Browse Items (5082 total)

A plaque commemorating the former 1958 Orlando City Hall, which was imploded on October 25, 1991, for the filming of Lethal Weapon 3. The building was replaced by a new one in 1991 as a product of Mayor Bill Frederick’s (b. 1934) efforts to beautify…

An advertisement produced to showcase the advent of mid-century modernism in Orlando, Florida. The film depicts marketing strategies aimed at attracting white middle-to-upper class men in either military or defense technology engineering professions.…

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Mayor William Beardall hard at work in his office (1890-1984). Beardall served as Mayor of Orlando from 1940 to 1952. Mayor Beardall made improvements to Orlando International Airport by expanding upon it and creating a larger terminal. Progress in…

The City of Orlando acquired a new city hall in 1958. Situated at the corner of South Orange Avenue and South Street in Downtown Orlando, the 1958 city was located very close to where the current city hall stands. The 1958 city hall was a large…

McElroy Apartments was originally a building owned by Sylvan McElroy Sr., whose family was one of the first settlers in Orlando, Florida, arriving in 1881. McElroy attended Rollins Academy (present-day Rollins College) in Winter Park, the Stetson…

The Orlando Police Department (OPD) motor patrol in 1948, with Lieutenant Vernon "Bulldog" Rogers in the center. The OPD was established in 1875, the same year Orlando became incorporated into a city with only 22 votes. The motor patrol was first…

A key to the city of Orlando. The size of the key represents the importance of the key. The "Key to the City" tradition comes from the medieval "Freedom of the City" tradition. The recipient of this key or this honor received the privilege to enter…

Buttons from the Orlando Steam Laundry in Downtown Orlando, Florida. Originally called Mann Laundry, the business was first located on East Pine Street. The laundry was later purchased by I. N. Burman and J. N. Wigfall, Jr. in 1919, who renamed it…

The keys to the Orlando City Council chambers. The key was the only key that would unlock the door to the Council chambers. The key opened a pin tumbler lock, which had five pins that responded when depressed by the key. This type of key format was…

A bottle for storing medicine used by pharmacists in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many glass bottles were manufactured and embossed with information, such as the store address, name of the doctor or prescription, etc. The bottles were not…

Mayor Bob Carr (1899-1967) at the first Orlando City Council meeting in the new 1958 Orlando City Hall in Downtown Orlando, Florida. Photographed, from left to right, are: Grace Avera, council secretary; William G. Stewart, city clerk; A. B. Herndon,…

Colonel Michael Norman Wright McCoy (1905-1957), commanding officer of Pinecastle Air Force Base, with J. Rolfe Davis (1904-1988), who served as Mayor of Orlando from 1953 to 1956, at Pinecastle AFB in Orlando, Florida. Col. McCoy died in a flight…

The cornerstone commemorative brick of the Orlando City Hall in Downtown Orlando, Florida. From 1906 to 1924, this brick was part of Orlando Public School, located at 1 West Jackson Street. In 1922, the school was moved to a new building and Orlando…

A railroad spike from the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). This railroad spike most likely came from the discontinued lines in the Orlando-Sanford area of Florida. These railways were in use from 1902 to 1967 when the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad…

Three items are from the Howard's Grocery Store, which most likely came from the location at 4200 South Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, between 1930 and 1980. The company has been in operation since its founding in 1912 by Julian Howard.…

The newly constructed Orlando City Hall in Downtown Orlando, Florida, as it looked in 1958 upon its completion. Located on the southwest corner of South Orange Avenue and South Street, construction of the new city hall began in 1956 with the building…

The cover from the October 1986 issue of the Central Florida magazine, which highlights the economic boom in Orlando, Florida, under Mayor Bill Frederick (b. 1934), who served as mayor from 1980 to 1992. The growing city was, during this time, facing…

Home under construction on Silver Drive in Downtown Orlando, Florida. During the 1950s and 1960s, Orlando underwent one of the biggest building booms within its history. The 1952 census of the city registered a total of 18,513 housing units within…

