Verification Vehicle Being Moved to Launch Complex 34
subject: John F. Kennedy Space Center
subject: Kennedy Space Center
subject: Merritt Island (Fla.)
subject: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (U.S.)
subject: NASA
subject: Apollo Project (U.S.)
subject: Project Apollo (U.S.)
description: An Apollo verification vehicle being moved from the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building (MSOB) (MSOB) at John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) industrial Area to Launch Pad 34 in Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). Verification vehicles are complete or mostly versions of mission-ready vehicles used to test logistics, vehicle performance, and other mission critical factors. The building was renamed in honor of Neil Armstrong in 2014 to the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building.
source: Original black and white photographic print, September 3, 1965: Space Walk of Fame Collection.
contributor: Chronopoints
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: John F. Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida
coverage: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Cape Canaveral, Florida

Versa Woodcock
subject: Sanford (Fla.)
subject: Women--Florida
subject: Students--Florida--Portraits
description: Versa Woodcock, the great-aunt of Christine Kinlaw-Best, in front of her home. Woodcock was in her early twenties in this photograph. She was a former student at Westside Grammar Elementary School and later became the chief operator of the Sanford Telephone and Telegraph Company in the 1920s.
source: Original 3 x 5 inch black and white postcard: Private Collection of Christine Kinlaw-Best.
contributor: Kinlaw-Best, Christine
format: application/pdf
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Sanford, Florida

Versa Woodcock with Umbrella
subject: Sanford (Fla.)
subject: Women--Florida
subject: Students--Florida--Portraits
description: Versa Woodcock, the great-aunt of Christine Kinlaw-Best, in front of her home. Woodcock was in her early twenties in this photograph. She was a former student at Westside Grammar Elementary School and later became the chief operator of the Sanford Telephone and Telegraph Company in the 1920s.
source: Original 3 x 5 inch black and white postcard: Private Collection of Christine Kinlaw-Best.
contributor: Kinlaw-Best, Christine
format: application/pdf
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Sanford, Florida

Vet gets dying wish: Burial in new cemetery
subject: Veterans--Florida
description: A newspaper article published in Florida Today on June 1, 1988. The article discusses Elmer Farrow Hurst’s dying wish to be buried at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. Born on February 13, 1921, in Cabool, Missouri, Hurst joined the United States Army on August 5, 1942. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1962. His last dying wish was to be buried in the Florida National Cemetery, in Bushnell, Florida. Hurst died on May 29, 1988 and was granted his dying wish on June 1, 1988, when he was buried in Florida National Cemetery. Elmer Hurst was among the first veterans interred there. 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.
creator: Van Gaasbeck, Cynthia
creator: Florida Today
source: Digital reproduction of the original newspaper article: "Vet gets dying wish: Burial in new cemetery." Florida Today, June 1, 1988.
publisher: Florida Today
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: Pinellas Park, Florida
coverage: Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Florida

Veteran City Casino Postcard
subject: Veteran City (Fla.)
subject: casino
description: A colorized postcard depicting a scene of a group of men and women approaching the casino in Veteran City, Florida. On the left, a streetcar is seen transporting travelers. The streetcar began running in the area in 1905, and in January of 1906, the Casino opened to accommodate passengers awaiting boats to Pass-a-Grille. The Casino quickly became a popular destination for locals and travelers alike. Veteran City was planned as a retirement community for Civil War veterans. It was incorporated as Gulfport in 1910. This postcard is part of a private collection kept by Roger Hipel of St. Cloud, Florida.
creator: The Hugh C. Leighton Co.
source: Original 5 x 3 colored postcard: Private Collection of Roger Hipel.
publisher: The Hugh C. Leighton Co.
format: application/pdf
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Veteran City, Florida

Veteran's Compensation Application for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
subject: World War, 1914-1918
subject: Veterans--Florida
description: The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Application Form for Veterans Compensation, which authorized the state to compensate veterans native to Pennsylvania at the time of their enlistment. The application includes name, current address, branch and location of service, place of birth, dependents (wife, children, parents), stations assignments, promotions, wounds, service overseas, and honorable discharge date. A notable resident listed in this record is John T. Cowsert, who served as a soldier during the Mexican Border War and the First World War. He joined the United States Army as a member of the 12th Field Artillery for the 2nd Division. While deployed in France, he fought in the battles of Chateau-Thierry, Soissons, St. Mihiel, and the Meuse-Argonne. After armistice, John and the 2nd Division were part of the Army of Occupation that moved into Germany. For his service, John was awarded the Silver Star, two Croix de Guerres, and the Pershing Citation. After the war, John spent his life in St. Petersburg, Florida, with his wife, Irma. He worked for the Florida Power Corporation. Cowsert died on June 21, 1944, and was buried at Bay Pines National Cemetery Section 9, Row 2, Site 18. 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 veteran…
creator: Lee, Ray E.
creator: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
source: Digital reproduction of the original veteran's compensation application.
publisher: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: St. Petersburg, Florida

Veterans Compensation Application for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
subject: World War, 1914-1918
subject: Veterans--Florida
description: The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Application Form for Veterans Compensation, which authorized the state to compensate veterans native to Pennsylvania at the time of their enlistment. The application includes name, current address, branch and location of service, place of birth, dependents (wife, children, parents), stations assignments, promotions, wounds, service overseas, and honorable discharge date. A notable resident listed in this record is John Borris, who received payments of $10 per month for 20 months as compensation for his service. Born on February 3, 1891 in Johnson City, Pennsylvania, Borris served as part of Company C 1st Ammunition Train of the First Division during the First World War in 1917 and 1918. After his initial discharge in 1919, he returned to the United States Army in 1921 as part of the 7th Coast Artillery before his second and final discharge in 1924. After his service, he married Irene Nehf, with whom he had two sons, Roger and David. The family lived in Chicago, Illinois, and Phoenix, Arizona. Borris and his wife moved to Lakeland, Florida in 1988. Borris died on June 11, 1994 and 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. 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.
creator: Borris, John
creator: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
source: Digital reproduction of the original veterans compensation application.
publisher: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Veterans Compensation Application for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
subject: World War, 1939-1945
subject: Veterans--Florida
description: The veterans compensation application for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for William Bain Handwerk (1921-1996). The document authorized the state to compensate veterans native to Pennsylvania at the time of their enlistment. The form includes the applicant's names, current address, branch and location of service, place of birth, dependents (wife, children, parents), station assignments, promotions, wounds, service overseas, and honorable discharge date. Born in Palmerton, Pennsylvania on February 18, 1921, William Handwerk was selected for military service on March 19, 1943. William Handwerk entered the United States Army Air Corps as a Private. Although it is unclear where he served, he was overseas from October 6, 1943 to December 5, 1945. Shortly after being discharged, Handwerk married Jeannette Zeal Bossard on July 27, 1946, in Washington, D.C. The couple moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, by April, 1950, before moving to Houston, Texas in the 1950s. The family remained in the Houston area and Handwerk worked for Crutcher Resources until his retirement. In 1989, they moved to Leesburg, Florida. William passed away on December 17, 1996, and is memorialized 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-a…
creator: Handwerk, William
creator: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
source: Digital reproduction of original veterans compensation application.
publisher: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Veterans Hospital and Administration Building at Bay Pines Postcard
subject: Bay Pines (Fla.)
subject: Veterans--Florida
subject: Hospitals--Florida
description: A postcard depicting the Veterans Hospital and Administration building at night in Bay Pines, Florida. Construction for present-day Buildings 1, 2, and 13, as well as a gatehouse and an employee living quarters, was completed in 1933. Originally called the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, the hospital, along with the domiciliary unit, opened on March 16. As a whole, the site continued to expand in acreage and in the number of buildings over the next several decades. 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.
creator: E. C. Kropp Company
source: Original 3 x 5 inch color postcard by E. C. Kropp Company: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1 (U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
publisher: Sun News Company
contributor: Campbell, Lucile
format: application/pdf
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, Bay Pines, Florida

Veterans Memorial Park, 2011
subject: Sanford (Fla.)
subject: Lake Monroe (Seminole County and Volusia County, Fla.)
subject: Parks--Florida
subject: Veterans--Florida
description: Veterans Memorial Park, located at 110 East Seminole Boulevard in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. The park was built in 1925 and included a bandshell. A flagpole and fountain were dedicated in memory of World War I veterans in 1927. The park was renamed Veterans Memorial Park in 1973 when it was rededicated to the memory of veterans of all American wars.
creator: Cepero, Laura
source: Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 4, 2011.
publisher: RICHES of Central Florida
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Veterans Memorial Park, Sanford, Florida

Veterans' Memorial Library Postcard
subject: St. Cloud, (Fla.)
subject: Library
description: A postcard with a photo of the Veterans' Memorial Library in St. Cloud, Florida. Located on Massachusetts Avenue between Tenth and Eleventh Street, the library was dedicated in 1925. Today the building is used for the Women's Club. This postcard is part of a private collection kept by Roger Hipel of St. Cloud, Florida.
source: Original 5 x 3 inch black and white postcard: Private Collection of Roger Hipel.
format: application/pdf
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: St. Cloud, Florida

Victoria Johnson
subject: High school principals--United States
subject: African American school principals
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
subject: High schools--Florida
subject: Schools
subject: Education--Florida
description: Victoria Johnson, principal of Jones High School in Orlando, Florida, from 1990-1991. During her one term, high school competency test scores rose significantly. Located in the Parramore/Lorna Doone neighborhood of downtown Orlando, Jones High School was the first area public school for African-Americans. The original building was located on the corner of Garland Avenue and Church Street, but the school was renamed the Johnson Academy and moved to a new building on the corner of Chatham Avenue and West Jefferson Street. In 1921, the school was renamed in honor Principal L. C. Jones and a brick colonial revival building was constructed on the corner of Parramore Avenue and Washington Street. The school was finally moved to its current location at 801 South Rio Grande Avenue in 1952.
creator: Jones High School
source: Original black and white photograph: Jones High School Historical Museum, Orlando, Florida.
publisher: Jones High School
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: Jones High School, Orlando, Florida

View Along the Beautiful Indian River Postcard
subject: Indian River (Fla.)
description: A postcard depicting docks along the Indian River near Cocoa and Rockledge, Florida. The Indian River is a 121-mile long lagoon running from the Ponce de Leon inlet in New Smyrna Beach to the St. Lucie Inlet in Marion County. The lagoon was originally named Rio de Ais after the Ais tribe of East Florida.
creator: Tichnor Bros, Inc.
source: Original 9 x 14 centimeter color postcard by Tichnor Bros., Inc.: Private Collection of Bob Van Horn.
contributor: Van Horn, Bob
format: application/pdf
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Indian River, Florida

View of Bridge and Palm Trees
subject: Waterfront Districts
subject: Lakes & ponds
subject: Lake Monroe (Seminole County and Volusia County, Fla.)
subject: Water hyacinth--Florida
subject: St. Johns River (Fla.)
subject: Palm trees
subject: Bridges--Southern States
description: The bridge and palm trees on Lake Monroe in 1913. Lake Monroe is a lake that is part of the St. Johns River system in Florida and is also the eigth largest lake in the Orlando metropolitan area. Sanford is located on its northern shore and DeBary and Deltona are located along its northern shore. Two major roadways, State Road 415 and Interstate 4, run near the lake. Lake Monroe also formes the border of Seminole County and Volusia County.
source: Original 6 x 10 inchblack and white photoprint, February 1913: Reference Collection, call number RC12560, Florida Photographic Collection, State Library and Archives of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida.
publisher: State Library and Archives of Florida
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Sanford, Florida

