OUC History Book

Page 15

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.


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