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New Oral History: Jesse Cutler

March 6, 2024
An oral history of Jesse Cutler conducted at Trevor Colbourn Hall at the University of Central Florida on February 8 and 23, 2024. Cutler has spent an illustrious career, beginning at age 12, as a musician, composer, actor, producer, and entrepreneur. Starting in New York City in the 1960s and then in Los Angeles from…

New Oral History: David Tossie

January 19, 2024
An oral history interview of educator David Tossie. The interview was conducted by Geoffrey Cravero and Diana Dizon over Zoom on November 8th, 2022. Some of the topics include early life and education in Oviedo, his favorite teachers, integration of Central Florida public schools, becoming an educator, thoughts on Oviedo Colored Schools Museum, and his…

New Additions to Weeki Wachee Collection

January 4, 2024
Photograph of three Weeki Wachee Mermaids in staged underwater dining scene at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. The mermaids are eating watermelon and breathing using air hoses while sitting at a table placed on the bottom of a body of water. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs…

New Additions to Florida-France Soldiers Project Collection

October 27, 2023
The Florida-France Soldiers Stories Project seeks to tell the stories of the Florida soldiers buried in the American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries in France. Our goal is to honor and commemorate the brave individuals who gave their lives supporting the Allied forces, liberating France, and defeating Germany in the Second World War. Simultaneously, our goal…

New Oral Histories: Rosenwald School

March 16, 2023
A collection of oral histories taken from former students of the Rosenwald School in Altamonte Springs, Florida, at a history harvest on February 19, 2023. Watch the video by clicking here.

New Oral History Interviews: Georgetown

November 3, 2022
Twelve new oral history interviews conducted by UCF students at a history harvest at the Georgetown community of Sanford, Florida. https://www.youtube.com/user/RICHESMI/videos

New Additions to the Nelson and Company Collection

September 15, 2022
The company was originally founded by Steen Nelson and Gus Nelson and called Nelson Brothers. The company changed its name to Nelson and Company after it became a three-way partnership between the brothers and Benjamin Franklin Wheeler. In 1923, Wheeler became sole owner after buying out the company. The 80-acre historic district was incorporated in…

New Oral History Interview: Oviedo Plane Crash (1962)

July 7, 2022
On Saturday, March 6, 2021, a historical marker was unveiled honoring the crew of a 1962 plane crash in Oviedo. A Naval A3D Skywarrior Airplane based at the Sanford Naval Air Station would crash in the Oviedo area narrowly missing a school ground full of children. The pilot, Lt. Charles Hodgate, was credited with navigating…

New Collection: Nelson and Company

June 23, 2022
The Nelson and Company Packing Plant was originally founded by Steen Nelson and Gus Nelson and called Nelson Brothers. The company changed its name to Nelson and Company after it became a three-way partnership between the brothers and Benjamin Franklin Wheeler. In 1923, Wheeler became sole owner after buying out the company. The 80-acre historic…

New Exhibit: Voter Rights & Voter Suppression

July 8, 2021
RICHES has opened Voter Rights & Voter Suppression: Florida’s Century of Struggle, 1920-2020 as the first phase of a 3-part series in the Bending Toward Justice Digital Exhibit (#BTJUCF). Explore the initial exhibit here: http://bendingtowardjustice.cah.ucf.edu

New Exhibit: The Women of Weeki Wachee Springs

May 23, 2021
Thanks to the Florida Humanities Council, Rebecca Schwandt, the Friends of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, and RICHES were able to collect oral histories from former Weeki Wacheee Springs mermaids and digitize their artifacts. The following exhibit features a selection of those artifacts, quotes from oral histories, and a history of the roadside attraction Weeki…

New Additions to the Weeki Wachee Collection

September 4, 2020
Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947, and used his experiences working at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs to develop the original concepts for its underwater theater and mermaid shows. Perry sold his stake in Weeki Wachee Springs in 1950. After peaking in…

New Oral History Interview: Sister Gail Grimes

August 27, 2020
An oral history interview of Sister Gail Grimes, a Roman Catholic sister from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who moved to Apopka, Florida, in January of 1975 to serve the farmworker, low-income and immigrant communities. This interview was conducted by Jared Muha in Apopka on October 10, 2014. Some of the topics covered include moving to Apopka, working…

New Additions to the Central Florida Music History Collection

August 13, 2020
Collection of digital images, documents, and other records depicting the history of music in Central Florida. Series descriptions are based on special topics, the majority of which students focused their metadata entries around. Central Florida’s musical heritage is as rich as it is diverse, dating back to the Spanish settlers of the sixteenth century. Over…

New Collection: Judith LaRue

August 10, 2020
Bluebird brand citrus juices were manufactured and distributed by Southern Fruit Distributors, Inc., a company founded by Philip Caruso. The Bluebird juice company is currently part of Florida’s Natural Food Service. Visit the Judith LaRue Collection: https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/collections/show/216

The Orlando Gay Chorus Collection is now complete

July 10, 2020
The Orlando Gay Chorus Collection is now complete. Follow the link below for access to 134 items, including original posters, programs and oral history interviews. The Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization, and part of the Gay and Lesbian Association (GALA) of Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC…

New Addition to Alliance for Truth and Justice Collection

June 26, 2020
A genre-based bibliography for the Ocoee Project from the Alliance for Truth and Justice. The Alliance for Truth and Justice (ATJ) is a volunteer-based organization that engages with the community to promote education concerning the truth of local history and to advocate justice for those who have been harmed by inequities born of prejudice. ATJ…

