1950s Archives - Orlando Memory

People

Oral History Interview with Gene Hawkins

Featured photo is U.S. Senator Paula Hawkins and her husband Gene, pictured with their family and President Ronald Reagan. Pictured from left to right: Senator Paula Hawkins, Kelley Hawkins (McCoy), Jean Hawkins, Kevin Hawkins, Gene Hawkins, President Ro ... Read more

Organizations

Hot Diggity Drive-In & Restaurant

The Hot Diggity Drive-In Restaurant was a short lived food establishment overlooking Lake Barton. It first appears in the November 1956 telephone directory, but there was not a listing in the Yellow Pages. The address at that time was 5053 Santa Rosa Driv ... Read more

Organizations

Winter Park - Orlando, Florida League of Women Voters

According to History section at the Orange County League of Women Voters' website, the Winter Park - Orlando League of Women Voters "got its official start in Florida in 1939, when women in Winter Haven, Winter Park and St. Petersburg initiated the Florid ... Read more

Places

Azalea Park - An Illustrated History

The Azalea Park neighborhood in Orlando was created from the remains of a private air field and was considered at the time to be the crowning achievement for developer Wellborn C. Phillips, Sr. Residents of the neighborhood researched and collected histo ... Read more

People

Lynda Hope Swenk: a College Park Oral History

My family moved down here in 1949. We lived briefly on Canton Street. We rented a house that was knocked down for I-4. And while we lived there my parents built the house at 913 Silver Drive so we would visit very often. LISTEN (18:51) College Park ... Read more

Topics

College College Park Oral History Night: Bertie Hunt, Lynda Swenk, Bunny Parish, and Dann Pottinger

College Park Oral History Night with special guests Bertie Hunt, Lynda Swenk, Bunny Parish, and Dann Pottinger sharing memories about growing up in College Park. The oral history event was held at the College Park Community Center located at 2393 Elizabe ... Read more

Places

My Grandparents' House

My grandfather built his house. My dad gave him the property. At the time they were tearing down some of the old barracks from Pine Castle Air Force Base, this was before McCoy. I guess after WWII they didn't think they needed it, the base there. So the ... Read more

Topics

Ruth Butler's Oral History Interview

My father gets to Lake Monroe with his truck and at that time there was no I-4, he was going around Lake Monroe with their palm trees and just fell in love. And he sent my mom a postcard and he said, "We're moving to Florida. Start packing!" LISTEN Part ... Read more

People

Ruth Schankweiler Butler

Organizations

Colonial High School

Colonial High School opened In 1958, providing much needed relief for other schools in the area. It began with a dual schedule: High School classes in the morning and Junior High classes in the afternoon. Rufus E. Jennings was the first principal and B ... Read more

Organizations

Good Shepherd Catholic School

Sister Mary Dorothea and the Sisters of St. Joseph began holding classes in the sanctuary of Good Shepherd Catholic Mission Church in 1956. That same year Bishop Thomas J. McDonough dedicated Good Shepherd Catholic School with a student body of 150 ... Read more

Organizations

Good Shepherd Catholic Church

Good Shepherd Mission Church was established through the efforts of Monsignor John G. Bishop. Ground breaking took place in 1955 and the first Mass was celebrated on March 18, 1956 by Rev. Roman S. Gromala. The photo above is of the new sanct ... Read more