Tax Free Town Blog Tax Free Town Blog Thu, 04 Jul 2024 12:22:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 https://taxfreetown.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/cropped-Lilian_picture.png Tax Free Town Blog 32 32 Mosaic Memories https://taxfreetown.com/mosaic-memories/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mosaic-memories Sun, 23 Jun 2024 10:58:15 +0000 https://taxfreetown.com/?p=407 The post Mosaic Memories appeared first on Tax Free Town Blog.

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The Rocky Road To Founding Casselberry https://taxfreetown.com/the-rocky-road-to-founding-casselberry/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-rocky-road-to-founding-casselberry Sun, 23 Jun 2024 03:34:44 +0000 https://taxfreetown.com/?p=393 After months of vigilant planning and legal battles with Gordon Barnett and Seminole County, Hibbard drove to the community house for the meeting that would create Casselberry, Florida,. The old white frame building that had once been a large chicken coop was empty—hardly an auspicious beginning for a prosperous community, but it would do. Not […]

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After months of vigilant planning and legal battles with Gordon Barnett and Seminole County, Hibbard drove to the community house for the meeting that would create Casselberry, Florida,. The old white frame building that had once been a large chicken coop was empty—hardly an auspicious beginning for a prosperous community, but it would do. Not even Mel was there. She and the children were up north for a funeral.

Gordon Barnett sat in the audience stunned, unable to speak, unqualified to vote, and incapable of stopping the disintegration of his Fern Park Estates. Of course, in 1933, he had put Hibbard in exactly that same position.

William Drake rose. “I make a motion that the town be named ‘Casselberry.’”

“I second it,” Alma said.

The name pleased Hibbard, and it was a logical choice. The ACL Railway already called the stop Casselberry rather than Casselberry Siding. Most of the businesses in the area already used the name Casselberry. And the surveyor who created the map for Hibbard had called it the Map of Casselberry.

Benz called for the vote. “All in favor of the name Casselberry will let it be known by saying ‘Aye.’”

A rousing response rose from the residents, followed by a familiar dissenting voice. “No.”

Benz halted the meeting. “Mr. Barnett, I ask you to please refrain from taking part in this meeting.”

“Why don’t you put him out?” shouted grove owner Frank Russell from the crowd.

The court reporter noted that “loud and continuous laughter filled the room.” Benz slammed his gavel again to regain control of the boisterous crowd.

Barnett gritted his teeth and sat stoically throughout the proceedings. He had no idea what lengths Hibbard might go to, but he needed to know.

Then the frugal personality of the new town’s residents emerged, starting with Renzo “Hat” Hattaway. “The corporate seal should bear the name ‘Casselberry, Florida’ around the outer edge, and add only ‘Incorporated 1940.’”

“The seal should be as simple as possible—nothing more than is necessary,” added Mr.

Height. “In other words, I am thinking of expense.”

Benz assured the two men the seal was simple. “If you add one or two more letters, it won’t make a penny’s difference.”

The name Casselberry Gardens, as written on the posted legal notices, was nowhere to be found. It’s possible that after adding Gardens made it too long for the seal.

The next issue was the approval of territorial limits. Frank Russell, who had suggested Barnett’s removal, spoke again. “I move to strike my property from the town’s description. It was added without my authorization.”

Benz advised, “Mr. Russell, under the rules, the motion would be unconstitutional.”

Not to be denied his victory, Hibbard stood up and went nose-to-nose with Russell in a verbal wrestling match.

Benz slammed the gavel and yet again shouted over them. “Gentlemen, settle down.”

When the time came to nominate a mayor, Mrs. Newton Merrill said, “I nominate Hibbard Casselberry.”

Unwilling resident Frank Russell retaliated by nominating Paul Bates, Hibbard’s fernery foreman. Benz counted the ballots and announced Hibbard as the victorious first Mayor of Casselberry, Florida. According to the meeting’s minutes, excited and prolonged applause filled the community house.

Once they clarified that a board of aldermen was the same as a council, the citizens proceeded to elect their first board of five aldermen: Mrs. Newton Merrill, Cedric Benz, William Drake, and Helena K Smith. They elected Mary Hallett, as the town clerk. Talley Hattaway became the Marshal. Paul Bates became the Fire Chief, and remained in that position for over twenty-five years. He also served as the second mayor of the Tax Free Town.