View of Cypress Tree Knees in Lake Monroe
subject: Waterfront Districts
subject: Lakes & ponds
subject: Lake Monroe (Seminole County and Volusia County, Fla.)
subject: Trees--Florida
subject: St. Johns River (Fla.)
subject: Florida
description: Cypress trees at Lake Monroe in the 1920s. Lake Monroe is a lake that is part of the St. Johns River system in Florida and is also the eigth largest lake in the Orlando metropolitan area. Sanford is located on its northern shore and DeBary and Deltona are located along its northern shore. Two major roadways, State Road 415 and Interstate, run near the lake. Lake Monroe also formes the border of Seminole County and Volusia County.
source: Original 5 x 7 inch black and white photonegative: General Collection, call number PHA131, Florida Photographic Collection, State Library and Archives of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida.
publisher: State Library and Archives of Florida
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Sanford, Florida

View of First Street Looking Towards Sanford Avenue
subject: Photography--Florida--History
subject: Street photography--United States
subject: Cityscape photography
subject: Sanford (Fla.)
subject: Streets--Florida
subject: Avenues
subject: Roads--Florida
description: This is an especially dated dry plate photograph of Sanford, Florida in 1887. The majority of Sanford's buildings prior to the fire of 1887 were built of wood, without much structural integrity. The photograph shows signs of flaking emulsion, as there is mild discoloration throughout the image and blurring along its edges.
source: Original black and white photograph: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Residential--City Views, General Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Sanford, Florida

View of Pier and Waterfront from the St. John's River
subject: Waterfront Districts
subject: Lakes & ponds
subject: Lake Monroe (Seminole County and Volusia County, Fla.)
subject: Piers
subject: Saint Johns River (Fla.)--History
subject: Rivers--Florida
subject: Sanford (Fla.)
description: The pier and riverfront in Sanford along the St. John's River. The present-day Sanford area was originally inhabited by the Mayaca/Joroco natives by the time Europeans arrived. The tribe was decimated by war and disease by 1760 and was replaced by the Seminole Indians. In 1821, the United States acquired Florida from Spain and Americans began to settled in the state. Camp Monroe was established in the mid-1830s to defend the area against Seminoles during the Seminole Wars. In 1836, the United States Army built a road (present-day Mellonville Avenue) to a location called Camp Monroe during the Second Seminole War. Following an attack on February 8, 1837, the camp was renamed Fort Mellon in honor of the battle's only American casualty, Captain Charles Mellon. The town of Mellonville was founded nearby in 1842 by Daniel Stewart. When Florida became a state three years later, Mellonville became the county seat or Orange County, which was originally a portion of Mosquito County. Citrus was the first cash crop in the area and the first fruit packing plant was constructed in 1869. In 1870, a lawyer from Connecticut by the name of Henry Sanford purchased 12,548 acres of open land west of Mellonville. His vision was to make this new land a major port city, both railway and by water. Sitting on Lake Monroe, and the head of the St. Johns River, the city of Sanford earned the nickname of “The Gate City of South Florida.” Sanford became not only a transportation hub, but a leading citrus industry in Florida, and eventually globally. The Great Fire of 1887 devastated the city, which also suffered from a statewide epidemic of yellow fever the following year. The citrus industry flourished until the Great Freezes of 1894 and 1895, causing planters to begin growing celery in 1896 as an alternative. Celery replaced citrus as the city's cash crop and Sanford was nicknamed "Celery City." In 1913, Sanford became the county seat of Seminole County, once part of Orange County. Agriculture…
source: Original 7 x 9 inch black and white photoprint, 1892: Reference Collection, call number RC10449, Florida Photographic Collection, State Library and Archives of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida.
publisher: State Library and Archives of Florida
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Sanford, Florida

View of South Orange Avenue
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
description: This image is of South Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, sometime between 1930 and 1950. This lot, as well as the rest of the block, was later replaced by the CNA Tower and Barnett Plaza.
source: Original black and white photograph: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Information Center, Orlando, Florida.
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: South Orange Avenue, Downtown Orlando, Florida

View of the American Legion Hut on Lake Monroe
subject: Sanford (Fla.)
subject: Buildings--Florida
subject: American Legion
description: The American Legion Hall, located at the 300 Seminole Boulevard in Sanford, Florida during the 1920s. The log cabin was originally used as the American Legion Campbell-Lossing Post 53, which received the property from the City of Sanford during the Armistice Day celebrations on November 11, 1924. Mayor Forrest Lake dedicated the structure to the "future generations who would be better off because of the work of the American Legion." The cabin was constructed through private donations from local citizens and businesses, such as the Hill Lumber Company. A cannon from World War I was placed in front of the building on January 17, 1936, but the cannon was dismantled for scrap metal during World War II. The Sanford Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States acquired the building in 1973 and the American Legion moved to 3506 South Orlando Drive and later to 2874 South Sanford Avenue. Due to deterioration and poor conditions, inspector Gary Winn recommended demolition, which City Manager Bill Simmons approved. The American Legion is a social veterans' organization for former and current members of the United States Armed Forces. The organization was chartered by the United States Congress on September 16, 1919, following World War I. The American Legion has been active in influencing political and social change, such as the founding of the U.S. Veterans Bureau, which was the forerunner of the Veterans Administration and later the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); efforts to pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting the physical desecration of the American flag; the creation of the American Legion Baseball program; the passing of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights; contributing to the launch of the National Association for Mental Health; sponsorship of an independent study on the effects of the exposure of Agent Orange, a herbicidal weapon, on veterans of the Vietnam War; as well as many other activities and achievements.
source: Photocopy of original 6.5 x 3.75 inch black and white photograph: Private Collection of Luticia "Tish" Lee.
contributor: Lee, Luticia "Tish"
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: American Legion Campbell-Lossing Post 53, Sanford, Florida

View of the Moon from Earth's Orbit
subject: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (U.S.)
subject: NASA
subject: Moon
description: The Moon seen through the edge of Earth's atmosphere from a Space Shuttle in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The Space Shuttle was meant as a reusable alternative to the traditional ballistic rockets used to launch manned spacecraft in the 1960s and 1970s. From 1981 to 2011, when the fleet was retired, five shuttles were flown over 130 times. It was the first space launch system that was mostly reusable, as the shuttles themselves and the solid rocket boosters were reused multiple times. Space shuttles were launched from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) and Launch Complex 39B (LC-39B) at John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Merritt Island, Florida.
source: Original color photographic print: Leonard Pugh Collection.
contributor: Chronopoints
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: John F. Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida

View of Wharf in Lake Monroe
subject: Waterfront Districts
subject: Lakes & ponds
subject: Lake Monroe (Seminole County and Volusia County, Fla.)
subject: Wharfs
subject: St. Johns River (Fla.)
subject: Wharves--Florida
description: The wharf in Lake Monroe in the 1890s. Lake Monroe is a lake that is part of the St. Johns River system in Florida and is also the eigth largest lake in the Orlando metropolitan area. Sanford is located on its northern shore and DeBary and Deltona are located along its northern shore. Two major roadways, State Road 415 and Interstate 4, run near the lake. Lake Monroe also formes the border of Seminole County and Volusia County.
creator: Ensminger Brothers Photography
source: Original 6 x 10 inch black and white photoprint by Ensminger Brothers Photography: Reference Collection, call number RC12561, Florida Photographic Collection, State Library and Archives of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida.
publisher: State Library and Archives of Florida
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Sanford, Florida

Views of the Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina Postcard
subject: Colleges
subject: Universities
description: A postcard depicting The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in Charleston. Built in 1820, the original citadel stood on what is now Marion Square. In 1842, Governor John Peter Richardson III (1831-1899) called for the conversion of The Citadel and the nearby Arsenal into military academies. It was occupied by Federal troops during the American Civil War, but reopened in 1882. At that time, Marion Square was created in front of it as a military plaza. 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.
creator: Charleston News Company
source: 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.
publisher: Curt Teich and Company
contributor: Campbell, Lucile
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina

Vijaya Lakshmi Nehru Pandit
subject: Pandit, Vijaya Lakshmi, 1900-1990
subject: Ambassadors--India
subject: Diplomats--India
subject: Governors
subject: Legislators
description: An autographed portrait of Vijaya Lakshmi Nehru Pandit, which is housed at the Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation, located at 640 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard in Daytona Beach, Florida. Pandit was born on August 18, 1900, in Allahabad in the North-Western Provinces of British India. In 1937, she became the first Indian woman to hold a cabinet post when she was elected to the provincial legislature of the United Provinces of British India. Pandit was also designated the minister of local self-government and the minister of public health, a position which she held until 1939 and again from 1946 to 1947. In 1946, Pandit was elected to the Constituent Assembly. After Indian gained independence from Great Britain in 1947, Pandit became the Indian Ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1947 to 1949, the Ambassador to the United States and to Mexico from 1949 to 1951, Ambassador to Ireland from 1955 to 1961, High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1958 to 1961, and Ambassador to Spain from 1958 to 1961. She also led the Indian delegation to the United Nations from 1946 to 1968. In 1953, Pandit became the first female President of the United Nations General Assembly. Pandit also served as Governor of Mahra from 1962 to 1964 and then as Phulpur's representative at the Lok Sabha, Indian's lower house, from 1964 to 1968. In the late 1960s, Pandit retired but was later appointed to the UN Human Rights Commission in 1979. She died on December 1, 1990.
source: Original 8 x 10 inch black and white photographic print: Sun room, image 124, Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation, Daytona Beach, Florida.
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation, Mary McLeod Bethune Home, Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, Florida

Visit of President Lyndon B. Johnson to Orlando, Florida Program
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
subject: Democratic Party (Fla.)
description: The program President Lyndon B. Johnson's visit to Orlando, which took place on October 25 and 26, 1964. The program includes the schedule of arrival in Orlando and the program at Colonial Plaza. The program also lists various important Orlando and Orange County elected officials, as well as individuals that represent the Democratic Party as candidates in the 1964 election.
source: Original program, 1964: Orange County Johnson for President Committee: Prviate Collection of Thomas Cook.
publisher: Orange County Johnson for President Committee
format: application/pdf
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: McCoy Terminal, Orlando, Florida
coverage: Cherry Plaza Hotel, Orlando, Florida
coverage: West Central Boulevard and South Orange Avenue, Orlando, Florida
coverage: South Orange Avenue and East Colonial Drive, Orlando, Florida
coverage: Colonial Plaza, Orlando, Florida

Visitors to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: Springs--Florida
subject: Parks--Florida
subject: Mermaids--Florida
subject: Perry, Newton, 1908-1987
description: Photograph of a line of visitors to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park outside the underwater theater around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
creator: Perry, Newton
source: Original photograph of visitors to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpeg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida

Visitors to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Underwater Theater
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: Springs--Florida
subject: Parks--Florida
subject: Mermaids--Florida
subject: Perry, Newton, 1908-1987
subject: Underwater photography
description: Photograph of visitors to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in underwater theater around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
creator: Perry, Newton
source: Original photograph of visitors to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpeg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida

Vista Del Mar Advertisement
subject: Vero Beach (Fla.)
subject: Condominiums--Florida
subject: Housing--Florida
description: A newspaper advertisement for Vista Del Mar, an oceanfront adult condominium located at 5400 Florida State Road A1A in Vero Beach, Florida. According to the ad, which was published in 1974, real estate developers were planning an adult condo community with nine three-story, garden-type buildings. A 748-foot one- and two-bedroom apartments ranged from $24,000.
source: Original newspaper advertisement, 1974: Oviedo Historical Society, Downtown Oviedo, Florida.
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: Vista Del Mar, Vero Beach, Florida

