Celebrating Ocoee’s Centennial: 1935-45

Editor's note: In partnership with the city of Ocoee, the Observer is publishing a 10-week series examining each decade of the city’s history.

In its first decade, the city of Ocoee was seeing change and growth in both the residential and business areas.

And then the Great Depression cast a dark shadow across the country, causing businesses to fold and many citizens to lose their jobs and their savings.

In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established several government programs to help recover from the Great Depression, one of which was the Works Progress Administration. The trustees of Ocoee requested and received funding from this program, allowing the city to embark on multiple beneficial projects. Several allowed for employment for women, including the planting of beds of flowers, a housekeeping aid project and a sewing room.

Two of Ocoee’s largest projects at the time were built with WPA funds.

One was the construction of one of the first gymnasiums in Orange County at Ocoee High School. It was attached to the old dressing rooms, and housed underneath the bleachers was the band room. All of the activity in the gymnasium created an interesting percussion section in the band room throughout the day. The band room area was later known as Red Bird Alley.

Along the east side of the gym was the Agriculture Department.

The other WPA project was the building of the Woman’s Club of Ocoee clubhouse.

The Woman’s Club of Ocoee was incorporated 12 years prior, in 1924, by a group of 36 women who desired to create a society of fellowship and improving the social, civic, educational and moral welfare of the community.

The club’s earliest service projects were beautifying the grounds, donating library books, providing clothing and lunches for needy children at the local school, and planting palm trees and hibiscuses along the city’s roadways.

During wartime, members sold $2,650 worth of war bonds and $81.75 in the special “Avenge Pearl Harbor” stamps. Club members spent hours gathered at the local school’s lunchroom to can vegetables and fruit to give to families in need. During World War II, they folded bandages for the American Red Cross and other causes to help with the war effort. They sewed garments for Orange General Hospital.

The one-story clubhouse, built at 4 N. Lakewood Ave. with WPA funds, was completed and dedicated in February 1938. It originally was deeded — for the purposes of the WPA grant — to the city of Ocoee until its completion but was turned over to the woman’s club that year.

Through the years, members have held fundraisers, such as a musical tea, barn dance and bazaar.

They have planned benefit brunches and card parties, election luncheons, yearly May Day teas and the annual St. Patrick’s Day dinner tradition of serving corned beef and cabbage.

In 2010, the club officially added General Federation to its name after many years of being an active club member.

A year later, the clubhouse was recognized for its historical significance and added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Members meet regularly still today, and their clubhouse on Lakewood Street has been in continuous use since its dedication in 1938. Members always have placed a special value on upholding the club’s mission of service to the community.

During the decade of 1935-45, the City Council continued keeping its eye on the municipality and making decisions for the betterment of the city.

In 1936, Jimmy Milligan was allowed to sell cold drinks at the political rally and Mr. Allen had permission to operate a slot machine for one year for a $5 fee. In 1937, a letter was sent to all residents who had not installed flush toilets, requiring them to meet with the State Board of Health at the school auditorium.

After the Bank of Ocoee failed, the city voted in 1937 to turn the downtown bank building into the new City Hall. It remained in that capacity until 1976 when a new one was built along the shores of Starke Lake.

In 1938, all restaurants and lunch stands were required to have hot and cold running water and sanitary toilets and had to keep their place of business sanitary at all times. That same year, Dr. Sam Scott was appointed the city physician to “care for cases where otherwise the city would be looked upon to pay.” In 1939, the city approved a franchise for Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph for 30 years.

In 1939, a trade school opened at Ocoee High School — built near the Ocoee High Ag Department with WPA funds — after the Orange County School Board determined less than 10% of the graduating students were enrolling in college although 95% of the school budget was used to equip students for college.

Day and night classes were offered — they were free for day students and $2 for night students. The school grew to teach trades such as auto mechanics, welding, airplane mechanics, carpentry, painting and the machinist trade.

Three months after the school opened, 92 students had enrolled, verifying the need for the program. By 1940, the school was training more than 140 students and was being used by defense agencies.

The first of many holiday traditions was started at Christmas 1939 when a community Christmas tree was placed on the vacant lot on the northeast corner of Bluford Avenue and McKey Street. Each year, Santa arrived to give gifts to underprivileged children. When the city obtained a fire truck, the children climbed aboard for their present and a visit with Santa.

Florida Public Service Company was granted a franchise in 1939 to construct and operate an electric light and power plant and generating system in the city.

The City Council voted in 1942 to impose a $10 fine on all persons not complying with the trial blackouts in case of emergency. In March of that year, all liquor, beer and wine dealers were to close at midnight Saturdays and not open until Monday morning. Three months later, the City Council voted that no wine, beer or liquor could be sold in Ocoee for the duration of the war.

(Photos are courtesy of the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, city of Ocoee and Nancy Maguire's book, "A History of Ocoee & its Pioneers.")