Florida History Blog

Maitland’s Lake Lily was known as John’s Hole

In the days before railroads penetrated the forest, let's call it 1859, only a few scattered families braved living in frontier Orange and Seminole County. Back then, along the lonely Orlando-Mellonville Road, not a single house could be found between...

Soda Factory Store in Casselberry was a lively destination in the 70s

In 1976 a combination retail store and soda bottling factory opened in Casselberry. It was called The PoP Shoppe and located in front of the Semoran Skateway at 1101 Semoran Blvd. The Casselberry factory made 16 regular and 8 diet...

East Altamonte Clings to its Heritage

Against all odds, East Altamonte has persisted for over 130 years. The historically black community is surrounded by valuable real estate and three land-hungry municipalities. “In 20 years, Winwood will not exist,” Alcee Hastings, the community’s most famous son, said...

Nolan House in Altamonte Springs

Yesterday, I stopped by the Nolan House in Altamonte Springs. I've been meaning to for a while, after numerous "trips" there on Google Street View. I serendipitously ran into owner Carmen Bierman, who was hanging out on the porch. The...

Mary Toney was a bus driver turned six-term politician

Mary Toney was born in 1933 and moved to Sebring as a toddler. She graduated from E. O. Douglas High School in Sebring, class of 1951. At 48, she worked as a school bus driver and decided to run for...

Avon Park City Council Throws Out All Black Votes in 1951 Election

The good old boy system of Avon Park was shaken to its core in 1949. That September, five out of six incumbents were voted out of office. Among the newly-elected was young Wiley Sauls, who was just 21. The story...

Pipkin Band Shell at Florida Southern College

The Pipkin Bandshell at Florida Southern College in Lakeland was constructed in 1941. It was named after a Lakeland pioneer named L. N. Pipkin, who moved to Polk County in 1883 and served as a Florida Southern trustee since 1910...

Kingsbury House is Winter Springs Town Center Hold Out

A lone single-family home sitting behind the Winter Springs Town Center, between an apartment complex and Magnolia Square (where Winter Springs hosts many festivals). The home was built in 1975 on a tract that included at least 16 acres. The...

Hollieanna Groves in Maitland serving customers since 1953

There aren’t many patches of Old Florida left in the busy Orlando metro area. But smack dab in the heart of Maitland’s commercial district, you’ll find this throwback: Hollieanna Groves. And boy, is it a gem! It is located on the bend in...

Longwood Town Marshal Kidnapped by the KKK

The Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s is notorious for lynchings and bigotry. And that dishonor is well-earned, of course. However, the hooded order was involved in more than simply terrorizing blacks, immigrants, Jews, and Catholics. In those days, the...