Orlando’s Suburban Shift: Colonial Plaza and the Evolution of the City’s Retail Landscape
By Rachel Williams from the Spring 2025 Edition of Reflections Magazine “The one-stop shopping center of tomorrow that’s here today” – that was the tagline in the Orlando Sentinel when Colonial Plaza officially opened on Jan. 31, 1956. What might seem like an ordinary shopping center to 21st-century residents was
The Chan Family: Martial Arts Mastery and a Real-Life Mulan
By Justine Truc, 2024 University of South Carolina Oral History Fellow The metro Orlando area is often recognized for its theme parks and sunny weather, but it’s also a rich cultural melting pot. In an oral history with the Orange County Regional History Center, Mimi Chan offered a fascinating glimpse
Orange County Parks at 100
By Mandy Kimmer from the Fall 2024 edition of Reflections Magazine In the century since 1924, what began with a family’s gift of 8 acres has blossomed into 113 parks and trails, boat ramps, recreation centers, and sport facilities that serve 13 million residents and visitors each year. The 1920
A College Park Century
By Tana Mosier Porter from the Fall 2024 edition of Reflections Magazine In 1924, developers officially kicked off and named the Orlando neighborhood that soon manifested the look and feel of a small town. One hundred years ago the Cooper-Atha-Barr Real Estate and Mortgage Company broke ground for a new
Washington Kilmer: Unsung Central Florida Pioneer
By Paul Trembly from the Fall 2024 edition of Reflections Magazine The year was 1872, and Washington Kilmer was dying. In poor health, barely able to walk and suffering a general physical breakdown, he was given, at most, a year to live. As he departed his physician’s office, he took
Rediscovering Ethel
By Don Philpott from the Fall 2024 Edition of Reflections Magazine After a decade-long quest that began with a hidden grave marker, the volunteer Wekiva Wilderness Trust is bringing to light the story of a lost town near Rock Springs. Ethel is one of Florida’s many forgotten communities that once
Orange County Library System genealogy classes for January 2025
Is one of your new year goals to learn more about your family’s history? Orange County Library System is a great resource for your genealogy research offering a full slate of events each month. We’re pleased to bring you the schedule each month here on our blog. For more information
Learn how Fold3 can help you explore military records
Military records can give you valuable insight as you explore your family’s history. Orange County Library System can help you explore resources to do that as well as other genealogy research methods. Here’s listing of the classes they have available on the topic this month. For more information and to
Turn your Turkey Day into a genealogy research opportunity
The approach of the holidays will find us spending time with family and that provides a perfect opportunity to do some research on your family tree. Among Orange County Library Systems offerings this month is course that will prepare you to ask helpful genealogical questions at the Thanksgiving table. For
“I Like Orlando!” Lyndon Johnson’s Campaign Rolls in to Central Florida
By Travis Puterbaugh from the Fall 2024 edition of Reflections Magazine On the morning of Oct. 26, 1964, readers of the Orlando Sentinel woke up to a historic headline: “Welcome to Central Florida, Mr. President.” The occasion of President Lyndon Johnson’s visit to Orlando marked the first time that a