Vivaldi Ristorante, 2003
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
subject: Buildings--Florida
subject: Restaurants--Florida
subject: Cuisine
description: Vivaldi Ristorante, located at 107 West Pine Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, in 2003. Vivaldi is an Italian restaurant named after Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, a Baroque composer, Catholic priest, and violinist in Venice, Italy, during the 18th century. SouthTrust Bank can also bee seen in the background.
creator: Cook, Thomas
source: Original color digital image by Thomas Cook, 2003: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
publisher: RICHES of Central Florida
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Vivaldi Ristorante, Downtown Orlando, Florida

Vivian Louise Black
subject: Women--Florida
description: Vivian Louise Black (1940-), the daughter of Pilgrim Black (1905-2002) and Lula Mae Haynes Black (1917-2007), who got married in 1937. Vivian is also the oldest sister of Lula Yvonne Black (1942-); Charles Samuel Black (1945-); Pilgrim Black, Jr. (ca. 1947-); and Patricia Ann Black (1956- ); as well as the half-sister of David Harry Black (1929-2012). Vivian graduated from Crooms High School around 1958. She married Benjamin Moore Hawkins in the 1960s and moved to Rochester, New York. The couple had two children together: Benjamin Moore, Jr. (1960-) and Fejetta Michelle Hawkins (1972-). Vivian worked for several years in a factory until she suffered a stroke at age 35, when the left side of her body became completely paralyzed. She moved back to Sanford, Florida, after her stroke.
source: Original black and white photograph: Private Collection of Patricia Ann Black.
contributor: Black, Patricia Ann
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: Sanford, Florida

Vivian Louise Black as a Child
subject: Wolcott (N.Y.)
description: Vivian Louise Black (1940-), the daughter of Pilgrim Black (1905-2002) and Lula Mae Haynes Black (1917-2007), who got married in 1937. Vivian is also the oldest sister of Lula Yvonne Black (1942-); Charles Samuel Black (1945-); Pilgrim Black, Jr. (ca. 1947-); and Patricia Ann Black (1956- ); as well as the half-sister of David Harry Black (1929-2012). Vivian graduated from Crooms High School around 1958. She married Benjamin Moore Hawkins in the 1960s and moved to Rochester, New York. The couple had two children together: Benjamin Moore, Jr. (1960-) and Fejetta Michelle Hawkins (1972-). Vivian worked for several years in a factory until she suffered a stroke at age 35, when the left side of her body became completely paralyzed. She moved back to Sanford, Florida, after her stroke.
source: Original black and white photograph: Private Collection of Patricia Ann Black.
contributor: Black, Patricia Ann
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: Wolcott, New York

Voltaire Drive
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
subject: Housing--Florida
description: The Voltaire Drive entrance to Sky Lake, located off of Lancaster Road. The shot angle was due north of the entrance. Sky Lake is a residential community and unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida. It is located approximately seven miles south of Downtown Orlando between Lancaster Road and Sand Lake Road. The community was developed in late 1950s and 1960s by Hymen Lake. Houses originally sold in the range of $10,000 to $15,000. In the 1970s, Sky Lake became one of the first housing developments to be racially integrated. The community was originally proposed to include one thousand homes within the middle of the square mile block and a ring of commercial developments along the perimeter.
creator: DeWitt, Fred
source: Original 8 x 10 inch black and white photograph by Fred DeWitt: Pine Castle Historical Society, Pine Castle, Florida.
contributor: Lake, Harriett
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Sky Lake, Florida

Voltaire Drive, 1966
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
subject: Housing--Florida
description: The Voltaire Drive entrance to Sky Lake, located off of Lancaster Road. The shot angle was due north of the entrance. Sky Lake is a residential community and unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida. It is located approximately seven miles south of Downtown Orlando between Lancaster Road and Sand Lake Road. The community was developed in late 1950s and 1960s by Hymen Lake. Houses originally sold in the range of $10,000 to $15,000. In the 1970s, Sky Lake became one of the first housing developments to be racially integrated. The community was originally proposed to include one thousand homes within the middle of the square mile block and a ring of commercial developments along the perimeter.
creator: DeWitt, Fred
source: Original 8 x 10 inch black and white photograph by Fred DeWitt: Pine Castle Historical Society, Pine Castle, Florida.
contributor: Lake, Harriett
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Sky Lake, Florida

W. A. Patrick
subject: Sanford (Fla.)
subject: Tires--United States
subject: Businessmen--United States
description: A newspaper article about W. A. Patrick, president of the Seminole Tire Shop in Sanford, Florida. Patrick migrated to Sanford on March 10, 192,7 and established a tire repair business that also distributed Firestone and Crosley products. By 1932, his business was recognized as the "leading and most progressive of its kind" in Sanford, according to the article. At the time that the article was written, Patrick resided at 1513 Palmetto Avenue with his wife, Agnes Bartlett Patrick. W. A. Patrick was also a member of the Masons, the Elks Lodges, and the Christian Church. His store, the Seminole Tire Shop, erected one of the largest one-stop service stations in the city, which was located at the first Sanford State Farmers' Market that opened in 1934. The Seminole Tire Shop was incorporated in 1932 but is no longer active.
source: Original newspaper article: "Seminole Tire Shop ." The Sanford Herald: Who's Who of 1933, Vol. 24, No. 157, April 29, 1933. Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
publisher: Herald Printing Company
contributor: Wieboldt
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: Seminole Tire Shop, Sanford, Florida

W. H. Fletcher Advertisement
subject: Sanford (Fla.)
subject: Roofing--United States
description: A newspaper advertisement in The South Florida Argus issue for January 3, 1886. This issue includes an advertisement for W. H. Fletcher, a roofer based 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.
source: Print reproduction of microfilmed newspaper advertisements: The South Florida Argus, January 3, 1886: Microfilm Cabinet, Reel BN06021, Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
publisher: The South Florida Argus
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: Sanford, Florida

W. H. Underwood Buggies and Wagons: Harness and Farm Implements
subject: Photography--Florida
subject: Agricultural implements
subject: Sanford (Fla.)
subject: Factories--United States
subject: Carriage and wagon making--United States
subject: Carriage industry--United States
subject: Wagon making
subject: Automobile industry and trade--United States
description: W. H. Underwood established his carriage factory between late 1908 and early 1909, according to a trade news publication from February 1909. The Underwood Factory manufactured carriages, delivery wagons, special-use vehicles, sign painting, and primitive automobiles. Underwood's factory was considered to be "the swellest and largest line of vehicles this side of Jacksonville." He would later become an alderman for the City of Sanford. A 1913 newspaper report indicates that his wife died in 1913 from ptomaine poisoning, an allergic reaction to eating bad oysters.
creator: Ensminger, Jefferson Clay
source: Reproduction of glass plate negative by Jefferson Clay Ensminger: Photographic Collection, box 3, folder Ensminger, General Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
publisher: Ensminger Brothers
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Sanford, Florida

W. J. Hill Store
subject: Sanford (Fla.)
description: The W. J. Hill Store in Sanford, Florida. Although the earliest type of stereoscope dates back to 1838, this stereoscope card is from a Holmes-style stereoscope invented by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935) in 1861. The two separate images are printed side-by-side. When viewed with a stereoscopic viewer, the images appear to create one three dimensional image. Items in the foreground appear closer, items in the background appear farther away, and the overall image is also magnified. Published by J. G. Mangold of Palatka, Florida. This stereoscope boasts, "Always on hand a good assortment of Florida Stereoscopic and large views of Residences, Groups, Picnics, Excursions, etc."
source: Original 7 x 3.5 inch black and white photograph: Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: W. J. Hill Store, Sanford, Florida

W201 U.S. Steel Blast Furnace Gas Turbine
subject: Engineering--United States
description: A diagram of the W201 U.S. Steel blast furnace gas turbine. The unique application of a modified version of Westinghouse Electric Corporation's W201 (rated at 20,000) was installed at South Works, a U.S. Steel manufacturing plant in Chicago, Illinois. The W201 was the first direct drive gas turbine developed by Westinghouse and was used to drive a 12,500-standard cubic feet per minute fan to blow air into a blast furnace. The design requirement was to use blast furnace exhaust gas as its fuel and the installation included an external burner. Originally called the Westinghouse Electric Company, George Westinghouse (1846-1914) founded his manufacturing company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 8, 1886. In 1889, he renamed his business The Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. Westinghouse's primary products include turbines, generators, motors and switchgear related to the generation, transmission, and use of electricity. The company changed its name to Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1945. In 1981, the company began to relocate its division headquarters for the Steam-Turbine Generator Divisions from Pennsylvania (turbines from Lester and generators from Pittsburgh) to Orlando, Florida. The Power Generation Business Unit (PGBU) building was located in The Quadrangle, at 4400 Alafaya Trail. Originally, Westinghouse had purchased a large plot of land for future development that extended westward from Alafaya Trail to Rouse Road. The original headquarters was located on several acres of that land parcel close to Alafaya Trail. As the PGBU grew in size, other buildings were rented and then, after PGBU was sold to Siemens Corporation, additional buildings were added to the complex. In 1994, after a major corporate management shuffling and commitment to change from an industrial manufacturing company to primarily a broadcasting/communications company, Westinghouse bought the CBS Network and changed its name to the CBS Corporation. As the PGBU grew in s…
source: Original black and white diagram: Private Collection of Harry L. Jaeger.
contributor: Jaeger, Harry L.
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: South Works, Chicago, Illinois

W501 Evolution
subject: Energy--United States
description: A table showing the evolution of the W501 gas turbine. Following the introduction of the W501A in 1967-1968, Westinghouse Electric Corporation's technology evolved as turbine inlet temperatures increased by means of improved internal cooling and advanced metallurgy. From 1968 to 1975, the W501 progressed from the W501A (~40MW), W501AA (~60MW), W501B (~80MW) and the W501D (~95MW). The improved W501D5 was introduced in 1981, initially at a rating of 96.5MW (growing to 107MW around 1985). In 1995, the W501D5A upgrade was offered with a rating of 120MW. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Westinghouse introduced the advanced 501F, initially rated at 150MW (nominal). The first commercial start-up date for the 501F was in 1993, installed at the Florida Power and Light Company's Fort Lauderdale Station repowering project. Originally called the Westinghouse Electric Company, George Westinghouse (1846-1914) founded his manufacturing company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 8, 1886. In 1889, he renamed his business The Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. Westinghouse's primary products include turbines, generators, motors and switchgear related to the generation, transmission, and use of electricity. The company changed its name to Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1945. In 1981, the company began to relocate its division headquarters for the Steam-Turbine Generator Divisions from Pennsylvania (turbines from Lester and generators from Pittsburgh) to Orlando, Florida. The Power Generation Business Unit (PGBU) building was located in The Quadrangle, at 4400 Alafaya Trail. Originally, Westinghouse had purchased a large plot of land for future development that extended westward from Alafaya Trail to Rouse Road. The original headquarters was located on several acres of that land parcel close to Alafaya Trail. As the PGBU grew in size, other buildings were rented and then, after PGBU was sold to Siemens Corporation, additional buildings were added to the compl…
source: Original chart: Scalzo, A. J., R. L. Bannister, G. S. Howard, and M. DeCorso. "Evolution of Heavy-Duty Power Generation and Industrial Gas Turbines in the United States." Paper presented at the International Gas Turbine Conference for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, The Hague, Netherlands, June 1994.
contributor: Jaeger, Harry L.
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Dataset
coverage: Westinghouse Electric Lester Plant, Lester, Pennsylvania

