This week in West Orange County history: April 28, 2022

OLD TIMES

85 years ago

A delegation of four ladies and one man arrived from the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce to look over the Winter Garden Trailer City as a place suitable for tired businessmen and their families. “They declared all the nice publicity the guests have given the past year was none too much,” said r. W.S. Pounds, manager.

The $125 diamond ring the Winter Garden Welfare League was selling chances on was to be given away at the Winter Garden Theatre Thursday evening.

80 years ago

Mrs. L.F. Roper, chairman of the Surgical Dressing Room, sent out a plea for old sheets and pillowcases — clean, of course.

The Red Cross Motor Corps girls were in charge of the recreation center at the Edgewater Hotel for soldiers in the area. Chaperones were Mrs. Frank Williams, Mrs. V.E. Bourland, Mrs. J.D. Pounds, Mrs. B.P. Dooley, Mrs. Harold E. Hall and Mrs. S.W. Sansburg.

70 years ago

Guy Neff of Terre Haute, Ind., took over the Lakeview Fishing Lodge as owner-operator with the purchase of the fishing camp from Dwight L. Woolsey.

D.L. Hammond purchased the five-year lease on the Winter Garden City Dock from Ward Britt subject to confirmation of the city commission.

55 years ago

Seven fish camp owners around Lake Apopka, in order to help rid the lake of gar fish, have each agreed to deposit $10 per week for the rest of the year with the balance of more than $2,000 to be given as prize money at the end of the ongoing Gar Derby.

40 years ago

GeeGee Britt was a ninth-grade contestant for the Youth Center Queen. GeeGee, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ward Britt of Kelso, had been on the Youth Council for three years. She also was a member of Lakeview Junior High’s Student Council and the Honor Society. GeeGee liked to horseback ride and draw. Some of her other favorites were the color blue, the rock group Journey and pizza. Her escort to the Youth Center Spring Dance was Tim Merola.

30 years ago

A Universal Studios crew spent a day in downtown Winter Garden filming a scene for the latest John Goodman movie, “Matinee,” set in Key West in 1962. The vacant building on the southwest corner of Main and Plant streets was set up as a neighborhood grocery store. When the set was dismantled, the handsome awnings remained.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

APRIL 19, 1973

If you were getting married in the 1970s, where would you go to order your wedding stationery? Many folks went to downtown Winter Garden, to Times Printing Service, located at 18 N. Boyd St. in an office shared with The Winter Garden Times. It is now the Deli Downtown.

According to an advertisement in The Winter Garden Times, “discriminating brides-to-be” chose to shop there for their wedding announcements, invitations, monogrammed napkins and matchbooks and more.

“For your wedding you will want everything perfect, done correctly, in good taste. … Your Wedding Stationery Trousseau shall be by Coronet.”

FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION ARCHIVES

Longtime Winter Garden Heritage Foundation supporter Brenda Ross Smith delivered display mannequins to the History Center when the collection was in the warehouse attached to the east end of the Central Florida Railroad Museum. Smith transported the mannequins in an open boat all the way from Lake Hartwell, Georgia, proving there are no limitations on dedication and support.