Orlando History

[JFW657]

The beginning of a political dynasty!!!!   

[codypet]

Nooooo!  It looks like Welcome Back Dyer.

[spenser1058]

52 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

The beginning of a political dynasty!!!!   

The good news on dynasties: just a few years ago, folks were complaining that the Bushes and the Clintons kept controlling the elections and we didn’t need any dynasties. Now, that seems like ancient history…

So far, here in Florida, we do have a dynasty, the Castors, and we’ve yet to have a clunker in the bunch (one of the clan is currently on the OCPS board).

[angela1117]

10 hours ago, codypet said:

Nooooo!  It looks like Welcome Back Dyer.

I get a pre Jeopardy Alex Trybek vibe 

[codypet]

39 minutes ago, angela1117 said:

I get a pre Jeopardy Alex Trybek vibe 

Winner!

I know it was the 80's but everyone needed to cool it with the mustaches.

Especially you Jeff Gordon!

[spenser1058]

I got to meet Robert Reed (Brady dad) at PH one night and he had the mustache. I was most disappointed as I’ve never been a fan of facial hair.

[spenser1058]

Sanford’s downtown Ritz Theatre is about to celebrate its 100th anniversary:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/arts-and-theater/os-et-ritz-theatre-sanford-centennial-season-20220721-gnwqtib2avgm7iorw7wpedhnzy-story.html

From The Sentinel 

“Unable to compete with the rise of the multiplex, the venue shut in 1978, but later reopened as the Showtime Cantina between 1984 and 1988.

By the early 1990s, “it was pretty dilapidated,” Brown says.

Enter Helen Stairs, the community advocate who led the charge to restore the theater. When it opened on May 6, 2000, it bore her name as a tribute and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.”

Imagine that - preserving your history instead of bulldozing it - what a concept!

 

 

 

Edited July 21, 2022 by spenser1058

[Jolly Roger's Crackers]

On 7/20/2022 at 9:15 AM, codypet said:

Nooooo!  It looks like Welcome Back Dyer

It certainly does...

Cheers.

Edited July 22, 2022 by Jolly Roger's Crackers

[spenser1058]

*Ponders the days when John Travolta was skinny, long before Pulp Fiction*:

https://youtu.be/xZzEzDkeHzI

[Jolly Roger's Crackers]

On 7/20/2022 at 9:01 PM, spenser1058 said:

I got to meet Robert Reed (Brady dad) at PH one night and he had the mustache. I was most disappointed as I’ve never been a fan of facial hair.

One does wonder, however.....

No worries...and thanks for the memories, Mr. Reed. Porkchops and applesauce. Cheers.

Edited July 22, 2022 by Jolly Roger's Crackers

[spenser1058]

This week, the Sentinel’s Joy Wallace Dickinson takes a look at swimwear the women at Daytona Beach might have worn back in the day (although actually swimming in them would have been a stretch):

Beachgoers once made a splash in wool, leggings 
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/os-fe-joy-wallace-dickinson-0724-20220724-dwrnwjpaujd67kv4jszf2xhory-story.html

The awesome part is that the iconic Jantzen Girl who long appeared in mid-dive near the Daytona Broadwalk, is back. She’s now at One Daytona. It will never be quite the same until she makes her way beachside again, but at least she’s back in town.

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/opinion/editorials/2018/04/21/our-view-help-bring-back-jantzen-girl/12595697007/

From The News Journal 

Edited July 24, 2022 by spenser1058

[Jolly Roger's Crackers]

Many apologies if this has been posted here before. I bike past the Orlando Executive Airport multiple times a week. I know its past history. My grandpa lived here in the 30's and was sent off to war in the 40's. He did his tour in Europe (was wounded and flown home). I reckon he spent time on this "Orlando Army Air Base" (whether coming to or going from the war). Fascinating stuff. Again....apologies if this is redundant....but I find this quite interesting (and right around the corner from my neighborhood). Festival Park indeed. No worries. Cheers.