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The Little Church That Got Around https://taxfreetown.com/the-little-church-that-got-around/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-little-church-that-got-around Sun, 23 Jun 2024 03:31:52 +0000 https://taxfreetown.com/?p=386 In the late 1800's many English settlers came to central Florida to engage in the citrus industry. Envisioning a mission church to reach the growing English community, two retired British Army officers raised $1,800 to construct this Episcopalian church in the Conway area of Orange County, Florida. The original location included a nearby cemetery on […]

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In the late 1800's many English settlers came to central Florida to engage in the citrus industry. Envisioning a mission church to reach the growing English community, two retired British Army officers raised $1,800 to construct this Episcopalian church in the Conway area of Orange County, Florida. The original location included a nearby cemetery on this site. The first service of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church was held on June 2, 1889.

The Great Freeze of 1895 ruined many English citrus growers. As they left the area, local churches declined and some were abandoned. During the Depression, Holy Trinity was deconsecrated, used for a local chamber of commerce, and later sold to a Conway Methodist Church in 1938.

Here's where Casselberry's history comes in...

In 1947, Hibbard Casselberry said, "You can't have a real town unless you have a church." What he wanted on a personal level was a place to marry Miss Martha Norris. The families in town had been gathering in private homes. The roof on the Community House needed too much repair.

Hibbard looked for a building he could move, as was common for him to do during World War II when building supplies were scarce.

The little Episcopal church was one of Central Florida's oldest structures, crafted of 200 year-old pine, with Gothic arched windows, a copper "onion skin" dome, pine floors, a cathedral ceiling, and Byzantine carvings on the doors. He wanted to buy this church and move it to Casselberry, but the costs to move it in its fragile condition was too great in the post-World War II economy.

Hibbard decided that a new church building should be built in Casselberry. He gave his highest and best land on Highway 17-92, at Piney Ridge Road, to his children, Hibbard, Jr, Leonard, and Molly, and had them donate the land. It was one of his "teaching by doing" parenting lessons. Then Hibbard called his friend Gamble Rogers design the small chapel that is today.

Fast forward 1959 to Fern Park as we know it today. An Eastern Orthodox congregation moved the church to Fern Park (as we know it today, south of Highway 436) "placing it on the shores of Lake Kathryn."

WHAT lake? Many people who have lived here for years will remember this church. The historic marker at its current location states it was on Lake Kathryn.

My guess is that the name of the lake (Lake Kathryn) that the church sat on was what Lake of the Woods is now, and that developer changed the name.

In October of 1989, the church was purchased by the First Baptist Orlando member Art Williams and family in memory of wife and mother Marie who had dreamed of a small prayer chapel for her church. It was moved to the First Baptist property in November 1989, refurbished, and dedicated on September 8, 1991.

Most of this history comes from the historic marker at First Baptist Orlando. Way to go, Art Williams and family! You saved a true gem.

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Raising Money In The Tax Free Town https://taxfreetown.com/raising-money-in-the-tax-free-town/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=raising-money-in-the-tax-free-town Sun, 23 Jun 2024 03:27:13 +0000 https://taxfreetown.com/?p=379 It’s the early 1950s and in Casselberry, Florida, a municipal tax-free town, the town is not in debt. But money’s always a problem. Hibbard Casselberry, as its founder, knew when it was incorporated, finances would be tight. The plan was for everyone to contribute as they could to its success. Owning most of the land […]

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It’s the early 1950s and in Casselberry, Florida, a municipal tax-free town, the town is not in debt. But money’s always a problem. Hibbard Casselberry, as its founder, knew when it was incorporated, finances would be tight. The plan was for everyone to contribute as they could to its success. Owning most of the land and the biggest business he knew the lion’s share of expenses would be his.

In the early days of the town, Hibbard had installed police and fire phones in homes that he rented out. However, by 1950, it was not necessary as phone service was now more available. He wrote to Sam Gerson, that he was having the phone taken out. “They charge me $8 a piece for those phones, and I couldn’t stand it any longer. This is just a note to tell you what’s happened when you find yours gone.”

For a while, Casselberry was well known as a speed trap. It was, but with good reason. The most dangerous thing you could do in town was cross the highway. everyone coming through town seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere else, and there were no stop lights to run.

