By 1876, America was preparing for its first centennial celebration, honoring 100 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Colorado entered the Union on August 1st, 1876, so the 38-star flag became the official flag on July 4th, 1877. Flag makers had begun producing Colorado statehood flags with 38 stars during the centennial year, even though the flag was not “official” yet. Thus, […]
It takes a special photographer willing to risk life and limb for that perfect shot, and the Osceola County Historical Society has had the pleasure of sharing and preserving artifacts from two notable ones. Rodeo photographer, Ralph R. Doubleday and photojournalist Richard J. Shepherd. Ralph Russell Doubleday (1881 – 1958) was an American rodeo photographer widely regarded as the “undisputed World’s Champion Rodeo Photographer” (Butler). […]
Catherine Belle Weaver was born on September 2, 1904 in Lafayette, Indiana, and later attended Purdue University, following in the footsteps of her older brother Paul. Her father, William Otis Weaver, married her mother, Anna Mary Neff on June 10, 1896; it was her father’s second marriage. Together, Weaver and Neff grandparents had 17 children and 44 grandchildren, Catherine wrote “in Lafayette I never lacked […]
The KAST Club, or more formally, Kissimmee All-States Tourist Club, was organized in 1924 as a way to attract visitors (and so-called snowbirds) to the Kissimmee area. It was designed as a non-profit organization operating under a State Charter, cordially extending memberships to all citizens, winter residents, and tourists alike. The area strived to showcase its extraordinary climate, while advocating for physical and mental health […]