1923–1949 The American Red Cross set up a surgical dressing unit at OUC during WWII.
On the Homefront America entered the Second World War after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on
created jobs. The state’s citrus industry also
December 7, 1941. As our country fought
began to thrive, fueling growth throughout
for freedom on the battlegrounds of Europe
Central Florida.
and the Pacific, OUC helped on the
To keep pace, OUC embarked mid-decade
homefront — keeping the power on and the
on a major expansion of the water treatment
water flowing for the citizens of Orlando.
and electric generation facilities. The new
And that wasn’t always easy. According to
Lake Highland Plant, containing both electric
Orlando: A Centennial History, in June of
generation and water treatment equipment,
1942, street lights were cut off “when the
would be built west of Lake Highland, south
city faced an acute power shortage due to
of the railroad tracks, directly across from the
lack of oil. Merchants were asked to cut air
existing plant. OUC also constructed a new
conditioning and display lights, and municipal
water main system that replaced many of the
lights were discontinued, with the exception
original mains that were installed beginning
of traffic signals.”
in 1886. A 20-inch main was laid from the
Throughout some of the darkest years in
plant on Lake Ivanhoe down Orange Avenue
this nation’s history, OUC set the stage for
to Lake Lucerne. Up to this point, the largest
what would become a legacy of community
water main in the City’s chief artery was
service — opening its doors to the American
10 inches in diameter.
Red Cross, which set up a surgical dressing
With the addition of new infrastructure
unit on the third floor of OUC’s office building.
came the need for a centralized service
One of the first such units in the war effort, it
operations area. In 1942, OUC built the 38,900-
served as the state’s training headquarters for
square-foot Lake Highland Service Yard, which
surgical instructors. More than 250,000
accommodated the new warehouse, meter
dressings were made at OUC, representing
rooms, paint shop, truck sheds and operations
107,447 hours of volunteer effort.
offices. The Yard was constructed on the north
During the war, the economies of Orlando Lake Highland Service Yard construction circa 1942.
from the Depression, as defense contracts
and other Florida cities were able to rebound
Page 11
shore of Lake Highland, on a private rail siding, adjacent to the Lake Ivanhoe Plant.