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Cypress Garden's Attraction history, has been written and well documented. So we borrowed some to share -
"A BRIEF HISTORY OF CYPRESS GARDENS"
"CYPRESS GARDENS, Fla.—They say Cypress Gardens founder Dick Pope, Sr. was born in the midst of an Iowa cyclone. And, the energy of that cyclone—and the bluster—was absorbed by Pope and drove him energetically through all his life.
Born at the dawn of the new century, Pope came to Florida with his father at age 11 and honed his sales skills helping his dad sell real estate, closing his first deal at the age of 12.
He met and married his life partner, Julie Downing, in 1926. After the Florida real estate market went bust in 1927, Pope needed a way to support his new wife. Outboard motors were just coming into use and Dick had heard that one manufacturer was planning a publicity campaign. He shoved his bride into a car and started driving to the company’s (Johnson Outboards) headquarters. At every city en route, Dick stopped and sent a telegram to the president: “Hold all publicity plans until I get there. Your problem is solved.” The company, bowled over by his high-pressure approach, gave him a $1,000 a month job.
He staged death-defying boat races all over the state of Florida to publicize the introduction of the famous Johnson SeaHorse outboard motor. He became so successful that he started his own public relations agency.
His client list grew and he had elegant offices in the prestigious Tribune building in Chicago and the Graybar building in New York. But Pope had been touting the Sunshine State for so long he had convinced himself that Florida was the only place to live. So, in the midst of the worst depression this country has ever suffered through, he and Julie decided to head back to the land of oranges.
According to Pope, “This all came about, you know, because Julie showed me an article in Good Housekeeping, while we were living in New York, about a banker in Charleston who had opened his private estate to the public, and charged admission and had taken in $36,000 cash in one year—a big sum in those days. It stayed in our minds, and one day after we decided to come back to Florida, we talked it over and said, ‘someday we’d build a Garden, so I could be president—and attract visitors to Winter Haven!’
Please give credit to, and visit here -
http://www.yesterland.com/cypressgardens.html
____________________
Another piece of Cypress Gardens history borrowed to share -
"Billed as Florida's first commercial tourist theme park,[2] Cypress Gardens opened on January 2, 1936 as a botanical garden planted by Dick Pope Sr. and his wife Julie. Over the years it became one of the biggest attractions in Florida, known for its water ski shows, gardens, and Southern Belles.[3]
It became known as the "Water Ski Capital of the World" because it was the site of many of the sport's landmark firsts and over 50 world records were broken there. During World War II, soldiers visited and waterskiing was introduced for their entertainment.[3] Numerous movies were filmed at the park, including portions of This is Cinerama, the first feature filmed in the wide-screen format, and a string of Esther Williams films and TV specials in the 1950s and 1960s.[4] In the 1950s the Southern Belles attraction was introduced, in which young women dressed in the crinolines reminiscent of the Antebellum South. During the American Civil War Centennial young men dressed in Confederate uniforms would be photographed with the Southern Belles. In the early 1960s a custom photography boat named Miss Cover Girl was introduced, and the park became a popular site for the filming of television commercials.
Many celebrities and dignitaries have skied and visited at the park, including Elvis Presley, King Hussein of Jordan and his son and successor, King Abdullah II. It was also the site of a Johnny Carson special.[5]
On April 14, 2014, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places."
Give credit to, and visit here -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypress_Gardens
"A BRIEF HISTORY OF CYPRESS GARDENS"
"CYPRESS GARDENS, Fla.—They say Cypress Gardens founder Dick Pope, Sr. was born in the midst of an Iowa cyclone. And, the energy of that cyclone—and the bluster—was absorbed by Pope and drove him energetically through all his life.
Born at the dawn of the new century, Pope came to Florida with his father at age 11 and honed his sales skills helping his dad sell real estate, closing his first deal at the age of 12.
He met and married his life partner, Julie Downing, in 1926. After the Florida real estate market went bust in 1927, Pope needed a way to support his new wife. Outboard motors were just coming into use and Dick had heard that one manufacturer was planning a publicity campaign. He shoved his bride into a car and started driving to the company’s (Johnson Outboards) headquarters. At every city en route, Dick stopped and sent a telegram to the president: “Hold all publicity plans until I get there. Your problem is solved.” The company, bowled over by his high-pressure approach, gave him a $1,000 a month job.
He staged death-defying boat races all over the state of Florida to publicize the introduction of the famous Johnson SeaHorse outboard motor. He became so successful that he started his own public relations agency.
His client list grew and he had elegant offices in the prestigious Tribune building in Chicago and the Graybar building in New York. But Pope had been touting the Sunshine State for so long he had convinced himself that Florida was the only place to live. So, in the midst of the worst depression this country has ever suffered through, he and Julie decided to head back to the land of oranges.
According to Pope, “This all came about, you know, because Julie showed me an article in Good Housekeeping, while we were living in New York, about a banker in Charleston who had opened his private estate to the public, and charged admission and had taken in $36,000 cash in one year—a big sum in those days. It stayed in our minds, and one day after we decided to come back to Florida, we talked it over and said, ‘someday we’d build a Garden, so I could be president—and attract visitors to Winter Haven!’
Please give credit to, and visit here -
http://www.yesterland.com/cypressgardens.html
____________________
Another piece of Cypress Gardens history borrowed to share -
"Billed as Florida's first commercial tourist theme park,[2] Cypress Gardens opened on January 2, 1936 as a botanical garden planted by Dick Pope Sr. and his wife Julie. Over the years it became one of the biggest attractions in Florida, known for its water ski shows, gardens, and Southern Belles.[3]
It became known as the "Water Ski Capital of the World" because it was the site of many of the sport's landmark firsts and over 50 world records were broken there. During World War II, soldiers visited and waterskiing was introduced for their entertainment.[3] Numerous movies were filmed at the park, including portions of This is Cinerama, the first feature filmed in the wide-screen format, and a string of Esther Williams films and TV specials in the 1950s and 1960s.[4] In the 1950s the Southern Belles attraction was introduced, in which young women dressed in the crinolines reminiscent of the Antebellum South. During the American Civil War Centennial young men dressed in Confederate uniforms would be photographed with the Southern Belles. In the early 1960s a custom photography boat named Miss Cover Girl was introduced, and the park became a popular site for the filming of television commercials.
Many celebrities and dignitaries have skied and visited at the park, including Elvis Presley, King Hussein of Jordan and his son and successor, King Abdullah II. It was also the site of a Johnny Carson special.[5]
On April 14, 2014, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places."
Give credit to, and visit here -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypress_Gardens
1950 Entrance Billboard Sign for Cypress Gardens
 Oh what fun, can I do that too? |
Some wonderful period footage and interesting history surrounding Cypress Gardens
Fun in the Sun
Only here, at Cypress Gardens, FloridaPast
 The water is wet, the air is cool, come on down, to Cypress Gardens, FloridaPast - and We'll all have a Blast, of water in the face, that is. |
 Some of the most memorable adventures, happened in FloridaPast |
We give special Thanks to FloridaMemoryProject for the use of their FloridaPast photographs, and all our friends who have contributed. Keep em coming!
