Sanford Museum

10/23/2026

Thank you so much for all our friends and volunteers at the Sanford Historical Society! You all are the best! :)

The Great Sanford Duck Hunt is back for Thanksgiving week

The Great Sanford Duck Hunt: Thanksgiving Edition

When: Saturday, November 21 through Friday, November 27
Where: Throughout downtown Sanford, including sponsor businesses and public spots

For one full week, 50 Thanksgiving-themed rubber ducks will be hidden around the heart of downtown, waiting to be found. Every duck has its own number and prize-redemption instructions on the bottom.

How it works
1. Explore downtown Sanford and hunt for the ducks.
2. Found one? Bring it to the Sanford Museum on Family Craft Day (November 28) to redeem your prize!

Good to know
• Open to kids ages 12 and under
• Limit one duck per child

So lace up those sneakers, bring the whole family downtown, and support local businesses while you’re at it. Happy hunting! 🍂

10/23/2026

Look back at Sanford history with this photograph from ca. 1920-1921, featuring a decorated Chase & Company parade float parked right in front of the Chase & Co. building (110 W 1st St). Pictured next to it are Thomas Jones and William A. Leffler.

Established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase, the company has its roots all the way back to Henry Sanford himself, who originally employed the Chase brothers. Chase & Company quickly grew to become one of Sanford’s largest employers in the early twentieth century.

They began as citrus farmers, maintaining a series of groves throughout Central Florida. However, after the devastating freeze of 1894, they adapted by moving into other crops and building packinghouses. Over the years, the company diversified even further, selling insurance, fertilizer, and eventually roofing supplies and tools.

Today, this historic enterprise is still an important Sanford institution, now known as Sunniland. If you look closely, you can see “Sunniland” displayed on the decorated vehicle.

📸 Photo courtesy of RICHES of Central Florida.

10/10/2026

This is probably one of our favorite hay art pieces yet!

🌾🎃 HAY ART SEASON IS HERE & WE NEED YOUR HELP TO NAME THAT CHARACTER! 🎨✨

Sanford, it’s time to get creative! Our amazing Parks and Recreation team has been hard at work crafting this year’s Halloween holiday-themed hay art display. You might recognize the inspiration behind this mischievous character... but we want YOU to give it an official name!

This year’s masterpiece was cleverly created by Billie Jean Puleo and Eric Griffin from our Parks & Rec Department! 👏👏

🎁 CONTEST DETAILS & HOW TO ENTER:

Drop your best, most creative name in the comments below!

Vote for your favorites! The comment with the most likes will become the official winning name (subject to City approval).

The Prize: The winner receives an official City of Sanford T-shirt! 👕✨

🗓 Deadline to Enter: Monday, October 5th at Noon.

📸 Snap a Selfie!
Stop by the corner of Park Avenue and 1st Street in Historic Downtown Sanford to check out the display and grab a picture with our festive hay art!

Now, the big question... What should we name this mischievous character? Drop your ideas below! 👇🎃

09/30/2026

Did you know yesterday was the City's 149th birthday? The Sanford Historical Society did!

Thank you so much to our dear friends at the Historical Society for working to preserve Sanford history! :)

Happy 149th birthday, Sanford! 🎂

On this day in 1877, Sanford was officially incorporated. Ten years later, this is what First Street looked like, looking toward Sanford Avenue.

Take a look at that sandy street, the wooden storefronts, and the horse and wagon waiting near the palms. This photo was taken in 1887, before the fire that would reshape downtown, when most buildings were built of wood.

Next year we celebrate 150 years, and we can't wait to share the milestone with you. Until then, tell us in the comments: what is your favorite piece of Sanford history?

09/26/2026

SANFORD'S ROOTED HISTORY ON NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN DAY

Native American Day invites us to reflect on the deep, enduring history of the Indigenous peoples who lived along the shores of Lake Monroe and the St. Johns River long before Sanford was established.

The St. Johns River was a vital highway, fishing ground, and home for Indigenous communities, and later, the Seminole people. In the 1830's, during the Second Seminole War, our waterfront became a central backdrop in Florida’s history:

Camp Monroe (1836): U.S. forces established Camp Monroe along the southern shore of Lake Monroe (where Fort Mellon Park sits today) as a strategic staging post along the river.

The Battle of Lake Monroe (February 8, 1837): Legendary Seminole leaders—including Coacoochee (Wildcat), King Philip (Emathla), and Osceola—led a major attack on Camp Monroe in defense of their homelands. It became one of the most fierce clashes of the war in Central Florida.

Fort Mellon: Following the battle and the death of Captain Charles Mellon, the encampment was renamed Fort Mellon. The early riverport settlement of Mellonville grew around this fort before eventually becoming the city of Sanford we know today.

The Seminoles are known as the "Unconquered People" for their resilience and refusal to surrender their connection to this land. Today, as we walk along the Riverwalk or gather downtown, we honor the original stewards of the St. Johns River and remember the complex stories embedded in our community's soil.

09/22/2026

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Have you got your tickets yet?

SEE YOU SATURDAY!

09/11/2026

This September 11th, we at the Sanford Museum remember Mr. Mannie "Mannie Boy" Leroy Clark.

Recently published in the My Sanford Herald ( ) was a wonderful article about Mr. Mannie Clark, written by Mr. Octavius “Ocky” Clark, Mannie's nephew.

You can read the article online at the Herald's website to learn more about Mr. Clark from his own family's perspective.

From The Sanford Herald, October 7, 2001:
"A native of Sanford, Clark attended and graduated from Crooms Academy (1966). Clark was employed in the first building of the World Trade Center that was hit by an airplane on Sept. 11, 2001."

Via his FindAGrave:
"Mr. Clark was the head supervisor of Security in the First Tower, covering floors 86-100. The airplane that struck the First Tower struck the same side of the building where his office was located on the 93rd floor."

Shared image is from a pamphlet created for his memorial service in Sanford.
If you have any stories or memories of Mr. Clark that you would like to share, please comment below or reach out to us to schedule an oral history recording - your stories matter!

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