901 S. Bumby Orlando, FL 32806
Phone: 407.897.6430 Fax: 407.897.2409
Principal: Carmen Carrasco-Thompson
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The History Behind Lake Como Elementary: "A Great Place to Learn for Fifty Years!"

Lake Como opened its doors on May 6, 1951 with 350 students. It was built at a cost of $300,000 and was considered Orange County's newest, most modern elementary school. Originally built as a 12 classroom school, Lake Como now has 24 classrooms plus an art and music portable. Enrollment has fluctuated over the years. Lake Como once was on double session with just over 1000 students. We now have just over 300 students. Since we are an inner city school, many of our children are bussed to school. The chimes in the cafeteria are now used as a signal to be quiet and begin eating. The chimes were once used to sing a blessing before eating.

Lake Como has had 11 Principals over these 50 years: Opal Johnson, Bill Bailey, Eugenia Messervey, Dell Shadgett, Evelyn Foust , Janice Weems, Nancy Livesay, Floyd Craig, Betty Downs, Lynne Milia, and current principal Bonita Glester.

Lake Como's Fifty Years
Written by: Susan Kemper, Lake Como Teacher 11/01


Lake Como, built in 1951,
Has educated students and smoothly run.
Thousands of children through these walls have passed.
Here they've gained knowledge and memories that surely last.

In fifty years our school has really changed,
Both in size and with buildings rearranged.
Library books once came room-to-room by cart.
Reading has always made Lake Como kids so smart.

At snack time milk was once brought to each door,
A tiny room near the office housed our first school store.
Once many portables on our campus stood,
Though years brought change, Lake Como School was always, oh, so good!


Time could not change our goals: for kids to learn,
Build strong self-concepts, and wise choices to discern.
Our teachers and our staff have strived each day
To grow well-rounded students as they work and play.

And so, Lake Como, we still honor thee
When you were new until the year fifty.
No school could ever be so dear to me,
So dear to me, as Lake Como --50 years!

Lake Como the Early Years

  • 1953 - Florida Citrus Council juice study
  • 1955-56 - "A Day at Lake Como" was filmed and shown to many schools across the US.
  • 1959 - Better Homes & Gardens award winners
  • 1967 - Orlando Area Chamber of Commerce awarded Lake Como Elementary School with the beautification award "Miss Pretty School"

School Song

Our dear Lake Como School we honor thee,
To thee we always pledge our loyalty.
Our standards high we ever will uphold,
The story of our school will never be untold.
Our teachers, students all unite as one,
Together work until each task is done.
No school will ever be so dear to me, so dear to me as Lake Como!
Rah! Rah! Rah!

School Mascot: Comet

School Colors: Garnet & Gold

 
Background History
Lake Como Elementary is on the corner of Bumby and Gore. Bumby street is named for Joseph Bumby pictured center with his 6 sons. He came here from Colchester, England. He homesteaded 160 acres
Joseph Bumby and Family
east of Orlando and set out a large orange grove. The first Bumby home was half-log and frame building which served until a 14 room Colonial home was built on Bumby street. The home burned in 1911. While waiting for his grove to develop, Mr. Bumby carried mail from Sanford to Orlando, first on horseback, later starting a hack line. He took his naturalization papers and became an American citizen in 1897. He established a warehouse on the northwest corner of West Church Street and Gertrude Street, selling hay, grain, and fertilizer. When the South Florida Railroad came in 1880, he became the first freight and ticket agent. In 1886, Mr. Bumby built a large brick building across the street from his warehouse and started a hardware business that was to become a legend in Central Florida. "If you can't find it-- go to Bumby's became a familiar slogan. Mr. Bumby died in 1911, but his family carried on the Bumby tradition until 1966 when the landmark store closed. This area is now "Church Street Station".


Gore Street is name for Mahlon Gore pictured to the left. He came to Orlando from Iowa early I 1880 and in May purchased the Orange County Reporter from H.B. Harrington. An experienced newspaper man, Mr. Gore built up the paper's circulation, and took young men in to the shop to teach them the printing trade. Writing his impression of the town when he arrived, Gore said "the entire business district was on three sides of the court house square. There were four stores, one hotel, one blacksmith and a wagon shop and a livery stable. You leave your order for your conveyance two days in advance to give the liveryman time to go into the woods and hunt the horse and then the best he can do for you is give you a buckboard to rid in... When the South Florida Railroad connected Mellonville to Orlando things began to change and in the next four years people began to locate here and five saw mills and two planing mills began to turn out lumber and a building boom was on. In four years there were forty-one mercantile establishments and three livery stables." Mr. Gore's newspaper plant was completely destroyed in what was called the "worst fire in history", The Fire of 1884. It began at James Delaney's grocery store, northwest corner of East Pine and Main. Behind it was the Orange County Reporter. Explosives were used to blow up buildings to prevent the fire from destroying the entire business district. Mr. Gore purchased five acres on the north side of Lake Edith ( now Lake O' the Woods), and built his two-story frame house, opening Gore Avenue which still bears his name. He eventually sold his home and moved to "Sioux Villa" on Lake Lucerne. He died June, 1916 at the age of 70.

Things going on around Orlando during the school year 1951-1952

  • Orlando's newly reactivated Air Base officially opened. The city's television store opened at 1020 North Mills Street. Under the name "House of Television" Publix opened it's fourth Orlando store at 1040 Kuhl Avenue. Formal dedication services were held June 22 to open the new underwater Sound Laboratory on Lake Gem
  • The Eastern Airlines Constellation, one of the largest ships in service, arrived in Orlando for the dedication of the new Municipal air terminal. The "Columbia Restaurant" of Tampa occupied the second floor of the East Wing.
  • The Sentinel Star moved from 234 S. Orange Avenue to its new building at 633.
  • On January 9 the Orlando Transit Company was granted permission to jump fares from twelve to fifteen cents on all buses.
  • Milton Blanck, manager of the Orlando Industrial Board, announced Tupperware would make Orlando it's national headquarters.
    Downtown Orlando
  • The new St. James (Catholic) Cathedral was dedicated on March 9, 1952.
  • The Eccleston Crippled Children's Home and Hospital, first of its kind ever established in the country for handicapped African/American youngsters, was formally dedicated April 20, 1952.
  • The Dedication of Edgewater High School (Orlando's second), was held September of 1952.
  • Lloyd Gahr, chairman of the Orlando Park Board, suggested to the city that the orange ball at North Orange Avenue and Magnolia be replaced with a replica of the Statue of Liberty.
  • The Orlando Country Club planned it's first debutante ball for the fall of 1952.
  • The Columbia Restaurant left the airport and Champ Williams took over with the "Skyline Restaurant."
  • Pine Castle Air Base got it's first jet bomber - the Boeing B-47 - in mid November.
  • The "New" Pines Hills development had its formal opening DEC 14, 1952.