This week in West Orange County history

OLD TIMES

85 years ago

A new bakery, owned and operated by T.J. Childers, opened its doors for business. The Dixie Bakery featured fresh bread and hot rolls daily available every afternoon between 5 and 6 o’clock.

Claude Pepper, the 35-year-old Tallahassee attorney, was unopposed as the democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate left vacant by the death of Duncan U. Fletcher.

75 years ago

Airplanes circling Winter Garden were new Cub models from the local airport operated by Hall Flying Services. It was constructed out of flat pine land by Junior Hall and Warren Hurley, two young Winter Garden aviators. Among those who had received their pilot’s licenses were Hurley, Selby Burch, Leonard Coleman, Bobbie Joe Griffith, Wilbur Bradford, Charles Bradford and Lester Johnston.

70 years ago

Cpl. Thomas R. Sewell of the United States Marines, son of Mrs. Herbert Donaldson, returned from overseas duty and was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

55 years ago

Mary Beth McMillan was Winter Garden’s representative to the Young Modern fashion teen board sponsored by JC Penney at the Winter Park Mall. She modeled at the back-to-school show, “Fashions with Pow.”

Added to the new businesses in Winter Garden was the Maryland Fried Chicken dining room. The building was formerly a general store in operation for about 20 years.

50 years ago

The Little League Baseball field in Winter Garden was named Sam Williams Field in honor of a man who contributed so much to the baseball program. He borrowed money for the original charter, and for the first decade of its existence, he served as purchasing agent and player agent. He was elected league president in 1969.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

July 15, 1971

Boogarts was once the place to go in Ocoee for all your grocery needs. It was located on Silver Star Road in the Ocoee Shopping Center and advertised its weekly specials in The Winter Garden Times. In the July 15, 1971, issue of the weekly newspaper, an ad promoted prices that included a dozen eggs for 19 cents, Lykes all-meat wieners for 39 cents, three Banquet frozen dinners for a buck, and a jar of pure lard for 49 cents.

FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION ARCHIVES

William Burnette Burch, left, arrived in Winter Garden in 1910 as a young boy and started publishing the city’s newspaper in 1919. He sold the Times in 1922 but retained the press equipment and operated a printing business for a number of years until he learned that there "was more money in oranges." The location has been identified as the “east side of North Highland.” Roy Burgess is pictured at right.