This week in history

OLD TIMES

85 years ago

Do you see where skirts will be shorter this winter? Shorter and wider. But do deliver us from the atrocities we wore several seasons back, up to our knees. Some famous designers also forecast boots — high-top shoes. Can you imagine them in Florida?

50 years ago

Sam and Marian Wagster are leading a group of high school students on a six-week European tour. They are Jacque Dennis, Betty Heidt, Lorraine McMurtrey, Craig Cox, Carol Sutton, Jill Pitchford, Sally Adkins, Debby Adkins, Janet McMillan, Craig Griffith, Phyllis Hawk and Mary Lea Bradford.

At a meeting of the City Council last week, Tom Ritten of Ocoee was granted a one-year license to establish a towing service at Winter Garden Road and Silver Star Road Extension.

A tragedy was averted at Clermont Beach when several boys pulled a nearly drowned man from the water. Leonard Dyal, 12, and Johnny Dyal, 11, of Winter Garden, and their cousin, Joey Gay, were picnicking with their family when another man called to them to help with the rescue.

From Editor’s Notebook: The following was taken from a 1915 issue of the Winter Garden Times — “We believe that if they lower Lake Apopka four or five feet, that in the course of 10 years it would be a benefit to Winter Garden. By that time, the mud flats would have dried out and several acres would be added to our trucking lands.”

20 years ago

Winter Garden Mayor Jack Quesinberry and Oakland Mayor Jon VanderLey proclaimed National Garden Week, honoring the Bloom & Grow Garden Society. Their wives, Gloria Quesinberry and Kay VanderLey, were among the garden club members accepting the proclamations.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

July 22, 1971

How does a Hanseatic Caribbean cruise sound right now? Imagine yourself enjoying the sun and surf of Curacao, La Guaira, Trinidad, Barbados, Martinique and St. Thomas, all for as low as $395. The Landseair travel service in Winter Garden advertised a 12-day sailing trip in the July 22, 1971, issue of The Winter Garden Times. The price included extra cocktails; and singles were welcomed, too.

The travel agency was located in the West Orange Shopping Center, on Dillard Street in Winter Garden.

FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION ARCHIVES

Fifteen employees of the Valbro Corporation pose at the company’s office, once located at 11 N. Main St. in Winter Garden (a former Coca-Cola distribution point): Ralph Pryor, left, flatbed press room; Bonnie Bray, bindery; George Landers, sales; Louise Vining, bindery; Donald Bennett, rotary press room; A.C. Valdes, president; George Bekemeyer, production manager; J.M. Valdes, secretary-treasurer; Major Womack, rotary press room; Nettie Giddens, bindery; D.J. Giddens, composing room; Marguerite Kennington, office; Charles Littlejohn, composing room; Ralph Swift, flatbed press room; and F.E. Smith, sales.