W501A Gas Turbine
subject: Energy--United States
description: The W501A, rated at 37MW, was introduced by Westinghouse Electric in 1968 as a direct successor to the W301. The first W501A was installed at Dow Chemical Company's plant Freeport, Texas. Originally called the Westinghouse Electric Company, George Westinghouse (1846-1914) founded his manufacturing company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 8, 1886. In 1889, he renamed his business The Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. Westinghouse's primary products include turbines, generators, motors and switchgear related to the generation, transmission, and use of electricity. The company changed its name to Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1945. In 1981, the company began to relocate its division headquarters for the Steam-Turbine Generator Divisions from Pennsylvania (turbines from Lester and generators from Pittsburgh) to Orlando, Florida. The Power Generation Business Unit (PGBU) building was located in The Quadrangle, at 4400 Alafaya Trail. Originally, Westinghouse had purchased a large plot of land for future development that extended westward from Alafaya Trail to Rouse Road. The original headquarters was located on several acres of that land parcel close to Alafaya Trail. As the PGBU grew in size, other buildings were rented and then, after PGBU was sold to Siemens Corporation, additional buildings were added to the complex. In 1994, after a major corporate management shuffling and commitment to change from an industrial manufacturing company to primarily a broadcasting/communications company, Westinghouse bought the CBS Network and changed its name to the CBS Corporation. As the PGBU grew in size, other buildings were rented and then, after PGBU was sold to Siemens Corporation in 1998, additional buildings were added to the Quadrangle.
source: Original color photograph: Private Collection of Harry L. Jaeger.
contributor: Jaeger, Harry L.
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Westinghouse Electric Lester Plant, Lester, Pennsylvania

Wakeboarding on Lake Eola, 2007
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
subject: Lakes--Florida
subject: Wakeboarding
description: A wakeboard ramp on Lake Eola Downtown Orlando, Florida, in 2007. Lake Eola and its surrounding park is one of the unusual features that sets Orlando apart from other cities. In the middle of the lake rests the Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain, Orlando's unofficial symbol. The fountain was installed in 1912, costing $10,000. In 1957, a replacement originally called the Centennial Fountain was installed, costing $350,000. 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 the lake for bathing, swimming and fishing, and its shores picnicking, listening to concerts, and participating in 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.
creator: Cook, Thomas
source: Original color digital images by Thomas Cook, 2007: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
publisher: RICHES of Central Florida
contributor: Cook, Thomas
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Lake Eola Park, Downtown Orlando, Florida
coverage: Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain, Downtown Orlando, Florida

Wall Street Plaza, 2001
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
subject: Buildings--Florida
subject: Restaurants--Florida
subject: Nightclubs--Florida
subject: Bars (Drinking establishments)--Florida
description: Wall Street Plaza, located at 26 Wall Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, in 2001. Wall Street Plaza is a complex of locally-owned bars, restaurants, and nightclubs established in 1995. The plaza originally had just one bar and has grown to include eight venues, as of 2013, including: Wall Street Cantina, The Hen House, Hooch, Loaded Hog, Monkey-Bar, One-Eyed Jack's, Slingapour's, and Waitiki. Wall Street Cantina, a Mexican restaurant, can be seen to the right of the photograph. In 2014, Loaded Hog and One-Eyed Jack's were replaced by Shine and Slingapour's was replaced by Shine. Wall Street Plaza hosts various block parties and special events in Downtown Orlando.
creator: Cook, Thomas
source: Original color digital image by Thomas Cook, 2001: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
publisher: RICHES of Central Florida
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Wall Street Plaza, Downtown Orlando, Florida
coverage: Wall Street Cantina, Downtown Orlando, Florida

Wally Schirra and Others at Post-Flight Event
subject: Cape Canaveral (Fla.)
subject: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (Fla.)
subject: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (U.S.)
subject: NASA
subject: Atlas (Missile)
subject: Astronauts--United States
subject: Project Mercury (U.S.)
description: Astronaut Wally Schirra (1923-2007) at a post-flight event. Dr.Calvin D. Fowler, the Launch Conductor at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS)'s Launch Complex 14 (LC-14) in Cape Canaveral, Florida, presented Schirra with the key to launch Schirra's spacecraft, Sigma 7, into orbit on October 3, 1962. Mercury-Atlas 8 (MA-8) was the fifth manned space mission and was launched as part of Project Mercury.
source: Original black and white photographic print, 1962: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.
contributor: Fowler, Calvin "Cal" D.
contributor: Chronopoints
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14, Cape Canaveral, Florida

Walt Disney Road Atlas for Cast Members
subject: Walt Disney World (Fla.)--Maps
subject: Amusement parks--Florida
subject: Lake Buena Vista (Fla.)--Maps
subject: Magic Kingdom (Fla.)
subject: EPCOT Center (Fla.)--Maps
description: Cast Member Map of Walt Disney World from 1986, showing such locations as the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT Center, the future location of the Disney-MGM Studios, Fort Wilderness Campground, the Contemporary Resort, Lake Buena Vista Village, Walt Disney World Village, and the future location of Pleasure Island. This map was issued to all new employees around 1986. It was not for public/tourist use, as it lists all areas that are accessible by employees only. This includes employee parking areas, access roads as well as a map of the Magic Kingdom Tunnel complex, the underground corridors and rooms that the rest of the Magic Kingdom is built upon.
source: Original map, 1986: Walt Disney Company: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
publisher: Walt Disney Company
format: application/pdf
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
coverage: Epcot Center, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
coverage: Disney's MGM Studios, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
coverage: Fort Wilderness Campground, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
coverage: Disney's Contemporary Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
coverage: Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa, Orlando, Florida
coverage: Downtown Disney Pleasure Island, Pleasure Island, Florida

Walter C. Bass, City Father
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
subject: Kissimmee (Fla.)
subject: Gainesville (Fla.)
description: Walter C. Bass (1900-1973) was born in Kissimmee, Florida, on January 9, 1900. He had attended the University of Florida (UF) and was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity, a 32d Degree Mason, a member of the Grotto and the Elks Club. Bass belonged to the Methodist Church and the Orlando Country Club. Over his lifetime, he held a variety of jobs, working in a meat market and grocery store, and then coming to own the Bass Hotel, work as a real estate agent, and, most importantly, serve as Orlandos city commissioner from 1952 to 1954. He was married to Ethel Bass and had two children. Bass passed away on January 19, 1973.
source: Original newspaper article: "Walter C. Bass, City Father." The Kissimmee Gazette: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Downtown Orlando Information Center, Orlando, Florida.
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: Kissimmee, Florida
coverage: University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
coverage: Hotel Bass, Downtown Orlando, Florida

Walter Gaudnek
subject: Gaudnek, Walter, 1931-
subject: Art--Southern States
subject: Painting--Florida
subject: Educators--Florida
subject: Teachers--Florida
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
description: Born in Fleyh, Czechoslovakia, in 1931, pop artist Dr. Walter Gaudnek is known for his blend of his bold colors, philosophy, religious symbolism, labyrinth installations, and mixtures of performance and art. He also draws heavy inspiration from Bohemia, Caravaggio, Kazimir Malevich, and Pablo Picasso. A 1957 Fulbright Scholar who received his doctorate from New York University, he joined the art faculty of the Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida) in Orlando, Florida, in 1970. Dr. Gaudnek previously taught at universities in Los Angeles, New York, and Ohio. He founded the Long Island University's Hillwood Art Museum in Greenvale, New York. His honors from UCF include Distinguished Researcher of the Year (1990), the Teaching Incentive Program Award (1995 and 2005), the Professional Excellence Program Award (1997), the President's Award (1999), and the Research Incentive Award (2002). In 1994, the Sudetendeutecher Landsmannschaft, an organization dedicated to recognizing the achievements of the Czech-German diaspora, awarded him the Kulturpreis for Fine Art and Architecture. Dr. Gaudnek's work can be seen at the Gaudnek Europe Museum (GEM) in Altomnster, Germany, as well as the UCF Library, which contains a retrospective of his work from 1945 to 2007. He has participated in more than 200 solo and group exhibitions, installations, and performances in Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Colombia, the Czech Republic, and the United States. His works have also been exhibited in museums in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Virginia, Arizona, Florida, Europe, and Brazil, as well as schools, banks, office buildings, libraries, theaters, museums, and private homes in Europe and the United States. He has been featured in documentaries in San Francisco, New York, Munich, Sใo Paolo, and Paris.
source: Original color photograph: City of Orlando Terrace Gallery, Orlando, Florida.
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Fleyh, Czechoslovakia
coverage: Florida Technological University, Orlando, Florida
coverage: University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
coverage: Hillwood Art Museum, Long Island University, Greenvale, New York
coverage: Gaudnek Europe Museum, Altomnster, Dachau, Bavaria, Germany

War Diary of William Eppright
subject: World War, 1939-1945
subject: Veterans--Florida
description: The war diary of William Graf Eppright (1923-1945). The diary records Eppright's activity between August 8 and August 10, 1945, which was the date that he was killed in action. The document was declassified on December 31, 2012. Born on May 3, 1923, Eppright ran track in high school. On June 30, 1942, he registered for the draft. On October 1, 1942, he began his service in the United States Navy. He served in the Domestic Service and Foreign Service. On January 27, 1945, he married Mildred Anna Brady. In August of 1945, he was assigned to the USS Siboney. On August 10, 1945, the aircraft collided in the air, and Eppright was among the six pilots and crewmen presumed lost and killed in action. He is memorialized 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.
creator: Naval Transportation Service
source: Digital reproduction of original war diary.
publisher: Naval Transportation Service
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: San Francisco, California

War Ration Book Four: Prince Butler Boston
subject: Oviedo (Fla.)
subject: World War II, 1939-1945
subject: Rationing--United States
description: This World War II-era war ration book belonged to Prince Butler Boston, a prominent African American leader in Oviedo, Florida, who was integral to creating a vibrant black community in Seminole County through industry and his patronage. Boston was the son of a Georgia slave owner, Dr. Alexander Atkinson, who moved to Central Florida in 1885, when Boston was 14 years old. After the citrus freeze during the 1890s, Atkinson abandoned citrus growing and moved to Miami, leaving most his land to Boston. Boston was a member of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church for nearly 61 years, beginning in 1886 until his death in 1947. He was ordained as a deacon in the church and also became the superintendent of the Sunday school, as well. Once membership in the church began to grow, he designed a second choir stand and two additional classrooms. Boston also gave five acres of land to the church to build a cemetery, which is now known as the Boston Hill Cemetery. In May 1942, the U.S. Office of Price Administration froze prices on everyday goods, such as coffee, sugar, and gasoline. Families were issued war ration books and tokens, which dictated how many and how much goods could be purchased by any one family. Various types of rationing included certificate rationing, differential coupon rationing, point rationing, and uniform coupon rationing. Sugar is an example of uniform coupon rationing which provided equal shares of a single product to every American; point rationing issued coupons for points. Theses points could be used for any combination of items in processed foods and meats. Differential coupon rationing provided products based on varying needs. These products included gasoline and fuel oil. In the case of certificate rationing, individuals had to demonstrate need for the products, such as tires, cars, and stoves.
source: Original war ration book: U.S. Office of Price Administration: Private Collection of Ida Boston.
publisher: U.S. Office of Price Administration
contributor: Boston, Ida
format: application/pdf
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: Oviedo, Florida

