The warm weather seems to have settled in for the duration, and many of us are already seeking relief from the heat, either at the beach or floating in a swimming pool. In the prosperous 1920s, picnics were a great way for groups of workers to enjoy the largesse of their employers. Here, a happy crowd from the South Lake Apopka Citrus Growers Association enjoys an employee picnic on the shores of Lake Brim, located behind Meadow Marsh, the home of Luther Willis Tilden. The stately home still stands at 940 Tildenville School Road. The woman seated eighth from left in the front row is Leona Brewer, the “floor lady” of the association’s packinghouse.  The man seated 11^th from left in the front row is Olaf Haines. Standing in the first row from the left is Trixie Travis, her hair cut in the “new” style of the early 1920s. Third from left is Arlie Jones, and ninth is Lois Jones (Mrs. Hoke Smith). Mamie Lou Bell Jones (Mrs. Waymon Jones) stands 12^th, and 13th left is Waymon Lee Jones. If anyone can identify any of the other revelers in this photo, please contact the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation at 407-656-3244.

Ocoee Mayor Raymond Howell, four police officers, and the safari-hatted members of the School Patrol pose for a group photo on the bleachers at what might possibly be Ocoee Middle School or Ocoee Junior High. Howell’s term as mayor ran from 1961 to 1967.  Since we have no names to match the other faces in this undated photograph, we’d love to hear from you if you can help with identities (just call the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation at 407-656-3244).

 The photograph was taken by Boyce P. “B.P.” Hannon (1909-1977), west Orange County’s prolific photo historian, who captured many area residents on film from 1959 through 1974. Thousands of his photographs distinctively capture small town life as it was lived when citrus was king. Hannon also sold photographic equipment and supplies in two shops located on Plant Street, and did aerial photography, professional studio portraits, and criminal photography for various law enforcement agencies. The indefatigable photographer’s career was curtailed suddenly by a debilitating stroke.  WGHF will be showcasing a selection of B.P. Hannon’s photography at the main branch of the Winter Garden Library on East Plant Street beginning June 3.

Have you ever dreamed of going in the Britt Mansion at 1305 East Plant Street? Now’s your chance!! The house, built by West Orange County farmer Morgan C. Britt in 1929, was the centerpiece of the Britt vegetable fields and citrus acreage located around the house. Winter Garden historian extraordinaire Rod Reeves penned the drawing you see here.

The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and White Glove Services are working together to throw the beautiful mansion a birthday party. The Great Gatsby themed gala event will be held on Saturday, May 18 from 6-9 p.m. and will include a costume party with hors d ‘oeuvres, drinks, tours, and entertainment. On Sunday, May 19 the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation will be leading 20-minute tours of the mansion. To get your tickets, go to http://brittmansionbirthday.eventbrite.com. Start planning your outfits!

This staff favorite from the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation archives depicts downtown Oakland looking east, shortly after Grace Park was established where railroad shops and warehouses once stood. Charles Fredric Mather-Smith and his wife Grace moved to Oakland from in 1910 and soon set about improving the town center after fires, citrus freezes, and railroad failures decimated the local economy. Grace Park was laid out and landscaped in 1913 with the help of many west Orange County families who raised funds at events such as a 1913 “Big Fish Supper.” Two years later, the West Orange Times reported that “Mr. Maurice has been in correspondence with the Bureau of Plant Industry at Washington, and they have sent a fine collection of trees and shrubs, twenty-one in number, also some seeds for Grace Park. It is the earnest wise of those who have taken the lead in trying to keep up this park, that the people of the town will show their interest in work or contributions.” You’ll see one of the two circular “pools” in the photo, which featured fountains, and the 12-column pergola in the center; the pergola had not yet been fitted with its latticed roof. The two-story building near the center was built by J.O. Robinson after the 1912 fire, painted blue in the latter part of the 20^th Century, and demolished in 2000. None of the other stores remain. The Bank of Oakland, now the Historic Town Hall, is in the background, just to the right of a smaller building which we believe served as a barbershop.  The tracks of the Atlantic Coast Line railroad are at the left. The two circular planters still exist—the West Orange Trail winds alongside them—as do four of the pergola’s original 12 columns.

