HomeMy WebLinkAboutFrom a Village to a City-2009 ...............
, ......
a Of IP Age , 1959 v ea- '4
to a efeg ....., ,,,i,
,, - ,
, , .
. .. .., ,
Po gou tefreffde, e- 7959
S
•
tory and photos by Pam Carroll
•c The year started with and...
Za forty-eight star Raymond Moss and George Edgemon had purchased
J I._ -. US flag, until Alaska land in 1957 under the name North Orlando Company,
t became the 49th state a subsidiary of Silver Creek Mining and Precision
on January 3rd and
.I. Company.On June 20, 1 959 the Village of North Orlando
1 Hawaii, the 50th on was incorporated, chiefly to benefit the developers
August 21 st. It was the and allow them to establish their own ordinances and
41 .at era of 4 cent postage regulations. Their office, on the corner of Fairfax and
stamps, gasoline at 25 SR 434, also served as the Village Hall, Fire and Police
cents/gallon, a loaf of station, Building department, Public Works and the
z.
t „ bread for 20 cents, Court. Often the windows were opened during a Village
and the average cost Council meeting, so residents could stand outside and
. r" for a new car was
$2,200. "IKE" (Dwight hear the proceedings. It remains the oldest building in
our City - and today is Richard Grogan's Barber& Style
David Eisenhower) shop. A marker in the courtyard commemorates the
was President, and
' - , location of this as the first City Hall.
the yearly inflation Continued
o rate was 1.01%. ��
Average yearly wages
were $5,010 and Congress passed a bill authorizing ,.
food stamps for poor Americans. Barbie dolls, Etch- 'FAIRFAX'',''
A-Sketch, and the Twilight Zone, debuted. Folks used -
manual typewriters, rotary dial telephones and some • 7.even had `party lines'. Children secured roller skates to M.
i
their shoes with keys or played with hula hoops, and - -. _ ;, '};
! 1 .
folks listened to 45's on record players. '411. ill -
f..-i t aY
CITY e
WINTFR SPRINGS
, ill • —
;.«• .* • . "ti SITE -'F THE '
•• t ,e''' _ a -‘_s' FI:iST CITY HALT. L
•10 ; .-4— e
;ECr
4
IIIlIIIIIIiiiii
U�� t for dinner. She eats like a bird only 7 gals and she was
i`OH'a l a/ • a a (ift -continued
full. - F. R. Stratton, Driver." On December 1, 1 973, the
The first 300 residents /—e� ..- first full time firefighter, Charles L. Holzman was put on
moved into homes in 1 959. .r the City's payroll, and in 1974, Chuck Holzman became
Homes were marketed in
,`� the first paid Fire Chief for the City, a position he held
February of 1 959 with a flyer ✓ `a until retirement in 1991.Chuck also assisted at the History
stating:"Your Own Country -= ~=��� � J tent and was part of the original Winter Springs Historical
`��—=t= Society.
Estate - For as LOW as $20 t _- - -- - Y
down and $20 per month". i E.:- y Did you know that in 1 966,there was an effort to change
down
.. the name of the Village because of residents' difficulties
I •--1°*—co o--�, • --- in receiving mail and telephone calls,due to the similarity
BALLOT F ='r ,:
GENERAL ELECTION �\g.W.-,.^,rrt;, with nearby"Orlando" in Orange County?Twenty-three
VILLAGE OF NORTH ORLANDO F,n =`-`" ter rr '.`�1'��
MARCH 16 14166 —`ry�` �"�i •'. alternative names were proposed,including:`Ranch City',
* • OFFICIAL BALLOT •• .i Otct `Moss Town', `Waycross', 'Casselberry', `Trade Winds',
MAYOR 2YR TERM `Sanorio', 'Hopeville', and `Prowler's Paradise'. Seventy
Politics were controlled by
V N R people sent letters with their votes,but the City Council
COC MAN GROUP 2 2YR TLRP.1 did not vote to change the name.
the development company
between 1959-1961. The During the 1970's, building boomed with the rise of
COUNCILMAN GROUP 2VIa rLw., Meadowlark,the Terraces, Hacienda Mobile Home Park
Company appointed five
Council members who in and other areas of construction.
I - - turn selected a Mayor by "During the building of Disney World, three men, Roy
secret ballot. Finally in 1966, Dye, Bill Goodman and Norm Rossman had a vision
via a referendum Charter change, a Mayor was elected of a large, self-contained, multi-use community with
by the people. George Fuller became the Village's first pastures, groves, streams and lakes." They acquired
"people's mayor". land from Gardena Farms and the Dyson family to make
Until 1 960, fire protection was provided by the Florida a total of 3,500 acres being developed by the Winter
Division of Forestry. The North Orlando Volunteer Springs Development Company. Ordinance Number
Fire Department was born under the leadership of 64 passed in October, 1971,annexed lands belonging to
volunteer Chief Bill Hahn. In 1962,a 1 948 Ford pumper, the developer,Winter Springs Development Corp. and
affectionately named"Ole Bessie"was purchased and she included a development agreement.
