Pine Castle Pioneer Days, 1974

The Young People of Pine Castle

The life of the young people of Pine Castle around the turn of the century was a lot different from that of today. They had no movies, no TV, no stnack bars, no cars to ride in. They had to make their own fun.

The school they attended was a small white building with eight grades in one room, on the present day school grounds. All the children sat at desks with wooden benches. The teacher used a "flip" board as an aide. The board was about two feet wide and stood on a stand. It had numbers on one page, ABC's on another, and other things to be learned by rote. As the children learned one page, the teacher would flip to the next. She also had a paddle which she didn't hesitate to use.

Easter was a big time! Saturday morning the women of the town would all meet to boil and dye Easter eggs. They hid them in a big fenced-in vacant lot where Dr. Pribell's office is now. Saturday afternoon all the children would participate in the hunt.

Christmas was another delightful time. The Christmas pageant would be held at the Union Church, but the school would put it on. By the first of November, the children would start practicing. The girls always had an extra duty. In addition to their parts in the play and the Sunday School verses they had to learn, they were also in the girls' drill. They practiced twice a week, and no one dared to miss a practice. By Christmas, they would be as precision minded as the Oak Ridge High School band is today. They all wore white dresses trimmed in silver tinsel with silver headdresses.

The boys and girls were in the Christmas play and they all made decorations for the tree. When it was gift giving time, the younger children received dolls, tea sets, marbles, etc., and the older ones got fruits and nuts.

In the afternoons, the children would go down to the depot to watch the trains come in. They loved to talk to the train men. Their favorite was a conductor who lived in Pine Castle. It was always an added thrill when he came through. There was a special Sunday School train which made up in Sanford and went to Lakeland. Occasionally, some of the children went down on it. As the train had only sulphur water on it, it was said to be a hot train.

The church picnics at Pleasure Beach were the highlight of the season. The day before the picnic, the men would put up the swings and make sure they were safe. Every family brought their own food, and everyone tried to out-do each other. There was always iced watermellon and lemonade to eat. The more daring girls would turn their crinoline petticoats inside out so the ruffles would show when they swung and their dresses flew out. There were always games and singing at the picnic.

The boys in Pine Castle had a baseball team. They played Montverde, Kissimmee, and other little towns which had teams. When they played Kissimmee, it was an automatic homerun if the ball went into the outfield. They couldn't tell the ball from the cow manure!

A wedding in the town always called for a "charade," which was simply an excuse for a get-together. The newly-married couple would be serenaded with pots and pans, horns, and anything else that made noise. The din sometimes went on all night.

A great favorite with the Pine Castle teenagers was Chicken Pilau. A spot would be cleared in a grove or open field by the boys. Then both boys and girls would meet after dark. The boys would take turns stealing and killing the chicken, while the girls would cook the Chicken Pilau. After it was done, they would sit around the fire eating and talking until it was time to go home.

The teenage "wheels" in those days were their bikes or horses. The boys took their girls for a ride on their bike, or for a walk, or for a ride in the buggy. Ice cream socials, oyster stews, and box lunch specials were all a part of their lives, a lifestyle that disappeared all too soon.