lester and Dr. James C. Clark of the University of Central Florida (UCF). Dr. Lester is an Associate Professor of History concentrating in the Modern South, as well as agricultural, environmental, and economic history. She is also the Program Director of RICHES of Central Florida and Editor of Florida Historical Quarterly. A Lecturer of History, Dr. Clark's concentration is on Florida history, the American South, and presidential history. "To Attract, Retain and Grow" focuses on the history of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council (FHTCC), which an economic development initiative whose mission is to foster the high technology industry in Florida's High Tech Corridor, spanning 23 counties with rich industries in aerospace engineering, modeling and simulation, optics and photonics, digital media, and medical technologies. The council consists of the UCF in Orlando, the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, and the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville. In 1966, the Florida Legislature passed an act founding the FHTCC to support the 21-county service areas of UCF and USF. Its original mission was to expand research and educational partnerships in order to retain the Cirent Semiconductor water fabrication facility located in Orlando, Florida. In 1997, the development of all technology industries across Central Florida was added to the FHTCC's mission. UF joined the partnership in 2005.
Original 44-page paper: Lester, Connie L. and James C. Clark. "To Attract, Retain and Grow: The History of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council."
Florida High Tech Corridor Council
University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
An article published in The Panama City News-Herald about the graduation of Captain Aquilla A. Calhoun, Jr., a native of Panama City, from the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville. Capt. Calhoun graduated from UF shortly before his enlistment in the U.S. Army Reserves and joining 92nd Field Artillery's 2nd Armored Division in Fort Benning, Georgia. He was a part of the Omaha Beach Normandy Invasion during World War II and played an integral part in liberating the town of Bresles, France. Capt. Calhoun died during his service in Northern France and is currently buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France. He is one of 85 Florida residents interned at Epinal.
Digital reproduction of original newspaper article: "To Receive Degree from U. of Florida." The Panama City News-Herald, May 25, 1941. https://www.newspapers.com/image/39103540/?terms=Calhounn.
The Panama City News-Herald
Leather industry and trade--United States
A newspaper articleon the tobacco and leather industries in Florida. The article was written by C. D. Leffler, President of the Young Men's Business League, and published by Manufacturers Record: A Weekly Southern Industrial Railroad and Financial Newspaper. According to the article, Florida had "become a great cigar and tobacco centre, especially for [C]lear Havana goods," a cigar brand. 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. The article also discusses prospects for the leather industry in Florida, which had a virtually unlimited supply of palmetto, a root plant commonly used in the tanning process. Lastly, Leffler briefly cites the starch, tapioca, and artesian water industries.
Photocopy of original newspaper article by C. D. Leffler: "Tobacco and Leather." Manufacturers Record: A Weekly Southern Industrial Railroad and Financial Newspaper, July 19, 1895, page 384: Cigar Making Collection, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Manufacturers Record: A Weekly Southern Industrial Railroad and Financial Newspaper
A postcard depicting a toll gate on 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.
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.
A postcard depicting the Tom Miller Dam and Lake Austin in Austin, Texas. Named in honor of Austin mayor Robert Thomas Miller (1893-1962), the Tom Miller Dam began operation in 1940 and forms Lake Austin, formerly known as Lake McDonald. 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.
Tom Sawyer Island at Magic Kingdom, 1974
Nancy Lynn Cepero (b. 1954) walking across the bridge at Tom Sawyer Island at Magic Kingdom in 1974.Magic Kingdom, located at 1180 Seven Seas Drive, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Construction for the resort began in 1967, after the death of Walt Disney (1901-1966). Magic Kingdom was the first park of the Walt Disney Resort to open on October 1, 1971. The park included 33 attractions in six themed areas: Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Liberty Square. Tom Sawyer Island is an island in Frontierland that opened on May 20, 1973. It features references to Mark Twain's (1835-1910) novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Original color photograph by Ray Cepero, 1974: Private Collection of Nancy Lynn Cepero.
Tom Sawyer Island, Magic Kingdom, Orlando, Florida
Tomb de Louis XVI et de Marie Antoinette Postcard
Marie Antoinette, Queen, consort of Louis XVI, King of France, 1755-1793
A postcard depicting a drawing of the tomb of King Louis XVI of France and Queen Marie Antoinette, as it looked in the cemetery of the Madeleine prior to the construction of the Chapelle Expiatoire, in Paris, Île-de-France, France. Once the chapel was constructed, the remains were moved to Saint-Denis, but the chapel remained as a memorial. 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 1A (non-U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Tomb of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, Chapel of Louis XVI, Paris, Île-de-France, France
A postcard depicting the interior of the Citadelle La Ferrière, also known as The Citadel, a large fortress in Northern Haiti. It was built at the beginning of the 19th century by Henri Christophe, a leader of the Haitian slave rebellion, and was one of the first monuments built by former slaves after Haiti gained independence from France. 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.
A poster for the Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) mini-series, “Too Gay for Fringe?.” The events were held at the John & Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center in Loch Haven Park, located at 812 East Rollins Street in Orlando, Florida, on May 19, 20, 22, 26 and 27, 2007. Tickets were $10 with Fringe buttons, available through orlandofringe.com. The poster is horizontal, featuring a satirical picture of the pope and male nuns in the center and a yellow informational panel on each side. Artwork includes the logos of the OGC and the Fringe Festival. 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
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.