 

Edited July 26, 2022 by Jolly Roger's Crackers

[spenser1058]

39 minutes ago, Jolly Roger's Crackers said:

Many apologies if this has been posted here before. I bike past the Orlando Executive Airport multiple times a week. I know its past history. My grandpa lived here in the 30's and was sent off to war in the 40's. He did his tour in Europe (was wounded and flown home). I reckon he spent time on this "Orlando Army Air Base" (whether coming or going from the war). Fascinating stuff. Again....apologies if this is redundant....but I find this quite interesting (and right around the corner from my neighborhood). Festival Park indeed. No worries. Cheers.

 

The Orlando Army Air Base, which became the Orlando Air Force Base, then then NTC and the sub school (that happened because Sentinel publisher Martin Andersen was BFFs with LBJ) ,which is now Baldwin Park, brought about the first big influx of new residents (in terms of percentages, those were some of the biggest jumps for us.) As you mentioned, Festival Park was part of the base, as was what we know as Baldwin Park all the way to Glenridge.

There was also officer in frame buildings at Robinson and Bumby which was used by OHA after the war for decades until it was finally torn down to build the awesome  mixed-housing neighborhood we see today.

On the first day of school each year, they asked if your parents were stationed here, as the feds gave impact money to OCPS for military kids.

With two bases (Pine Castle was the other which became McCoy ) and citrus being the big industry in town, we were a very conservative place then but it was fun growing up here when you could still swim in the lakes!

Thanks for a great post. 

Edited July 26, 2022 by spenser1058

[angela1117]

@Jolly Roger's Crackers thanks for posting the video. I love history (I grew up in Trenton, NJ with lots of trips to the Old Barracks and Washington's Crossing State Park). I've lived down here way longer than I lived up there and still enjoy learning about this area. 

[spenser1058]

Professor Diana Reigelsperger will talk about how highways changed Florida and our region during the first two-thirds of the 20th century this Thursday at the Maitland Museum.

Admission’s free but you do need to register:

https://bungalower.com/2022/07/26/video-maitland-museum-hosting-lecture-on-paving-roads-and-disappearing-orange-groves-this-thursday/

From Bungalower 

Professor Reigelsperger teaches at SSC and her fields of interest include Florida history.

Edited July 26, 2022 by spenser1058

[codypet]

I might want to do that.

[spenser1058]

If you might be beachside this weekend, Daytona’s Museum of Arts & Sciences is hosting Summer Florida History Con. Some of the topics look quite interesting:

https://www.moas.org/Summer-Florida-History-Con-7-10629.html
 

Edited July 27, 2022 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

Let’s head to the drive-in, the “passion pit” for frisky Orlando teenagers!

The text describes the Orlando Drive-In on OBT (at Gore), but the pic is of the Kuhl Ave. one. Why on Kuhl? Before the causeway was built across Lake Lucerne in the ‘50’ s, there was no Orange Ave in what’s now SoDo. Instead, southbound traffic from downtown circled the lake and Kuhl was the main street in that part of town.

https://www.thehistorycenter.org/drive-in-movie-theater/

From The History Center
 

[Jolly Roger's Crackers]

3 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

The text describes the Orlando Drive-In on OBT (at Gore), but the pic is of the Kuhl Ave one

Maybe they couldn't find a flyer for the old OBT location? I'm trying to imagine a Drive-In theater on Kuhl (in the vicinity of Kaley). Hmmm. Days Gone Bye,  I reckon. No worries. Thanks for the post. Cheers.

 

Edited July 28, 2022 by Jolly Roger's Crackers

[JFW657]

5 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Let’s head to the drive-in, the “passion pit” for frisky Orlando teenagers!

The text describes the Orlando Drive-In on OBT (at Gore), but the pic is of the Kuhl Ave. one. Why on Kuhl? Before the causeway was built across Lake Lucerne in the ‘50’ s, there was no Orange Ave in what’s now SoDo. Instead, southbound traffic from downtown circled the lake and Kuhl was the main street in that part of town.

https://www.thehistorycenter.org/drive-in-movie-theater/

From The History Center
 

 

2 hours ago, Jolly Roger's Crackers said:

Maybe they couldn't find a flyer for the old OBT location? I'm trying to imagine a Drive-In theater on Kuhl (in the vicinity of Kaley). Hmmm. Days Gone Bye,  I reckon. No worries. Thanks for the post. Cheers.

