By Peggy Sias Lantz, from the Fall 2020 edition of Reflections Magazine The year was 1915. The small, hand-built house on the shore of a beautiful lake west of Orlando was the home of David Purdy Sias and his family. It was the first house on that lake and only

By Cheyenne Stastyshyn As the year 2025 draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the five interns – Simone DeLuque, Barbara McCall, Shelby Reardon, Lior Wagerer, and Nemiah Wallace – who brought fresh energy, curiosity, and creativity to the Orange County Regional History Center this fall. Working

By Sarah M. Boye from the Fall 2025 Edition of Reflections Magazine In 1917, a Confederate monument placed in downtown Orlando in 1911 was moved to Lake Eola Park, where it stood for decades. In 2017, it would be moved again to Greenwood Cemetery. It’s a good bet many Orlandoans

By Rachel Williams During the final years of World War II, Florida played host to approximately 10,000 German prisoners of war (POWs), a fact often overlooked in the state’s history. The influx of POWs to the United States stemmed from overcrowded camps in Europe, which held more than 250,000 prisoners

A century-old church in Parramore becomes a rallying point for preservation, partnership, and neighborhood renewal. By Susan Moynihan from the Fall 2025 edition of Reflections Magazine Driving a friend home in Orlando’s Parramore district in 2015, Pastor Dana Jackson wasn’t thinking about buying real estate. Her son had recently died,