A local crew t-shirt for Tool’s 2007 tour. Tool is an American alternative rock and metal band who formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1990. Incorporating visual arts and long, complex releases, the band gained worldwide critical and commercial success, winning three Grammy awards as of November 2015. The shirt was donated by Mick Dolan, who was a local crew member for the band’s show at the Amway Arena, located at 600 West Amelia Street in Orlando, Florida on May 31, 2007. The tour was in support of the band’s 2006 album, 10,000 Days. The lineup for the tour included Maynard James Keenan on lead vocals, Adam Jones on guitar, Justin Chancellor on bass, and Danny Carey on drums and percussion.
Original color digital images: Private Collection of Mick Dolan.
Total Quality into the 21st Century: 1990 Total Quality Improvement Plan
A brochure describing Westinghouse Electric Corporation's Quality Improvement Program for its Power Generation Business Unit (PGBU), launched in 1990 with the goal of creating a Total Quality Culture throughout the organization and all phases of the operation. Total Quality was defined as "Performance Leadership in meeting customer requirements by doing the right things right the first time" and the program was based on four imperatives: customer orientation, human resource excellence, product and process leadership, and management leadership. 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 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. In 1994, after a major corporate management shuffling, and a top-level decision 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 in the area were leased and then, after PGBU was sold to Siemens Corporation of Germany in 1998, additional buildings (Quad II and Quad III) were added to the original complex at the Quadrangle. From 1998 to 2003 the Orlando operation was known as Siemens-Westinghouse, after which the name of Westinghouse was dropped. The operation has been known as Siemens from that time forward.
Original 37-page brochure, 1990: Private Collection of Harry L. Jaeger.
Westinghouse Electric Corporation, The Quadrangle, Orlando, Florida
Tourists at the Mayfair Inn Swimming Pool
Tourists at the Mayfair Inn swimming pool. The swimming pool was installed by William E. Kirchhoff, Jr.'s agricultural crew and became Sanford's first swimming pool. The pool overlooked Lake Monroe. 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.
A postcard depicting a wide view of the Tower of London. The Tower of London was established in 1066 by William I of England, popularly known as William the Conqueror and sometimes known as William the Bastard, to keep hostile Londoners at bay. 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.
Tower of London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom
A postcard depicting the developing town of Zephyrhills, Florida. Before the town was officially established in 1910, a man named Simon J. Temple purchased 280 acres of land in the area and named it Abbott. The land was used for farming citrus and lumber. In 1909, Captain Howard B. Jeffries, a veteran of the Civil War from Pennsylvania, purchased the land to create a settlement for Union Civil War veterans. He changed the name of the town from Abbott to Zephyrhills. The town was officially incorporated in 1914. The town continued to be a major lumbering industry into the 1920s and 1930s. On the back of the postcard is a handwritten message addressed to Miss Jennie [...] of Albany, NJ. At the bottom of the address section is a code of "R. F. D X 1". The message reads, "March [7]. Zephyrhills, Fla. My dear Jennie, At last I will send you a little token of life. This card shows you where I am. This is a fine day. The mocking bird has been singing all day. I am fine and hope the same for you dear. With love to all..." This postcard is part of a private collection kept by Roger Hipel of St. Cloud, Florida.
Original 5 x 3 black and white postcard: Private Collection of Roger Hipel.
Tracks on the Sand at Jacksonville Beach Postcard
A postcard depicting Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Originally inhabited by the Timucua, the area of present-day Jacksonville Beach was not settled by non-indigenous peoples until the late 19th century. The first settlers to migrate to the area were William Edward Scull and Eleanor Kennedy Scull in the early 1880s, naming the settlement Ruby. In 1886, the town was renamed Pablo Beach. Developers began transforming the area into a resort community, first with the construction of the Murray Hall Hotel and then by the extension of the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) to present-day Jacksonville Beach. In 1905, Pablo Beach became a popular tourist attract for its amusement parks, such as The Pavilion, which was later renamed Little Coney Island. In 1925, the name of the town was changed to Jacksonville Beach. In 1949, the Ocean View Pavilion amusement park was destroyed by fire, and the boardwalk continued to decline in the 1950s, primarily to an anti-gambling crackdown. While this postcard shows cars driving on the beach, such activities were banned in 1979.
Original 9 x 14 centimeter color postcard by Curt Teich and Company: Private Collection of Bob Van Horn.
A newspaper advertisement in The South Florida Argus issue for January 3, 1886. This issue includes an advertisement for Trafford and Company, wholesale and retail dealers located at the corner of North Park Avenue and West Commercial Street in Sanford, Florida. The South Florida Argus was Republican paper published by Adolphus Edwards and printed in the Old Fort Reed Building on First Street in Sanford. The Sanford Journal, a Democratic newspaper, had its offices next door in the very same building. There was, of course, some rivalry between the two papers. After some time, Edwards gave up printing The South Florida Argus to become the local postmaster.
Print reproduction of microfilmed newspaper advertisements: The South Florida Argus, January 3, 1886: Microfilm Cabinet, Reel BN06021, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Train at the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot in Winter Garden
An Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) Railroad Company train coming in to the depot located at 1 North Main Street in Winter Garden, Florida, around 1915. Aspects of the downtown business district of Winter Garden are noticeable in this photograph, such as the Bank of Winter Garden on the right and the Shelby Hotel on the left. In 1895, the Orange Belt Railroad first train depot was constructed. A new depot was built in 1902, shortly after the Orange Belt merged with the ACL. The depot was in continuous use until 1967, when the building was converted for use for the West Orange Chamber of Commerce, an antiques dealer, and a hair salon. The Chicone family later bought the building and donated it to the City of Winter Garden to be used as the home of the Winter Garden Heritage Museum.