Warranty Deed for George W. Oden (January 6, 1903)
subject: Apopka (Fla.)
subject: Deeds--Florida
description: Warranty deed certifying the transfer of land in Apopka, Florida, from John F. Cogswell and Esther M. Cogswell to George W. Oden on November 1, 1902. The property transferred was 40 acres in the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 8 in Township 21, south of Range 28 East, and was notarized by Frank H. Davis and David E. Moulton. The deed was certified by J. N. Bradshaw and M. A. Howard, circuit court clerk and deputy clerk of the Circuit Court of the 17th Judicial Circuit of Orange County, respectively, on January 28, 1903. George W. Oden (1862-1939) was a successful businessman and citrus grower in Apopka, Florida. Born in Sylacauga, Alabama, Oden moved to Apopka by 1902. He owned four businesses and five parcels of land, where he grew citrus. In 1933, Oden donated land for the construction of the Pleasant View Baptist Church, located at 1202 South Central Avenue. Oden was also the recipient of the City of Apopka's Fifty Years in Business Award.
source: Original warranty deed, January 6, 1903: State of Florida, County of Orange, Apopka, Florida: series I, box 1, folder 29, African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
publisher: H & W. B. Drew Company
contributor: Oden, George W.
contributor: Cogswell, John F.
contributor: Cogswell, Esther M.
contributor: Bradshaw, J. N.
contributor: Howard, M. A.
contributor: Daggett, Angelia
contributor: Libby, C. E.
contributor: Davis, Frank H.
contributor: Moulton, David E.
contributor: Mundy, Carol E.
format: application/pdf
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: Apopka, Florida

Warranty Deed for State Bank of Apopka (May 20, 1921)
subject: Apopka (Fla.)
subject: Deeds--Florida
subject: Banks and banking--Florida
description: A warranty deed certifying the transfer of land from Michael Gladden, Jr. and Elizabeth Gladden to the State Bank of Apopka for $100 on May 20, 1921. The property transferred was the west quarter of Lot 17 of Block J in Apopka, Florida. The deed was certified by the circuit court clerk and deputy clerk of the Circuit Court of the 17th Judicial Circuit of Orange County on May 25, 1921. Michael Gladden, Jr. (1899-1982) was the executor of the estate of George W. Oden (1862-1939), a successful businessman and citrus grower in Apopka, Florida. Gladden was born in South Carolina in 1899. He married Elizabeth Gladden and together they had a son, William, who was born around 1904. According to census records, the Gladden family had moved to Jacksonville as early as 1910 and then moved to Apopka. After Oden's death in 1939, Gladden continued to manage the legal documents of Oden's estate.
source: Original warranty deed, May 20, 1921: State of Florida, County of Orange, Apopka, Florida: series I, box 1, folder 74, African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
publisher: H & W. B. Drew Company
contributor: Gladden, Michael, Jr.
contributor: Gladden, Elizabeth
contributor: Talton, W. G.
contributor: Robinson, Bill
contributor: Wittierby, Frank S.
contributor: Mundy, Carol E.
format: application/pdf
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: Apopka, Florida

Warren III Atlas Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Site at Warren Air Force Base
subject: Cape Canaveral (Fla.)
subject: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (Fla.)
subject: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (U.S.)
subject: NASA
subject: Air Force
description: The Warren III Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch site, located at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base (Warren AFB), was built in 1960 to house the Atlas D ICBM. This "coffin" site is the current location of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) and was active from 1960 to 1964.
source: Original black and white photographic print: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.
contributor: Fowler, Calvin D.
contributor: Chronopoints
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming

Water Cooler
subject: Mass shootings
subject: Memorials--Florida
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
description: Original photograph of a large white cooler in front of Pulse nightclub. Messages are written on the cooler, which also has a sign taped to it that says, "FREE COLD WATER". Pulse was located at 1912 South Orange Avenue in Orlando, Florida. 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.
creator: Cravero, Geoffrey
source: Original color photograph: RICHES of Central Florida, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
publisher: RICHES of Central Florida
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Pulse, Orlando, Florida

Water Deluge System at the John F. Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39
subject: John F. Kennedy Space Center
subject: Kennedy Space Center
subject: Merritt Island (Fla.)
subject: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (U.S.)
subject: NASA
subject: Apollo Project (U.S.)
subject: Project Apollo (U.S.)
description: The Water Deluge System at Launch Complex 39's Launchpad A and Launchpad B, located at John F. Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. The Water Deluge System was used for two reasons: noise suppression and flame suppression. The system reduced both issues by releasing a torrent of water after the rocket was ignited, which reduced the sound of the rocket and damage to the launchpad from the intense heat. Launchpads A and B were built specifically for the powerful Saturn V rocket, thus there was a special need to address those issues.
source: Original color photographic print: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.
contributor: Fowler, Calvin "Cal" D.
contributor: Chronopoints
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Launch Complex 39, John F. Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida

Water Hyacinths
subject: Waterfront Districts
subject: Lakes & ponds
subject: Lake Monroe (Seminole County and Volusia County, Fla.)
subject: Postcards--Florida
subject: Water transporation
subject: Water hyacinth--Florida
description: Postcard of the water hyacinths in Lake Monroe near Sanford. Lake Monroe is a lake that is part of the St. Johns River system in Florida and is also the eigth largest lake in the Orlando metropolitan area. Sanford is located on its northern shore and DeBary and Deltona are located along its northern shore. Two major roadways, State Road 415 and Interstate, run near the lake. Lake Monroe also formes the border of Seminole County and Volusia County.
creator: Huld, Frank
source: Original 9 x 14 centimeter color postcard by Frank Huld: Postcard Collection, call number PC5052, Florida Photographic Collection, State Library and Archives of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida.
publisher: State Library and Archives of Florida
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Sanford, Florida

Water Hyacinths Near Sanford
subject: Water hyacinth--Florida
subject: Waterways--Florida
subject: St. Johns River (Fla.)
description: Water hyacinths on the St. Johns River near Sanford, Florida in the early 1900s. By the mid-1880s, Sanford, Florida had become a major distribution center due to the city's strategic location along Lake Monroe and the St. Johns River. Even before Florida obtained statehood, steamboats frequented the St. Johns River carrying U.S. Army soldiers to Fort Mellon, located on the shores of Lake Monroe, to defend the area against Native Americans during the Seminole Wars. Steamboats were used at the fort and during the Battle of Camp Monroe to relocate Seminoles, explore the St. Johns River, and to distribute military forces. During the second half of the 1830s, steamboats were used to tow barges from the river to Lake Monroe in order to stimulate trade. The first commercial steamboat was developed as the Brock Line in the early 1850s. As trade grew, various wharves and docks were built in locations such as Mellonville Avenue, Palmetto Avenue, Oak Street, and Sanford Avenue. The Debary-Baya Merchant Line began transporting passengers in 1883, which further developed the steamboat industry. The line was purchased by the Clyde Line in 1886 and remained open until 1933. The growth of railroads was the primary cause of the decline of the steamboat industry.
creator: Chase & Company
source: Original 3 x 5 inch black and white photograph by Chase & Company: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 211, folder 3.30A, item CC 101, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Sanford, Florida

Water Management Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 2 (December 1967-January 1968)
subject: Floods--Florida
subject: Canals--Florida
subject: Levees--United States
subject: Water quality--Florida
description: The December 1967 through January 1968 edition of the Water Management Bulletin, which was a publication of the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control District. The district was formed by the Florida Legislature in 1949 to manage the Central and Southern Florida Project, a program created by the U.S. Congress as part of the Flood Control Act (FCA) of 1948). The project had several purposes related to water management: flood control, water conservation, and supply for agricultural and urban use, recreation, navigation, and prevention of saltwater intrusion. To accomplish these goals, the project constructed levees, dikes, and canals throughout Central and South Florida. In 1972, the Florida Water Resources Act divided the state into five water management districts and the Flood Control District became the South Florida Water Management District. Issues discussed in this bulletin include: initiation of the first urban water usage study within the district; hearings held by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CoE) to discuss a proposed Water Resources Plan; the adoption of an alligator mascot by the district; the creation of a traveling steamboat display for educational purposes; a synopsis of the proposed Water Resources Plan; a statement from Robert Padrick, chairman of the district, to the CoE; plans to beautify pumping stations; plans to expand recreational boating canals; plans to clean existing dikes; a resolution seeking protection for alligators; and the observation of an increased number of Everglades kites. The bulletin also contains maps of the district and its constructed and proposed canals and levees.
source: Original 12-page newsletter: Water Management Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 2, December 1967: binder 1968, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
publisher: Central and Southern Florida Flood Control District
format: application/pdf
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: Coral Gables, Florida
coverage: Lake Okeechobee, Florida
coverage: Kissimmee River, Florida
coverage: West Palm Beach, Florida
coverage: Tampa, Florida
coverage: Orlando, Florida
coverage: Miami Beach, Florida
coverage: Miami, Florida
coverage: Kissimmee, Florida

Water Mania, 1989
subject: Kissimmee (Fla.)
subject: Theme parks
description: Alicia Lynn Cepero (b. 1975) on a water slide at Water Mania, a presently abandoned water park located at 4449 West U.S. Route 192 in Kissimmee, Florida. The 36-acre park was originally owned by brothers Gary Larson and Randy Larson and opened in 1986. In 2005, the park, along with Larson's Lodge and Country Hearth Hotel were sold. Water Mania closed on September 5, 2005.
source: Original color photographs, September 1989: Private Collection of Nancy Lynn Cepero.
contributor: Cepero, Nancy Lynn
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Water Mania, Kissimmee, Florida

Water Resources Restoration and Preservation Program Projects
subject: Environmental protection--Florida
subject: Pollution--Florida
subject: Water quality--Florida
description: A document describing the formation of the Water Resources Restoration and Preservation program (WRR&P) within the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (DER), as mandated by legislation passed by the Florida Legislature on July 1, 1977. The document also lists 12 restoration projects, both completed and underway, by the program, and gives updates on the Lake Apopka Restoration Project, including the proposed drawdown of Lake Apopka. Additionally, the document states that work on an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), as required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was started in March of 1978 and was scheduled to be completed by early 1979. Finally, the document describes public involvement efforts by the program, including a public meeting held in Eustis on March 7, 1978. Lake Apopka is one of Florida’s largest lakes and was once considered to be one of the world’s best lakes for bass fishing. The lake’s sport fish population began to decline in the 1960s, with major die-offs occurring almost yearly. The lake’s problems are generally considered to be the result of over-nutrification from various sources. Twenty thousand acres of wetlands bordering the lake’s north shore were drained in the 1940s and used for highly fertile “muck farms.” These farms were routinely flooded to protect the fragile soil, and the fertilizer and pesticide-laden water was then discharged back into the lake prior to each growing season. Other sources of pollution include discharge from citrus processing operations, as well as treated wastewater from sewage plants. The nutrient-rich discharge promoted algae growth in the lake, turning the water to a green color, and blocked sunlight from reaching aquatic vegetation, which provided food and habit to the lake’s fish population. The lake’s bottom soil became increasingly “mucky,” also disrupting aquatic vegetation from taking root. Restoration work on the lake began in the 1960s with attempts by various agencies to remove …
source: Original 2-page typewritten document, 1978: binder 1978, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
publisher: Florida Department of Environmental Regulation
format: application/pdf
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: Lake Apopka, Florida
coverage: Lake Jackson, Florida
coverage: Lake Lulu, Florida
coverage: Lake Washington, Florida
coverage: Sanibel River, Florida
coverage: Cape Coral, Florida
coverage: Bayou Chico, Florida
coverage: Bayou Texar, Florida
coverage: Pond Creek, Florida
coverage: Big Hickory Pass, Florida
coverage: Lake Eola, Florida