Mayor Carl T. Langford (1918-2011) and Chief of Police Robert Joseph Chewning (b. 1923) with the Orlando Police Department (OPD). Mayor Langford is pictured third from the left in the first row and Chief Bob Chewning is the fourth from the left.…

An aerial view of Orlando City Hall in Downtown Orlando, Florida, in the 1960s or 1970s. Along with city hall, several other buildings are viewable in the background, namely the American Fire and Casualty Company. The photograph is titled "This is…

The original Martin Company plant during its construction. The site was located on Orange Blossom Trail and Sand Lake Road, about four miles south of in Orlando, Florida. The Martin Company purchased the land from the City of Orlando in 1956 for…

A temporary building on Elwell Street used by the Martin Company while the company's main plant was being constructed on Orange Blossom Trail and Sand Lake Road in Orlando, Florida. The Martin Company was a missile manufacturer that expanded to the…

The sign depicts the maximum occupancy for the Orlando City Council Chambers within the Orlando City Hall in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The building was located on the corner of South Street and Orange Avenue and acted as the place of governance for…

The fire alarm for the fire safety system in the 1958 Orlando City Hall in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The building was located on the corner of South Street and Orange Avenue and acted as the place of governance for the growing Orlando area. The fire…

The small city key presented to Mayor Carl T. Langford (1918-2011). Mayor Langford later presented this key to George Hill in 1973. Little information is known on who George Hill was or why he was being honor with a key to the city.Langford was…

A Minnesota Twins baseball cap. The Minnesota Twins have been part of the history of Orlando, Florida, since 1936. Originally, this baseball club was founded in 1901 as the Washington Senators. The Washington Senators spent 34 years in 11 different…

The Orlando Steam Laundry Company, located at 43 West Concord Avenue, and Dixie Kuhr’s Dixie Sales & Service in Orlando, Florida. Orlando Steam Laundry Co. was first established in 1900 and was officially incorporated on January 1, 1923. While…

A model of a B-52G bomber plane from McCoy Air Force Base. The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long range, heavy bomber that entered military service in 1955. The primary role and purpose of the B-52 was strategic bombing and nuclear deterrence; two…

The Orlando City Hall in Downtown Orlando, Florida, in the 1960s or 1970s. During that same decade, Orlando experienced a population boom. Due to this increase in population, the city needed to expand its public buildings to accommodate the changes…

Mayor Carl T. Langford's (1918-2011) gavel, which was used to bring Orlando City Council meetings to order. The gavel is made of wood, with a metal ring attaching the handle to the head of the gavel. Mayor Langford shepherded Orlando, Florida,…

Mayor Bob Carr (1899-1967), who served as the Mayor of Orlando, Florida, from 1956 to 1967. Mayor Carr is best known for being the first mayor in Orlando to promote civil rights while in office. He was also the first mayor to hire minority police…

The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green comic from the inaugural issue of The Watermark, published on August 31, 1994. The comic strip was created by Eric Orner, an openly gay cartoonist, and centered around Ethan Green, a gay man trying to…

A newspaper article about Eric Orner, the openly gay cartoonist who created The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green comic. The comic strip centered around Ethan Green, a gay man trying to balance work with love. The comic was first published…

The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green comic from the inaugural issue of The Watermark, published on September 14, 1994. The comic strip was created by Eric Orner, an openly gay cartoonist, and centered around Ethan Green, a gay man trying…

Dykes to Watch Out For comic from the inaugural issue of The Watermark, published on September 14, 1994. The comic strip was created by Alison Bechdel, an openly gay cartoonist, and centered around the lives of a diverse group of characters, most of…

A newspaper article about an issue of DC Comics' Green Lantern that would address homophobia. According to the author, the idea for addressing the issue of gay bashing—verbal or physical abuse directed at the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans,…

The StreamLines, a newsletter published by the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council (ECFRPC), for March 1977.This newsletter discusses workshops held by the ECFRPC reviewing financial concerns related to water management, as well as ongoing…

A letter from Gary I. Sharp to the West Orange Chamber of Commerce, dated May 19, 1977. In the letter, Sharp states that he is no longer able to continue his efforts to have the Gourd Neck Springs area purchased by the State of Florida for use as a…

A map that identifies pump stations, canals, and allotments within Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2 of the Zellwood Drainage and Water Control District (ZDWCD), which was created by the Florida Legislature in 1941 for taxation and land management of farming…

A letter from John R. Dollar to W. R. Clonts, dated December 10, 1979. In this letter, Dollar the Project Manager for Post, Buckley, Shuch & Jernigan Inc., writes to Clonts, a farmer in the Zellwood Drainage and Water Control District (ZDWCD), to…

A letter from U.S. Representative Andy Ireland (b. 1930) to Harold L. Moody, fisheries biologist with the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission (GFC), dated June 17, 1981. In the letter, Rep. Ireland discusses his co-sponsorship of House…

A newspaper article published in The Leesburg Daily Commercial discussing fish kills that occurred in Lake Apopka in June of 1981. The article gives quotes from Harold L. Moody and Mike Wicker of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission…

A newspaper article published in The Winter Garden Times discussing a fish kill in Lake Apopka in July of 1981. This fish kill, totaling an estimated four million fish, occurred two weeks after another larger kill in Lake Apopka on June 20, 1981. The…

A grid map of Orlando, Florida, showing what appears to be the proposed site for the Sky Lake, a residential community and unincorporated area. It is located approximately seven miles south of Downtown Orlando between Lancaster Road and Sand Lake…

A grid map of various unincorporated communities south of Orlando, Florida. Such communities include Edgewood, Pine Castle, Conway, Belle Isle, and Taft. Other notable sites on the map include the Orlando International Airport and the Martin Andersen…

Sky Lake, located approximately seven miles south of Downtown Orlando, Florida, between Lancaster Road and Sand Lake Road. This residential community was developed in late 1950s and 1960s by Hymen Lake. Houses originally sold in the range of $10,000…

Sky Lake, located approximately seven miles south of Downtown Orlando, Florida, between Lancaster Road and Sand Lake Road. This residential community was developed in late 1950s and 1960s by Hymen Lake. Houses originally sold in the range of $10,000…

Houses in Sky Lake, located approximately seven miles south of Downtown Orlando, Florida, between Lancaster Road and Sand Lake Road. It is unclear as to what street(s) these houses were located along. The Sky Lake residential community was developed…

A house in Sky Lake, located approximately seven miles south of Downtown Orlando, Florida, between Lancaster Road and Sand Lake Road. It is unclear as to what street this house was located along. The Sky Lake residential community was developed in…

Construction at Sky Lake, located approximately seven miles south of Downtown Orlando, Florida, between Lancaster Road and Sand Lake Road. The Sky Lake residential community was developed in late 1950s and 1960s by Hymen Lake. Houses originally sold…

Travelodge Orlando-Sky Lake was located at 7101 South Orange Blossom Trail (OBT), just north of the Bee Line Toll Road, in Orlando, Florida.. The hotel was constructed in 1970 by Hymen Lake and is currently in operation as the Royal Inn. Photographs…

Travelodge Orlando-Sky Lake was located at 7101 South Orange Blossom Trail (OBT), just north of the Bee Line Toll Road, in Orlando, Florida.. The hotel was constructed in 1970 by Hymen Lake and is currently in operation as the Royal Inn. Photographs…

Travelodge Orlando-Sky Lake was located at 7101 South Orange Blossom Trail (OBT), just north of the Bee Line Toll Road, in Orlando, Florida.. The hotel was constructed in 1970 by Hymen Lake and is currently in operation as the Royal Inn. Photographs…

A hotel room at Travelodge Orlando-Sky Lake, which was located at 7101 South Orange Blossom Trail (OBT), just north of the Bee Line Toll Road, in Orlando, Florida.. The hotel was constructed in 1970 by Hymen Lake and is currently in operation as the…

The swimming pool at Travelodge Orlando-Sky Lake, which was located at 7101 South Orange Blossom Trail (OBT), just north of the Bee Line Toll Road, in Orlando, Florida.. The hotel was constructed in 1970 by Hymen Lake and is currently in operation as…