Original black and white photograph: Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot, Winter Garden, Florida
A trained raccoon opening a gift from an employee of Weeki Wachee Springs in the 1950s. For several years, Weeki Wachee offered a "covered wagon" ride through the forest as one of the park's attractions. Along the sides of the forest were a variety of trained or caged animals for the visitors to see. This included two trained raccoons, who opened various boxes and tins for treats. 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 black and white photograph by Elmer "Sparky" Schumacher: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Weeki Wachee, Florida.
Transcript of Interview with Congressman Lou Frey, Jr.
One page from transcript of meeting with Representative Louis Frey, Jr. (1934-2019). Rep. Frey was one of the people who worked to help the City of Orlando take over the McCoy Air Force Base for civilian use after the base's closure. As a growing tourist destination, Central Florida needed sufficient means for travelers to access the area. Frey served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1969 to 1979. He was on several committees during his time in office, including the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control and the Science and Technology Committee. He was also the chairman of the Young Republicans of Florida. Frey worked with the President Richard M. Nixon's administration in order to encourage favorable conditions for the City of Orlando to gain this airport. When the airport later became an international port of entry, the tourism industry was even further benefited.
Original 1-page typed transcript: Lou Frey Papers, Clippings Binder, Lou Frey Institute of Politics & Government, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Orlando Jetport, McCoy Air Force Base, Orlando, Florida
John F. Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, Florida
Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance of the Board of Supervisers of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, 1949
The Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1949. The organization began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. In the four page Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance from 1949, Robert R. Witherell writes to C.A. Wales and states the kinds of assistance that would be made available between July 1st, 1949 and June 30th, 1950, such as a Soil Conservationist, a Drainage Engineer, a Soil Scientist, an Engineer Aid, and a Conservation Aid. The document is signed by Robert E. Witherell, and Colin D. Gunn.
Original 4-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1949: Folder SSWCD Statistical and Historical Information, 1948-1977, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District
Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, 1950
The Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1950. The organization began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. In the Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance from 1950, Robert R. Witherell writes to C.A. Wales and states the kinds of assistance that would be made available such as a Soil Conservationist, a Drainage Engineer, a Soil Scientist, an Engineer Aid, and a Conservation Aid. The two page document contains a planting materials list including Bahia seed, Coastal Bermuda Grass Stolons, and Pangola Grass Stolons. The planting materials were supplied by Brooksville Nursery. The document is signed by Robert E. Witherell, and Colin D. Gunn.
Original 2-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1950: Folder SSWCD Statistical and Historical Information, 1948-1977, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, 1951
Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1951. The organization began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. In the Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance from 1951, Walter W. Shaffer writes to Homer L. Osborne and states the kinds of assistance that would be made available by the Soil Conservation Service to the Seminole Soil Conservation District such as a Soil Conservationist, a Drainage Engineer, a Soil Scientist, an Engineer Aid, and a Conservation Aid. The two page document contains a planting materials list including Pensacola Bahia, early Hairy Indigo, ordinary Hairy Indigo, Blanket Indigo, Crotalaria Intermedia, aeschynomene, multiflora rose, Crotalaria Lanceolata, Coastal Bermuda Grass Stolons, and Pangola Grass Stolons. The document is signed by Walter W. Shaffer and Colin D. Gunn.
Original 2-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1951: Folder SSWCD Statistical and Historical Information, 1948-1977, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, 1952
The Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance of the Board of Supervisorsof the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1952. The organization began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. In the Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance from 1952, Albert R. Swartz, District Conservationist, writes to Homer L. Osborne, Chairman of the Board of the Seminole Soil Conservation District. Swartz states the kinds of assistance that would be made available by the Soil Conservation Service to the Seminole Soil Conservation District such as a Soil Conservationist, a Drainage Engineer, a Soil Scientist, an Engineer Aid, and a Conservation Aid. The two page document contains a planting materials list including Pensacola Bahia, early Hairy Indigo, ordinary Hairy Indigo, Blanket Indigo, Crotalaria Intermedia, Aeschynomene, Multiflora Rose, Crotalaria Lanceolata, Coastal Bermuda Grass Stolons, and Pangola Grass Stolons.
Original 2-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.
Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, 1953
The Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1953. The organization began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. In this year's report, the board gives an annual review of the accomplishments of the past and a summation of the objectives for the next year. In the Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance from 1953, Albert R. Swartz, District Conservationist, writes to Homer L. Osborne, Chairman of the Board of the Seminole Soil Conservation District. Swartz states the kinds of assistance that would be made available by the Soil Conservation Service to the Seminole Soil Conservation District such as a Soil Conservationist, a Drainage Engineer, a Soil Scientist, an Engineer Aid, and a Conservation Aid. The two page document contains a planting materials list including Blanket Indigo, Early Indigo, Yellow Lupine, Crotalaria Lanceolata, Coastal Bermuda Stolons, and Rescue Grass (Chapel Hill).
