Old Times 07.23.15

80 years ago

The Winter Garden store of the Bumby Hardware Co., opened in 1917, will be discontinued. The stock will be moved to the main store on Church Street in Orlando.

The Albany Baseball Club will accept the offer of the Chamber of Commerce to train here next spring if the hotel rate can be agreed upon. The club belongs to the International League and has received much publicity this year because of “Alabama” Pitts, hired after some dispute with league officials as to his eligibility because of a prison record.

70 years ago

Mary Argo entertained members of her bridge club at her home in Ocoee. Making up the two tables were Jane Britt, Alice Kerr, Miriam Reid, Mollie Patrick, Dorothy Wurst, Helen Kerr and Grace Wheeler.

Word comes from China that Elmer Youngblood, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Youngblood, has been promoted to first lieutenant. He is serving with the Air Force and, incidentally, is growing a mustache.

Bassie Roper is enjoying a three-week vacation from First National Bank. Her two young sons, Jimmy and Stanley, underwent tonsillectomies in Orlando.

65 years ago

The Ocoee-Apopka road may get rebuilt the entire distance, Winter Garden’s county commissioner, A.D. Mims, revealed. The original plan was to build a 22-foot road from Ocoee to Boy Scout Road, the cost of the project estimated at $101,000. When it was disclosed that there was not enough right-of-way, the commission decided upon a 20-foot road instead that would cost only $60,000. With the extra $41,000, the road could be completed all the way to Apopka.

45 years ago

Members of Oakland Presbyterian Church gathered for the groundbreaking of their new sanctuary scheduled to be completed in time for Ester services in 1971. General contractor is Allen Trovillion Inc., of Winter Park.

40 years ago

The Winter Garden City Commission, in a special meeting, scolded Trailer City manager Dale Mankamyer for not living up to his lease agreement with the city by properly maintaining the park in a safe and sanitary way. Mayor C.H. Johnson said he had visited the park and witnessed a “general deterioration” of the facility.