HISTORY: West Orange County of yesteryear for week of April 24, 2025

OLD TIMES / THE WAYS WE WERE

Excerpts from the newspaper archives:

80 years ago

The new Winter Garden Honor Roll board located in the city park, at the corner of Plant Street and Lakeview Avenue, carried the names of about 500 servicemen and women. It was dedicated to the honor and glory of residents in the U.S. Armed Forces. Additional names were added as they were turned in to the clerk at City Hall.

55 years ago

Charles Hawthorne was elected president of the Winter Garden Lions Club. Serving with him were Jerry Carris, first vice president; Ernie Hawk, second vice president; Dean Craig, third vice president; Carl Patterson, treasurer; John Malbery, secretary; Bob Ainsworth, lion tamer; and Bob Hagen, tail twister. Serving on the board of directors was Don Shaw, Homer Craig, Ed Watkins, Buford Sexton, Preston Kiser and Bob Ford.

Five hundred friends and guests paid tribute to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Roper on their golden wedding anniversary.

50 years ago

The following persons accepted teaching positions at new West Orange High School, according to an announcement by Lester Dabbs, principal-designate: Fred Savage, Mel Bridge, Suzette Shamey, Tom Goddard (science); Ray Tripp, Mary Brinson, Joyce Banker, Ken Vickery (math); Agnes Foote, Joe Worsham, Kerry Patrick (social studies); Jan Pratt, Joe Nigro, Nancy Yuronis, Marguerite Cooper, Margaret McMillen, Debbie Galbraith (English); Harold Cooper (band); Bill Harvis (chorus); Gay Annis, Bob Thompson, Josie Marshall (business education); Eric Lifner, Phil Ness, Richard Ezzard, Dick Gaston (CDE); Mildred Blackwell, Lynn Bidlingmaier (economics); Jo Aagaard, Ellen Harmeling, Jim Matthews (guidance); Trina Lummus, Frank LaMina (media specialists); Jerry Carris, Richard Stotler (agriculture); Aida McCuen (Spanish); James McKinney, Ted Mulligan (auto mechanics); Pat Moran (work experience); Leon Wilson (driver education); Gary Guthrie (boys physical education/health); and Jane Pennington (girls PE/health). Eight more teachers and the coaching staff were later hired.

30 years ago

The city of Winter Garden embarked on a $7 million project on its infrastructure, half of which was more than 50 years old. The work included the sewer, water and stormwater lines and the roads. The first phase focused on the section of Boyd Street between Plant and Miller streets and one block on Smith from Boyd to Lakeview Avenue. Boyd Street was chosen first because it was among the worst streets.

Larry Caskey, recreation director, and Sheri Grimes, recreation supervisor, had plenty to smile about after seeing their new Winter Garden Recreation Department building moved to its new location at Newton Park on Lake Apopka. The former house recently had been listed as a historical structure on a survey done by Main Street Winter Garden.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

MAY 2, 1968

The A&P, once located at 731 S. Dillard St., in Winter Garden, bragged about the quality of the foods it sold, especially the A&P brand.

Another popular brand was Jane Parker, which offered bakery items such as two boxes of 12 cake doughnuts for 45 cents or a one-pound, seven-ounce jelly roll for 59 cents.

In the produce aisle, shoppers could buy a dozen lemons for 39 cents, three bags of radishes or a head of iceberg lettuce for 19 cents, and a pound of fresh pole beans for 23 cents.

Coupon clipping was popular with folks wanting to see savings on their grocery bill, and weekly advertisements in The Winter Garden Times included a handful of coupons worth extra Plaid Stamps. This program provided a catalog of household items shoppers could “purchase” with their collected stamps.

FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION ARCHIVES

An education rooted in the classics still could be had at Lakeview High School in the 1960s, and every year the Latin Club held a banquet to celebrate its achievements. The photograph was taken in April 1965 — 60 years ago — with Assistant Principal Ray Aldridge and his wife; Principal Bob Moore and wife Dolly; student Reggie Sterns; Latin teacher Carol Barrett; and, sporting decidedly non-Roman haircuts, students Mitchell Hull and Eddie Bradford.