Original 2-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1953: Folder SSWCD Statistical and Historical Information, 1948-1977, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, 1954
The Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance of the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District for 1954. The organization began in 1948 with a goal to assist in agricultural interests. Over the years, the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District began to also concentrate on the development and management of recreational enterprises. Their interests also entailed inventory and evaluations for land uses and solving issues concerning soil and water resources. In the Transmittal of Schedule of Assistance from 1954, Albert R. Swartz, District Conservationist, writes to Homer L. Osborne, Chairman of the Board of the Seminole Soil Conservation District. Swartz states the kinds of assistance that would be made available by the Soil Conservation Service to the Seminole Soil Conservation District such as a Soil Conservationist, a Drainage Engineer, a Soil Scientist, an Engineer Aid, and a Conservation Aid. The two page report also indicates that due to the elimination of soil conservation service propagation nurseries, there were no estimates of available planting materials for the period betweem July 1st, 1954 through June 30th, 1955.
Original 2-page typewritten report by the Board of Supervisors of the Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District,1954: Folder SSWCD Statistical and Historical Information, 1948-1977, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Sanford, Florida.
Transportation of the Saturn V Crawler-Transporter to Launch Pad 39
The crawler-transporter-transporter moving a Saturn V to the launch pad at John F. Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 (LC-39). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had previously assembled launch vehicles at the pad, stacking them in place. In a then-revolutionary move, NASA began performing vehicle assembly in the new Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) built specifically to assemble the Apollo-Saturn V launch vehicle, on top of the launcher and move the whole assembly to the pad. The huge crawler-transporter goes under the launcher/vehicle and moves it at a maximum speed of one mph to the launch pad.
Original black and white photographic print: Leonard Pugh Collection.
Original black and white photographic print: Larry Summers Collection.
The Travelodge Orlando-Sky Lake was located at 7101 South Orange Blossom Trail (OBT), just north of the Bee Line Toll Road, in Orlando, Florida, around 1970. The hotel was constructed in 1970 by Hymen Lake and is currently in operation as the Royal Inn. Photographs from this era show the hotel offered a free continental breakfast, heated pool, and colored television. The Onan Corporation, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, commissioned the photographs. Onan was photographing a standby electric plant that had been recently installed at the hotel.
Original 8 x 10 inch black and white photographs: Pine Castle Historical Society, Pine Castle, Florida.
Onan Corporation
Travelodge Orlando-Sky Lake, Sky Lake, Florida
Original 8 x 10 inch black and white photograph by Robert Travis Keagle: Pine Castle Historical Society, Pine Castle, Florida.
Travelodge Orlando-Sky Lake During Construction
Travelodge Orlando-Sky Lake was located at 7101 South Orange Blossom Trail (OBT), just north of the Bee Line Toll Road, in Orlando, Florida.. The hotel was constructed in 1970 by Hymen Lake and is currently in operation as the Royal Inn. Photographs from this era show the hotel offered a free continental breakfast, heated pool, and color television. The Onan Corporation, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, commissioned the photographs. Onan was photographing a standby electric plant that had been recently installed at the hotel.
Original color photograph: Pine Castle Historical Society, Pine Castle, Florida.
Tree Stumps at the Historic Oviedo Colored Schools Museum During Renovations
Tree stumps at the Historic Oviedo Colored Schools Museum, previously St. James AME Church, located at 2170 James Drive in Oviedo, Florida, on February 21, 2023. The two color photographs depict two tree stumps from renovations to the yard and building. In 2000, Gloria Godwin and Gracia Muller Miller began talking about a reunion for the Jackson Heights Elementary School, a colored school in Oviedo during segregation. Reunion Historian, Judith Smith, began to look for artifacts from that era and struggled to locate any pictures or other information. She put the word out amongst the former students, asking to borrow photographs or other materials related to the colored school. Immediately, items began to pour in, and the result was a book entitled: “A Written and Pictorial History of the Oviedo Area Colored Schools 1890-1967, Oviedo Elementary, Jackson Heights Elementary, Geneva, Wagner, Kolokee (Snowhill), Gabriella (Jamestown).” From there, the mission was born.
2 original color photographs: RICHES, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Historic Oviedo Colored Schools Museum, Oviedo, Florida
Tremaine Quinton Berryhill digs soil in Don Dudley Park in Orlando, Florida, on October 8, 2018, to commemorate Orange County lynching victims. Although Julius "July" Perry was not lynched in the park, the location was chosen based on the account that it occurred in an area overlooking Lake Concord in view of Judge Cheney's home. 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 color photographs by Phelan M. Ebenhack: Alliance for Truth and Justice, Orange County, Florida.
Postcard showing the Tremont Hotel, formerly located at 145 Main Street (present-day South Magnolia Avenue) in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The hotel was constructed between 1882 and 1895. The original owner was Captain James Walle Wilmott, who reportedly sailed around the world a total of eight times. The site was a conglomeration of three buildings: half of the Charleston House Hotel (the western section with a flat roof), all of the 1875 Orange County Courthouse (the three-story south section), and part of a building that had belonged to the Methodist Church (northern section). The 1872 Union Free Church was also moved to the site to be used as kitchen/outbuilding. The hotel was demolished in 1956.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard by Genuine Curteich-Chicago: Orange News Company, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Original photographs of two groups of novena prayer candles placed in front of Pulse nightclub in tribute to the victims of the mass shooting that occurred there. Among the candles are keepsakes, stuffed animals, photographs of victims, drawings, paintings, flowers, arts and crafts. Pulse was located at 1912 South Orange Avenue in Orlando, Florida. In the early hours of June 12, 2016, an American born security guard named Omar Mir Seddique Mateen shot and killed 49 people and wounded an additional 53 at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Mateen, who swore allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), was shot and killed by the Orlando Police Department after a three-hour standoff. The incident was the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in United States history, the deadliest terrorist attack in the United States since the September 11th attacks of 2001, and the deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people in United States history. Most of the victims were Latino, as the club was hosting a Latin Night at the time of the massacre.
