50 STATES OF CENTRAL FLORIDA; Part 3 MA MD SC

50 States of central Florida, Part 3:

Builders of America’s 19^th century Paradise in Florida arrived from nearly every corner of the world. Amazing pioneers, dreamers and doers, they selected land locations in a wide swath of a Citrus Belt stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. A courageous bunch of guys and gals, the pioneers came to Florida as well from parts of every modern day State.

All 50 States played a role in founding central Florida, and CitrusLAND will pay tribute to such remarkable individuals each Sunday throughout the summer of 2018, doing so in the order States were admitted to our Union of States. This week our spotlight shines on Massachusetts, State #6, admitted February 6, 1788; #7, Maryland, admitted April 28, 1788, and South Carolina, admitted as State #8 on May 23, 1788.

MASSACHUSETTS:

Orange County’s second post office, NEW SMYRNA was established June 5, 1845 by John D. SHELDON, a native of Massachusetts, the 6^th State to be admitted to our Union of States. Sheldon came to Florida Territory as a Customs Inspector, met and married Jane MURRAY, and together they worked to tame coastal Mosquito County. He served too as a scout for the Army as they searched for waring Indians in the late 1830s. The Sheldon’s opened a hotel, and later stood helplessly as it was bombed by the Union Navy during America’s Civil War.

Many citizens of Massachusetts were active players in a developing central Florida, including owners of the BOSTON HERALD. The newspaper provided financing for the first ever train to run from Sanford to Tampa, laying 22 miles of track in 1880, from a new Sanford port at Lake Monroe, to Orange County’s Seat at Orlando.

Two years later, Boston investors built a luxury hotel in the midst of a 1,200 acre development they called ALTAMONTE (Photo above). From Newburyport came Thomas C. SIMPSON, representing the Boston investors, and buying up dozens of homesteads. The hotel and cozy cottage sites later became known as ALTAMONTE SPRINGS.

1884 Altamonte Advertisement

Retired Navy Secretary James M. ALDEN arrived in 1895, acquiring South Orange County’s historic EPPES residence on Lake Pineloch. The career Officer and Massachusetts native was also an artist, and one of his paintings was of a dead tree, the famous COUNCIL OAK, said to be a gathering place of the Seminole Indians. Alden’s presence and painting helped preserve an important part of local history.

MARYLAND:

Born at Montgomery County, Maryland, Mary married William E. PATTERSON. Neighbor Fannie ROSS, schooled at Georgetown, Maryland, married James FRANKLIN, a Navy Cadet who was also a native of Annapolis. The two Maryland couples relocated in 1880 to the west shore of Lake Apopka. Originally Sumter County, their two homesteads became part of Lake County in 1887.

Meanwhile, back at Georgetown Maryland, is a landmark known as SUGARLOAF Mountain, and nearby is the historic residence of MONTVIDEO. Maryland Historical Society tells us the name of the home is Latin, meaning, “I see the MOUNTAIN.” 

Montverde, Florida Railway depot

MONTVIDEO was one of two residences owned by a Georgetown family. Their second residence, an even older landmark, was called MONTANVERDE. On Lake Apopka, James & Fannie FRANKLIN built a home, and began selling parcels at a place they called, “Town of MONTVERDE.” The Franklin’s could even see, from their homestead, Lake County’s SUGARLOAF Mountain.

SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina, the eighth state to join the USA, had been Florida’s-Mother State. As early as 1803, South Caroline plantation owner William WILLIAMS the Elder, a British Loyalist, carved out SPRING GARDEN Plantation, (presently Deleon Springs State Park in Volusia County, 1830s survey of Spring Garden is shown above). This was the very same site owned by Colonel ORLANDO REES of South Carolina in 1832, when John James Audubon visited the Colonel and drew of map of the region (Below). Indians burned the Rees Plantation in 1836.

Map drawn in 1832 by John James Audubon

The first survey of Fort GATLIN region, south of Orlando, was completed in 1842 by a South Carolina native, Benjamin F. WHITNER. Cousin Joseph N. WHITNER was instrumental in developing the Fort REID area. In between Gatlin and Reid, on ORLANDO’S Lake Lucerne, South Carolina native Vincent LEE homesteaded 160 acres in 1842. Clearly, South Carolina was well represented in the development of early central Florida.

Volusia County was carved from Orange County in 1854, while Florida Governor James E. BROOME, a South Carolina native, was still in office. Broome’s final day in office coincided as well with the exact date of a deed conveyance of four acres for an Orange County Courthouse site, a land donation made in 1857 by South Carolina Attorney, and resident of Orange County, James G. SPEER. Caldwell and Speer were both born in South Carolina. The first female Orange County land tycoon, owner in 1860 of 1,700 central Florida acres, was, as you guessed it by this point, a native of South Carolina.

Then too there is Orlando’s first Post Master, appointed in 1857. John R. WORTHINGTON was also born in South Caroline!

For more on CitrusLAND and 19^th century central FLORIDA:

Francis W. EPPES and the COUNCIL OAK are featured in my latest book, awarded the 2017 Pine Castle Historian Award by Pine Castle Historical Society: BEYOND GATLIN: a History of South Orange County. Learn more at my Beyond Gatlin page at www.CroninBooks.com Also check out First Road to Orlando – chock full of early pioneers and their families.

 Next Week: New Hampshire and Virginia