Yeasel’s Orange Blossom Perfume Brought to the Americas by the Spaniards in the 15thcentury, oranges became an important part of Florida’s economy over the centuries. During his travels through northeast Florida in 1774, American botanist and explorer William Bartram told of groves of orange trees in full bloom and the air filled with the sweet fragrance of the delicate orange blossoms. Chosen as Florida’s state […]
Osceola County has nine sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Osceola County Courthouse The Osceola County Courthouse was completed on May 6, 1890, for approximately $25,000, and is possibly the oldest courthouse in Florida to be used continuously for county governmental purposes. This Romanesque Revival brick structure is indicative of many courthouses built in the United States during the late 19thcentury. It […]
April is National Volunteer Month. Throughout the month we are featuring articles about service organizations in Osceola County. Woman’s Club of St. Cloud The Woman’s Club of St. Cloud traces its beginnings to a small group of women who met in a tent on March 14, 1910, soon after the city of St. Cloud, Florida, was formed. Known as the Ladies Improvement Club, the women […]
October is Italian American Month Joseph James “Joe” Spinelli was born in Middleton, Connecticut, in 1941 and was named after his Italian immigrant grandfather. His father George began as a cook in a Meridian, Connecticut, restaurant and progressed to owning his own restaurant. Cooking was in Joe’s blood; when they moved to Central Florida in 1971, he and wife Diane opened Spinelli’s Restaurant in St. […]