Original color photographs: RICHES of Central Florida, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
A postcard depicting the Roman amphitheater in Trier, Germany. Built in the second century for gladiator games, the amphitheatre seats about 20,000 people. It is still used today for the Antiquity Festival and open-air concerts. 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 photographic postcard: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1A (non-U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Trier Amphitheater, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
A postcard depicting the Porta Nigra, or Black Gate, a Roman public building of huge stone blocks erected around 180. 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 1A (non-U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
A postcard depicting the center of medieval Trier, Germany, the Hauptmarkt. Known as Main Market in English, Hauptmarkt was established at the current site in 958, when it was moved from a previous location across the river following Viking destruction in 882. 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.
A postcard depicting four illustrations of sights in Trier, Germany. The first is a view of the city, which is a border city between Germany and France and was founded in 17 B.C.E. The second is a view of the Main Market, or Hauptmarkt. The third is a view of Römerbrücke, or the Roman Bridge. The fourth is a view of the castle. 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.
A postcard depicting St. Paulinus' Church, a Baroque church in Trier, Germany. It was constructed in 1753 and is the third structure to be built on that site. This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
Original 5 x 3 inch color photographic postcard: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1A (non-U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
African American churches--Southern States
Trinity United Methodist Church (UMC), located at 526 South Sanford Avenue in Georgetown, an African-American community in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. Trinity UMC was originally named the New Mount Zion Colored Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church and dates back to the early 1890s. Currently located at the corner of South Sanford Avenue and East Sixth Street, Trinity UMC first held their services at the home of church member Violet Graham at East Sixth Street and Hickory Avenue. Following a donation made by the all-white Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC), services were relocated to a building erected on a lot on the northwest corner of East Sixth Street and Sanford Avenue. In the 1920s, a new church was designed and built by famed African-American architect, Prince W. Spears.
Original color digital images by Kathleen MacDonald, June 17, 2011.
Trinity United Methodist Church, Georgetown, Sanford, Florida
Trish Thompson, Vice President and former President of Creative Sanford, Inc., in October 2013. Creative Sanford is a non-profit organization created to manage Celery Soup community theater productions. The original idea for the Celery Soup: Florida’s Folk Life Play project came from Jeanine Taylor, the owner of a folk-art gallery on First Street in Sanford, Florida. Their first production was Touch and Go, a play focusing on the people of Sanford and their determination to overcome various obstacles, including the Freeze of 1894-1895, the fall of Sanford's celery industry, and the closing of Naval Air Station (NAS) Sanford in the 1960s. Richard Geer and Jules Corriere, partners from Community Performance International, were in charge of assessing oral histories, converting them into scenes for the play, and writing original songs. Director Geer also used an all-volunteer cast from the local community, many of whom were not experienced actors. In the process of producing the show, Creative Sanford decided to rehabilitate an historic building, the Princess Theater, which is located on 115 West First Street and owned by Stephen Tibstra. The Creative Sanford offices are housed in the Historic Sanford Welcome Center, located at 203 East First Street.
Original color digital image by Autumn Reisz, October 11, 2013.
Creative Sanford, Inc., Sanford, Florida
Troopship Nansemond Brings 5,252 Happy Men
Postcard showing Lake Eola Park and its bandstand in Orlando, Florida. The bandstand is on the west side of the park. Lake Eola and the park that surrounds it are one of the unusual features that sets the city of Orlando apart from other places. From its earliest days Downtown Orlando was situated on the west side of the lake. As the town grew into a city, Lake Eola continued to be a focal point for the inhabitants, who used it for bathing, swimming and fishing, while on its shores people picnicked, listened to concerts and religious services. Much of the land around Lake Eola was donated to Orlando by Jacob Summerlin who designated that it be a public park. It has remained one ever since. The rest of the park land was donated by the Musselwhite Family and Mayor Frank Sperry.
Tropical Garden at Sanford Grammar School
The Tropical Garden at Sanford Grammar School. Originally located at 301 West Seventh Street in Sanford, Florida, Sanford 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 6 x 4 inch color photograph: Sanford Grammar Collection, Archives Box 4B, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Sanford Grammar School, Sanford, Florida
Part of a newspaper article from the The Tampa Times describing the victory of The Tropics, a Tampa-based band, at the International Battle of the Bands. The headline reads, "Tropics Win International Prize," and was written by Nancy Trice and Carole Newman. According to the article, The Tropics played "I'm a Man," "Misirloo," and "Black-Jacket Woman." The band one new equipment from Ludwig Drum Company, recognition as the house band for WLS Radio for one year, and the opportunity to perform with The Mamas and The Papas in Chicago on August 20th. The Tropics, also known as "The Bitchin' Red Band" when performing on the Pier in Cocoa Beach, were founded in 1964 in Tampa, Florida, consisting of Buddy Pendergrass on guitar and keyboard, Eric Turner on guitar and vocals, Mel Dryer on lead vocals, Bobby Shea on drums, and Charlie Souza on bass guitar and vocals. They were performing around the state and the Southeastern United States by the summer of 1965, opening for popular acts such as The Who, The Young Rascals, and Herman's Hermits. The band won the 1966 International Battle of the Bands at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, taking first place over 441 bands, including future successful acts like Tommy James and the Shondells and Chicago. This won the group a recording contract with Columbia Records, where they recorded the single, "Take the Time," which was played on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, and topped the local charts. Pendergrass and Shea would later form the glam rock band, White Witch, in 1971.
