While I am very familiar with the blue markers of the state wide Florida Historical Marker Program,…read moreoccasionally I will come across a county or city historic marker. On a recent walk through Overlook Park on Lake Jessup, I discovered that Seminole County has their own historic marker program. Historic markers are a great way to learn about the formative people, buildings, and events in a town's history. This marker was erected by Seminole County and recounts the history of White's Wharf at Clifton Springs. Just north of this spot, in 1765-1766 John and William Bartram discovered the springs during a search for the source during their excursion up the Saint Johns River. They set up camp next to the warm sulfur springs. The swampy shoreline of Lake Jessup became the site of at least three wharves and trading posts just after the Civil War. In the late 1870's, W.G. White built a store at this spot. White employed six clerks and traded with buyers who came by wagon and ox cart from all parts of Central Florida and as far south as Fort Christmas. Settlers gave meat, hides, and plumes from wild birds in exchange for flour, grits, cane syrup, molasses, rice, medicines, cloth, and hardware. White also owned a nearby grove that supplied his wharf. White's Wharf became an important stop for anyone traveling on the St. John River and those in the new city of Oviedo. The campground at White's Wharf became a community gathering place for church picnics until the 1950's. The site also became known as Clifton Springs, in honor of the hometown in New York of Dr. Henry Foster, a wealthy grower who spent winters at Lake Charm in Oviedo. In 1882, White formed the Lake Jessup Steamboat Company with the local postmaster and another merchant. The men purchased the Isis, a stern-wheeler that hauled fruit from the grove across the lake to the St. Johns and north to Jacksonville which boosted the popularity of Clifton Springs. The Isis eventually sank in Lake George during a bad storm, killing three crewman. The Lake Jessup Steamboat Company soon disbanded after the ship was destroyed. In the 1800's White moved his business to Orlando to take advantage of the railroads being built in Central Florida. In the early 2000's, Seminole County claimed this land and renamed White's Wharf to Overlook Park and opened it to the public. The park is surrounded by two sulfur springs, one to the east and one to the west. There is a picnic pavilion and a boardwalk on Lake Jessup for fishing.

As a fan of both architecture and history, I will sometimes come across a jewel like this two…read morestory, red brick building located at 209 North Oak Avenue on the corner of West Commercial Street, in Sanford. It is in Sanford's historic commercial district. The PICO Building is a historic two story redbrick building built in 1886-1887 for the Henry B. Plant of Plant Investment Co. Henry Plant was a prominent 19th-century businessman, entrepreneur, and investor who played a crucial role in developing Florida's transportation infrastructure and economy. He is best known for building a vast network of railroads and steamship lines, collectively known as the Plant System, that connected Florida to the rest of the United States and the Caribbean. He also built several hotels including the former Tampa Bay Hotel which is now home to the Henry B. Plant Museum and the University of Tampa. The Turkish style of the PICO Building resembles Plant's Tampa Bay Hotel. The purpose of the PICO building was to serve travelers arriving in Sanford on the Plant railroad and steamship lines. President Calvin Coolidge stayed at the Pico Hotel when he came to Seminole County in 1929. The building was designed by local architect William T. Cotter who drew inspiration from the Romanesque Revival and Moorish Revival styles of architecture. It was built by the H. M. Papworth Construction Company. You can see the Moorish influence in the intricate geometric patterns, including stars, polygons, and arabesques. The first floor of the hotel had a restaurant, a store, a reception area, and a guest's lounge. Guest's rooms were located on the second floor. On the right side of the building there is an entry to second floor with beautiful original door. The building is characterized by high ceilings, original wooden floors, and 9 fireplaces throughout the interior. The windows have horseshoe and ogee arches. Originally the PICO building was adorned with an onion shape dome on the right corner on top of a decorative bartizan tower but sometime in the 1950's it sustained significant storm damage and was ordered to be removed by the city. In 1906, the building was remodeled and sold to the Takach family, Hungarian immigrants who operated the restaurant next door. Mr. Plant was a fan of their food so he let them take over the PICO building for their restaurant which operated for the next 50 years. After that the building was used for law offices. On June 15, 1976 the PICO Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The building is currently for sale for $1,645,999 and it comes with an osprey nesting in the chimney! The property is fitted for office space but it could it also be turned back into a hotel or even a museum.

The Fletcher Park Monument is a historical marker that commemorates Austin B. Fletchers…read morecontribution to the state of Florida. Austin B. Fletcher was born in 1852 in Massachusetts as a descendant of the Bay Colony Settlers. He graduated from Tufts College as a lawyer in 1872. Subsequently Fletcher came to own 38 acres of land between Haines and Kissimmee Florida. Hidden in the land was an orange grove that was s well kept secret of the Seminole Indians. When Fletcher passed away in 1923 he left his estate to Tufts who then deeded the land to Florida in 1935 to protect the cypress trees. The marker was moved from its original location on the old Tampa highway when they were widening and it now resides next to the Osceola County Welcome Center & History Museum.