Water Ski Show at Cypress Gardens, 1989
subject: Winter Haven (Fla.)
subject: Theme parks
subject: Water skiing
description: The water ski show at Cypress Gardens in June of 1989. Billed as Florida's first commercial tourist theme park, Cypress Gardens opened on January 2, 1936, as a botanical garden planted by Dick Pope, Sr. (1900-1988) and his wife, Julie Pope. Over the years, it became one of the biggest attractions in Florida, known for its water ski shows, lush gardens, and Southern Belles. It also became known as the "Water Ski Capital of the World," because many of the sport's landmark firsts and the over 50 world records broken there. Numerous motion pictures were filmed at the Cypress Gardens, including portions of This is Cinerama, the first feature filmed in the wide-screen format, as well as a string of Esther Williams films and television specials in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1950s, young women dressed in the crinolines reminiscent of the Antebellum South. During the American Civil War Centennial, young men dressed in Confederate uniforms would be photographed with the Southern Belles. With the addition of a custom photography boat named Miss Cover Girl in the early 1960s, the park became a popular site for the filming of television commercials. However, Cypress Gardens closed in 2009 and Legoland occupies the former lot at 1 Legoland Way in Winter Haven, Florida.
creator: Cepero, Nancy Lynn
source: Original color photographs, June 1989: Private Collection of Nancy Lynn Cepero.
contributor: Cepero, Nancy Lynn
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: Cypress Gardens, Winter Haven, Florida

Water Ski Show at SeaWorld Orlando, 2001
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
subject: Theme parks
subject: Water skiing
description: Water ski show with Santa Clause at SeaWorld Orlando, located at 7007 Sea World Drive in Orlando, Florida, in 2001. SeaWorld Orlando was first established by Milton C. Sheed, Ken Norris, David Demott, and George Malay in San Diego, California, in 1964. SeaWorld Orlando opened its third location on December 15, 1973, shortly after the opening of Walt Disney World. In 1976, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. (HBJ), which also owned Cypress Gardens and Boardwalk and Baseball, purchased the company. However, fearing bankruptcy in the late 1980s, HBJ eventually sold all six parks to the Anheuser-Busch Company in 1989. SeaWorld Orlando also has locations in Ohio and Illinois.
source: Original color photograph, 2001: Private Collection of Nancy Lynn Cepero.
contributor: Cepero, Nancy Lynn
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, Florida

Waterfront Park at the Sanford House Hotel
subject: Sanford (Fla.)
subject: Docks--United States
subject: Parks--Florida
subject: Hotels--Florida
description: This photograph is of the waterfront on Commercial Street in Sanford, Florida. The Palm Avenue Dock is in the distance and the foreground is the park at the Sanford House Hotel. There is a century plant in the center of walkway in the park. The Sanford House Hotel Park, adjoining the Sanford House Hotel, overlooked the waterfront of Lake Monroe at Commercial Street and Palmetto Avenue in 1934. The hotel was built by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with the intent of attracting tourists and providing housing for would-be wealthy settlers to the city of Sanford. The Sanford House Hotel was joined by the Lake Monroe House, a lower-cost alternative geared towards laborers, both of which were completed in 1876. Facing the waterfront, the hotel was located at the intersection of Commercial Street and Palmetto Avenue. The Sanford House Hotel featured three stories—two of which included porches—and enough rooms to serve 150 guests. The hotel’s landscaping included flower beds and citrus trees. A boardwalk led visitors straight from the hotel to the shores of Lake Monroe. Rates for a room in 1884 ranged from $15 to $20 per week. The 1887 fire came very close to the Sanford House, and it was feared that sparks would add it to the destruction. What saved it were wet blankets which were draped from the roof and windows. The Sanford House Hotel was torn down in May of 1920. At the turn of the century, the Sanford House Hotel was the center of all major city events and celebrations. While guide books from the period often included positive reference to the hotel, it failed to attract many visitors. The hotel did not make any profit during its first years of operation. By its third year, the 1879-1880 season, the hotel netted only $800 in profits. The hotel continued to make meager profits for the remainder of the nineteenth century. Nonetheless, it served as a central point of focus during city celebrations during the period.
creator: Upton
source: Original 11 inch x 8.5 inch photograph by Upton, 1882: Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Sanford, Florida

Wayne County, Michigan Marriages, September 25-28, 1922
subject: Marriage--United States
description: Marriage records for the Wayne County, Michigan, from September 25 September 28, 1922. A notable couple listed in this record is Claude Haskell Maddox, Sr. (b. 1895) and Nita P. Lowe (b. 1900). After marrying in Detroit, the couple had three children together: James Robert Maddox (1924-1944), William Maddox, and Claude Haskell Maddox, Jr. The Maddox family had migrated to Columbia, South Carolina, by 1930 and then to Tallahassee, Florida by 1940. The oldest son, James Maddox, enlisted into the U.S. Army's 15th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division during World War II. Private Maddox was Killed in Action (KIA) on October 9, 1944, and is buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
source: Digital reproduction of original marriage record, September 1922: Division of Vital Records, Michigan Department of Human and Health Services, Lansing, Michigan.
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: Wayne County, Michigan

Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center Lobby
subject: Sanford (Fla.)
subject: Buildings--Florida
subject: Theaters--Florida
subject: Performing Arts--United States
subject: Theater--21st century
description: The lobby of the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in 2011. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed 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 Theatre 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.
creator: Cepero, Laura
source: Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.
publisher: RICHES of Central Florida
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, Sanford, Florida

Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center Stage
subject: Sanford (Fla.)
subject: Buildings--Florida
subject: Theaters--Florida
subject: Performing Arts--United States
subject: Theater--21st century
description: The theater stage of the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in 2011. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed 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 Theatre 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.
creator: Cepero, Laura
source: Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.
publisher: RICHES of Central Florida
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, Sanford, Florida

Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center Ticket Booth
subject: Sanford (Fla.)
subject: Buildings--Florida
subject: Theaters--Florida
subject: Performing Arts--United States
subject: Theater--21st century
description: The ticket booth at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in 2011. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed 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 Theatre 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.
creator: Cepero, Laura
source: Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.
publisher: RICHES of Central Florida
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Sanford, Florida

Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, 2011
subject: Sanford (Fla.)
subject: Theaters--Florida
description: The Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, located at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Downtown Sanford, Florida in 2011. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed 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 Theatre 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.
creator: Cepero, Laura
source: Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, July 9, 2011.
publisher: RICHES of Central Florida
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, Sanford, Florida

Wayne, Gertrude, Ruf and Maude Goins
subject: World War, 1914-1918
subject: Veterans--Florida
description: A photograph of Rufe Goins (center, left), his wife, Maude (center, right), as well as relatives Wayne (left) and Gertrude (right). The photograph was taken in Tampa, Florida, where Goins and his wife retired in 1959. On May 29, 1912, at the age of twenty-one, Goins enlisted in the United States Army. He served in the 19th Infantry Regiment in Texas for several years. At the time of his service, the United States was engaged in war with Mexico. The United States Army garrisoned American border towns, constructed forts alongside the border, and fought against Pancho Villa, a notable Mexican revolutionary. Goins was honorably discharged on May 28, 1915. When the United States entered World War I, Goins re-enlisted in the Army on October 30, 1917. He served for two years and reached the rank of Private before being released on June 20, 1919. Goins served more than half a year past the end of the war in November 1918. He died on December 25, 1988, in Tampa, Florida, at the age of 94, and is buried at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. His wife, Maude, died ten years later and is buried with him. 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.
creator: Goins Family
source: Digital reproduction of original color photograph.
contributor: Goins, Wayne
contributor: Goins, Gertrude
contributor: Goins, Ruf
contributor: Goins Maude
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: Tampa, Florida

We Appreciate Your Patronage Sign
subject: Apopka (Fla.)
subject: Business signs
description: Business sign thanking customers for their patronage. The sign belonged to a business owned by Ella Wall located on Main Street in Apopka, Florida. Ella Wall (1874-1938) was an entrepreneur and businesswoman of Apopka who served as the inspiration for a character in Zora Neale Hurston's novel Mules and Men. Wall was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, in 1874 and moved to Apopka as a widow. Throughout her lifetime, Wall purchased four parcels, of land. She operated an orange grove and also constructed small wooden buildings that she rented out to migrant workers. Wall was also a friend of Michael Gladden, Jr., the executor of the George W. Oden estates, until her death in 1938.
source: Original business sign: series I, box 1, folder 1, African American Legacy: The Carol Mundy Collection, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
contributor: Mundy, Carol E.
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Text

We Are Building a New Image in Concordville
subject: Energy--United States
description: An artist’s concept of new headquarters for Westinghouse Electric's Combustion Turbine Systems Division (CTSD) in Concordville, Pennsylvania. CTSD was one of the divisions relocated to Orlando, Florida, in 1987. Originally called the Westinghouse Electric Company, George Westinghouse (1846-1914) founded his manufacturing company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 8, 1886. In 1889, he renamed his business The Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. Westinghouse's primary products include turbines, generators, motors and switchgear related to the generation, transmission, and use of electricity. The company changed its name to Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1945. In 1981, the company began to relocate its division headquarters for the Steam-Turbine Generator Divisions from Pennsylvania (turbines from Lester and generators from Pittsburgh) to Orlando, Florida. The Power Generation Business Unit (PGBU) building was located in The Quadrangle, at 4400 Alafaya Trail. Originally, Westinghouse had purchased a large plot of land for future development that extended westward from Alafaya Trail to Rouse Road. The original headquarters was located on several acres of that land parcel close to Alafaya Trail. As the PGBU grew in size, other buildings were rented and then, after PGBU was sold to Siemens Corporation, additional buildings were added to the complex. In 1994, after a major corporate management shuffling and commitment to change from an industrial manufacturing company to primarily a broadcasting/communications company, Westinghouse bought the CBS Network and changed its name to the CBS Corporation. As the PGBU grew in size, other buildings were rented and then, after PGBU was sold to Siemens Corporation in 1998, additional buildings were added to the Quadrangle.
source: Original drawing: Private Collection of Harry L. Jaeger.
contributor: Jaeger, Harry L.
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Combustion Turbine Systems Division, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Concordville, Pennsylvania

We Are Family, May 14 & 15, 2016
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
subject: Music--Florida
subject: Dance--United States
subject: Gay culture--United States
description: A program for the Orlando Gay Chorus' concert, "We Are Family", on May 14 &amp
description: 15, 2016, at the Plaza Theater in Orlando, Florida. The program includes short biographies on the Artistic Director James A. Rode, the Associate Artistic Director Harold Wright, the Co-Head Choreographers Alecia Boon and Dwight Shropshire, Principle Accompanist Sue Glerum, the Principle ASL interpreter Debbie Drobney, program notes, an outline of the show's itinerary, a list of chorus members and contributors, and a history of GALA Choruses and the Orlando Gay Chorus. The program has a date and location discrepancy. The correct dates of the concert were May 14 &amp
description: 15, 2016. The location, although not mentioned on the program, is The Plaza Theater. 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.
creator: Orlando Gay Chorus
source: Original 32-page colored program, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
publisher: Orlando Gay Chorus
format: application/pdf
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: The Plaza Theater, Orlando, Florida

We Heart Orlando Bumper Sticker
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
subject: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
description: In April of 1987, the Combustion Turbine Systems Division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation was relocated from its prior headquarters in Concordville, Pennsylvania to the World Headquarters of Westinghouse Power Generation located at The Quadrangle, on Alafaya Trail, across from the University of Central in Orlando, Florida. This advertisement was prepared shortly after the move. Originally called the Westinghouse Electric Company, George Westinghouse (1846-1914) founded his manufacturing company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 8, 1886. In 1889, he renamed his business The Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. Westinghouse's primary products include turbines, generators, motors and switchgear related to the generation, transmission, and use of electricity. The company changed its name to Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1945. In 1981, the company began to relocate its division headquarters for the Steam-Turbine Generator Divisions from Pennsylvania (turbines from Lester and generators from Pittsburgh) to Orlando, Florida. The Power Generation Business Unit (PGBU) building was located in The Quadrangle, at 4400 Alafaya Trail. Originally, Westinghouse had purchased a large plot of land for future development that extended westward from Alafaya Trail to Rouse Road. The original headquarters was located on several acres of that land parcel close to Alafaya Trail. 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 …
source: Original color bumper sticker.
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Physical Object
coverage: Westinghouse Power Generation Business Unit, Orlando, Florida

