Orlando History

[spenser1058]

Now we have one - looking forward to those great old shots, @JFW657!

[uncreativeusername]

7 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Now we have one - looking forward to those great old shots, @JFW657!

And I'm looking forward to your historical essays and anecdotes, @spenser1058

[spenser1058]

While there are very few pics of Meiner’s about, here’s a story about its forerunner on US 27 in Clewiston, Old South BBQ.

The Meiner’s on OBT in Fairvilla was a spin-off of Old South. Meiner’s opened in the early ‘60’s and, although it didn’t have all the distractions of the original, the ‘cue and all the sides were indeed amazing. I still miss it.

https://medium.com/florida-history/old-south-bar-b-q-ranch-713a40dfc199

From Medium

[klstorey]

I went to the book sale at the Orange County Library last week. I got a few great books on Orlando and Florida history. In one of the books, there were a number of newspaper clippings and other historical documents. I'm not sure if the newspaper clippings can be shared on here or not. They're from 1978 (Carpetbag constitution state's most infamous) and 1983 ( Small-town memories - Charlie Wadsworth's Orlando was a peaceful place). But there were other pieces of paper that I scanned and will be sharing on here.

The first is a History of Winter Park. No markings on it and it looks like it may have been done on a typewriter. Nothing on it to give an indication of the date. 

The next is a program from a 1985 Celebrity Dinner Theatre program. It has some great old photos of the Beacham. Whatever happened to the plans to restore to facade? It would really clean up that area 

Finally, there's this double-sided glossy page on the history of the Speers and Bumbys. It has the date of September 1989 and says Central Florida with a page number of 37/38 but has no other indication of where it came from. It doesn't match any of the books I purchased. 

History of Winter Park.pdf Beacham.pdf The Bumbys.pdf The Speers.pdf

[spenser1058]

We noted last week in the Attractions thread that Legoland Florida had announced plans for its next expansion as part of its 10th anniversary celebration.

What we didn’t talk about much is how that new pirate-themed attraction will open up the heart of what’s considered to be Florida’s first theme park, dating back to 1936.

The original founder of Cypress Gardens, Dick Pope, was long considered “Mr. Florida “. Fortunately, UP’er @klstorey has once again gone in-depth to remind us of what made Central Florida a great place to visit long before the Mouse arrived:

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2021/10/21/legoland-announces-plans-to-reopen-one-of-cypress-gardens-most-historic-attractions
 

From The Orlando Weekly 

Edited October 25, 2021 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

Joy Wallace Dickinson at The Sentinel checks out places in town you might find some ghosts:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/os-fe-joy-wallace-dickinson-1031-20211031-awya73a4ovfxhn7fxpfjhinzfy-story.html

Boo!

 

[spenser1058]

Even before there was a town or the famous lighthouse, there was a hotel at Ponce Inlet. 

Fortunately, unlike too many places in Central Florida, the local folks value their history and it’s being restored for generations to come:

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/opinion/2021/11/01/part-ponce-inlets-story-older-than-lighthouse-preserved/6171521001/ 

From The News Journal 
 

[spenser1058]

Marineland diver feeds fish in 1947:

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/2021/11/03/flagler-countys-marineland-used-divers-feed-fish-1947/6232680001/

From The News Journal 

The diver’s outfit is definitely a blast from the past…
 

[dwSouthEola]

3 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

The diver’s outfit is definitely a blast from the past…

Right? The air tubes and prob someone w bellows on the surface supplying them w air, 1947 is obvi a while ago but it doesn't immediately feel like 74yrs.

[spenser1058]

A look at Daytona’s Tarragona Tower, which dates back to 1925 and the ill -fated Florida Land Boom:

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/opinion/2021/11/08/tarragona-tower-has-been-daytona-beach-landmark-since-1925/6230893001/ 

From The News Journal 

[spenser1058]

Joy Wallace Dickinson shows her thankfulness for local organizations found  downtown, in Gotha and Winter Park.

As the Albertson Public Library (today’s OCLS) celebrates its 100th anniversary, take a moment to check out its home at Rosalind and Central before it was replaced by the Brutalist structure we know today:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/os-fe-joy-wallace-dickinson-1121-20211121-qvfwulhrnvfmdfrqp4djbijyvq-story.html

From The Sentinel 

In the 1980’s Birmingham’s library needed expansion but they kept the original and linked it to the new larger facility via a crosswalk.

Of course, when we were faced with the same issue, we just bulldozed 40 years of history and put up the new building (since expanded). While that was pretty much standard in the ‘60’s, I wish we had taken B’ham’s approach. Of course, now we know better, right?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_Public_Library

Edited November 21, 2021 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

A look back at Daytona’s oldest remaining hotel, The Plaza (originally known as The Clarendon):

https://www.news-journalonline.com/picture-gallery/opinion/2021/11/15/tried-fire-and-spring-breakers-clarendon-awaits-its-next-phase/8621909002/

From The News Journal 

 

Edited November 21, 2021 by spenser1058

[JFW657]

Been wanting for a long time to find sme pictures of Nichol's Alley or at least the building that it occupied under any of its various incarnations.

Not sure if this shot of the entrance from the 80's/90's after it became Electric Avenue was ever posted here on UPO before or not... 

This picture is from the 70's when it was still Nichol's Alley...

I ran across this pic on an archive website for the Rollins College student newspaper "The Sandspur". 

I believe it was from an article about local area night spots.

At any rate, this is what used to occupy 70 W. Amelia St. at the RR tracks, where the NW corner of Central Station now sits.

Looking SE towards Orange Ave. 

 

[spenser1058]

All the straight clubs I missed out on when I was pretty….

I did go to the Crocodile Club in WP while it lasted.

Great find, @JFW657!