Springtime brings a guarantee of warm weather, cooling rains… and horse shows. In this 1971 photograph from 1971, Sheriff and Mrs. Dave Starr present the Sheriff’s Trophy to eight-year-old Sally Hull at the Hunter-Jumper Spring Charity Horse Show at Ben White Raceway in Orlando. The photo is from the Dave Starr Collection and was donated to the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation by W.G. and June Hall. Sheriff Starr reportedly had a photographer routinely assigned to him, ready to capture photo opportunities such as these. Born in Savannah in 1920, Starr was Orange County’s Sheriff from 1949 to 1971 and also served in many other civic capacities over the years. He cut a colorful picture, decked out in Western gear astride his steed, Pepper. He and Oakland native Doris Smith married in 1935 and lived in the house built by railroad pioneer Peter Demens across the road from Oakland Presbyterian Church; Doris Smith was born in the house.  When the Starrs built a new home on the site, part of the original house was moved to Oakland’s west side, according to some sources. WGHF’s files contain many detailed biographies of people who left a distinctive mark on the life of west Orange County.

People used to dress up for family gatherings, including occasions as casual as this one. At the Reaves home in Beulah, several family members are preparing to enjoy an al fresco meal. Though the photo is undated, it appears to have been taken before fashion decreed in the 1920s that women’s waistlines would drop. The Reaves family was well established in the area by this time, having settled here in the 1860s. The home, which no longer stands, was located just past Beulah Baptist Church, on the left as you enter Reaves Road. Documentation on hand in our archives tells us that the house “was moved to the south side of Bay Head on Reaves Road, east of the original site.” If anyone is able to decipher that, please contact the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation at 407-656-3244.

“Willman Tells of Milk Eating Big Mouth Bass” declared the Winter Garden Journal on the front page of its January 12, 1928 edition. From the article: “Walter W. Willman tells it that he has often wondered why the Florida Big Mouth Black Bass across the ways from Ed Brown’s Fishing Camp are so fat and saucy.” Oakland native and fisherman Willman became incensed that the cows wading in the shallow waters of Lake Apopka “seemed to be disturbing the Big Mouth Beauties around his favorite casting grounds.” He drove his motorboat along the shores of the lake, “chasing the cows hither and thither. And then the secret was out. So fast did he chase the cows out of the lake that the fish were taken by complete surprise and failed to retreat from their daily repast ere they were on land. At the expense of the dairyman, fishermen had been getting milk fed Florida Big Mouth Black Bass. On this day, Willman had his milk fed bass without having to waste any time or energy in casting.” Though the number of milk fed bass has thinned in recent decades, we are all hoping that the current restoration of Lake Apopka, along with some generous cows, will increase their population. The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, happy to help usher in the warm month of April, takes pride in its collection of fishy local lore.

In 1955 this group of youngsters, dressed in their Sunday best, celebrated Easter at Oakland’s St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church.  Back row, L. to R., Katherine Wade, Ralph Anderson and Betty Wade. Middle row, L. to R., Hillard Anderson, Shaharacod Anderson, David Wade and Kletner Anderson. The young man in front is Ray Anderson. They’re standing behind the original church building on Nixon Street, erected c.1881, remodeled in 1914 and added to over the years. It was rebuilt in 1991.The congregation itself was established c.1844 when African Americans accompanied the first settlers to the Oakland area. Walker Wade shared this photo with the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, which has thousands of items on file portraying life in west Orange County.

This venerable home, still standing on Oakdale Street in Windermere, was built in 1915 by T.A. Miller, who purchased the lot in 1912. The dirt road running past it is typical of many unpaved streets still preferred by many residents today. The Hill family acquired the house in 1925, and the Chase family acquired it in 1943. In 1988, Franklin Chase III and his wife bought the house and modernized it. Isleworth, the subdivision south of town, was built on land once planted with Chase citrus groves and was also the name of one of many fruit brands shipped by the family. This information comes from Windermere Among the Lakes by Carl D. Patterson, Jr., though the people in this undated photo have not yet been identified. Much of Windermere’s history is documented and preserved in the archives of the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation.

Posing for a photograph sometime in the early 1920s, a group of fruit packing house employees are shown standing in front of the boarding house built by the South Lake Apopka Citrus Growers Association. Constructed for the association’s female workers, it stood near the east end of today Tildenville’s Brick Road, once known as State Highway 22. Sources tell us that the house also boarded local teachers. Just west of here, and still standing, is the yellow, two-story house where Annie Connell lived; she was teacher and principal at the Oakland-Winter Garden School across the street, and also served when it became Tildenville Elementary.  The SLACGA complex on Tildenville School Road, much of which survives, currently houses various businesses in what was once a vast packing house. Some of the women in the photo have been identified: Mittie Howard stands fifth from left; Leona Brewer is tenth from left; and Eron Caudle is thirteenth from left. Anyone who can supply clues as to the identities of the other people should contact the Winter garden Heritage Foundation at 407-656-3244. The history of Tildenville features many documents and artifacts collected and preserved by the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation.