Morse Boulevard is named for Charles Hosmer Morse (1833-1921). Starting when he was just a boy, Morse worked for E. and T. Fairbanks, the scale manufacturer, in his hometown of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, as well as in Chicago and Cincinnati. In 1883 he came to Winter Park with Franklin Fairbanks of Fairbanks, Morse and Company. Morse bought out the Winter Park Co. in 1905 and changed the name to the Winter Park Land Co. With this company, he gave employment to hundreds of men who cleared out, replanted, and refenced the orange groves that had been hit by the Big Freeze. The city's greatest benefactor, Morse made generous contributions to Rollins College, and donated land for the Congregational Church, the first City Hall, the first golf course, the Winter Park Country Club, the present golf course, and of course Central Park.
Before Morse, the street was simply called The Boulevard, and it ended at the railroad depot. At another time, it was known as Herald Avenue.
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| This photograph is Morse Boulevard looking east from the railroad station. The Winter Park Pharmacy is on the left side at the corner of Morse Boulevard and Park Avenue. The pharmacy remained at this spot until 1928, when it moved to a new location on South Park Avenue. The old site became the Corner Drug Store in 1931, Taylor's Pharmacy in 1948, and more recently the Banana Republic in 1987. | Morse Boulevard looking east from the railroad station. Click on the thumbnail photographs to view larger images. |
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| This photograph shows Lake Osceola at the east end of Morse Boulevard. The Scenic Boat Tour made its maiden voyage here in 1937, though this picture was taken many years before. | Lake Osceola at the east end of Morse Boulevard. Click on the thumbnail photographs to view larger images. |