About the Historical Society of Avon Park

About the Historical Society of Avon Park

Founded on October 9, 1945, as the Old Settlers Association of Avon Park,^{2, 4, 9} The Historical Society of Avon Park, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Avon Park, Florida.¹²

Key Milestones

• 1945 — Founded by Pioneers: Organized by May Walden,
  Cora Gray Wray, Byrum Shockley, Clara Davidson, and
  Alice Davidson, along with 63 charter pioneers,^{1, 4}
  to preserve Avon Park’s history and host annual October reunions for residents of 20 or more years.^{2, 4, 9} In 1951, the
  association secured its first archival storage lockers inside the
  new Avon Park Public Library.³
• 1970–1971 — Saving the Mall Bandstand: Led the community
  fundraising campaign to restore the historic bandstand on the Mile
  Long Mall.^{5, 7, 8}
• 1975–1976 — Bicentennial & Reorganization: Appointed to lead
  Avon Park’s U.S. Bicentennial celebration,⁶ the
  organization opened membership to everyone interested in local
  history,⁹ erected the granite monument at founder
  Oliver M. Crosby’s grave,^{7, 8} and published Leoma
  Bradshaw Maxwell’s The First Hundred Years of Avon Park,
  Florida.^{8, 11}
• 1978–1981 — The Avon Park Depot Museum: Adopted the name The Historical Society of Avon Park (1978),¹¹ campaigned to acquire the historic 1926 Seaboard Air Line Railway station
  (deeded January 4, 1979),^{8, 9, 10} opened the Avon Park Depot Museum in May 1981,¹³ and incorporated with
  the State of Florida on June 25, 1981.¹²

Visit the Depot Museum

Located at 3 North Museum Avenue,^{12, 13} the museum
complex features exhibits on pioneer life, the citrus industry,
World War II aviation training, the invention of Brown ’n Serve
rolls, Black community history, the Avon Park Baseball Museum, a Seaboard caboose and Highlands Express dining car, and an
archival library of historic photographs and local newspapers.^{8, 11, 13}

References

1. The Avon Park Sun, “Notice of Old Settlers Association
   Executive Committee Meeting,” September 10, 1948, p. 3.
2. The Avon Park Sun, “Old Settlers’ Club Plans Oct. Reunion,”
   September 29, 1950, p. 1.
3. The Avon Park Sun, “Old Settlers Elect, Hear History, Plan Work At Reunion,” October 19, 1951, p. 1.
4. The Avon Park Sun, “Old Settlers Plan 13th Annual Picnic
   Wednesday, Oct. 16,” October 10, 1957, pp. 1, 12.
5. The Avon Park Sun, “Old Settlers Association Holds Annual
   Covered Dish Dinner and Meeting,” October 28, 1971, p. 3A.
6. The Avon Park Sun, “Old Settlers Named To Head City’s
   Bicentennial Plans,” May 22, 1975, p. 1.
7. The Avon Park Sun, “Historical Society To Raise Funds For
   Crosby Grave Marker,” October 23, 1975, p. 11A.
8. Leoma Bradshaw Maxwell, The First Hundred Years of Avon Park,
   Florida (Avon Park, FL: The Historical Society of the Old Settlers Association, Inc., 1976), pp. 5, 10–16, 58, 68–71, 127, 190–191,
   205–206, 244–246, 251.
9. The Avon Park Sun, “Old Settlers Plan Annual Meeting Friday
   Night; Seek Old Railroad Depot For Museum” and “Old Settlers
   Association Was Formed In 1945,” November 3, 1977, pp. 2A, 1C.
10. The Avon Park Sun, “Committee Named To Work On Depot Museum
    Project,” November 10, 1977, p. 5A.
11. Betty Amburn and Leoma Bradshaw Maxwell, “Leoma Maxwell Helps To Organize City’s History,” The Avon Park Sun, October 12, 1978, p. 1C.
12. Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Corporate Filing for THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AVON PARK, INC., Document No. 758915 (filed June 25, 1981; FEI/EIN 59-2302474).
13. Marc Valero, “Historic Depot building new Florida Frontiersman
    Museum,” Highlands News-Sun, April 28, 2021.