Orlando History

[jliv]

There was a great Facebook group which went viral quickly 10 years ago, which all my friends from high school chimed in on.  I'll have to dig it up; it was mostly the ex-Floridian diaspora sharing things they missed about Orlando from when they were growing up.  It was called, "If you grew up in Orlando, FL, then you remember...". Even that one Backstreet Boy who went to Edgewater jumped into the thread.  Lots of people seemed to have vague and uncertain memories of a LazerWorld in the Beacham Theatre! 

EDIT: this is it....https://www.facebook.com/groups/231956973509801

My best contributions:

1. Running over from York Steakhouse to the McCrory's in Fashion Square to play Donkey Kong.

2. Not being able to swim at Moss Park because of the amoeba scares 

3. When they tried to build Little England as a theme park (but never finished) for the tourists to visit...from England.

 

Edited November 22, 2021 by jliv

[spenser1058]

Oh, goodness, York. The General Mills (now Darden) entry into the mid-priced steak house chains was kinda underwhelming. Darden made a much better pick years later with Long Horn after York was jettisoned.

The space did much better as a Ruby Tuesday until the fern bar phenomenon of the ‘70’s and 80’s ran its course.

The Chick Fil A across from that York was the first in Orlando. In fact, OFS brought several eateries to town for the first time including Piccadilly (although I liked Morrison’s better), Orange Bowl and the Magic Pan.

My favorite restaurant there was on the second floor of Robinson’s with big windows overlooking the mall.

 

Edited November 22, 2021 by spenser1058

[JFW657]

3 hours ago, jliv said:

There was a great Facebook group which went viral quickly 10 years ago, which all my friends from high school chimed in on.  I'll have to dig it up; it was mostly the ex-Floridian diaspora sharing things they missed about Orlando from when they were growing up.  It was called, "If you grew up in Orlando, FL, then you remember...". Even that one Backstreet Boy who went to Edgewater jumped into the thread.  Lots of people seemed to have vague and uncertain memories of a LazerWorld in the Beacham Theatre! 

EDIT: this is it....https://www.facebook.com/groups/231956973509801

My best contributions:

1. Running over from York Steakhouse to the McCrory's in Fashion Square to play Donkey Kong.

2. Not being able to swim at Moss Park because of the amoeba scares 

3. When they tried to build Little England as a theme park (but never finished) for the tourists to visit...from England.

 

I WENT TO LASERWORLD!!!!! 

I and my two college roommates.

We were... well.... ever see a 1980's movie called "Altered States"?   

Or the Simpson's episode where Homer went to the chili cookoff and ate the pepper?

I'll say no more....

We enjoyed the laser show and special effects, though.  

[spenser1058]

1 minute ago, JFW657 said:

I WENT TO LASERWORLD!!!!! 

I and my two college roommates.

We were... well.... ever see a 1980's movie called "Altered States"?   

Or the Simpson's episode where Homer went to the chili cookoff and ate the pepper?

I'll say no more....

We enjoyed the laser show and special effects, though.  

Oh my!

[JFW657]

This is a pic I meant to post with the EA and NA pics on the previous page but could not find it on my computer even though it was sitting right there in the same folder as the other two.

It was getting pretty late, though.

Then and now comparison pic.....

[spenser1058]

12 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

This is a pic I meant to post with the EA and NA pics on the previous page but could not find it on my computer even though it was sitting right there in the same folder as the other two.

It was getting pretty late, though.

Then and now comparison pic.....

I wonder if there are any pics about on Amelia when Southeast Steel was a Scotty’s

[angela1117]

On 11/21/2021 at 2:51 PM, JFW657 said:

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

Check out some of the prices!!!!  

 

 

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

 

 

Can we talk about $6 tickets for what sounds like an amazing line up! I think I would've really lived it up and shelled out the $18 for all three days 

[spenser1058]

5 minutes ago, angela1117 said:

Can we talk about $6 tickets for what sounds like an amazing line up! I think I would've really lived it up and shelled out the $18 for all three days 

Keep in mind, assuming it was the ‘70’s, that my first job in 1973 at (Fabulous!) Fairway Market paid minimum wage of $1.60/hr. A couple of months later, Congress raised it to $1.75. Woohoo!

[angela1117]

16 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

Keep in mind, assuming it was the ‘70’s, that my first job in 1973 at (Fabulous!) Fairway Market paid minimum wage of $1.60/hr. A couple of months later, Congress raised it to $1.75. Woohoo!

True. I think my first job at a Jersey Shore deli paid 1.85/hr. 

But that 15% discount would've surely helped! 

[spenser1058]

1 minute ago, angela1117 said:

True. I think my first job at a Jersey Shore deli paid 1.85/hr. 

But that 15% discount would've surely helped! 

Shortly thereafter, the 1974-75 recession hit (the gas shortage hit Orlando hard since most people drove to Florida then and they were afraid they’d be stranded with no gas in BFE, Georgia - tourism tanked).

As a result, the new apartments that were just being built to handle all the tourism workers could be had for as little as $116/month (Americana off SOB Trail - it was still considered a decent neighborhood then).

[angela1117]

4 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

Shortly thereafter, the 1974-75 recession hit (the gas shortage hit Orlando hard since most people drove to Florida then and they were afraid they’d be stranded with no gas in BFE, Georgia - tourism tanked).

As a result, the new apartments that were just being built to handle all the tourism workers could be had for as little as $116/month (Americana off SOB Trail - it was still considered a decent neighborhood then).