Original newspaper article: Trice, Nancy, and Carole Newman. "Tropics Win International Prize." The Tampa Times, August 10, 1966: Profiles: Bands & Artists, Tampa Bay Music Scene Historical Society.
The Tampa Times
Tampa Bay Music Scene Historical Society
Truck at Chase & Company Packing House in Sanford
Chase & Company packing house in Sanford in 1936. CChase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century.
Original 3 x 5 inch black and white photographs by A. Wieboldt, March 30, 1936: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 214, folder 8.18D, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Truth and Justice Project Orange County Banners
Two banners for the Truth and Justice Project, Orange County, at a screening of the 60-minute documentary, "The Yard", at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando. The event took place on March 7, 2019, from 6:30pm to 9:00 pm, with a $10 suggested donation. The screening of the film was followed by a panel discussion that included the filmmaker. Partners in the event included Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), First Unitarian Church of Orlando, Peace and Justice Institute (Valencia College), Bridge the Gap Coalition, Global Peace Film Festival, Hannibal Square Heritage Center, League of Women Voters of Orange County, UCF RICHES Program, and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc. (Orlando Chapter). 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 color photographs by Emily Wray: Alliance for Truth and Justice, Orange County, Florida.
First Unitarian Church of Orlando, Orlando, Florida
A postcard depicting the Turkey Trot parade in Cuero, Texas. Unlike other turkey trots, actually turkeys run the race in Cuero, rather than people. 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.
A postcard depicting the Turning Basin Terminal, a complex of 37 wharves, and Port Houston in Houston, Texas. The original port was located at the confluence of Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou. The modern Port of Houston officially opened in 1914. 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.
A poster for the Orlando Gay Chorus concert, “'Twas the Night”. The event was held at the Annie Russell Theater at Rollins College, located at 1000 Holt Avenue in Winter Park, Florida, on December 15 and 16, 2001. Featuring Carmella Marcella Garcia as Madame Anastasia, the event was a fundraiser for Toys for Tots. Tickets were $20 in advance and $23 at the door with special pricing for young children and students. The poster features a faded white background with blue and white text and an image of Madame Anastasia at the bottom left corner. 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.
Annie Russell Theatre, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida
A program for the Orlando Gay Chorus' concert, "2001: A Choral Odyssey", on December 15 &amp
16, 2001, at the Annie Russell Theater at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. The program includes short biographies on the Artistic Director Terry Thomas and the Accompanists Genoa Minga and Tim Hanes, program notes, an outline of the show's itinerary, a list of chorus members and contributors, and a history of GALA Choruses. It also includes three ticket stubs. 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 20-page program, and 3 ticket stubs, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
Annie Russell Theater, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida
Twelfth Census Population for Alachua County, Florida, 1900
The Twelfth United States Census records for Alachua County, Florida, for 1900. The census divides the population by sex, race, age, marital status, number of children, occupation, literacy, whether they owned or rented, farm or house. The census also states a resident's place of birth, and birthplace of their mother and father. If foreign born, the person provided the year they immigrated, whether they were naturalized and if they spoke English. A notable resident listed in this record is Jeff Howard (1894-1962). Born and raised in Alachua, Florida, Howard's parents, Cage and Rachael Howard, worked as farmers. Before being drafted into the military during World War I, Jeff relocated to Clearwater, Florida, while working as an itinerant laborer on the Southern Railway Company in Marion, North Carolina. On January 16, 1918, Jeff married Francis Davis, and the couple welcomed their first son, Thomas Jefferson Howard, on July 1, 1918. After being drafted into the United States Army on July 18, 1918, Jeff eventually joined the 807th Pioneer Infantry. Serving overseas in France, Jeff and his unit served in a technical capacity, constructing and repairing roads, bridges, and railroads. However, the units also served on the front lines of battle, experiencing direct action with the enemy. Jeff and the 807th took part in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the last major engagement of the war, earning the Silver Band on the Pike of Colors of Lance of the Standards. Returning from overseas, Jeff settled briefly in Clearwater, working as a grove worker. During the 1920s, the family relocated to New Jersey, where a second son, Theodore Roosevelt Howard, was born on November 19, 1923, in New Brunswick. By 1930, the family returned to Clearwater, where Jeff continued working in the grove industry for the remainder of his working life. Both of his sons served in the military during World War II. Thomas served in the Army, while Theodore served in the Navy. Jeff died on August 29, 1962, and is buried in the Bay Pines National Cemetery in St. Petersburg, Florida, at Row 39, Plot 5. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for K-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original census record by Benjamin Rush, June 25-26, 1900: Alachua, Florida
Twelfth Census Population for Albany, Ward 3, New York, 1900
The Twelfth United States Census records for Albany Ward 3, Albany, New York, for 1900. The census divides the population by sex, race, age, marital status, number of children, occupation, literacy, whether they owned or rented, farm or house. The census also states a resident's place of birth, and birthplace of their mother and father. If foreign born, the person provided the year they immigrated, whether they were naturalized and if they spoke English. A notable resident listed in this record is William Henry Oliver. This is the first census in which William H. Oliver appears he was four years old at the time. During the First World War, Oliver served with American Expeditionary Forces in Bordeaux, France. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public also can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital Reproduction of original census record by W.M. Vespermann, June 1, 1900.
