West Orange History: 7-20-17

FROM THE WGHF ARCHIVES

Winter Garden's citrus display is featured at the 1932 Central Florida Fair in downtown Orlando. Winter Garden was poised to become the largest shipping point in the world for citrus and vegetables grown in the region, and elaborate displays like this served as marketing tools to promote the agricultural industry in West Orange County. The display also publicizes Lake Apopka's bass fishing, a major tourist draw in the first half of the 20th century.

The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation will feature images like these in “Selling Sunshine,” an upcoming exhibit of photographs portraying 150 years’ of citrus advertising.

OLD TIMES

65 years ago

W.H. Tibbals, appearing before the Winter Garden City Commission, requested that the parking problem by his place of business be relieved The commissioners agreed to place one 12-minute meter in the corner space at Plant and Main streets to see if that would help.

50 years ago

Disney’s theme park had its first taste of the Old West when four gunmen held heavy-equipment operators at bay on Reams Road and almost demolished the earth-moving equipment.

45 years ago

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce is now officially in business after receiving its new charter from the Secretary of State in Tallahassee.

The K&S Restaurant served frog legs to some of the breakfasters; Dock Reeves brought them from his new neighbor store, Henry’s Portion Meats. Red Ison would have no part of them, but Ward Britt, George Joiner and Homer Craig took care of Red’s share.

35 years ago

Phase 1 of a 200-unit condominium project will soon emerge from the ground on the old Winter Garden Ornamental Nursery site on State Road 50. Planning and Zoning board members were pleased with the preliminary site plan for Windtree.

10 years ago

The town of Oakland planted an oak-leaf holly tree near the original Town Hall building to honor the late Nelle Hoover for her beautification work as a leader in the Oakland Garden Club. Among those at the tree planting were Hoover’s daughter, Ruby Wilkes, and granddaughter, Dee Yowell.

Movies scheduled at West Orange 5 were “Ratatouille,” “Ocean’s Thirteen,” “Transformers,” “Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” “Evan Almighty,” “Live Free or Die Hard” and “Licensed to Wed.”

THROWBACK THURSDAY

The Winter Garden Times

July 13, 1978

In the Among the Lakes section of a 1978 issue of The Winter Garden Times, it was announced that Bennett and Eva Bean were the new owners of the Windermere Country Inn. Their plan was to continue “the same fine service” for which the family-type restaurant was known. The Beans expanded the dinner menu and homemade dessert offerings, too.

Contact Amy Quesinberry at [email protected].