Jorge Estevez DNA Test

Posted on by Thor

Jorge Estevez, a WFTV Channel 9 news anchor, was invited by Pam Schwartz, the Orange County Regional History Center Chief Curator, to take an Ancestry DNA test to learn more about his family history. She also researched the family histories of other well-known Central Floridians, including
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer; 
journalist Brendan O’Connor of the Bungalower; Toni Pressley, Orlando
Pride soccer team defender; and Geraldine Thompson, state
representative and senator and founder of Orlando’s Wells’ Built Museum.

Jorge met Pam at the History Center Research Library where she asked him about what he did know about his family history. To do the DNA test he had to spit into a test tube which was a great photo opportunity for Melissa Procko, History Center Research Librarian, who was documenting the moment with video and still photography.

A line of Jorge’s family tree comes from Cuba which turned out to be problematic for online research since Cuban records must be researched from the courthouses and archives on the island. Pam was afraid she might have bit off more than she could chew, but she enlisted the help of a genealogist who specializes in Cuban research. This genealogist also does research for a TV program called Finding Your Roots.

It turns out that Jorge comes from a family line which is renowned for being public servants who notarize documents. Being a notary in those days was a position of high honor. She even found their notary stamps. The family line was researched way back into the 1500s. Jorge joked that he has never had a tattoo, but he is considering getting a tattoo of one of those ancient hand-drawn stamps since it means so much to him.

Beefy King turns 50

Posted on by Thor

Tom Veigle founded Beefy King in 1968. He had discovered the roast beef sandwich on a trip to New York City and immediately opened the restaurant in Orlando. He also owned a chain of pizza restaurants. Tom sold the original Beefy King location to Freeman Smith that same year. He made the company public and expanded the chain. He eventually sold the Beefy King brand and the Smiths restaurant became the only restaurant to remain in the franchise.

Son Roland Smith took over when Freeman Smith retired. The restaurant changed hands several times over the five decades but remained in the family. Now
Roland Smith’s daughter and son-in-law, Shannon and James “Woody”
Woodrow, run the restaurant.

The restaurant decor clearly  has not changed since the 60s. Tacky clowns hang from the ceiling. They remind me of the paint by number clown painting my parents had hanging in the basement when I was a child in New Jersey. Those clowns had been painted by my older brothers.

I have had lunch at Beefy King several times with the Orange County Regional History Center staff. It makes sense that folks who know about Orlando’s history would be attracted to the place. The sandwich was dissected and photographed for a recent exhibit at the History Center about how things are made. No family secrets were reveled in the process. Melissa Procko stopped in for the 50th anniversary celebration and she shot photos for the History Center archives.

On the day of the 50th celebration the line to get roast beef sandwiches went out the door and wrapped around the building. I went inside immediately and got a seat to start sketching while Pam stood in the line that wrapped around the aisles towards the food counter. Channel 6 News showed up with a TV camera and was interviewing the owners.

The menu hasn’t changed for 50 years. They do one thing and they do it well. It is a simple and direct path to success. I know I will be back.