Laurel Oak Court in Sky Lake, located approximately seven miles south of Downtown Orlando, Florida, between Lancaster Road and Sand Lake Road. The Sky Lake residential community was developed in late 1950s and 1960s by Hymen Lake. Houses originally…

An oral history interview of Joel Strack, one of the founding members of the Orlando Gay Chorus. The interview was conducted by Tyler Campbell in the conference room at the Center for Humanities and Digital Research (CHDR) at the University of…

The census population schedule for Tampa, Florida in 1940. Individuals are identified by name, titles and terms, gender, age, marital status, race, relationship to head of household, birthplace, birth year, the last place of residence, and…

The U.S. Census population schedule for Istachatta Precinct No. 8, Florida, on January 19, 1920. Individuals are identified by name, titles and terms, gender, age, marital status, race, relationship to head of household, birthplace, birth year, the…

This is the gravestone of Pvt. Rufus H. Lennon Jr. Lennon was a soldier from Bradenton, Florida. He was born in 1921 to Rufus Sr. and Bertha Lennon. On November 21, 1940, Lennon enlisted into the United States Army at the age of nineteen. He served…

The headstone of Sergeant Marion C. Fordham Jr. who lived in Tampa, Florida when he enlisted into the United States Army on November 13th 1942. He fought in the 397th infantry division of the 100th infantry regiment until his death on November 12th…

This Census shows information for PFC Clifford A. Judah For the Epinal Project: Clifford A. Judah was born in 1925 to father Elijah D. Judah and mother Margie Judah. Clifford was born in Louisiana and Resided there until he moved to Hillsborough…

PFC Clifford A. Judah was declared missing in action by the Army in 1945. This headstone was used to memorialize him even though his body was not found and his name was not known at the time.
This Census shows information for PFC Clifford A. Judah…

The patch that the 45th Infantry wore before and after World War II. This patch was one that Rufus H. Lennon wore. Lennon was a soldier from Bradenton, Florida. He was born in 1921 to Rufus Sr. and Bertha Lennon. On November 21, 1940, Lennon enlisted…

The U.S. Census population schedule for Election Precinct 14 in Graceville, Florida, in 1930. Individuals are identified by name, titles and terms, gender, age, marital status, race, relationship to head of household, birthplace, birth year, the last…

The headstone of Corporal Wilson Foch Smith (1918-1945). A resident of Graceville, Florida, Smith was a private in the U.S. Army during World War II. He died in a Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commado plane crash after one of th engines caught on fire. Cpl.…

The headstone inscription and interment record for Corporal Wilson Foch Smith, a native of Graceville, Florida. After completing four years of high school, Smith travelled to Montgomery, Alabama to enlist as a private in the U.S. Army Reserves. Upon…

This is a photograph of Sergeant John F. “Jack” Aylward, Jr. who died in World War two. He was a part of the Headquarters Company within the 6th Armored Division. This Photograph is significant because it helps paint the picture of an individual…

This is the grave stone of Sergeant John F. “Jack” Aylward Jr. who died in World War two. He was a part of the Headquarters Company within the 6th Armored Division. He is an individual who died serving during a major U.S. war who has been otherwise…

This is the US Army 6th Armored Division Shoulder Sleeve Insignia that Sergeant John F. “Jack” Aylward Jr. would have worn when he died in World War two. He was a part of the Headquarters Company within the 6th Armored Division. He is an individual…

This is the casualty list for Sergeant John F. “Jack” Aylward Jr. who died in World War two. He was a part of the Headquarters Company within the 6th Armored Division. He is an individual who died serving during a major U.S. war who has been…

This grave marker denotes where SSgt. Thomas E. Eason is buried in the Epinal American Cemetery in Eastern France. Thomas E. Eason (1922-1945) served over three years in the United States Air Force, 569th Bomber Squadron, 390th Bomber Group, as a…

This is a photograph of SSgt. Thomas Eason alongside the crew he was flying with at the time of his death. Thomas E. Eason (1922-1945) served over three years in the United States Air Force, 569th Bomber Squadron, 390th Bomber Group, as a waist…

