RICHES Mosaic Interface

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

07/20/2026

2026 Chisholm High School Alumni Association Reunion Weekend, July 17-19, New Smyrna Beach

07/20/2026

2026 Chisholm High School Alumni Association Reunion Weekend, July 17-19, New Smyrna Beach

07/09/2026

New Exhibit: "Development, Involvement, and Philanthropy: Greek Life at UCF"

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

Almost immediately upon its inception as an open and functional university in 1968, Florida Technical University (FTU) saw the emergence of social groups and organizations which added to the sparse and desolate landscape characteristic of all new institutions. Within these organizations, Greek life emerged, with the inception of various fraternity and sorority groups. By the early 1970s, these organizations received national recognition. Moreover, they soon grew in size and influence. By the 1990’s this culture had its own home, Greek Park. By the 2000’s Greek life would constitute nearly 10% of the university population. Through these leaps of growth, the history of fraternities and sororities and the behavior of its members must be appreciated in order to understand their development, assimilation, and legacy at FTU and UCF.

Pictured: Members of the sorority Kappa Delta are celebrating after winning both a spirit award, and sports award during 1982 Greek Week.

07/06/2026

New collection: Orlando Family Stage!

https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/collections/show/234

Orlando Family Stage is a professional Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) organization in Orlando, Florida that focuses on producing engaging theatrical experiences for children and families. Since its founding as the Orlando Little Players in December 1925, the company has become one of the oldest continuously operating theatres in the southeastern United States and is the only professional theatre in Florida devoted entirely to young audiences. The theatre operated under several names before rebranding as Orlando Family Stage in 2023 to better reflect its commitment to creating meaningful experiences for audiences of all generations.

Pictured: A black and white photograph of a teenage Delta Burke in the Central Florida Civic Theater's presentation of "The Cradle Song" by Gregorio Martinez Sierra and directed by Edmund Mills. Burke is dressed in a wedding gown sitting on the ground as four Catholic nuns stand behind her. Handwritten on the back of the photograph is, "Cradle Song 1972-73 Delta Burke." This was the last production to take place at the location on Montana Avenue.