Twelfth Census Population for Camden County, Georgia, 1900
The Twelfth United States Census records for Camden County, Georgia, for 1900. The census divides the population by sex, race, age, marital status, number of children, occupation, literacy, whether they owned or rented, farm or house. The census also states a resident's place of birth, and birthplace of their mother and father. If foreign born, the person provided the year they immigrated, whether they were naturalized and if they spoke English. A notable resident listed in this record is Alexander Lard Lucas (1893-1989). Born in Satilla Mills, Georgia, on June 6, 1893, Lucas moved to Jacksonville, Florida, as a teenager. By 1918, he had moved to Cleveland, Ohio, to pursue a career as a mechanic. Lucas was drafted into the United States Army on August 9, of 1918. Following his service, he worked as a tailor in Lansing, Michigan. By 1940, Lucas found a position as a shipping clerk for the Department of the Interior in Washington, DC. He lived in federal public housing attached to the North Interior Building in downtown Washington, where he worked. Between 1942 and 1989, he moved to the Miami area, where he passed away on March 2, 1989, at the age of ninety-five. Alexander Lucas is buried in the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original census record by E. F. Dean, June 8, 1900.
Twelfth Census Population for Union, Suwannee, Florida, 1900
The Twelfth United States census records for Union, Suwannee, Florida, for 1900. The census divides the population by sex, race, age, marital status, number of children, occupation, literacy, whether they owned or rented, farm or house. The census also states a resident's place of birth, and birthplace of their mother and father. If foreign born, the person provided the year they immigrated, whether they were naturalized and if they spoke English. A notable resident listed in the record is Riley Wright (1893-1919). Wright was likely born in 1893, although some documents list his birth year as 1895, near Falmouth in Suwannee County in Northern Florida. Like his father and grandfather before him, Wright worked as a farmer. He married Eva Coleman on April 15, 1917, and was drafted on August 3, 1918, joining the 807th Pioneer Infantry unit. In France, Wright and his unit served in a technical capacity, constructing and repairing roads, bridges and railways. Though the Army did not consider these infantry units as combat units, their work on the front lines brought them in direct contact with the enemy. The 807th participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, which was the last major engagement of the war. Wright survived the offensive. However, he succumbed to influenza on January 7, 1919. He is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery at Plot H Row 10 Grave 28 in Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, France. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program continues, engaging a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in national cemeteries available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 headstones at four national cemeteries, two in Florida (Florida National Cemetery and St. Augustine National Cemetery) and two in France (American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries at Aisne-Marne and the Meuse-Argonne), where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original census record by R.W. Snell, June 12, 1900: Suwannee, Florida; Page: 10; Enumeration District: 0111; FHL microfilm: 1240177.
Twelfth Census Population for Waltham Ward, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, 1900
The Twelfth United States Census records for Waltham City, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, for 1900. The census divides the population by sex, race, age, marital status, number of children, occupation, literacy, whether they owned or rented, farm or house. The census also states a resident's place of birth, and birthplace of their mother and father. If foreign born, the person provided the year they immigrated, whether they were naturalized and if they spoke English. A notable resident listed in this record is Mary Sutherland. Born on November 1, 1895, in Watertown, Massachusetts, Sutherland later moved to Palm Bay, Florida. Sutherland joined the US Navy on September 3, 1918 as a Yeoman F 1st Class. Sutherland returned from serving in the Navy just in time to be able to vote for the first time. She had three children, John, Richard, and Marilyn, as well as thirteen grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Sutherland died September 28, 1988, and was laid to rest in Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.
Digital reproduction of original census record by Frost Lorcl, June 9, 1900.
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney-MGM Studios, 2000
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney-MGM Studios (now called Disney's Hollywood Studios), located at 351 South Studio Drive in 2000. MGM Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Disney and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer agreed to a licensing contract that would allowed Disney to use the MGM name and logo for Disney-MGM Studios. Despite several lawsuits and countersuits between the two partners, the theme park opened on May 1, 1989. Around this same time, the Tower of Terror was being designed for Euro Disney (now Disneyland Paris). Euro Disney abandoned the project, which was picked up by MGM Studios. The ride is based on the television program The Twilight Zone. Construction began in the beginning of 1992 and the attraction opened on July 22, 1994. Disney-MGM Studios was renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios on January 7, 2008.
Original color photograph, 2000: Private Collection of Nancy Lynn Cepero.
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Disney-MGM Studios, Orlando, Florida
A poster for the Orlando Gay Chorus concert, “Twisted Tinsel”. The event was held at The Plaza Live, located at 425 North Bumby Avenue in Orlando, Florida, on December 13 and 14, 2008. Tickets were $25 in advance through The Center, The Plaza box office and orlandogaychorus.com and $30 at the door. The poster features a light background with a red ornament sitting on silver tinsel across the middle of the page. Featured artwork includes the logos of the OGC and various sponsors across the bottom of the page. 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.