New Additions to Orlando Gay Chorus Collection

June 8, 2020
The Orlando Gay Chorus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization part of GALA Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a whole…

New Oral History Interview: Fairolyn Livingston

May 21, 2020
An oral history interview of Fairolyn H. Livingston, chief historian of the Hannibal Square Heritage Center in Winter Park, Florida. The interview was conducted by Geoffrey Cravero at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center on December 12, 2019. Some of the topics covered include growing up in a segregated community, finding the resources to attend college,…

New Additions to the Veterans Legacy Program Collection

April 16, 2020
New additions to the Veterans Legacy Program Collection! In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public.…

More New Additions to First Unitarian Church Collection

January 8, 2020
Orlando Unitarian Universalists can follow their roots back to 1912, when Reverend Eleanor Gordon was first minister to a church formed with 21 members. Building Unity Chapel in 1913, the group shared literary and spirited discussions, fostered by transplanted Unitarians from the North. Property in an orange grove east of town was purchased in 1954.…

New Additions to Veterans Legacy Program Collection

November 18, 2019
New additions to the Veterans Legacy Program Collection! In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public.…

New Additions to First Unitarian Church Collection

September 23, 2019
New Additions: First Unitarian Church of Orlando Collection Orlando Unitarian Universalists can follow their roots back to 1912, when Reverend Eleanor Gordon was first minister to a church formed with 21 members. Building Unity Chapel in 1913, the group shared literary and spirited discussions, fostered by transplanted Unitarians from the North. Property in an orange…

New Additions to Orlando Gay Chorus Collection

September 12, 2019
New additions to the Orlando Gay Chorus Collection! The Orlando Gay Chorus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization part of GALA Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles…

New Oral History Interview: Jeannie Economos

August 21, 2019
An oral history interview of Jeannie Economos, the Pesticide Safety and Environmental Health Project Coordinator at the Farmworker Association of Florida (FAF), who also worked as Lake Apopka Project Coordinator for the FAF, as well as for non-profit organizations such as the Audubon Society and Save the Manatee Club. The interview was conducted by Jared…

New Oral History Interview: Benjamin Franklin Wheeler III

August 16, 2019
An oral history interview of Benjamin Franklin Wheeler III, a descendant of the Wheeler and Lawton families in Oviedo, Florida. The interview was conducted by Desta Lee Horner at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, on June 18th, 2019. Some of the topics covered include the family history of the Lawtons and Wheelers,…

New Collection: First Unitarian Church of Orlando

June 25, 2019
New Collection: First Unitarian Church of Orlando Orlando Unitarian Universalists can follow their roots back to 1912, when Reverend Eleanor Gordon was first minister to a church formed with 21 members. Building Unity Chapel in 1913, the group shared literary and spirited discussions, fostered by transplanted Unitarians from the North. Property in an orange grove…

New Additions to the VLP Collection!

June 5, 2019
In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program continues, engaging a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in national cemeteries available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing…

Screening of “The Yard” at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando

May 21, 2019
Photographs from a screening of the 60-minute documentary, “The Yard”, at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando. The event took place on March 7, 2019, from 6:30pm to 9:00 pm. The screening of the film was followed by a panel discussion that included the filmmaker. Partners in the event included Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), First…

New Oral History Interview: Debbie Simmons

May 10, 2019
An oral history interview of Debbie Simmons, the co-owner of Shelbie Press and a founding member of the Metropolitan Business Association (MBA), an organization supporting LGBTQ businesses in Orlando, Florida. As MBA president, she also helped found Come Out with Pride and the LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida. This interview was conducted by Sara…

New Collection: Truth and Justice Project Collection

March 8, 2019
The Truth and Justice Project of Orange County, Florida, (TJP) is a volunteer-based organization that engages with the community to promote education concerning the truth of local history and to advocate justice for those who have been harmed by inequities born of prejudice. TJP builds on the work of Montgomery-based Equal Justice Initiative as well…

New Additions to LGBTQ+ Collection!

March 4, 2019
We’ve added new items to our LGBTQ+ Collection! One is a flyer for a history harvest conducted by the GLBT History Museum of Central Florida and the University of Central Florida’s RICHES program on January 14, 2017. The harvest was held at The LGBT Center of Central Florida, located at 946 North Mills Avenue in…

New Collection: Jones High School Historical Museum Collection

January 4, 2019
Located in the Parramore/Lorna Doone neighborhood of downtown Orlando, Jones High School – OCPS was the first area public school for African-Americans. The original building was located on the corner of Garland Avenue and Church Street, but the school was renamed the Johnson Academy and moved to a new building on the corner of Chatham…

100 Year Memorial Remembering Roderick Perry Taylor

December 4, 2018
The Geneva Historical & Genealogical Society, Inc. held a 100 year memorial on October 10, 2018, for Roderick Perry Taylor of Geneva, Florida, and the other 564 people who died on the R.M.S. Leinster when it was hit by three German torpedoes in the Irish Sea on Oct. 10, 1918. Most of those killed were…

New Collection: Weeki Wachee Collection

November 20, 2018
Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show…

New Item: A Side Walk with the Art Festival

November 2, 2018
A Side Walk with the Art Festival by Elizabeth Bradley Bentley. The book celebrates two decades of the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival in Winter Park, Florida. Bentley documents the festival’s history using newspaper articles, oral history interviews, personal experiences, scrapbooks, programs and minutes. Each chapter in Section One represents one year of the festival.…