This week in West Orange County history

OLD TIMES

85 years ago

Tildenville School announced its yearly achievement awards. First-place honors were bestowed on Caroline Mink, reading; Myrthle Burch, spelling; Ernestine Sangster, number work; and Jeanette Sadler, writing. Receiving second place were Joan Howard, reading; Gerald Ayres, number work; Jack Ross, spelling; and Raymond Gilliard, writing.

Ben Hill Lawson hosted a scavenger hunt, and Jane Ruth Fairchild and Lester Austin were declared the winners. Some of the articles that had to be brought in were a letter from China, two-cent stamp, black cat, bicycle without brakes and a pair of spy glasses.

80 years ago

The paper was filled with the names of families from the West Orange area migrating to Daytona Beach for the summer holidays. Some were leaving for the July 4 weekend, while others planned to remain for the entire summer months.

70 years ago

An ad in the paper invited the public to relax and fish at Lake Apopka.

45 years ago

The folks at Walt Disney World were creating a magnificent Mississippi riverboat restaurant, and a local Winter Garden company, Walker Bros Millworks, played a major role in the construction.

40 years ago

Thousands of gizzard shad, catfish and crappie were found floating dead in Lake Apopka due to the high algae content that absorbed the oxygen in the water.

30 years ago

Ten-year-old Kaci Peterson of Windermere qualified for the U.S. National Waterski Tournament in California. Her brother, Kyle Peterson, also was a waterski champ.

The West Orange Task Force sponsored a new debutante society, with Carla James, Marilyn Doyle and Nancy Manuel as its advisers. Twenty-four local girls were chosen to represent the Lilies of the Garden.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

June 28, 1979

In the summer of 1979, Eckerd Drugs advertised its best hot-weather prices in The Winter Garden Times. No day at the beach or lake or afternoon by the pool was complete without $6.99 women’s swimsuits, $1.99 athletic shorts, $1.19 flip-flops, $6.99 fishing gear, 77 cent swim rings and 89 cent Coppertone lotion. No access to a beach, lake or pool to cool off? A $3.99 garden hose would also work in a pinch.

FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION ARCHIVES

The Winter Garden Times issue dated June 24, 1915, published 106 years ago, reports in the “Oakland Notes” column that “the boy scouts are camping this week at Palm Springs [at Altamonte Springs], accompanied by their scout master, Harold Henschen. They will use a tent and camp in true boy scout style. Several of the boys hiked over Monday while the others went by train taking the baggage.”