Something many of our younger posters may not know - after the 26th amendment passed allowing 18 year olds to vote ( if you were old enough to die in Vietnam…), Florida dropped the legal age to drink to 18.

Less than a decade later, Ronald Reagan was having none of that and pushed it back to 21.

 

Edited November 21, 2021 by spenser1058

[JFW657]

When I was still living in Brevard County around 1978/79 and was still attending BCC (now EFS) my gf at the time was a f/t student at FTU (soon to become UCF).

One night, she and a couple of girlfriends drove over here to go to Nichol's Alley.

While there, she had her purse snatched by a member of the FTU wrestling team.

I forget the details, but the cops caught him and she got her purse back.  

[spenser1058]

11 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

When I was still living in Brevard County around 1978/79 and was still attending BCC (now EFS) my gf at the time was a f/t student at FTU (soon to become UCF).

One night, she and a couple of girlfriends drove over here to go to Nichol's Alley.

While there, she had her purse snatched by a member of the FTU wrestling team.

I forget the details, but the cops caught him and she got her purse back.  

Wow.

[JFW657]

Also from The Sandspur, a few interesting ads from long gone local businesses.

Check out some of the prices!!!!  

Apparently, there used to be a Beefy King in WP one block from Rollins...

Check out the lineup. I could've sworn Hendrix played there.

Interesting article about the opening of an on campus coffee shop.

Takes me back to my young hippie days....  

[spenser1058]

The Beefy King was on Fairbanks just west of Park Ave on the south side of the street.

After it had left, the Crocodile Club ended up in the back part of the building. It was the preppiest club in town during its brief run in the ‘80’s.

BK was originally envisioned as a chain and the owner of Tom’s Pizza was part of it.

I also remember one on SOB Trail on an outparcel in front of Orange Blossom Center. I don’t know how many others they had before the franchise crashed and burned.

Harper’s was also the bar of choice for the Rollins crowd.

It’s great to see the George Stuart ad. The Stuarts are often regarded as the Kennedys of Orlando politics (although Jacob went to the dark side with the Republicans).

Let’s sing:

“Check with George Stuart without delay. Let George do it for you today.”

 

[jliv]

2 hours ago, JFW657 said:

Been wanting for a long time to find sme pictures of Nichol's Alley or at least the building that it occupied under any of its various incarnations.

Not sure if this shot of the entrance from the 80's/90's after it became Electric Avenue was ever posted here on UPO before or not... 

This picture is from the 70's when it was still Nichol's Alley...

I ran across this pic on an archive website for the Rollins College student newspaper "The Sandspur". 

I believe it was from an article about local area night spots.

At any rate, this is what used to occupy 70 W. Amelia St. at the RR tracks, where the NW corner of Central Station now sits.

Looking SE towards Orange Ave. 

 

Electric Avenue is very much mid-80's.  At some point in the late 80's, the owners moved it out to North OBT and rechristened it Visage.  (now feeling the urge to do my best goth moves to Belgian EBM). 

Edited November 21, 2021 by jliv

[spenser1058]

Oh, the Pecks also had an A&W franchise in town. One was on East Colonial overlooking Lake Barton and the other was on West Colonial between Panning Lumber and the Pine Hills Drive-In. They also ran the snack bar at Lake Fairview back when it was a city beach and you could swim in it (and isn’t that a scary thought). That was back before street  runoff and fertilizer runoff from lawns plus septic tanks destroyed the swimmable lakes in town (and, in a couple of cases, actual raw sewage).

Edited November 21, 2021 by spenser1058

[JFW657]

2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Oh, the Pecks also had an A&W franchise in town. One was on East Colonial overlooking Lake Barton and the other was on West Colonial between Panning Lumber and the Pine Hills Drive-In. They also ran the snack bar at Lake Fairview back when it was a city beach and you could swim in it (and isn’t that a scary thought). That was back before street runoff and septic tanks destroyed the swimmable lakes in town (and, in a couple of cases, actual raw sewage).

Yuck!!!   

[JFW657]

2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Oh, the Pecks also had an A&W franchise in town. One was on East Colonial overlooking Lake Barton and the other was on West Colonial between Panning Lumber and the Pine Hills Drive-In. They also ran the snack bar at Lake Fairview....

The location of the former Peck's Sandwichery at 1323 N. Mills.

 

[spenser1058]

1 minute ago, JFW657 said:

The location of the former Peck's Sandwichery at 1323 N. Mills.

 

I was trying to remember where that was - I don’t think I ever went there. Of course, there was a Bill Baer not far from there.

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

I was trying to remember where that was - I don’t think I ever went there. Of course, there was a Bill Baer not far from there.

I remember Bill Baer being in the building where Abney's Music was, but if you look closely at the Bill Baer ad I posted, it says it was in the WP Mall back then. 

[spenser1058]

1 hour ago, JFW657 said:

I remember Bill Baer being in the building where Abney's Music was, but if you look closely at the Bill Baer ad I posted, it says it was in the WP Mall back then. 

They started out downtown and then moved over to Mills in that brick bldg (which I think was Abney’s after he retired). For a while, the tile mosaics of bears on the exterior front were covered and then we preservationist types got all excited when someone else leased the space and uncovered them.

Originally, he had a big neon sign on the roof with a bear who had a baton in his paw going up and down like he was conducting an orchestra..

There was also a store in WP Mall and he also ran a lease dept at the original Belk’s at Colonial Plaza called “Melody Corner”. There was also one at Altamonte Mall for a while.

He ran lots of local TV ads and called himself “Mr. Color TV”.

Each store had a huge stuffed bear with a name like “Baerthoven”, which may still be on display at the History Center.

Like Sam Behr who came later (no relation), he was quite the local character because of the TV ads for years.

Edited November 22, 2021 by spenser1058