Robert Henry and Verna Fluent Walsh left Chicago and moved to Altamonte Springs around 1925. They purchased an estate of about 24 acres along Wymore Road, just south of the Spring Valley subdivision and fronting the eastern shore of Spring...
Murder at Maison & Jardin and Sleepy Hill Farm in Altamonte Springs
Racial Violence Threatened in 1925 Sebring
Many people in Sebring today like to have rose-colored glasses about race relations in the town's history. Inescapably, Sebring was a typical segregated Southern town with plenty of racist ideals. In September of 1925, the finishing touches were being put...
Casa de Josefina: The Castle on the Ridge
The quaint Village of Highland Park is just south of Lake Wales on Scenic Highway 17. The hamlet is surrounded by orange groves and anchored by its crown jewel Casa de Josefina. The home, often mistaken for a hotel, was...
Flying Seminole Ranch in Oviedo
The Flying Seminole Ranch was opened east of Oviedo in 1965. Its original owners were Tom Tuck and Jerry Lindsey. It had a 4000-foot grass runway and a training center for aspiring pilots. It was discussed as a possible more...
Lorida Memories Book: June 26, 1976
This is a small-run book that was written by a typewriter. Copies were made and hand-stapled to be distributed to local pioneers at the First Annual Lorida Schoolhouse Reunion in 1976. A second book was printed for the 1977 reunion....
Maitland overpass marks the old town of Mayo
Hidden under the busy flyover intersection of Maitland Boulevard and US 17-92 are the reminders of a small town that once thrived here around 140 years ago. Mayo Avenue betrays its secret. Rudolph Gustave Mayo (August 22, 1829 - December...
Forest City, Florida – Plat Map from 1883
Here is the Forest City plat, filed with Orange County in 1883. I've overlayed 2023 landmarks on it to give reference. The red line is the old Orange Belt Railroad line, which is now (partially) a bike trail that is...