Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
55
areas had to be cleared of fruit, and vast
quantities of boxed fruit were destroyed.
The 1929 stock market crash that precipi-
tated the Great Depression added an
exclamation point to Florida's ruined
economy.
. . . & NEW DEALS
President Franklin
D. Roosevelt's New Deal helped the state
climb back on its feet. The Works Progress
Administration (WPA) put 40,000 unem-
ployed Floridians back to work—work
that included hundreds of public projects
in Orlando. Of these, the most important
was the expansion and resurfacing of the
city's airport. By 1936, the tourist trade
had revived somewhat, construction was
up once again, and the state began attract-
ing a broader range of visitors. But the
event that finally lifted Florida—and the
nation—out of the Depression was World
War II.
Orlando had weathered the Great
Depression. Now it prepared for war with
the construction of army bases, housing
for servicemen, and training facilities.
Enlisted men poured into the city. The
airport was again enlarged and equipped
with barracks, a military hospital, admin-
istration buildings, and mess halls. By
1944, Orlando had a second airport and
was known as “Florida's Air Capital,”
home to major aircraft and aviation-parts
manufacturers. Thousands of servicemen
did part of their hitch in Orlando, and,
when the war ended, many returned to
settle here.
POSTWAR PROSPERITY
By 1950,
Orlando, with a population of 51,826,
was the financial and transportation hub
of Central Florida. The city shared the
bullish economy of the 1950s with the rest
of the nation. In the face of the Cold War,
the Orlando air base remained and grew,
funneling millions of dollars into the local
economy. Florida's population increased
by a whopping 79% during the decade—
making it America's 10th-most-populated
state—and tourists came in droves, nearly
4.5 million in 1950.
One reason for the influx was the
advent of the air-conditioner, which made
life in Florida
infinitely
more pleasant.
Also fueling Orlando's economy was a
brand-new industry arriving in nearby
Cape Canaveral in 1955—the govern-
ment-run space program. Cape Canaveral
became NASA's headquarters, including
the Apollo rocket program that eventually
blasted Neil Armstrong toward his “giant
leap for mankind.” During the same
decade, the Glenn L. Martin Company
(later Martin Marietta), builder of the
Matador Missile, purchased 10 square
miles for a plant 4 miles south of Orlando.
Its advent sparked further industrial
growth, and property values soared. More
3
■
2003
The Waterfront enter-
tainment district makes a
splashy debut at SeaWorld.
■
2004
Cypress Gardens
reopens as Cypress Gardens
Adventure Park, featuring
new thrill rides, water shows,
concerts, and its famous
botanical gardens.
■
2008
SeaWorld opens
Aquatica. Disney shuts down
the clubs at Pleasure Island.
■
2009
SeaWorld opens
Manta—its third real thrill
ride. Universal Studios rocks
out with a new coaster, Hol-
lywood Rip Ride Rockit. The
American Idol Experience
debuts at Disney's Holly-
wood Studios.
■
2006
Expedition Everest
becomes the first true thrill
ride to debut at Animal
Kingdom. SeaWorld debuts a
new Shamu whale show.
■
2007
The Disney-MGM Stu-
dios becomes Disney's Holly-
wood Studios.