Being a small tax-free town there was no money in the budget to buy radar equipment. And the town was too small for one police officer to track a speeder with his car. Instead, the officer would write tickets for reckless driving, which had to be paid to the officer, unless the offender lived in Seminole County.

One woman wrote to the newspaper, “So, take it from me, when you are motoring along the million dollar highway, 17-92, unless you have an extra $10.00 bill with you, don’t drive through the tax-free city of Casselberry.”

After the aldermen had raised enough money from fines, they bought the first stop light.

In 1954, another problem in town was the lack of street lights. A source of income to the town was cigarette tax that was collected by the state. If a citizen of Casselberry bought a pack of cigarettes in another town, that town would benefit.

Hibbard figured that if people were more aware of this they would buy their cigarettes in town. To add a personal benefit, Hibbard had signs made up that said, “Buy Cigarettes in town and get a street light here.” Then he called his son Len and had them posted on where the lights would be installed.

As a master at marketing, follow up was always important to Hibbard. He wrote to Alderman Joe Laird and praised him for his work. “You have done an excellent job in stimulating the sales of cigarettes in Casselberry.”

He suggested Laird go to the local stores and see how many packs they had sold. “It will give us something to check back against our check from the Secretary of State. You would be an excellent person to do this because you have no axe to grind and you would not be a competitor to them.”

As the town grew, the biggest problem was keeping the roads graded. A road was a “popular subscription improvement,” meaning got paved when the majority of property owners signed up to pay for it.

Only when the road was nearly complete did Hibbard write to them and ask for money. He also offered to pay for any overage in the cost. If a property owner could not afford the terms, Hibbard would write to an out of state property owner in the same area being paved. As he explained, “By helping this owner improve their property you will being improving the value of your lot.”

Hibbard got the point across to Mr. Hegg in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1956. In a letter, he thanked him for his spirit of cooperation.

“I find it most evident in the past paragraph where you say that if we can get a spirit of cooperation in the road building business and the general town improvement business, it will be worth lots more than the money spent. If the cost runs a little more or a little less then it will not be much of a consequence.”

And that’s how things get done in the Tax Free Town of Casselberry.

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No Good Deed Goes Unpunished https://taxfreetown.com/no-good-deed-goes-unpunished/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=no-good-deed-goes-unpunished Sun, 23 Jun 2024 03:07:17 +0000 https://taxfreetown.com/?p=369 In October 1940, Mayor Hibbard Casselberry thinks about doing some grassroots advertising. Because there’re only a few dozen people in town, he starts his campaign with a heartfelt letter addressed to the newly minted Casselberry residents. In it, he paints a vivid picture of his grand visions for the town. He pledges to improve the old […]

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In October 1940, Mayor Hibbard Casselberry thinks about doing some grassroots advertising. Because there’re only a few dozen people in town, he starts his campaign with a heartfelt letter addressed to the newly minted Casselberry residents. In it, he paints a vivid picture of his grand visions for the town.

He pledges to improve the old community house, transforming it into a hub for social gatherings and events. He speaks passionately about his plans to turn the Azalea Gardens into a sprawling twenty-acre tropical paradise.

These ambitious ideas are aimed to captivate their imaginations and ignite their enthusiasm for their newfound home.

Recognizing the importance of the new volunteer fire department, he gives credit to all of the men who have volunteered to serve when needed. It’s an important job because of the amount of heavily wooded acres and the predominance of wooden homes. He promises to install standard fire hose connections near each house his company owns. He’ll pay the cost to install additional fire hydrants if any resident wants to have one near their home. The domestic water system has good water from a reliable deep well, and the State Inspectors say it’s “good.”

Next, he introduces the businesses in Casselberry and encourages their cooperation in building the town. William Drake, an insurance agent, finds himself in the spotlight, alongside the Colles, renowned Azalea growers, and the Smiths, known throughout the southern region for their Calla Lilies. The Simpsons, who run the Rustic Cabin Camp, also receive well-deserved recognition.

Hibbard’s feeling pretty good about his letter and hopes it will strengthen the local economy. If it really works, it might foster a sense of unity among its residents.