I have always admired this sculpture at the entrance to Loch Haven Park off of Princeton in Orlando…read morebut I only recently learned about its connection to space. Loch Haven Park is located between three lakes and is home to the art and science museums, a firefighting museum and two theaters. Rocket Thrower is a 1963 bronze sculpture by American sculptor Donald De Lue (October 5, 1897- August 26, 1988). It resides in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens New York City. De Lue was a sculptor best known for his public monuments. He studied at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and for five years in Paris. In 1941, he won a competition to create sculpture for the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse Building in Philadelphia. De Lue's won many awards throughout is acclaimed art career and his works can be found in many museums across America. Rock Thrower was created for the 1964 World's Fair to celebrate man's entrance into space. The statue depicts a God like man crouching on one leg as he launches a small sphere into the sky with trail of flames. His left hand reaches for the sky as a swirl of stars encircle the path of the rocket. De Lue explained the work as "the spiritual concept of man's relationship to space and his venturesome spirit backed up by all the powers of his intelligence for the exploration of a new dimension." At the time it was released not all of the art critics were as enamored of it as I am. This replica of Rocket Thrower was commissioned for Loch Haven Park but was modified before it was installed in 1987. On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard. Stars representing each of the Challenger Space Shuttle Astronauts were added to the tail of the comet. This touching tribute to the Challenger crew is a poignant reminder of their sacrifice and of Orlando's connection to the space program.

I love learning about WWII history and I was delighted to discover this memorial to some of the…read moremost fearless pilots to fly the skies during the war, the Red Tail Pilots from the the Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen fought racism to become the first Black military aviators in the United States armed forces. A total of 932 Black pilots trained at a segregated air base in Tuskegee, Alabama between 1941 and 1946. Of those, 356 were chosen to make up the elite 332nd Fighter Group, the Red Tails. White combat pilots bestowed the Red Tail name on them after they painted the tails of their P-47's crimson red. The Red Tails were sent to various European bases to fly escort for heavy bombers of the 15th Air Force during dangerous raids into enemy territory. From 1941 - 1946, over 1,000 airmen graduated from Tuskegee, flew 1,578 missions and 15,533 sorties. They destroyed 250 enemy aircraft on the ground, and 150 in the air. They had one of the lowest loss records of any escort fighter group and were often asked for by bomber crews. Of the 356 Red Tail pilots, 80 were killed, 32 were prisoners of war, and 17 were shot down, but evaded capture. After the war the Red Tail Pilots of the Tuskegee Airmen played a crucial role in preparing the nation for racial integration. On July 26, 1948 President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 which abolished segregation in the military. In April 2006, the U.S. Congress voted to award the Tuskegee Airmen a Congressional Gold Medal, the most prestigious award Congress can give to civilians. The heroic efforts of the Red Tail pilots of the Tuskegee Airmen continue to inspire generations of pilots. You can learn more about these esteemed pilots from the 2012 movie Red Tails, that starred Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., Bryan Cranston and Gerald McRaney. Planning for this monument began in 2011 when the Red Tails held their first reunion in 66 years at a resort in Orlando .In 2013 the monument was dedicated in front of the Orlando Science Center with a few surviving Red Tail pilots now in their 90's on hand. The sculpture is a 12-foot bronze spire leading up to four P-51 Mustang aircrafts in the missing man formation used to commemorate a fallen pilot. The sculpture honors the bravery, passion, and sacrifice of the elite fighter group, the Red Tails as it inspires academic success in science, technology, engineering, and math fields, and aviation.

In honor of February Black History Month I present this historic marker I found while walking…read morethrough Heritage square Park in downtown Orlando. I am familiar with the dark blue historic markers erected by Florida Department of State but this is the first time I have come across a marker from the Equal Justice Initiative. The Equal Justice Initiative was founded in 1989 by Bryan Stevenson, a public interest attorney. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending the poor, the incarcerated, and the wrongly convicted, as well as challenging racial and economic injustice. Stevenson is the author of Just Mercy which I have read and highly recommend. This marker is in front of the Orlando Regional History Museum, a former courthouse and it tells two stories, on one side is the sad fate of July Perry and the other side tells the broader narrative of racial violence in America which set the stage for what happened to Mr. Perry and the town of Ocoee. According the marker thousands of African-Americans were victims of racial violence and lynching in America between 1877 and 1950. It was especially prevalent in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. As African-Americans sought equal rights after the Civil War, threats of violence and violent acts were used to terrorize them into subordination. Black people were falsely arrested, dragged from jail by a mob, and hanged and burned in a public setting to send a message to the community. Although many details and names have been lost to time, over 300 documented lynchings took place in Florida with 33 in Orange County. The other side of the marker recounts the lynching of Julius "July" Perry. Ocoee, Florida, chartered as a city in 1925, grew from a small citrus farming settlement in the mid-19th century near Lake Starke and Lake Nona. Half of the community was of African-American ancestry. Ocoee is infamous for the 1920 massacre that following attempts by Black residents to vote in the 1920 presidential election. People were killed, homes destroyed, and Black residents were forced to flee. Mose Norman, a black man, was assaulted while attempting to vote. He sought refuge in the home of his business associate July Perry. The men had come from South Carolina looking for better work and land to cultivate. Mr. Perry was an Ocoee straw boss which meant that no African-Americans would work for a white employer unless they came through Mr. Perry who would get a cut and determine how much the workers would be paid. Mr. Perry held power in the community as an independent farmer and labor broker. A mob surrounded the home where Mr. Perry's wife and children were also inside and attacked the men. Mr. Norman and Mr. Perry's family was able to escape but Mr. Perry was severely wounded during the gun battle and taken to the Orange County Jail. The next morning a mob took Mr. Perry from his cell, beat him, and hanged him within sight of the home Judge Cheney who had encouraged African-Americans to vote. After his death, Mr. Perry's body was shot repeatedly. Author Zora Neale Hurston wrote in a published account of the 1920 massacre. In the ensuing violence over the next two days, 25 black homes, two black churches, and a masonic lodge in Ocoee were destroyed and 30 African-Americans were murdered. The entire black community of Ocoee was driven out within a year, July Perry is buried in Orlando's Greenwood Cemetery. His land was taken over by Bluford Sims, a Confederate veteran and prominent member of Ocoee's white community. This marker was erected in 2019. While learning about this dark chapter in Orlando's history can't right the injustice done to the Ocoee community, by remembering Julius "July" Perry's name and story, dignity can be restored to a man who was a prosperous business person and a friend to many, both black and white.