 

There was a drive in theater that sat exactly where the SODO Target sits now. 

Right behind the old Zayre's.

Though it was closed by the mid - late 80's, the property was still there.

It was used one night per week for an auto auction. 

[spenser1058]

5 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

 

There was a drive in theater that sat exactly where the SODO Target sits now. 

Right behind the old Zayre's.

Though it was closed by the mid - late 80's, the property was still there.

It was used one night per week for an auto auction. 

That was the New Orange Ave Drive-In. It replaced some other one - may have been Kuhl for all I know. I remember seeing a rerelease of GWTW and 20.000 Leagues there as well as Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte, which scared me to death.

[codypet]

On 7/26/2022 at 1:05 PM, spenser1058 said:

Professor Diana Reigelsperger will talk about how highways changed Florida and our region during the first two-thirds of the 20th century this Thursday at the Maitland Museum.

Admission’s free but you do need to register:

https://bungalower.com/2022/07/26/video-maitland-museum-hosting-lecture-on-paving-roads-and-disappearing-orange-groves-this-thursday/

From Bungalower 

Professor Reigelsperger teaches at SSC and her fields of interest include Florida history.

Well, I went.  Pretty fascinating stuff.  Good lecture.  I did not know there was a telephone museum there.  Now I'll have to go back.

[spenser1058]

They were the days when Daytona was wild and crazy and Hawaiian Tropic’s Ron Rice was doing everything he could to make it that way:

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/2022/07/31/hawaiian-tropic-founder-ron-rice-ran-fast-lane-daytona-beach-oj-trump-nascar-stallone-seinfeld/10157555002/

From The News Journal 

(of course, Ron wasn’t nearly as wild and crazy back then as @jrs2, but we digress…<eg>)

[jrs2]

On 7/28/2022 at 9:35 PM, JFW657 said:

 

There was a drive in theater that sat exactly where the SODO Target sits now. 

Right behind the old Zayre's.

Though it was closed by the mid - late 80's, the property was still there.

It was used one night per week for an auto auction. 

if I recall, the storefront closer towards Orange Ave (close in time to bulldozing, had that furniture store in it with that ornamental statue if you will of Joliet Jake and Elwood Blues...The Blues Brothers.

20 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

They were the days when Daytona was wild and crazy and Hawaiian Tropic’s Ron Rice was doing everything he could to make it that way:

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/2022/07/31/hawaiian-tropic-founder-ron-rice-ran-fast-lane-daytona-beach-oj-trump-nascar-stallone-seinfeld/10157555002/

From The News Journal 

(of course, Ron wasn’t nearly as wild and crazy back then as @jrs2, but we digress…<eg>)

I remember when the Ron Rice recruiting machine (maybe UF could've used it for football) would poach the area high schools for "talent".  And then there were the "rumors" of parties he'd host at his beach house mansion in OBS- maybe still Ormond Beach...north of SR 40...

the compound is still there (the house, not some exotic chemical)...

On 7/20/2022 at 9:09 AM, JFW657 said:

The beginning of a political dynasty!!!!   

this is pretty incredible.

he does resemble a cross between Mr. Brady and Alex Trebek.  wow...

when was this circa?

[spenser1058]

Meanwhile, before Ron, “the Hugh Hefner of the Beach”, started selling suntan oil, but before the DeVos clan arrived, we had Koscot Interplanetary!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koscot_Interplanetary

Glenn had what was then the biggest billboard on I-4 and built himself a castle in Seminole County (which sadly later burned).

Of course, let’s not forget Jim and Tammy Faye’s brief dalliance with the I-Drive crowd!

Those were  the days…

https://www.orangeobserver.com/article/glenn-turners-castle

From The West Orange Times Observer 

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2003-06-29-0306270538-story.html

From The Sentinel 

 

Edited August 2, 2022 by spenser1058