The pride of St. Cloud, Florida; in 1925, was the clock attached to the People’s Bank Building located at the corner of Tenth Street and New York Avenue. The clock first chimed on Monday, July 20, 1925, striking various musical combinations arranged for each quarter hour. When the bank failed in 1928, the St. Cloud City Commission voted to purchase the clock, offering $250.00 - the amount to be absorbed in taxes owed.
Topics: Osceola County History
When the ten-year-old wooden Osceola High School burned to the ground on July 7, 1908; the headlines read “Pride of Osceola Is Laid In Ashes”. A committee of citizens was immediately appointed by the School Board to secure plans for the erection of a new school building. Cooper Contracting Company of Fitzgerald, Georgia was awarded the contract for $17,500 to construct the three-story structure using sand lime brick.
Topics: Kissimmee, Oscoela County Historical Society, Osceola County, City of Kissimmee, Around Osceola County, Osceola County History, Educational, History, Around Osceola, Osceola History
Built in 1924-1925, the Interocean Hotel located on Highway 17-92 seven miles south of Kissimmee, Florida; sat empty the year following completion.
Topics: Kissimmee, Osceola County, Osceola County Historical Society, City of Kissimmee, Around Osceola County, Osceola County History, Educational, History, Around Osceola, Osceola History
It was slightly different in design but dating to the same 1890s time period as the replica schoolhouse at the Pioneer Village and two stories have emerged regarding how the school got its name. Miss Emma Yowell, one of the early teachers refers to it as “Shaker Rag” and stated in a 1940 newspaper interview that it was later known as “Pine Grove” in a 1940 newspaper.
Topics: Kissimmee, Oscoela County Historical Society, Osceola County, City of Kissimmee, Osceola County History, Educational, History, Osceola History, Around Osceola
Imagine transporting a student from the 1890’s schoolhouse at Pioneer Village at Shingle Creek to a heavily populated area in Osceola County, Florida in 1980; where wild turkeys and bobcats once roamed. What they would see would be startling. An earth-covered school, the design borrowed from Southwest American Indian tribes; was being built to save energy. Referred to as “The dirt school, Groundhog or Eskimo Elementary”, the name chosen was ”Reedy Creek Elementary”.
Topics: Kissimmee, Oscoela County Historical Society, Osceola County, City of Kissimmee, Around Osceola County, Osceola County History, Educational, History, Osceola History, Around Osceola
One of the official actions at the first School Board meeting on August 29, 1887 was to name and number the schools. # 5 was Shiloh, #7 Cross Prairie, #11 Neallo and #13 was Lakeview, to name a few. There were a total of twenty-one with #22, Merry Winter, added the following month. The salary for teachers assigned between ten and fifteen students was set at $20 a month; classes above fifteen students would result in $1.50 per student per month additional payment.
Topics: Kissimmee, Samuel Lincoln Lupfer,, Oscoela County Historical Society, Osceola County, Osceola County Historical Society, City of St. Cloud, Pioneer Village at Shingle Creek, City of Kissimmee, Pioneer Village, Osceola County History, Educational, St. Cloud, The Pioneer Village, Osceola History, Around Osceola
Under the supervision of the Rodeo Association of America, the Cow Capital Roundup came to Kissimmee and attracted over 35,000 spectators to the ten day event. Opening on February 12, 1940, two busloads of North Carolina Mayors, the Governor of Florida, State dignitaries and tourists from across the United States came to witness the event.
Walk up and down the streets of St. Cloud, Florida and you will pass many homes dating to 1910. But if you venture to Lakeshore Blvd. a lovely two-story home dating to 1887 greets you.
Topics: St. Cloud, Florida, History, Dine with the Departed, Hamilton Disston Sugar Plantation and Mill, Samuel Lincoln Lupfer,
With the help of the Narcoossee Area Chapter, the Osceola County Historical Society has been able to expand its reach in preserving the history of the Narcoossee area. OCHS is now hoping to form the Soldier City Chapter to help preserve the history of St. Cloud, Florida and its surrounding areas.
Topics: Osceola County Historical Society, St. Cloud, Florida, Soldier City Chapter, History
“Our Women Have the Vote” read the headlines of the September 26, 1918 “St. Cloud Tribune”. But as quickly as they gained it, they lost it.
Topics: Around Osceola County
