The South Florida Sentinel – Orlando, Florida

ABOVE: Advertisement published in The South-Florida Sentinel on November 1, 1895, page 5. The Sells Brother’s Circus – The Greatest Show On Earth! – merged with P. T. Barnum who retained the well-known slogan!

For a long time, what we now call Central Florida was considered to be and described as “South Florida” in travelogues and articles and even in the name of one of Orlando’s local newspapers – The South Florida Sentinel.

The South Florida Sentinel, first appeared on the scene in Orlando in 1885 when British native, Latimer C. Vaughn set up shop to provide competition to the Reporter the existing weekly newspaper. It was eight pages in length and included many display advertisements, train and ship schedules, some national news of general interest, public notices, city news – including list of government officials, church information including highlights of sermons, general news from different sections of the county including West Orange, Pine Hills, Orlando, and much more.

ABOVE: Miller’s February 1907 Orlando Florida City Directory (p. 37) lists Josiah Ferris as a printer residing at 508 Starkey. There is no listing for L. C. Vaughan or the South-Florida Sentinel. There is, however, a listing for S. R. Hudson Printing at the corner of Pine and Main (now Magnolia) – the address of the South-Florida Sentinel in Burtz’ 1909-1910 Orlando Directory under “Printing—Job” (p. 108). Individual and business listings in Burtz’ 1909-1910 Orlando Directory (pp. 33, 43, 106, 108) identify Samuel R. Hudson and Josiah Ferris as publishers of the South-Florida Sentinel under the company name of Hudson and Ferris. Josiah Ferris is listed as the paper’s editor.

ABOVE: The 1912 Orlando City Directory includes listings for the newspaper, the printing operation, and a classified advertisement. They establish Josiah Ferris as the sole proprietor and editor of the newspaper. “South-Florida Sentinel, Josiah Ferris, corner E Pine and S Main Sts, Phone 24” (p. 115). “South-Florida Sentinel, weekly on Thursdays, Josiah Ferris, editor and publisher, phone 24” (p. 113). The advertisement clearly states “Established 1885” affirming Gore and Bacon and casting doubt on Blackman’s assertion that the newspaper began publication in 1895.

ABOVE: The 1915-1916 Orlando City Directory (advertisement pg. 3) is the only directory that includes both the South Florida Sentinel and the Morning Sentinel. A full-page advertisement printed on bright pink paper on page three in the directory appears to be the first advertisement published after the Morning Sentinel and the South Florida Sentinel were purchased by W. C. Essington in November 1914 (Blackman, p. 63). It is also the last, as Blackman indicates that the weekly South Florida Sentinel ceased publication in the summer of 1916 as a result of the residents’ preference for a daily paper.

READ brief history of the newspaper and excerpts from select editions in 1895 and 1896.

Enjoy selected advertisements from the South Florida Sentinel publications in 1895 and 1896 below. Mentions include David Lockhart Lumber, Curtis and O’Neal, Slemons and Taylor, Hudnall’s, Southern Fertilizer Company (A. H. Carey, General Manager), Hotel Coquina (Seizer and Vining, Managers), Charles Lord Groceries, South Florida Foundry and Machine Company, and doctors William B. Bigler, Dr. C. Person, R. L. Harris, A. B. Stevens, W. Z. McElroy.

Click on the first image to begin the slide show.