This week in West Orange County history

OLD TIMES

70 years ago

All Winter Garden merchants who were interested in sponsoring the annual stag and barbecue were asked to get in touch with Russell Pounds immediately. The event was held at the Orlando Gun Club

50 years ago

Barbara Roper spoke to the Winter Garden Lions Club about WMFE-TV Channel 24.

40 years ago

West Orange High School expected to graduate 484 students, including two valedictorians rather than one. Jon Wes Boyd and Nadine Grissett, each with a 4.0 GPA, tied for first ranking in their class.

Gerri Wise received a corsage in honor of her 39 years as an elementary school teacher.

30 years ago

The first four-year class graduated from West Orange High School since Orange County Public Schools changed junior high schools to middle schools and moved ninth-graders to the high school level.

Robert W. Williams retired after 20 years as principal of Ocoee Middle School. He also had put in eight years as a math teacher at Ocoee High. To celebrate, Ocoee Mayor Lester Dabbs proclaimed June 3-9 Robert Williams Week in the city.

Chief Deputy Charlie B. Parker retired from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department after 22 years.

20 years ago

Traywick’s Garage changed hands when Hector and Elisa Ocampo purchased the company from Malone Traywick, who had operated it since 1946.

The Idea Seekers circle at the First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden performed a railroad-theme skit at the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Performers were Carol Brooks, Marian Wagster, Sandi Heath, Shirley Boon, Linda Fewell, Nancy Sines, Judy Fain, Meme Reeher, Carol Knighton, Gay Annis, Vikki Chitwood, Nancy Wiggins, Pam Laug, Sue Norton and Donna Willett.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

June 7, 2001

The West Orange Times published a bird’s-eye view of the new Olympia High School on the front page of the June 7, 2001, issue. The school, still under construction at the time, was built at the northeast corner of Apopka-Vineland and Conroy-Windermere roads as a relief school for West Orange and Dr. Phillips high schools.

FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION

June is traditionally graduation month for seniors across the world. This photograph, composed around 1915, shows a graduating class from the Oakland-Winter Garden School, once located on Brick Road in Tildenville. One of the students has been identified — Edith Sadler Stanford stands at upper right. Principal Laura Kirton is seated in the foreground. Mrs. Kirton served as principal of the school from 1918 to 1927 and then at Lakeview High School from its construction in 1927 through her retirement in 1948.