This week in West Orange County history

Do you recognize these names, faces and places from West Orange County's past?

By Amy Quesinberry
| 4:03 p.m. November 13, 2019

West Orange Times & Observer
Neighborhood

OLD TIMES

60 years ago

First Baptist Church is struggling without a secretary since Jackie Miss Humphreys left for college.

50 years ago

Jaycees Ernest Crawford, Stan Smith, Calvin Grubbs, Robert Rudd and Tom Goddard recently attended the District 8 conference in Orlando.

Mrs. Bert E. Roper presented a program to the Rotary Club explaining the need and urging people to contribute their time to teaching others how to read.

45 years ago

The Windermere Country Restaurant, which was operated more recently as the Villa Milano, has been reopened by Harold and Theresa Barlow as Barlow's Kountry Kitchen.

Dale W. Higgins in the newest member of the Times' editorial staff. He was a 1970 graduate of Lakeview High School.

40 years ago

Judge Spencer C. Cross of Ocoee is the chief judge of the newly created Fifth District Court of Appeal. He is the brother of Ocoee Mayor Cliff Freeman.

35 years ago

Top amateur golfers from all over Florida will be at the West Orange Country Club's second Men's Invitational Tournament. Mike Armbruster is club manager.

30 years ago

Maxine Black of Winter Garden was in San Francisco when the earthquake occurred. In fact, she had crossed the Oakland Bay Bridge just a few minutes before its spans collapsed.

John and Jan Zweifel of Bay Hill are busy assembling their one-inch-to-one-foot scale replica of the White House. It spans more than 60 feet from east to west wing, and the reproduction has 35 moveable sections.

10 years ago

Mary Anne Swickerath, editor of The West Orange Times, retired after nearly 30 years with the weekly newspaper. Her first position was as columnist for the Ocoee Bulletin Board section.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

The Winter Garden Times

Nov. 14, 1974

It was cause for celebration this week in 1974 as the Tri-City Shopping Center, at the intersection of Highway 50 and Dillard Street in Winter Garden, turned 1. Four ping-pong drops were held, and numbered balls garnered prizes for the recipients.

Prizes and discounts were available at all the stores, including Food World, Happy Holiday Travel, First State Bank, Griffin's Men's Wear, The Whiffletree, The Focal Point, Card Carousel Shop, Eckerd Drugs and Burger Chef.

FROM THE WGHF ARCHIVES

This photograph of J.C. Ward’s Gas and Grocery is dated June 1957. The business could be an earlier incarnation of the Clarcona Grocery that stands at the southwest corner of Angola Street and Clarcona-Ocoee Road. Any readers who can supply further information can call the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation at (407) 656-3244.

author

Amy Quesinberry

Community Editor Amy Quesinberry was born at the old West Orange Memorial Hospital and raised in Winter Garden. Aside from earning her journalism degree from the University of Georgia, she hasn’t strayed too far from her hometown and her three-mile bubble. She grew up reading The Winter Garden Times and knew in the eighth grade she wanted to write for her community newspaper. She has been part of the writing and editing team since 1990.