I found this menu for Aunt Hattie’s Chicken in the Woodpile on eBay a few years ago. It’s especially neato because it’s autographed by Edward “Uncle Ed” Boore, husband of Aunt Hattie and founder of the restaurant. Aunt Hattie’s was opened in 1939 by Ed and Hattie Boore who had previously run a fruit stand. It closed in 1985. The full history of the restaurant is recounted by Scott Taylor Hartzell in this excellent St. Petersburg Times article.
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Pumperniks was a Saturday afternoon staple for my family when I was growing up in Miami. It’s the first place I ever ate Matzo ball soup and a brisket sandwich. The experience of eating this food for the first time was enough to make me consider converting to Judaism. Read more
I found some beautiful old sheet music when I was in Saint Augustine last weekend. I found it at Wolf’s Head Books, one of the finest antique and used book stores in Florida. The song is called, “It’s Playtime in Miami” and was written in 1940 by composer Clark Ringwalt as a fund raising measure for the South Florida Children’s Hospital in Miami, Florida.
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I’ve been scouring some aerial photography archives for interesting comparison subjects. I love ‘then and now’ comparisons. This set illustrates the changes to the area around Colonial Drive (State Road 50) and Bumby Avenue in Orlando since the 1950s. Click on the photos for larger versions.
Here’s the area in 1954. This was actually before the Colonial Plaza was built. Also note that what is currently the back side of Winn-Dixie along Rosedale St, there was a row of houses.
Here’s the area in 2005.
Looking South over Colonial Plaza Mall, sometime in the 1960s. If you look close, you can see the old style Publix where there is today a Barnes and Noble.
If you remember the area back in the 50s, 60s or 70s, I’d love to hear your remembrances. I live just blocks away and I’m interested in the history of the shops, restaurants, mall, etc. Post in comments and share!
Photo credits:
University of Florida Aerial Photography Database
Florida State Photo Archives
Google Maps