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…
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…
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…
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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.…
February 17, 2020
We would like to thank volunteers Karen Daniels and Kim Marie Fischer Peters for their hard work transcribing issues of the Sanford Herald for our digital archive. By making these transcriptions available, the archive can be searched more effectively. Keep up the great work! https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/sanford_herald/
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.…
December 10, 2019
Since 1994, The Watermark has been the cornerstone source of LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, and others) centered news for the Central Florida region. Founded by Tom Dyer in Orlando, the publication began generating bi-weekly issues beginning August 31, 1994. Since then, The Watermark has consistently published newspaper style issues every other Thursday. Gaining traction,…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
October 24, 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…
October 23, 2018
The OGC allowed RICHES to digitize their concert programs going all the way back to their very first performance! Follow the link below to browse through some of the earlier programs and check back soon for more additions! https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/collections/show/206
October 22, 2018
Hillcrest Elementary School is one of Orlando’s oldest schools, opening in 1923. Since the 1980s, it has had a vibrant foreign language component and today it continues that tradition through the Orange County Public Schools Foreign Language Academy. Visit our Hillcrest Elementary Collection: https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/collections/show/212
September 27, 2018
Since 1994, The Watermark has been the cornerstone source of LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, and others) centered news for the Central Florida region. Founded by Tom Dyer in Orlando, the publication began generating bi-weekly issues beginning August 31, 1994. Since then, The Watermark has consistently published newspaper style issues every other Thursday. Gaining traction,…
July 13, 2018
Since 1994, The Watermark has been the cornerstone source of LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, and others) centered news for the Central Florida region. Founded by Tom Dyer in Orlando, the publication began generating bi-weekly issues beginning August 31, 1994. Since then, The Watermark has consistently published newspaper style issues every other Thursday. Gaining traction,…
May 10, 2018
Since 1994, The Watermark has been the cornerstone source of LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, and others) centered news for the Central Florida region. Founded by Tom Dyer in Orlando, the publication began generating bi-weekly issues beginning August 31, 1994. Since then, The Watermark has consistently published newspaper style issues every other Thursday. Gaining traction,…
May 9, 2018
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. The project engages UCF students in research and…
January 31, 2018
On August 22, 1908, the Sanford Herald published its first issue. Featuring articles about the cost of purchasing and developing farm land and details of orange culture, the first issue was named the “industrial edition” as Sanford was then known as the Gate City to Florida. News of the past is no longer limited to…