We're Ready for Our Close Up
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
subject: Music--Florida
subject: Dance--United States
description: A poster for the Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) concert, “We're Ready for Our Close-Up: A Tribute to the Movies”. The event was held at The Plaza Live, located at 425 North Bumby Avenue in Orlando, Florida, on May 18 and 19, 2013. The event was a tribute to the music of the movies. Tickets were $25 in advance through chorus members and orlandogaychorus.org and $30 at the door. The poster has a black background with rope-lined red carpet that ends at the title, illuminated in lights. Featured artwork includes the logos of the OGC, the Plaza Live, 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.
creator: Orlando Gay Chorus
source: Original color poster: University of Central Florida Special Collections, Orlando, Florida.
publisher: Orlando Gay Chorus
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: The Plaza Live Theatre, Orlando, Florida

We're Ready For Our Close-Up, May 18 &19, 2013
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
subject: Music--Florida
subject: Dance--United States
subject: Gay culture--United States
description: A program for the Orlando Gay Chorus' concert, "We're Ready For Our Close-Up", on May 18 &amp
description: 19, 2013, at the Plaza Theater in Orlando, Florida. The program includes short biographies on the Artistic Director Jim Brown, the Assistant Artistic Director Jedediah C. Daiger, the Principle Choreographer Bob Smith-Trent, Principle Accompanist Sue Glerum, the Principle ASL interpreter Debbie Drobney, program notes, an outline of the show's itinerary, a list of chorus members and contributors, and a history of GALA Choruses and the Orlando Gay Chorus. The Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization, and part of the Gay and Lesbian Association (GALA) of Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a host of community events, such as Come Out With Pride, Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees, and World AIDS Day memorial services. In 2017, the group performed at over 105 events, including 15 performances for the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Members come from all walks of life and all sexual and gender orientations, including straight allies. OGC lives by the motto “Singing the World to a Better Place” and strives to use music to change attitudes and build a stronger community.
creator: Orlando Gay Chorus
source: Original 28-page colored program, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
publisher: Orlando Gay Chorus
format: application/pdf
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: The Plaza Theater, Orlando, Florida

Wedding Ceremony for Andy Serros and Helen Gentile in St. James Catholic Cathedral
subject: Orlando (Fla.)
subject: Churches--Florida
subject: Cathedrals--United States
subject: Catholic Church--Florida
subject: Weddings--United States
description: The wedding ceremony for Andy Serros and Helen Gentile at St. James Cathedral on February 7, 1950. Serros was one of the founders of Orlando Remembered. This wedding was one of the last to be held in the old St. James Church before it was rebuilt to the current building. St. James Catholic Cathedral is located at 215 North Orange Avenue in Orlando, Florida. In 1881, Bishop John Moore (b. ca. 1834-1901) purchased a block of land bound by Orange Avenue, Magnolia Avenue, Jefferson Street, and Robinson Street. On January 23, 1887, the cornerstone of the Holy Nativity Catholic Church was set under the leadership of Father Felix P. Swembergh (d. 1887). The building was designed by Kurz and Allison's Art Studio of Chicago in the American Gothic-style and was completed in June of 1891, under the guidance of Father Joseph J. Creed, who replaced Father Swembergh after his death in October 1887. It was renamed as St. James Catholic Church the following year. In 1889, a storm destroyed the church's roof and the City of Orlando condemned the building. The church was rebuilt in 1889 in the old Carpenter Gothic-style and seated 240. The church also had a school, St. Joseph's Academy, built in 1889. The school site is now where the Downtown Orlando Post Office is located. The building was torn down around 1950 and the new building, designed by Donovan Dean and Arthur White, was completed on January 20, 1952. In 1977, the building was designated as the diocese's cathedral due to the destruction of the St. Charles Borromeo Cathedral by fire. In July of 2009, the cathedral was closed for renovations and was re-dedicated on November 20, 2010.
source: Original black and white photograph, February 7, 1950: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Regions Bank, Orlando, Florida.
contributor: Serros, Andy
contributor: Serros, Helen Gentile
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: St. James Catholic Cathedral, Downtown Orlando, Florida

Wedding of Charles Simeon Lee and Goldie Eva Beckley
subject: Weddings--United States
subject: Brides--United States
subject: Grooms
subject: Bridegrooms--United States
description: Charles Simeon Lee (1892-1991) and Goldie Eva Beckley (1892-1976), residents of Oviedo, on their wedding day, April 21, 1915. A farmer and the youngest son of Orange County Commissioner James Hiram Lee, Sr. (1844-1920) and Laura Agusta Barnett Lee (1851-1940), Lee was born on October 27, 1892. During the Great Depression, Lee grew celery and bought 20,000 acres to start a cattle ranch. He passed away on November 9, 1991. His wife was born in Wichita, Kansas, July 28, 1892 and died on March 24, 1976.
source: Original black and white photographic print, April 21, 1915: Private Collection of Vicki Clonts.
contributor: Clonts, Vicki
contributor: Bruce, Mimi
format: application/pdf
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Oviedo, Florida

