Episodes
Did Sanford saloon owners burn down the town?
If you like Celery City Stories, and want me to keep telling them, you can buy me a coffee. Go to Buy Me a Coffee . ------- In 1887, the city of Sanford was a bustling hub of commerce. Founded …
Sanford man breaks the color barrier at the University of Florida
The Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives has a brief 38-second clip of George Starke Jr.'s first day at the University of Florida law school. There is NO sound, but it gives a glimpse of his first …
Was Lynyrd Skynyrd influenced by a Sanford piano teacher?
If you like Celery City Stories and want to continue to hear them, Buy Me a Coffee . Your support ensures I can continue to produce these shows. Lynyrd Skynyrd got its start in Jacksonville, but did you know the …
Sanford man is hero in classic 1920 Alabama-Georgia game
If you like these Celery City Stories and you want me to keep telling them every week then please buy a cup of coffee by following this link. It was the game football fans had anticipated for weeks. Two powerhouses …
A good wife and a strong martini help change history
If you like the show, Buy me a Coffee and become a sponsor. Welcome, I’m glad you joined me. This Celery City Story is the first one I wrote when I thought I might want to start a podcast. Whenever …
Sanford women take drastic action to appease the Presbyterians
The Sanford Woman's Club Sometimes it’s the smallest things that lead to the biggest battles. In this case, 6 inches is all it took. Thanks to Sanford City Commissioner Patty Mahany and Lisa Finnerty of Porzig Realty for shar...
BONUS: Woman nearly faints when Sid goes for a walk NY Times reports
In 1946, Sanford narrowly avoided a cat-astrophe when Sid decided to go for a stroll in downtown Sanford. Thanks to Christine Kinlaw-Best who uncovered this gem of a story from the New York Times. In case you missed it, check...
Monkey business at the Sanford fire station creates a zoo
Cities the size of Sanford (pop. 61,051) don't normally have their own zoo. It was monkey business at the Sanford Fire Station on Palmetto Avenue that led city leaders to create a zoo in 1925. I wrote about this a …
The Mayor Who Bankrupted the City of Sanford
Forrest Lake was the most powerful man in Seminole County for the first 3 decades of the 1900s. In fact, he was the man who created Seminole County. How powerful was Forrest Lake? He was Sanford’s mayor, a state representativ...
Buddy Lake never needed a relief pitcher
In the 1930s and 40s, Bernard David Lake - better known as Buddy - was the most talked about ballplayer in Sanford. Buddy never made it to the Major League, but he was no minor talent. Click the button to …
Chinese food and pizza rolls helped Jeno Paulucci build the Heathrow …
Jeno Paulucci was the king of the packaged food business. He made hundreds of millions of dollars selling canned Chinese food, then frozen pizza rolls. He sold those companies in the 1980s and jumped into the Florida real est...
Jack's one-man war against the Japanese Navy
Disobeying orders should never be done on a whim. Sometimes those, you just need to go with your gut. Many of the details for this story were taken from the following source: "Twenty-Five Yards of War: The Extraordinary Coura...
Trailer - Celery City Stories
Join host Dan Ping as he explores the incredible history of Sanford and Seminole County FL they didn’t teach in school. www.CeleryCityStories.com