The good old boy system of Avon Park was shaken to its core in 1949. That September, five out of six incumbents were voted out of office. Among the newly-elected was young Wiley Sauls, who was just 21. The story gathered widespread media attention that announced he was the youngest…

There aren’t many patches of Old Florida left in the busy Orlando metro area. But smack dab in the heart of Maitland’s commercial district, you’ll find this throwback: Hollieanna Groves. And boy, is it a gem! It is located on the bend in US Highway 17–92 just north of Lake…

The Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s is notorious for lynchings and bigotry. And that dishonor is well-earned, of course. However, the hooded order was involved in more than simply terrorizing blacks, immigrants, Jews, and Catholics. In those days, the Klan was a civic institution in Central Florida. Its roster…

For years historians have debated the location of the fabled landmark where Seminoles gathered. Let’s solve the puzzle. —

Weary travelers for four decades were kept awake by the funny signs and nourished by the taste of this Clewiston oasis. — There aren’t many roads more desolate and monotonous than going south on US 27. Once you pass Lake Placid, you better hope you don’t need to use the restroom. Two decades ago, heading down to Miami or the Keys, the one thing that always kept it interesting was the signs! …

Joshua Berrien Lastinger decided that his idea of a garden paradise was the wild lake country of southern Highlands County. One of the few surviving photos of Lake Placid’s first white settler, Joshua Berrien Lastinger, comes from a 1904 family reunion. The children of William Lastinger and their families —…

The comedians settled in Seminole County after retiring from a 15-year career, thrilling audiences around the country. — It’s not every day that genuine celebrities move to town! The citizens of tiny Altamonte Springs were delighted when the famous “Lyman Twins” decided to retire a mile west of their fern-cultivating village in 1911. During the height of the Vaudeville era, Howard and Herbert Lyman were headliners that packed…

Griffin Farm is the crown jewel of Lake Mary’s midtown. Until recently, it was the lifelong home of Lillian Humphrey Griffin. — Two nights ago, I was picking up dinner at ZaZa’s in the convenient new live-shop-work hotspot in Lake Mary. Noticing the name “Griffin Farm” on the upscale town center, it got me wondering… what’s the story behind it? Anyone living near Lake Mary probably remembers the property. Prior to 2018…

Hidden beneath suburban Winter Springs is the old village of Wagner and its once infamous dead man’s curve. — It’s hard to explain just how different Winter Springs looked just 30 years ago. Today it’s a bustling suburb interspersed by four-lane highways and swarming with sprawl. Three-story apartment complexes and maze-like neighborhoods are devouring the remaining patches of natural habitat. At the start of the nineties, however, Winter Springs…