After Eason's death, the surviving members of his crew were required to fill out an 'Individual Casualty Questionnaire.' These questionnaires provide insight into how Eason died, as well as his personal relationship with the members of his crew. …

After Eason's death, the surviving members of his crew were required to fill out an 'Individual Casualty Questionnaire.' These questionnaires provide insight into how Eason died, as well as his personal relationship with the members of his…

After Eason's death, the surviving members of his crew were required to fill out an 'Individual Casualty Questionnaire.' These questionnaires provide insight into how Eason died, as well as his personal relationship with the members of his crew. …

The B-17 Eason was on at the time of his death crashed in Eastern France after being shot down by enemy combatants across the German border. The crew was considered 'Missing in Action' until the wreckage was found. This 'Missing Air Crew Report'…

After Eason's crew was found (minus Eason), an update was written which said that all of the surviving men were to return to duty. This update points out further that Eason did not survive, but his crew went on to fight more.
Thomas E. Eason…

Sgt. John B. Hancock was born in 1913 in Georgia. He was enlisted in the 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Division. He served initially in Africa in 1943. After the Africa Campaign, his division moved to the Sicily Campaign. He helped in the invasion of…

Sgt. John B. Hancock was born in 1913 in Georgia. He was enlisted in the 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Division. He served initially in Africa in 1943. After the Africa Campaign, his division moved to the Sicily Campaign. He helped in the invasion of…

Sgt. John B Hancock was born in 1913 in Georgia. He was enlisted into the 179th Infantry Regiment in the 45th Division. He was enlisted and trained in Georgia and Florida. He participated in the Africa campaign in 1943. After this campaign, he…

Sgt. John B Hancock was born in 1913 in Georgia. He was enlisted into the 179th Infantry Regiment in the 45th Division. He was enlisted and trained in Georgia and Florida. He participated in the Africa campaign in 1943. After this campaign, he…

Sgt. John B Hancock was born in 1913 in Georgia. He was enlisted into the 179th Infantry Regiment in the 45th Division. He was enlisted and trained in Georgia and Florida. He participated in the Africa campaign in 1943. After this campaign, he…

Sgt. John B Hancock was born in 1913 in Georgia. He was enlisted into the 179th Infantry Regiment in the 45th Division. He was enlisted and trained in Georgia and Florida. He participated in the Africa campaign in 1943. After this campaign, he…

Sgt. John B Hancock was born in 1913 in Georgia. He was enlisted into the 179th Infantry Regiment in the 45th Division. He was enlisted and trained in Georgia and Florida. He participated in the Africa campaign in 1943. After this campaign, he…

Sgt. John B Hancock was born in 1913 in Georgia. He was enlisted into the 179th Infantry Regiment in the 45th Division. He was enlisted and trained in Georgia and Florida. He participated in the Africa campaign in 1943. After this campaign, he…

Sgt. John B Hancock was born in 1913 in Georgia. He was enlisted into the 179th Infantry Regiment in the 45th Division. He was enlisted and trained in Georgia and Florida. He participated in the Africa campaign in 1943. After this campaign, he…

Sgt. John B Hancock was born in 1913 in Georgia. He was enlisted into the 179th Infantry Regiment in the 45th Division. He was enlisted and trained in Georgia and Florida. He participated in the Africa campaign in 1943. After this campaign, he…

Sgt. John B Hancock was born in 1913 in Georgia. He was enlisted into the 179th Infantry Regiment in the 45th Division. He was enlisted and trained in Georgia and Florida. He participated in the Africa campaign in 1943. After this campaign, he…

Sgt. John B Hancock was born in 1913 in Georgia. He was enlisted into the 179th Infantry Regiment in the 45th Division. He was enlisted and trained in Georgia and Florida. He participated in the Africa campaign in 1943. After this campaign, he…

Sgt. John B Hancock was born in 1913 in Georgia. He was enlisted into the 179th Infantry Regiment in the 45th Division. He was enlisted and trained in Georgia and Florida. He participated in the Africa campaign in 1943. After this campaign, he…
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