RICHES Mosaic Interface

10/13/2026

📚 Florida Historical Society Annual Meeting & Symposium | October 16–17, 2026

Join the Florida Historical Society this Friday, October 16 and Saturday, October 17 for its annual meeting and symposium!

The conference brings together historians, scholars and members of the public to explore new research and perspectives on Florida's rich history.

All events are free and open to the public!

📅 October 16–17, 2026

📖 View the full conference program and schedule at https://online.fliphtml5.com/wqbac/FHS-2026-Conference-Program/

We encourage everyone interested in Florida history to attend and learn more about the latest historical scholarship across the state!

10/05/2026

Today, RICHES is pleased to celebrate the birthday of Harold V. Lucas, Jr. and introduce the Harold V. Lucas, Jr. Legacy Project, a new collection documenting his life, career, and contributions to the Central Florida community.

Through photographs, documents, correspondence, and oral history, the collection preserves the story of Lucas's life and the people, places, and events that shaped his experiences. The materials span his family history, education, military service, professional life, and decades of community involvement.

The collection has been made possible through the generosity of Mr. Lucas and his family, who have worked with RICHES to preserve and share these materials. We look forward to highlighting more from the collection as the project continues to grow.

Explore the Harold V. Lucas, Jr. Legacy Project in the RICHES digital archive:
https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/collections/show/236

Please join us in wishing Harold V. Lucas, Jr. a very happy birthday! 🎂

09/22/2026

Were you part of Orlando Family Stage’s story? Whether you knew it as Central Florida Civic Theatres, Orlando Rep, or Orlando Family Stage, we’d love to hear from you.

Join Orlando Family Stage and RICHES for a History Harvest on September 27 to help preserve 100 years of theatre history. Bring photographs, programs, or other memorabilia to be professionally digitized while you wait, or sign up to share your memories in an oral history.

Artists, audiences, volunteers, educators, families, and supporters all have stories worth preserving. Reserve your time at OrlandoFamilyStage.com or use the QR code on the flyer.

Please share this with someone who has a connection to the theatre!

09/04/2026

New Additions to the Debary Collection!

https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/collections/show/233

On July 8 2024, the City of Debary partnered with the University of Central Florida Department of History and RICHES to host their first history harvest at DeBary City Hall, located at 16 Colomba Road in DeBary, Florida.

Pictured: A black and white photograph of five members of the DeBary Volunteer Fire Department Number 1. Three men stand in front of one firetruck and two men stand in front of another at the DeBary Volunteer Fire Department in DeBary, Florida, at 10 Colomba Road in DeBary, Florida.

In October 1952, residents expressed concern about their inadequate fire protection, and two weeks later, they decided to establish their own volunteer fire company. By June 23, 1953, the DeBary Volunteer Firemen’s Association was born with Ed Healy as their first Fire Chief. Their first call came in October about a brush fire. The men in the photograph are from the original group that initiated the volunteer department. This was a photo that was passed down from Spruell Beall and donated to the University of Central Florida Department of History at the DeBary History Harvest held at Town Hall on June 2, 2024.

09/03/2026

New Additions to the Jesse Cutler Collection!

https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/collections/show/227

Jesse 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 the early '70s through the late '90s, Jesse performed with his bands and in the original cast of Godspell on Broadway, made records that saw Billboard's Top 100, formed his own companies and appeared on TV and radio and in national print.

Pictured: A black and white promotional photograph of the four-member group Jesse Cutler's Angel. The publicity sheet was produced by Creative Management Associates (CMA), 8899 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, California.

08/05/2026

New Collection: Goldsboro Quilters

https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/collections/show/232

The Historic Goldsboro Commemorative Quilt is more than a work of art – it is a testimony stitched with memory, resilience, and reconciliation. The Quilt began as an idea rooted in the City of Sanford’s ongoing commitment to truth-telling, healing, and unity through the Pathways to Reconciliation Project, a citywide initiative designed to face the city’s racialized history with honesty and chart a new path forward grounded in respect, equity, and belonging for all.

In early 2025, the City’s Race, Equality, Equity, and Inclusion (REEI) Advisory Committee began exploring creative ways to honor Historic Goldsboro, one of the first self-governing Black municipalities in the United States. Founded in 1891 by William Clark and 19 registered voters, Goldsboro stood as a beacon of Black independence and pride – a thriving community with its own government, churches, businesses, and schools. Indeed, Goldsboro was a testament to Black leadership, resilience, and innovation during a time of newfound freedom.

However, in 1911, Goldsboro’s municipal charter was revoked and the town was annexed into the City of Sanford. This legislative action stripped the community of its autonomy and self-governance and inflicted lasting wounds – economic, social, racial, and cultural – that reverberated throughout generations.

07/31/2026

New Exhibit: The Transition from Tranquil Town to Technology Titan: Orlando in the 1950s and 1960s

https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/exhibits/show/tranquiltotech

For much of the 18th and 19th centuries, Florida remained a relatively undeveloped state on the eastern coast of the United States. Orlando itself was home predominantly to wealthy seasonal residents and a small, local population. However, at the end of World War II and during the onset of the Cold War in the 1950s and 1960s, the city underwent one of the most rapid and sudden economic surges in the country, resulting in an influx of companies and economic migrants to the City Beautiful. This boom in new businesses, such as the Martin Company, and subsequent new job opportunities would transform Orlando from an agricultural frontier town into one of Florida's largest and most productive commercial centers. To invite this tide of change and development to Orlando, the local government opened its doors to companies looking to expand or gain a new start by offering cheap land and tax incentives. The Orlando Chamber of Commerce began to promote the city as the next inheritor of a new, modern age through the creation of marketing strategies to attract prospective residents. Economic migrants flooded into the city: young families seeking to put down roots, immigrants searching for a better life, and skilled workers looking for greater opportunities. These newly arrived individuals—along with new, booming industries—transformed the development of Orlando into the economic, political, and cultural capital of Central Florida.

Pictured: Sky Lake, 1958

07/30/2026

New Collection: DeBary

https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/collections/show/233

On July 8 2024, the City of Debary partnered with the University of Central Florida Department of History and RICHES to host their first history harvest at DeBary City Hall, located at 16 Colomba Road in DeBary, Florida.

07/30/2026