That recession was when Harris Rosen bought his first hotels. I worked front desk for him in the early 80's.  (I moved here in 1979 to go to UCF)

We lived in Tymberskan for a couple of years after we got married in 1982. I can't remember what our rent was but when we moved out the owner offered to sell the unit to us for 26K. There were termite trails on the walls. Turns out that was the least of the issues there.

[JFW657]

12 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Keep in mind, assuming it was the ‘70’s, that my first job in 1973 at (Fabulous!) Fairway Market paid minimum wage of $1.60/hr. A couple of months later, Congress raised it to $1.75. Woohoo!

It was 1968. 

Zoom in and look very closely right underneath the top portion of the 2nd letter P in "POP". 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Pop_Festival_(December_1968)  

[spenser1058]

1 minute ago, JFW657 said:

It was 1968. 

Zoom in and look very closely right underneath the top portion of the 2nd letter P in "POP". 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Pop_Festival_(December_1968)  

Which, if anything, the minimum wage might even be a tad lower. Spend those big bucks!

[smileguy]

14 hours ago, angela1117 said:

Can we talk about $6 tickets for what sounds like an amazing line up! I think I would've really lived it up and shelled out the $18 for all three days 

That $6 would be equivalent to about $50 today - still a steal!
 

[spenser1058]

When Lake Fairview had a geyser:

 

https://bungalower.com/2021/11/23/did-you-know-town-lake-fairview-had-a-geyser-once/

From Bungalower 

 

 

 

[JFW657]

10 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

When Lake Fairview had a geyser:

 

https://bungalower.com/2021/11/23/did-you-know-town-lake-fairview-had-a-geyser-once/

From Bungalower 

 

From the article:

Quote

The spout became a bit of a tourist attraction during the ’20s and the manager of the farm, R.D. Eunice, started collecting admission fees from curious bystanders, before being capped off for an unknown reason in the 1930s. A curator at the Orange County Regional History Center told us that it was likely due to the large number of drownings that were reported in and around the well of overly-curious spectators and bathers.

And probably not one wrongful death lawsuit was ever filed, as people tended to take and accept responsibility for their own actions back then.

Unlike today where everyone wants to be a victim and get a big payday for it.  

Morgan and Morgan would have had a field day!!! 

[spenser1058]

Just now, JFW657 said:

From the article:

And probably not one wrongful death lawsuit was ever filed, as people tended to take and accept responsibility for their own actions back then.

Unlike today where everyone wants to be a victim and get a big payday for it.  

Morgan and Morgan would have had a field day!!! 

“Foooor The People”

[spenser1058]

Otoh, I read the other day that Morgan’s the biggest law firm of that type in the country and their headquarters is downtown.

We wanted big corporate headquarters downtown…

[JFW657]

2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

“Foooor The People Money”

FIFY.

[spenser1058]

3 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

FIFY.

John Morgan is far from my favorite human on the planet, but his willingness to stand up to the Tallahassee Idiots on marijuana and the minimum wage, just to name two of the things he’s worked on, earns him some definite cred in my book.

Edited November 24, 2021 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

Long before Cinderella and Prince Charming had their castle built in what would become the City of Bay Lake, Will Harney built his Pine Castle overlooking Lake Conway:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/central-florida-history/os-ne-greetings-from-orlando-pine-castle-history-20211125-rl7tmjyt2zdixijlrked6247ti-story.html

From The Sentinel 
 

[JFW657]

Don't think I've ever seen this old pic of Oarange Ave @ Washington St before.

Then and now....

[spenser1058]

27 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

Don't think I've ever seen this old pic of Oarange Ave @ Washington St before.

Then and now....

I came along long after Rutland’s arrived on the corner so that is amazing. I really like that you can see the tower of the old red brick courthouse peeking up in the background.

Edited November 26, 2021 by spenser1058

[JFW657]

3 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

I came along long after Rutland’s arrived on the corner so that is amazing. I really like that you can see the tower of the old red brick courthouse peeking up in the background.

I wonder if the house is a residence or a business.

Is it connected to the building that fronts on Orange Ave.?

Is that a bunch of garbage lying along the base of the wall?

What is the woman pushing.... a baby stroller or a wheel barrow?

Maybe she's hauling away some of the trash along the wall right behind her.

And what is that canopy structure thing in the foreground for?

A gas station?

It looks like there is some kind of booth on one end.

Part of the same property as the big house?

Probably not as the Rutland Building doesn't extend all the way across to where the house meets the next building to the south, and that big open lot to the north of the house where the canopy thing is, was probably the parcel that was purchased to build it. 

[spenser1058]

4 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

I wonder if the house is a residence or a business.

Is it connected to the building that fronts on Orange Ave.?

Is that a bunch of garbage lying along the base of the wall?

What is the woman pushing.... a baby stroller or a wheel barrow?

Maybe she's hauling away some of the trash along the wall right behind her.

And what is that canopy structure thing in the foreground for?

A gas station?

It looks like there is some kind of booth on one end.

Part of the same property as the big house?

Probably not as the Rutland Building doesn't extend all the way across to where the house meets the next building to the south, and that big open lot to the north of the house where the canopy thing is, was probably the parcel that was purchased to build it. 

I looked as close as I could and it didn’t appear to have any gas pumps. There definitely seems to be a big pile of trash in front of the house and it looks a bit tumbledown. Do we know what year it was? Rutland’s was built in the early ‘40’s, I think.

Update: orlando retro says Joe Rutland bought the lot in 1940.

https://orlandoretro.com/2013/05/05/rutlands-and-orange-avenue-in-the-1940s/

Edited November 27, 2021 by spenser1058