I've never heard anyone mention a vendors' night or anything similar before Spanish Springs Town Square was built. I've heard numerous stories about the original town square under the big tent on the opposite side of state Rt. 441.

I was told the shopping area across 441 from Perkins was where Villages activities were held before Spanish Springs Square was built.

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You win
 

A life-time supply of POP CORN
Darn, someone beat me to it.

Thank you. I enjoyed reading it!

Which nine hole course has the plaque (on the fairway) of where Nancy Lopez hit her first drive on the opening day, and how far was the drive ???

My wife and I visited my parents here in the early 1990's,the sales center was those multi color across 27/441 (I think they are dentists/doctor offices now). The square was a big tent with a dance floor in it. My memory is a little fuzzy but I do remember giving my 3 daughters (now all in their mid/late twenties) money to buy trinkets from the vendors on what was "market night" back then.

We came back a couple years later and they were just starting to rough in Spanish Springs.

My Dad and I played Hacienda, there were only two nines then. There were all of these streets laid out, just a few houses and the black fences and cattle. I remember saying to my self "Wow!, these people really dream big...who is going to buy all of this stuff?" I guess the rest is history.

Trivia
 

Back in my early days there was a vendors night, and it was held under a blue tent on the East side of 441 where the Tire store is today, and it was held on Tuesday night.

Bill will always be "KING" of the links.

Joe :wave:

Fiesta Night, if I recall correctly, was held on Monday nights in the courtyard south of the tire store across from the post office. As Spanish Springs Town Square was being built, there was a huge blue and white circus tent approximately where the La Rena building is. There were scale models of SS and it's buildings under glass in the La Hacienda Rec Center for a long time.

Gary Morse appears to me to be a very private person so not publicly attending the ceremony fits with that persona. He did witness it but privately..

Somehow, I just never thought of Bill as a big golfer. :popcorn:

I think "Florida's friendliest town" comes from Harold and 100,000+ population comes from Gary.

My mother used to mention meeting Harold many times and he would always ask if they were having fun.

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Cremated with ashes in statue at Spanish Springs.

History of TV
 

I wish I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Swartz . I could have sat down and talked for hours about his dream and let him know how much I appreciated his perserverence in incubating TV .

The article about his death mentions a 4 volume history written by Lucy Borg . Has anyone seen this or read it ? I would like to read it.

Thanks