Then he goes a bit too far. His belief in supporting the businesses don’t end at the town limits. In an effort to bridge the gap between Casselberry and the neighboring Fern Park, he embarks on a campaign to bring everyone together. He offers free and friendly advertising for those living just outside the town, and he’s willing to highlight their businesses and attractions. He warmly mentions Mrs. Barnett's charming Gift Shop, “nestled nearby and worthy of a visit.”

This neighborly gesture is only weeks after the incorporation of Casselberry, so the political landscape is still touchy. So, Hibbard carefully addressed his letter to the "Residents of Casselberry." He intends to attach an additional card for when it’s sent to residents outside the town.

Just Hibbard’s bad luck, the card doesn’t get attached. He gets on the ball and writes another letter to the neighboring homeowners and businesses, clarifying the situation. He wasn’t implying that they were part of Casselberry, and he apologizes for any misunderstanding it caused by the “unintended confusion.”

The damage is done, however, and it furthers Hibbard’s reputation as a dictator only out to grab their land. It’s times like these that probably lead to one of his favorite sayings: “No good deed goes unpunished.”

Note: The card exists, but it’s not in the file at the time of this post.

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World War II News in Casselberry Gardens https://taxfreetown.com/world-war-ii-news-in-casselberry-gardens/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=world-war-ii-news-in-casselberry-gardens Wed, 19 Jun 2024 14:14:43 +0000 https://taxfreetown.com/?p=283 It’s one of those things Lilian wonders aboutWhy Gordon Barnett, in his efforts to stop Hibbard Casselberry from incorporating the town of Casselberry, didn’t use this tiny technicality and use to stop this one small error. TheIt all started yesterday. Lilian was going through old files she hasn’t seen in a while and putting them in […]

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It’s one of those things Lilian wonders about

Why Gordon Barnett, in his efforts to stop Hibbard Casselberry from incorporating the town of Casselberry, didn’t use this tiny technicality and use to stop this one small error.

TheIt all started yesterday. Lilian was going through old files she hasn’t seen in a while and putting them in chronological order. The oldest original, Hibbard’s employment contract with Barnett, is dated March 1926. As Lilian inspects each document, she looks for the decade, and then the year or topic. This time she finds documents she’s only glanced at long enough to photocopy them.

There are three copies of the “Community News,” a weekly newsletter. It says it’s published by the “Merchants of Community with the Aid of Every Citizen.” That’s the way things get done in the tax free town. Everyone helps.

Casselberry Gardens

In the May 6 edition, it talks about the town of Casselberry Gardens. That was the name Hibbard Casselberry, the town founder, wanted. And it was the name was posted in the official legal notice.

Lilian thinks Gordon Barnett, Hibbard’s longtime adversary, could have used that technicality to stop him.

However, in making the motion to name the town, William Drake called it the Town of Casselberry. Alma Hattaway seconded it. Hibbard was not going to stop and correct them. So, the name became the “Town of Casselberry.” However, in 1942, Hibbard is still trying to use the name Casselberry Gardens.

What's in the News?

The Community News articles give insight into the lives of people in town only months after World War II began. Here’s what’s happened.

When the war began, most of the able-bodied men enlisted. That left their wives, mothers, sisters and girlfriends in need of jobs. The town citizens had a meeting and decided that sewing for the war would be the best way to get work for women.

Hibbard tried to get a government contract but it was almost impossible. To get a government contract for sewing unless he needed to already have sewing machines. But he couldn’t get sewing machines unless he had a contract. Finally, he got a contract to manufacture bandoliers!

At the time of the open meeting for women’s jobs, there were two main buildings on the highway. There was the ferneries office, and the Soda Mart in the Williamsburg Building next door. Here is the article.

150 people attended last Thursday evening’s meeting held at the Casselberry Gardens Community House to hear Mr. Buxton talk about the new war industry at Casselberry Gardens. Mr. Buxton explained the work in detail.

Application blanks were passed thought the audience and 50 persons made application for the necessary jobs. Application blanks are still available at the office of the Winter Park Ferneries and the Soda Mart.

Each applicant will be carefully considered when the training period starts.

Three machines have already arrived by express and are being assembled. Other machines are being shipped by freight and will arrive soon. No material has yet been received, so work will not start for another week.

We ask that applicants do not telephone for information as each one will be notified at the proper time for a more detailed interview.

Tomorrow 

We’ll do some shopping with in Casselberry and checking their products and prices… and see what is going on with the latest war change – Rationing.

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