This week in history

OLD TIMES

85 years ago

The operetta “Up in the Air” was presented by members of the Lakeview High Glee Club. Margaret Smith was musical director, and Albert Valdes, stage director. The list of characters included Marjorie Griffith, Leroy Cross, Ned Vick, Helen Ficquette, Gay Caudle, Ward Britt, Hazel Henschen, James Grice, Alice Roper, Marie Smith, William Palmer and Frank Kannon.

40 years ago

J.C. and Dixie Prosser announced they were closing their Texaco Service Station on South Dillard Street at the end of the month after 17 year. When the Texaco opened in 1964, the Phillips 66 station across the street also was new and the only other buildings south of them on Dillard were the bowling alley and the Roper Bros. building.

30 years ago

Ocoee Christian Church marked its 100th anniversary with a dinner, games and music. The church was established in Ocoee pioneer Gen. Temple Withers’ home. He was responsible for the construction of the church. The stained-glass windows were shipped from Belgium to New York and then Jacksonville, down the St. Johns River to Sanford, then by oxcart to Ocoee.

An exciting possibility emerged for Winter Garden to realize major improvements to its historic downtown through the nonprofit Main Street Winter Garden.

20 years ago

Former customers of Ben Kelly who have been missing his friendly smile and expertise at the Medicine Shoppe now can visit him in the pharmacy at Publix Super Markets on Maguire Road, Ocoee.

The Dr. P. Phillips Foundation and Dr. Phillips Inc. granted $43,000 to West Orange Habitat for Humanity to construct a home, and Health Central Foundation Inc. received $30,000 to offset nursing and clinic costs at 25 local schools.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

May 16, 1974

It’s nearly graduation time for high school seniors, and in 1974, some of the best gifts were Kodak electronics. The Focal Point Camera Store advertised its selection in The Winter Garden Times. Choices included the Kodak Pocket Instamatic with Magicubes flash cubes; a Kodak Carousel 750H Projector, for showing off those vacation slides; the Kodak Ektasound Movie Projector, with easy channel threading, rapid access to any scene and a beautiful tape-deck styling; and the Kodak Ektasound 140 Movie Camera, for making video memories.

The camera store was located in the Tri-City Shopping Center in Winter Garden.

FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION ARCHIVES

Calvary Baptist Church was founded in 1953 on South Dillard Street and operated a school for many years. In May 1975, students at the school marked the end of the academic year with a nod to American freedom. Lady Liberty is flanked by two attendants in Colonial garb. Can anyone help identify these students? Call the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation at (407) 656-3244.