Gotha, Florida was established in 1885 and it amazes me to think about what this area looked like…read moreback then. This area just west of Orlando, Florida certainly has built up in just the last twenty years, much less since 1885 and it is important for us to remember the steps that led us to where we today stand. Today, this area is a lot of new housing developments and the accompanying businesses to serve the community.

I always enjoy discovering historic churches, and Carpenter Gothic architecture is one of my…read morefavorite architectural styles. Traditional Gothic architecture originated in Europe during the Middle Ages, between the 12th and 16th centuries. Its soaring spires, pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses created magnificent cathedrals designed to fill with colorful light streaming through stained glass windows, symbolizing heaven itself. Carpenter Gothic is the North American interpretation of that style. Popular during the 19th century, it borrowed the steep gables, pointed arches, and decorative Gothic details but recreated them in wood rather than expensive stone, making the style practical for rural churches and country communities. It seems to have been especially popular in Central Florida. I recently visited another Carpenter Gothic church in Mims, although that building is now used only for special events rather than weekly worship services. The Ocoee Christian Church is a beautiful example of this architectural style. Ocoee was chartered in 1925 after growing from a small citrus farming settlement near Lake Starke, but the church predates the city by more than forty years. Established in 1883, it is believed to be the oldest Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) building in continuous use in Florida, with the congregation worshiping in the same sanctuary since 1891. The church's story began in the home of General William Temple Withers and his wife, who wintered in Ocoee after the general's health declined from wounds he suffered during the Mexican-American War. Wanting to establish a Christian Church in the growing settlement, they helped organize the congregation. Although General Withers passed away before construction of the sanctuary began, his widow and children fulfilled his dream by completing the church on land donated by Captain and Mrs. H. Bluford Sims. The sanctuary exemplifies Carpenter Gothic craftsmanship, and its simplicity is exactly what makes it so special. Built on a traditional Gothic floor plan in the shape of a cross, it has remained unchanged for over a century. The original wooden floors and pews are still in use today. The church's stunning stained-glass chancel windows were crafted in Belgium, shipped across the Atlantic to New York, transported to Jacksonville, then by boat to Sanford, and finally carried by oxcart to Ocoee, where they were installed by a Belgian artisan. The original church bell was cast in 1891 by the Shane Bell Foundry in Baltimore, MD. While the beautiful architecture is to be admired the church is also connected to a dark chapters of Florida's history, the 1920 Ocoee Massacre. At the time, nearly half of Ocoee's residents were African American. On Election Day, a Black man, Mose Norman attempted to exercise his constitutional right to vote but was violently confronted by a white mob. He sought refuge at the home of his friend and business associate, July Perry, a respected farmer and labor broker who held an important leadership role within the community. The mob surrounded Perry's home, where his wife and children were also present, and a gun battle erupted. Norman and Perry's family managed to escape, but Perry was seriously wounded and arrested. The following morning, a white mob dragged him from the Orange County Jail, brutally beat him, and lynched him near the home of Judge John Moses Cheney, who had publicly encouraged African Americans to register and vote. As racial violence spread through Ocoee, members of the Ocoee Christian Church locked the sanctuary doors to shelter Black residents from the mob outside. The church itself came under gunfire, and bullet holes can still be seen on the property today, serving as a silent reminder of the massacre. By the time the terror ended, much of Ocoee's Black community had been killed, displaced, or forced to flee, and within a year, the city's African American population had been almost entirely driven out. In recognition of both its architectural beauty and historical significance, Ocoee Christian Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. This church checked every box for me. It is a beautiful example of Carpenter Gothic architecture, an important piece of Florida history, I love knowing that this remarkable landmark is still a living church, welcoming worshippers every Sunday for traditional services led by Rev. Thomas A. "Tuck" Norvell.