HISTORY: West Orange County of yesteryear for week of May 8, 2025

OLD TIMES / THE WAYS WE WERE

Excerpts from the newspaper archives:

80 years ago

Plans were being perfected for Winter Garden to have an up-to-date laundry, according to William H. Lockhart, new owner of the Edgewater Hotel.

W.B. Burch, census enumerator for Winter Garden, reported the population was 3,008.

75 years ago

More than 60 boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 14 were at the Winter Garden City Commission meeting lobbying for the opening of the swimming pool.

55 years ago

In a column called “Things to do, places to go in Central Florida,” a series of Orlando Twins baseball games were scheduled at Tinker Field. Tickets ranged from 50 cents to $1.25.

Steve Dunegan, Rex Robertson, Bill Coleman and Steve Strube brought new laurels to Lakeview High School in the field of mathematics. Lakeview’s four-member “man math” team walked away with honors in the countywide math competition.

Friends and former students paid tribute to Jessie Brock, retiring principal of Winter Garden Elementary School. In her 48 years of teaching, three generations of students passed under her watchful eyes. Among those sharing memories were Charles McMillan, George Howard, Mary Engstrom, Tom Sewell, George Bekemeyer and Foy Maloy.

50 years ago

Ron Lopsonzski, a member of the Lakeview High School coaching and teaching staff for 12 years, was appointed to the post of head football coach at the new West Orange High School.

The town of Windermere celebrated its 50th anniversary with a parade and a big week of festivities. Parade band u nits included the Walt Disney World Fife and Drum Corps and the marching bands from Lakeview and Ocoee high schools. Bob Matheison as master of ceremonies, introduced Miss Florida Delta Burke. As a gesture of goodwill to mark the occasion, Bill Love, owner of Windermere Standard, caused a mild traffic jam by selling gas for 29.9 cents per gallon for three hours.

20 years ago

A principal and name were chosen for a relief school in the Stoneybrook West area. Patricia Ramsey-Baney was chosen to lead the facility, named Whispering Oak Elementary School.

There was a strong local connection to the annual Kentucky Derby horse-racing event at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Don and Sue Graham of Ocoee were the breeders of Spanish Chestnut, an entrant in the Triple Crown race. The Grahams had stables on Ocoee-Clarcona Road and a horse farm in Ocala.

Windermere resident and former mayor Robert J. Pleus Jr. unanimously was elected chief judge by the other nine judges in the Fifth District Court of Appeal for a two-year term.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

MAY 8, 1975

Mother’s Day is around the corner, and in 1975, local businesses were gearing up for the special day by advertising their sales in The West Orange Times.

Eckerd Drugs, in the Tri-City Shopping Center, had sweet cards ranging in price from 15 cents to $1, as well as one-pound boxes of Whitman’s and Golden Crown chocolates for $2.47 and $2.66.

TG&Y, in Tri-City, had tote bags for $7.77; Montgomery Ward, also in Tri-City, had a selection of Coty gift sets for mama for $5; Village Greenery & Gifts, in the Turkey Lake Plaza, offered a variety of plants, crystal, pewter, jewelry and more; McCrory’s, in the West Orange Shopping Center, sold pastel sleeveless knit tops for $2.88.

FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION ARCHIVES

On May 8, 1952, exactly 73 years ago, a photographer “only known to history as Swift” created this group portrait of the packinghouse employees at the Winter Garden Citrus Growers Association. Located on property bordered by East Bay, Second, Third and East Smith streets, this former citrus powerhouse was celebrating its 43rd year of operation. Phil C. Peters was the plant’s manager.

No doubt many folks might be able to point out a family member who worked here when King Citrus ruled West Orange County.