remained as the workhorse of the department for many It wasn't until 1972,that a new City Charter was adopted
years.Excerpts from the North Orlando Fire Department by referendum, and the Village became the City of
Call Book (in the City's archives):"Dec 17— Clean store Winter Springs.
for Christmas party. Delivered party handouts and "If history were a photograph of the past it would be flat
sold raffle tickets including ranch area. - Driver Chuck and uninspiring.Happily,it is a painting;and,like all works
Holzman" and "Dec. 18, 1 966 —Took sweet Bessie out p g p e'
of art, it fails of the highest truth unless imagination and
ideas are mixed with the paints." —Allen Nevins
, R, I would like to thank the staff at City Hall who allowed access
• for me to research the City's archives. Thank you also to Mary
and Gary Brook who oversaw the Guest Book and exhibits
iyr,_ at the July 4th event. My sincere appreciation to Judy Wiant
orlat the Student Museum, Hugh Fisher, Richard Grogan, and
r John Desmond for lending me items to display at the History
&._ p y y
4' ` _ k} - A, tent. Thank you also to Captain Jim Wilkins who provided the
'1 WSPD display
`' NOW I know of several folks who are interested in insuring
4 . that our City's history is preserved. If you have photos, news
u
• articles, or stories that you would be willing to share, and/or
Chuck Holzman,first paid i f you would be interested in forming a .1 new Winter Springs
Fire Chief for the City. Historical Society, please let me know. •
1
rUn s
• SI 0
. .
... . .._:_.„. . . .. ..„, E VY7nter S 0 °
�°°'°'” .do you know? By Pamela Carroll
�� . Today - • , v . • . ; I
TuscaWilla 1.‘,,l
}.
R.. jr�/ . t Wagner occurred on August a way to ship their goods to Sanford
, ��� �.`; r 22,2009! or Winter Park. With the arrival of
, • i In about 1900, two things automobiles and trucks, the spur was
� ' "` occurred — first, "this area abandoned for many years, yet today it
MAGNER located at the southwest serves as the Black Hammock trailhead
f- :::......--=. =� corner of Lake Jesup became for the Cross Seminole Trail.
3,` . =T-7-7::"---7--F- known as Wagner. Second—a BUT NOT
^� -� M `narrow, nine-foot brick road AND LAST,
" ' - was built'. The origin of the LEAST CAN YOU
0 4� name `Wagner' is uncertain IDENTIFY THE LOCATION
and both Wagner and Clifton OF THE BACKGROUND
It ' appear on maps" Wagner PHOTO ON THE COVER?
. .74 did have it's own Post Office
8LACK HAMMOCK TRAILHEAD from 1911 — 1925 and there •. :.. ,�/
CROSS CE LE COUNTY TRAIL , ' i
FLORIDA DA SCENIC TRAIL SYSTEM _ l
was a General store.
.+ Many people remember i', ,i i \I ,
•
ti_...._.._�.. .w. _ the name Wagner's Curve,
which had a 90 degree curve I : ;
on State Road 434. In 1992,
the curve was reduced to 11
THREE GENTLEMEN degrees by using a bypass road during
construction. If anyone has more _ _
Politically,the Village of North Orlando details about Wagner,please let me i `�'°—r-� .. ..,
was a "company town" and from 1959 know!
through 1961, the North Orlando
Company had appointed the five Council BRICK ROAD
members who by secret ballot would A Pioneer highway used to link Sanford THERE IS GROWING INTEREST IN
elect the Mayor. In 1962, the Villagers to Oviedo ran through what we know FORMING AN UPDATED WINTER
would elect two Council members, as Winter Springs. Portions of the nine SPRINGS HISTORICAL SOCIETY!
yet the North Orlando Company still foot wide brick road that had concrete There is a potential opportunity to
appointed three members.This changed retainers on the sides are still visible in partner with the City of Winter Springs
again in 1963, allowing the Villagers our City. The portion in this photo is to possibly house a historical society at
to elect the full Council; however, the located not far from the bricks that were the site of the first City Hall (otherwise
Mayor at that time was still selected removed in the 1980's from the school known as Richard's Barber and Style
by secret ballot by the five Council bus depot and relocated to the entry and Shop) at the corner of Fairfax and SR
members. courtyard of the Museum of Seminole 434.
In the upper right hand photo on the County History. Already, more than a dozen folks have
cover are three gentlemen.The"man in Do you know where this section of indicated an interest in participating in
the middle" is George Fuller, who was the road is located? this group. We will need to reach folks
elected as the first"People's Mayor"for who can remember `the way things
the Village of North Orlando. That was BLACK HAMMOCK were',to borrow old photos,documents
in 1966 when a Referendum Charter TRAILHEAD CROSS and memorabilia,etc.
change made it possible for the people SEMINOLE COUNTY TRAIL If you are interested in participating at
to elect their Mayor. Can anyone — FLORIDA SCENIC TRAIL some level, please let me know.
identify the other two men? SYSTEM. Thank you!
WAGNER This spur ran off the Sanford and Indian
River railroad and was created to help Photos provided courtesy of Marcella Fuller
The dedication of the Seminole County the vegetable and celery farmers with (Three Gentleman)and Pamela Carroll.
Historical Commission's marker for