Roaring Twenties Twister: Family Photos Bring a Sorrento Storm to Life
By Katie Marra, Orange County Regional History Center Archivist On March 17, 1928, a tornado swept through Sorrento, Florida, a small community in Lake County just east of Mount Dora. The results were damaged homes and property, downed trees, multiple injuries, and one fatality. Throughout the remainder of March 1928,
Apple Annie’s and Nostalgic Fantasy
By Travis Puterbaugh From the Spring 2024 Edition of Reflections Magazine In 1985, Lee Pharr, the art director for Church Street Station, said, “We’re trying to create an ambiance here that’s almost nostalgic fantasy.” The downtown Orlando entertainment complex – which opened on July 19, 1974, and helped transform downtown
The Building Permit Books: Unlocking a Valuable Historical Resource
By Tana Mosier Porter From the Spring 2024 Edition of Reflections Magazine Little is known about the four handwritten ledgers that make up the City of Orlando Building Permit Collection held in the Brechner Research Center at the Orange County Regional History Center. A 1986 donation from the city government
Women Who Made Our City Beautiful: The Legacies of Glenda Hood and Mary I. Johnson
By Adaeze Nwigwe, from the Spring 2024 Edition of Reflections Magazine Magical, picturesque, and for a period phenomenal: all were descriptions that could be applied to the city of Orlando in 1908. Early migrants to the area such as Jessie Johnson Branch from South Dakota were enraptured by the verdant
Vive la France! Learn about your French ancestors
Each month we’re pleased to let you know about genealogy classes being offered by Orange County Library System as part of our ongoing partnership with them. It’s amazing to look at their lineup for August and realize all the different ways you can research your family tree. For information on
Sanford’s Swedish Labor and the Creation of the New Upsala Settlement
By Rachel Williams Before Gen. Henry Sanford incorporated the Florida town that would bear his name in 1877, significant preparatory work was required. In 1870, Sanford purchased over 12,000 acres of land west of Mellonville, intending to enter the state’s burgeoning citrus industry. He began by clearing the land and
El Real Retiro: The Royal Retreat of New Smyrna, Florida
By Emily Coughlan from the Spring 2024 Edition of Reflections Magazine In the early 1920s, both tourism and land sales were booming in Central Florida. Wealthy northerners were cultivating properties in Florida to escape the harsh winters. One such property, built in 1923, was first known as the “Handley House”
Dig into your Canadian roots with your local library
It’s interesting how advances in science plays a role in learning about our past. DNA testing has helped people explore their genealogy in ways that were previously not possible. Orange County Library System can help you explore DNA and many other aspects of genealogy. For more information on these and
Barney the Buffalo: Wild West History in Downtown Orlando
by Joy Wallace Dickinson Pioneer Florida was a lot like the Wild West, so perhaps it’s fitting that an icon of the American frontier – a venerable bison named Barney – made his mark in history and rumbled into eternity on the sandy main drag of a Florida city, Orlando,
The Church of Iron Oak: Rooted in Brevard County
By Kelly D’Ambrosio, Digital Archivist, Orange County Regional History Center During the mid-1990s, Wiccan classes and workshops were regularly advertised in the faith section of the Brevard County newspaper, Florida Today. Interest in the religion was typically demonstrated by news outlets during October, but Brevard was home to local groups