The Plaza Live Theatre, Orlando, Florida
Two Figures in Green Landscape by Hugh F. McKean
An untitled oil painting by Hugh F. McKean (1908-1995). Although the painting has no official title, it is commonly referred to as Two Figures in Green Landscape. McKean moved to Orlando, Florida, from College Hill in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, where he was raised. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Rollins College in Winter Park in 1930 and joined its faculty in 1932, later heading its art department. He studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, Art Students League in New York City, the École des Beaux-Arts at Fontainebleau in France, and Harvard University. The Tiffany Foundation also selected him in 1930 to join other artists at Laurelton Hall, Louis Comfort Tiffany’s mansion at Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, New York, under Tiffany’s tutelage. In 1940, he received his master’s degree from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He married Jeannette Genius , the granddaughter of Charles Hosmer Morse, in 1945. McKean then served as the president of Rollins College from 1951 to 1969 and the director of the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art from 1942 until his death in 1995.
Original 16 x 20 inch oil painting by Hugh F. McKean: Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando, Florida.
Two Weeki Wachee Mermaids in Costume Performing a Scene from "Peter Pan"
Kodak Safety Film Strip consisting of two images. These images show two Weeki Wachee mermaids performing a scene from "Peter Pan." One mermaid is in a Captain Hook costume and the other is in an alligator costume. A prop pirate ship is pictured behind the mermaids. Image was taken sometime in 1971, when the show was performed. 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 black and white photograph of Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaids Performing in "Peter Pan," c. 1971: Private Collection of karen Geiken.
Two women, possibly relatives of Henry L. DeForest (1857-1902), at DeForest Grove, sometime between 1895 and 1905. DeForest was born in Derby, Connecticut, and knew Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) since childhood. In 1870, DeForest came to Florida seeking better health in the warmer climate. He became Sanford's agent and helped carry out the work of establishing Sanford. He managed the contracted workers for Sanford's groves, especially the contracted Swedes that Sanford brought over in 1871. By the 1880s, he had married Anna M. Sperry, also from Derby, and had become an established businessman and grove owner in Sanford. He built his general store in 1887, which was the second oldest brick building in Downtown Sanford. His general store was the building where the historic September 1887 fire stopped. DeForest built other commercial buildings in downtown. His home, known as "The Palms," was located at 105 Aldean Drive and still stands today.
Original 7.25 x 4.25 inch black and white photograph: box 1, folder 7, DeForest Collection, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
A postcard depicting a typical home in in Charleston, South Carolina. 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 4 x 6 inch color postcard by the Gulf Stream Card and Distributing Company: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1 (U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
The insignia for the U.S. Army's 6th Armored Division, which was activate from 1942 to 1945 and again from 1950 to 1956. During World War II, the Super Sixth, as the division was nicknamed, participated in the Invasion of Normandy. A notable Floridian who served in the 6th Armored Division was Sergeant John F. Aylward, Jr. (1912-1944), who died on November 3, 1944. Also known as Jack, Sgt. Aylward was a part of the Headquarters Company within the 6th Armored Division, nicknamed the Super Sixth. Sgt. Aylward was originally from Ocala, Florida, and is interred at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Digital reproduction of original insignia.
U.S. Army Air Force Aircraft Warning Service Armband from Geneva
United States Army Air Force Aircraft Warning Service armband used during World War II. The Aircraft Warning Service (AWS) was a civilian service of the Army's Ground Observer Corps used to watch for enemy aircraft entering American airspace. Volunteers were organized in May 1941 and the service remained active until May 29, 1944.
Original 4 x 18 inch felt armband: Museum of Geneva History, Geneva, Florida.
U.S. Army Air Force Aircraft Warning Service Armband from Oviedo
United States Army Air Force Aircraft Warning Service (AWS) armband used in Oviedo, Florida, during World War II. This armband was given to Kathryn Aulin (now Kathryn Aulin Bunch) in 1943 for observing aircraft during the war. Bunch was stationed at a tower across the street from the First Baptist Church of Oviedo, located at 45 West Broadway Street. The AWS was a civilian service of the Army's Ground Observer Corps used to watch for enemy aircraft entering American airspace. Volunteers were organized in May 1941 and the service remained active until May 29, 1944.
Original felt armband: Private Collection of Kathryn Aulin Bunch.
A U.S. Army squad of American soldiers, including brothers Charles Ernest Gormley and George Gormley, during World War I. The squad originally consisted of eight men per tent, but was later cut down to five men per tent. The Gormleys were originally from Kansas, but moved to Sanford, Florida, with their family shortly before WWI. The brothers served alongside each other in France from August 13, 1917 to April 14, 1919. Charles' daughter, Luticia "Tish" Gormley Lee, was the contributor of this photograph. Before entering World War I, the United States maintained a policy of neutrality, although the U.S. continued to supply the Allies: Great Britan, France, and Russia. The U.S. officially entered the war on April 6, 1917, in response to Germany's return to all-out submarine warfare on all commercial ships sailing for Great Britain and Germany's offer for military alliance to Mexico via the Zimmerman Telegram. The U.S. mobilized over four million military personnel through the course of American involvement in the war and lost 110,000 casualties. The U.S. vastly expanded its government and dramatically increase the size of its military during World War I.
Original 2.25 x 3.25 inch black and white photograph: Private Collection of Luticia "Tish" Gormley Lee.
The Sixth United States Census population records for Mosquito County (including present-day Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Seminole, Osceola, Orange, Lake, Polk, and Palm Beach counties) for 1840. The Census Act of 1840 was signed into law on March 3, 1839 and later amended on February 26, 1840. This piece of legislation established a centralized census office during each enumeration. Congress designated the census questionnaire designs to the Secretary of State. However, each household received inquiries regarding "the pursuits, industry, education, and resources of the country" and included questions related to school attendance, literacy, and vocation.
U.S. Census Office
Original census data by the U.S. Census Office, 1840.