The origins of Beard Day are a mystery. Still, the belief is that Danish Vikings held celebrations to honor their beards as early as 800 BC. Here in Osceola County, Florida, beard contests were held in conjunction with the local rodeos. In the 1950s, Kissimmee downtown merchants were required to grow beards or else pay hefty fines – all done in the name of good […]
Phillip “Phil” Russell Kelley didn’t always wear bow ties but beginning in the late 1950s; it appears to have become part of his regular attire. What prompted him to make the switch from a regular tie is a mystery, but Phil was definitely one of Kissimmee’s unique citizens. And with a good old Irish name like Kelley, Phil also had the “Gift of the Blarney.” […]
On Purple Heart Day, August 7th, Osceola History pays tribute to a local businessman who served his country and the community he called home for sixty-two years. After serving in World War II, Elmer “Pete” Louis Hunt, born in 1923 in New York, came to Kissimmee, Florida. The youngest of five sons born to Homer and Lena Hunt, the family moved to Oviedo before 1940. […]
The agriculture community is proud to be the second-largest industry in the state of Florida, employing over two million people and contributing more than $104 billion to the economy every year.[1] Cattle have been a part of the Florida landscape since 1521.[2] Osceola County, in particular, has a long history as a large producer of cattle in this state that continues today. Cattle have been part of Osceola County […]