Weeki Wachee Company Van
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: tourism & museum
subject: Tourism--1960-1980
subject: Ballet--1970-1980
subject: Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
subject: Theater--20th century
description: Photograph of the Volkswagen van that Weeki Wachee used to bus employees to the springs. The van is parked in from of the Weeki Wachee entrance sign. 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.
creator: Weeki Wachee Spring State Park
source: Black and White Photograph of Weeki Wachee's Employee Van, c. 1950s: Private Collection of Shirley Herdge.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Weeki Wachee Live Mermaids
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: Springs--Florida
subject: Parks--Florida
description: A small poster for Weeki Wachee Springs. The background of the poster is black, featuring a cartoon mermaid and three fish. The text reads, "Weeki Wachee Live Mermaids. U.S. 19 and Florida 50." 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.
source: Original color poster: May Natural History Museum Colorado Springs, Colorado.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Bonnie Georgiadis Announcing a Show
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: tourism & museum
subject: Tourism--1960-1980
subject: Ballet--1970-1980
subject: Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
subject: Theater--20th century
description: Mermaid Bonnier Georgiadis sitting on the edge of the underwater theater's windows holding a microphone, announcing a show. Two mermaids are pictured behind her in mid pose. Bonnie Georgiadis worked at Weeki Wachee for a total of 37 years. 13 years as a mermaid and trainer, 7 as a show producer and choreographer, and the rest of her time at the park as the bird department's manager. 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.
creator: Weeki Wachee Spring State Park
source: Original black and white photograph of Bonnie Georgiadis and Mermaids, c. 1960s: Private Collection of Sharon Cihak Elliot.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpeg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Bonnie Georgiadis in the lobby of the Mermaid Motel Speaking to Guests
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: tourism & museum
subject: Tourism--1960-1980
subject: Ballet--1970-1980
subject: Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
subject: Theater--20th century
description: Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid Bonnie Georgiadis in uniform (wearing an Alix of Miami Swimsuit) speaking to guests in the lobby of the Mermaid Motel. Behind Bonnie are rows of guest books, one for each state for visitors to the motel to sign into. The Mermaid Motel was directly across the street from Weeki Wachee Springs and operated from 1951 - 1966, when the motel changed hands to Holiday Inn. 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.
creator: Mermaid Motel
source: Original black and white photograph of Bonnie Georgiadis in the Mermaid Motel, c. 1950s-60s: Collection of Friends of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Entering Water Tank
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: Springs--Florida
subject: Parks--Florida
subject: Mermaids--Florida
subject: Perry, Newton, 1908-1987
description: Photograph of an unidentified Weeki Wachee mermaid standing on a ladder in preparation to enter a water tank around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.
creator: Perry, Newton
source: Original photograph of a mermaid at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpeg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Florence McNabb Drinking an RC Cola Underwater
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: tourism & museum
subject: Tourism--1960-1980
subject: Ballet--1970-1980
subject: Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
subject: Theater--20th century
description: Weeki Wachee Mermaid Florence McNabb drinking an RC Cola underwater in the 1960s. Florence is kneeling on some seagrass, holding the airhose to her side. Weeki Wachee mermaids drank soda and ate bananas during their shows, before the mermaid shows became plays. At one point, RC Cola sponsored Weeki Wachee. 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.
creator: Weeki Wachee Spring State Park
source: Original Black and white photograph of Florence McNabb drinking RC Cola, c.1960s: Friends of Weeki Wachee Springs Collection.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpeg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Florence McNabb Posing Underwater in Costume
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: tourism & museum
subject: Tourism--1960-1980
subject: Ballet--1970-1980
subject: Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
subject: Theater--20th century
description: Photograph of Florence McNabb posing underwater in a mermaid costume at Weeki Wachee Springs in the 1950s. Florence was the daughter of Ed and Vera Gothberg, who owned the Mermaid Motel that was across the street from Weeki Wachee Springs until 1966. At this time, mermaid tails were mainly used in promotional photos and rarely used during shows. This was because shows at the time mainly consisted of ballet routines. 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.
creator: Weeki Wachee Spring State Park
source: Original Black and white photograph of Florence McNabb, c. 1950s: Collection of Friends of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpeg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Lydia Dodson Posing Underwater
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.);
subject: Tourism--Florida; tourism & museum;
subject: Tourism--1960-1980;
subject: Ballet--1970-1980;
subject: Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History;
subject: Theater--20th century
description: Lydia Dodson posing underwater in June of 1970. Lydia Dodson was a Weeki Wachee Mermaid in the 1970s and more recently joined ranks of the Legendary Sirens. Weeki Wachee Springs is a state park that opened to the public in October of 1949 by Newton Perry along with a group of investors. This attraction opened as the roadside era of Florida was ramping up and consisted of an amalgamation of vendors including an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction- the mermaid show that took place in an underwater theatre. The attraction grew to include The May Museum of the Tropics, an ‘abandoned Seminole village’, an show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo. As theme parks became the new norm for Florida’s tourist industry, Weeki Wachee Springs began steadily declining until the state of Florida absorbed the attraction into the state park system in 2008. The attraction now focuses on appealing to a modern audience, while still preserving its rich history.
source: Original photograph of Lydia Dodson: Personal Collection of Lydia Dodson.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpg
type: Still image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Posing Underwater in Costume Tail
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: Springs--Florida
subject: Parks--Florida
subject: Mermaids--Florida
subject: Perry, Newton, 1908-1987
description: Weeki Wachee Springs 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.
creator: Perry, Newton
source: Original photograph of Weeki Wachee Mermaid posing underwater: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Reunion Event
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: Springs--Florida
subject: Parks--Florida
subject: Mermaids--Florida
subject: Perry, Newton, 1908-1987
description: Group photograph of participants at a Weeki Wachee mermaid reunion event from May 13 to 15, 1983. 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.
creator: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
source: Original photograph of Weeki Wachee Mermaid Reunion event, May 13-15, 1983: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpeg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Rita King Feeding a Fish Underwater
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: tourism & museum
subject: Tourism--1960-1980
subject: Ballet--1970-1980
subject: Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
subject: Theater--20th century
description: Mermaid Rita King feeding a fish underwater. In one hand she is holding food and the other hand is holding an air hose. She is kneeling on the spring floor. Photograph taken in the 1960s. 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.
creator: Weeki Wachee Spring State Park
source: Black and white photograph of Rita King, c. 1960s: Private collection of Rita King.
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Rita King Performing at a Mermaid Reunion
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: tourism & museum
subject: Tourism--1960-1980
subject: Ballet--1970-1980
subject: Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
subject: Theater--20th century
description: Photograph of Rita King, a mermaid at Weeki Wachee Springs, dancing on a platform as a band plays. This event was one of the many mermaid reunions that Weeki Wachee Springs hosted, where they invited former mermaids to attend special events. This particular reunion occured in the 1960s. 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.
creator: Weeki Wachee Spring State Park
source: Rita King, December 1, 1960: Private collection of Rita King.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpeg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Rita King Performing at a Mermaid Reunion
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.);
subject: Tourism--Florida; tourism & museum;
subject: Tourism--1960-1980;
subject: Ballet--1970-1980;
subject: Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History;
subject: Theater--20th century
description: Rita King, a mermaid at Weeki Wachee Springs, in costume, performing an acrobatic routine. This event was one of the many mermaid reunions that Weeki Wachee Springs hosted, where they invited former mermaids to attend special events. This particular reunion happened on December 1, 1960. Text cut off at the top of the image reads, "Acrobatic Dance Routine for a Mermaid Reunion Show - Age 21." Weeki Wachee Springs is a state park that opened to the public in October of 1949 by Newton Perry along with a group of investors. This attraction opened as the roadside era of Florida was ramping up and consisted of an amalgamation of vendors including an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction- the mermaid show that took place in an underwater theatre. The attraction grew to include The May Museum of the Tropics, an ‘abandoned Seminole village’, an show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo. As theme parks became the new norm for Florida’s tourist industry, Weeki Wachee Springs began steadily declining until the state of Florida absorbed the attraction into the state park system in 2008. The attraction now focuses on appealing to a modern audience, while still preserving its rich history.
creator: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
source: Original black and white photograph of Rita King, December 1, 1960: Private collection of Rita King.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Rita King Posing Underwater with a Welcome Home Sign for Her Parents
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.);
subject: Tourism--Florida; tourism & museum;
subject: Tourism--1960-1980;
subject: Ballet--1970-1980;
subject: Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History;
subject: Theater--20th century
description: Weeki Wachee mermaid Rita King posing underwater with a handmade sign, dressed in a mermaid tail. The sign reads, "Welcome Home Mom, Dad Your Mermaid Missed You!" Rita surprised her parents with this sign at the beginning of the first mermaid show they came to after coming back home from an extended trip. It was routine during performances to shout out visitors who were celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, or other special occasions. When VIP's visited the park, the mermaids welcomed them more elaborately. For example, when Elvis Presley visited Weeki Wachee, the mermaids began the underwater show with a cardboard cutout of Elvis as well as with several signs. As seen here, it was also acceptable for mermaids to personalize their shows under special circumstances. Weeki Wachee Springs is a state park that opened to the public in October of 1949 by Newton Perry along with a group of investors. This attraction opened as the roadside era of Florida was ramping up and consisted of an amalgamation of vendors including an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction- the mermaid show that took place in an underwater theatre. The attraction grew to include The May Museum of the Tropics, an ‘abandoned Seminole village’, an show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo. As theme parks became the new norm for Florida’s tourist industry, Weeki Wachee Springs began steadily declining until the state of Florida absorbed the attraction into the state park system in 2008. The attraction now focuses on appealing to a modern audience, while still preserving its rich history.
creator: Weeki Wachee Springs
source: Original B&W photograph of Rita King, 1967: Private Collection of Rita King.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaid with Report Card
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: Springs--Florida
subject: Parks--Florida
subject: Mermaids--Florida
description: A Weeki Wachee Springs mermaid posing underwater with a report card. The card includes grades for bathing, ballet, breathing and boys. Weeki Wachee Springs is a state park that opened to the public in October of 1949 by Newton Perry along with a group of investors. This attraction opened as the roadside era of Florida was ramping up and consisted of an amalgamation of vendors including an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction- the mermaid show that took place in an underwater theatre. The attraction grew to include The May Museum of the Tropics, an ‘abandoned Seminole village’, a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo. As theme parks became the new norm for Florida’s tourist industry, Weeki Wachee Springs steadily declined until the state of Florida absorbed the attraction into the state park system in 2008. The attraction now focuses on appealing to a modern audience, while still preserving its rich history.
creator: Schumacher, Elmer "Sparky"
source: Original black and white photograph by Elmer "Sparky" Schumacher: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Weeki Wachee, Florida.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaids Eating Watermelon Underwater
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: Springs--Florida
subject: Parks--Florida
subject: Mermaids--Florida
subject: Perry, Newton, 1908-1987
description: Three Weeki Wachee Mermaids eating watermelon underwater. Before the mermaids performed plays, their shows consisted of underwater ballet, a deep dive into the depths of the spring, and other stunts. A common stunt the mermaids performed was to eat and drink underwater. Most commonly the mermaids ate bananas and drank soda out of glass bottles. 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. 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 attr…
creator: Perry, Newton
source: Original photograph of mermaids eating underwater: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaids in Staged Underwater Dining Scene
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: Springs--Florida
subject: Parks--Florida
subject: Mermaids--Florida
subject: Perry, Newton, 1908-1987
subject: Underwater photography
description: Photograph of three Weeki Wachee Mermaids in staged underwater dining scene at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. The mermaids are eating watermelon and breathing using air hoses while sitting at a table placed on the bottom of a body of water. 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 …
creator: Perry, Newton
source: Original photograph of Weeki Wachee Mermaids in staged underwater dining scene at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpeg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaids Posing in a Circle on the Shore
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: Springs--Florida
subject: Parks--Florida
subject: Mermaids--Florida
subject: Perry, Newton, 1908-1987
description: Photograph of Weeki Wachee Mermaids posing in a circle on the shore at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. The mermaids are wearing swimsuits rather than fins. 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.
creator: Perry, Newton
source: Original photograph of mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, ca. 1950: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpeg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaids Reunion Event
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: Springs--Florida
subject: Parks--Florida
subject: Mermaids--Florida
subject: Perry, Newton, 1908-1987
description: Photograph of a Weeki Wachee Mermaids reunion event somewhere between 1950 and 1955. Newton "Newt" Perry looks on as two mermaids cut a cake with the messages "Welcome Mermaids" and "5th Annual Reunion" written on it in icing. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The Human Fish" for his performances of underwater stunts in advertising clips and film shorts, and acted as a swim double for actors in movies and TV shows, including Johnny Weissmuller as "Tarzan." Perry also advised filmmakers filming underwater scenes at Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, and developed a system for breathing underwater using an air compressor and hose, which was used in the 1948 film "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" and during Weeki Wachee Springs' mermaid shows. Perry worked as a lifeguard, public school principal, coach, swimming and scuba diving instructor, and Ocala city pool manager. He opened Perry's Swim School in 1955, and taught more than 120,000 individuals to swim during his career. Perry was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. Perry's daughter Delee Perry took over Perry's Swim School following her father's death in 1987, and it was still in operation as of 2020. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving it…
creator: Perry, Newton
source: Original photograph of Weeki Wachee Mermaids Reunion event, ca. 1950-1955: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpeg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaids Sitting in a Circle
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: Springs--Florida
subject: Parks--Florida
subject: Mermaids--Florida
subject: Perry, Newton, 1908-1987
description: 20 Weeki Wachee mermaids posing for a photograph by sitting in a large circle. The photograph was taken sometime in the 1950s. 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.
source: Original photograph of underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park: Personal Collection of Delee Perry.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaids Sitting in Front of Hercules Beetle Statue
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: Photograph albums--1960-1970
subject: tourism & museum
subject: Tourism--1960-1980
subject: Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
subject: Theater--20th century
description: Color postcard of Weeki Wachee Springs mermaids sitting in front of a Hercules Beetle Statue and the May Museum of the Tropics. For a little over a decade, the May family of Colorado displayed some of their family's private collection of tropical bugs and animals in a museum on Weeki Wachee Springs property. Photograph taken sometime in the 1950s. 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.
creator: Weeki Wachee Spring State Park
source: Original color photograph of May Museum of the Tropics, c.1950s: May Natural History Museum Collection.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Weeki Wachee Mermaids with Boar on Leash
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: Springs--Florida
subject: Parks--Florida
subject: Mermaids--Florida
subject: Animal training
description: Two mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs walking a young boar on a leash. 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.
creator: Schumacher, Elmer "Sparky"
source: Original black and white photograph by Elmer "Sparky" Schumacher: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Weeki Wachee, Florida.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida

Weeki Wachee Spring on Florida's Gulf Coast Postcard
subject: Weeki Wachee (Fla.)
subject: Spring Hill (Fla.)
subject: Springs--Florida
subject: Parks--Florida
description: A postcard featuring an underwater mermaid at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in 1949. Weeki Wachee, located at 6131 Commercial Way in Spring Hill, Florida, is best known for its famous tourist attraction, Weeki Wachee Springs. The attraction features performances by underwater mermaids, a glass-bottom boat ride, and other natural attractions. The springs are named after the Seminole words for "little spring" or "winding river." In 1946, former U.S. Navy member Newt Perry (1908-1987) began to develop a tourist attraction at Weeki Wachee. By the 1950s, Weeki Wachee was one of the top tourist stops in the United States. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) purchased the site in 1959 and continued to expand. In 2008, Weeki Wachee was taken over by the state of Florida as a state park.
source: Original 9 x 14 centimeter color postcard: "Mermaid Performing at the Weeki Wachee Springs Waterpark." 1949: Image number PC12593, Postcard Collection, Florida State Archives, Division of Library and Information Services, Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.
publisher: Modern Photographers
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Weeki Wachee Springs Brochure, c. 1950s
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: Photograph albums--1960-1970
subject: tourism & museum
subject: Tourism--1960-1980
subject: Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
description: Trifold brochure of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park highlighting the park's attractions in the 1950s, such as the May Museum of the Tropiscs. For a little over a decade, the May family of Colorado displayed some of their family's private collection of tropical bugs and animals in a museum on Weeki Wachee Springs property. 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.
creator: Weeki Wachee Spring State Park
source: Original color trifold of Weeki Wachee Springs, c. 1950s: May Natural History Museum Collection.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida

Weeki Wachee Springs Gift Shop
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: tourism & museum
subject: Tourism--1960-1980
subject: Ballet--1970-1980
subject: Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
subject: Theater--20th century
description: Black and white photograph of a portion of Weeki Wachee's gift shop, taken in the 1960s. 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.
creator: Weeki Wachee Spring State Park
creator: Schumacher, Sparky
source: Black and White Kodak Safety Film strip, c. 1960s: Weeki Wachee Springs Collection.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpeg
type: Still Image
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Weeki Wachee Springs Memo (February 21, 1963)
subject: Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
subject: Tourism--Florida
subject: Springs--Florida
subject: Parks--Florida
subject: Entomology
description: A memo from Weeki Wachee Springs State Park manager T.P. Brinzo, circulated to all departments, dated February 21, 1963. The memo informed the entirety of the Springs that new equipment had been acquired for the underwater mermaid shows to help prevent drownings. Per the memo, all departments were to set up regular drills to prepare for a drowning scenario. 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.
creator: Brinzo, T.P.
source: Original 1-page typed memo, February 23, 1963: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida.
publisher: RICHES
format: image/jpg
language: eng
type: Text
coverage: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida